Gardener's Diary is a regular feature of Age-Net run by our Deputy Editor

Rosemary Martin

 

August 2009

 

At this time of year I start looking at any plants that have seed pods forming, as I find immense satisfaction in growing plants for free from seed I have previously collected.

Several years ago I spent £6 on one packet with only five seeds of the Castor Oil plant Ricinus Carmencita, a really unusual architectural annual, (see left). Although expensive at the time, each year they've produced dozens of viable seeds, which produced endless plants.

So when funds are at a premium go on a seed hunt. Ask your neighbours if you can collect any of their seeds from plants you fancy...

You can also research online for any plants that are suitable for taking stem cuttings at this time of year. This is wood that is no longer soft and sappy but not yet very ripe.

Don't forget that summer isn't all about working in your garden; take some time out to visit a garden show or two, such as the Malvern Autumn Show.

Or go to the RHS event finder for more walks, talks and shows; scroll down to find events for August.

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Jobs for the month in the kitchen garden..

Vegetables

August really is the time to reap the rewards of your labours in the vegetable garden.

• Broad beans will finish this month but have been supplanted by the excellent runner bean crop.
• Runner beans are particularly thirsty, so remember to water well in dry spells.
• Maincrop potatoes can be lifted at the end of the month and stored somewhere dry and cool in paper or hessian sacks.
• Onions and shallots can be lifted when the foliage has died down; leave to dry out for a few days before storage for winter use.
• Carry on picking courgettes when around four to six inches long to prolong the cropping season and summer broccoli should be continually harvested to prevent the florets turning into flowers. All surpluses at this time of year can be stored or frozen for later use.
• Sweetcorn should be watered if the weather is dry, particularly at flowering time; tap the tassels when fully developed to aid pollination and liquid feed when the cobs start to develop.
• The last sowing of carrots and swede can be made before the middle of the month for winter harvesting and brussels can be sown for sturdy plants next year.
• Aubergine plants should be misted to aid pollination and fed with liquid tomato fertilizer when the fruits are developing; allow a maximum of six fruits per plant, remove any other flowers after this.
• Continue to feed tomatoes and cucumbers once a week and water daily to maintain cropping.
  

Fruit

• Pick early apples and pears and try to use immediately as they will not keep. To test whether the fruit is ready, lift a fruit in the palm of your hand and, with the slightest twist, the fruit will part company from the tree. Never pull a fruit leaving the stalk on the tree or breaking off the spur.
• When summer raspberries have finished fruiting, cut the old canes down to ground level and tie in the new canes for next year. Autumn fruiting raspberries will now be ready to pick, which should compensate for the loss of the summer varieties!
• When black and red currants have been picked, prune the bushes to remove dead or damaged wood and around a third of older wood, the idea being to promote new, vigorous growth from the base and to keep the centre of the bushes open and light.
• If you need new strawberry plants for next year then pot up some of the young plants produced on runners, if you don`t need the new plants then cut off the runners to maintain the plant`s strength
• Try to support laden plum branches to prevent branches snapping as this can lead to silver leaf infection in the wounds. Wasps can become a nuisance at this time of year so hang traps baited with beer or syrup amongst the trees.
  

Flower garden

Deadhead plants in hanging baskets, tubs and borders to prolong your display into the autumn. Cut back the foliage of plants that have finished flowering and are starting to Prune climbing and rambling roses once the flowers have finished.
Collect seed from hardy annuals and perennials for sowing later in the autumn. Towards the end of August sow hardy annuals. They will overwinter and flower next summer.
Cyclamen that have been resting over the summer can be started back into growth for winter blooms; repot them if necessary and water well.

Greenhouse

Damp down the greenhouse on hot days to maintain humidity levels and eliminate pests.

We're growing some interesting plants in the greenhouse this year and don't quite know what they're going to produce. A melon/cucumber plant and a cucumber/apple plant are growing happily away and producing some odd looking fruits which, if they're edible, we won't know what to do with anyway. An aubergine plant has one huge black aubergine growing and loads more flowers, and the Cape Gooseberry (Golden Berry) is producing hundreds of fruits which all our visitors seem to love!

Ponds

Continue to remove blanket weed using a net or rake. Remove faded flowers from aquatic plants. Keep water topped up in hot weather when much of it will evaporate. Don't forget to top up water where necessary in water features and bird baths.

Wildlife gardening

Save seed heads from sunflowers and teazles (see right) for the birds to eat over winter. I hang them in our trees for the birds to find. Keep food containers and the bird bath clean and topped up. Be aware that there might be other wildlife such as hedgehogs in your garden at this time of year, when you're wielding a spade.

 

Garden structures

Take advantage of any dry weather by painting fences, sheds and other wooden features with a preservative.
Get rid of moss and algae on paths and patios with a patio cleaner or jet wash them, which is more fun! Doing this job now will prevent them becoming slippery and dangerous during the winter.
Replace broken glass panes in greenhouses before the winter. Greenhouse guttering can also be checked to ensure it is not blocked with debris.