Your guide to August gardening

August is one of the most rewarding months in the garden here in the South East of England. With vegetables and annuals in full production and warm days still ahead, there’s a balance of enjoying summer abundance while preparing for the shift into autumn. Here’s what to focus on this month.

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What to Plant and Sow

Vegetables: It’s the last chance to sow quick crops like salad leaves, spinach, radishes, and spring onions for autumn use. You can also start hardy greens such as kale, chard, and winter lettuces to keep you harvesting through the colder months.

Herbs: Sow parsley now so that it will overwinter and give you an early spring crop.

Flowers: August is a great time to sow biennials like foxgloves, and also hardy annuals like forget-me-nots.

Lawn care: If the weather turns damp towards the end of the month, it’s a good time to reseed bare patches on the lawn.

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Harvesting this Month

Vegetables: Tomatoes, courgettes, runner beans, French beans, beetroot, carrots, and potatoes are all in full swing. Keep picking beans and courgettes regularly to encourage more crops.

Fruits: Early apples, plums, blackberries, and late raspberries ripen this month. Gooseberries and currants may still be coming through if not already picked.

Herbs: Basil, mint, oregano, and thyme are at their peak. Harvest and dry or freeze some for winter use. 

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General Maintenance

Watering: Keep containers and greenhouses well watered, especially during hot spells.

Weeding & mulching: Weeds grow fast in warm weather, try your best to keep on top of them!

Deadheading: Regularly deadhead roses, dahlias, and bedding plants to extent flowering times.

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Seasonal Highlights 

August is a great time to take semi-ripe cuttings of shrubs like lavender, rosemary, and penstemons to propagate new plants!

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Final Tip of the Month 

Make the most of the last of the summer sun! And prepare for some cooler gardening days ahead.

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