August Gardening Do’s And Don’ts

The August summer planting season is fast approaching and it is the perfect time that you as a gardener can make the most of the best. 

A month that requires careful planning of the planting season as it comes with a high level of sunlight exposure which if not handled with care, you mightn’t get anything out of your gardening investment.

That’s why in this article, we are going to take our time to break down everything that you need to know about how to plant your favourite crops/flowers in order to yield a good end product at the very end of the August/summer planting season.

August Gardening Do’s And Don’ts That You Must Know

There are some necessary things that you aren’t required to do especially when you are engaging in this upcoming August planting season. These include

1. Prune Your Plant

If you are planning to plant any outdoor or indoor plants, for instance, wisteria in your garden this August, it is necessary to know what you should do beforehand. These plants will grow healthy as they should.

You should trim your wisteria plant ahead of time at least a few months before August, especially after it has flowered in the last summer. It will help the germination of new flowers as well as monitor and control their growth.

I will highly recommend that you cut back the new growth to at least a few leaves from the stem or root. Doing so will enable a new flowering spurt in the autumn. It will help to prevent your wisteria from growing into gutters and windows.

2. Deadhead Your Flowering Plants

When you hear the deadheading of plants, what’s the first thing that crosses your mind?

Deadheading is the process of removing any dead flower heads from your plants. It is required to be done regularly especially during the summer if you want your plant to continue flowering into the autumn.

This is also a good way to stop any form of self-seeding plants such as gladioli and alliums from spreading. If you choose to abandon those flower heads, it will cause the seeds to scatter.

3. Remove Your Herb Back

There is a high tendency that your herb plant might grow and spread around that is why it is good that you cut the back of your herb. By cutting of herbs, it simply means pruning the plant’s back during the summer season.

It will also help them stay hydrated as it is much easier for the roots to deliver water to shorter stems.

However, there are some hardy herbs like mint and thyme that might likely survive the winter but also they will stop growing in the winter when they become dormant while others like fennel and oregano will typically die off until next spring. 

So therefore, by trimming your herbs back in later summer, you will also be encouraging the development of a new batch of fresh leaves that you can harvest before the frost arrives. Try and consider drying or freezing the herbs especially when you harvested them.

Read Also: 10 Essential Spring Gardening Tasks

4. Quality Water Supply

August is regarded as the hottest month every year which causes the plants to dry off. So it is a good idea to check the level of the water supply that has been fed at least twice a week so that you can keep them topped up.

Just like watering holes in the savannah, you may be surprised at what a haven for wildlife these water sources can become. Plus, when water features become shallow, they can turn green pretty quickly.

During the summer months, it’s important to check on your water supply level because even if you don’t see it being used you might be surprised how many visitors it takes. Take a look at the footage below to see how different birds could be using your birdbath.

Also, if you are dealing with ponds, you can remove any algae, blanket, or duckweed from the surface with a net or skimmer. 

You could also consider adding some aquatic plants like lily pads or watercress which can be found in any local garden center. These plants draw up nutrients from the water, making it impossible for all algae to grow.

For best results, you’ll usually need to cover 60% of your pond’s surface with aquatic plants.

5. Keep Your Plants Moisturized 

Research has proven that July and August are typically the two hottest months of the year, so, if you can, try to keep your plants as hydrated as possible especially if you are planning to plant camellias, rhododendrons, sunflowers and many others.

 You can choose to water your plants either first thing in the morning or late at night rather than during the hottest part of the day. 

As you do so, ensure that you give the plants enough water supply and also soak it for at least 20 seconds.

Make sure you give them a good soaking for at least 20 seconds.

Also, if you have plans to travel for either a holiday or any other journey, then you need to alert any of your friends, colleagues, or family members to look after your garden and water the plants when necessary.

You can make use of a gardening hose to spray the water on the plants and avoid any form of decay or dryness as a result of the lack of water.

Furthermore, you could also consider getting a waterbutt that fills up the house gutter system to reuse as much rainwater as you can. So, this summer could be a great time to install one ready for the autumn rain.

6. Fix Your Hedges 

If you’ve been meaning to trim your hedge, but haven’t gotten around to it yet, then now could be the perfect time to do it before the August planting season will be nearing.

There are different hedges which can perfectly suit any need but generally speaking, you have to first of all prune your hedge in late summer to allow any bald patches to recover before it becomes dormant in winter.

Your hedge is much more likely to hold its shape until next year if you trim it in August because it’ll probably experience a little bit of new growth that’ll help to flesh it out and add to its shape but it won’t have time to get too unruly before the cold weather arrives. 

FAQs

Conclusion

We hope that this article has enlightened you on how best to prepare for the upcoming August gardening. For more information, do well to leave your questions and comments in the comment session below.