Although August seems late in the growing season, it’s still possible to sow fast-growing crops and prepare for autumn harvests.
In fact, the second half of summer is called the “Second Spring” as there is so much that can be sown now for home-grown veg over the coming months and over winter.
Sow Outdoors:
- Salad leaves – rocket, lamb’s lettuce and mustard greens thrive in the warm soil. Sow little and often for a continuous harvest.
- Spinach and chard – direct sow into beds for a productive autumn and winter crop
- Spring onions – sow outdoors for an early spring crop
- Turnips and radishes – fast to mature, these are perfect for late summer sowing
Sow Indoors or Undercover:
- Winter lettuces – start in modules or seed trays for planting out later
- Pak choi and Chinese cabbage – sow into pots and keep under cover to avoid bolting in summer heat
- Herbs – basil, coriander, and parsley can be sown in pots on sunny windowsills
Fruit:
August’s an ideal for planting strawberry runners for next year’s crop. Choose healthy runners from established plants and pot them up or plant directly in well-prepared beds.
This month is also the time to:
- Feed fruiting plants like raspberries, blueberries and gooseberries
- Prune summer-fruiting raspberries once they’ve finished fruiting
- Check apple and pear trees for signs of fruit drop or pests
- August is the last month to prune ornamental trees (such as ornamental cherries, mountain ash) if they need it. This allows wounds to heal before winter and avoid the risk of silver leaf disease
- Keep soil around fruit trees and bushes in good condition, especially in hot dry spells this month. Container grown plants and those on dwarfing rootstocks are especially vulnerable in dry weather
- Mulch well, but always onto wet soil. Leave a gap around the stem or trunk to allow air flow. Grass mowings, leafmould, rough compost and similar materials are all suitable mulches. This will help retain moisture, suppress weeds, and improve the soil
Flowers:
While many flowers are already in bloom, there’s still time to sow and plan for later colour and next year’s garden.
Sow now for late colour:
- Calendula (pot marigold) – quick to grow, these can bloom into early autumn
- Cornflowers – sow for late summer blooms and beautiful cut flowers
Sow now for next spring:
- Wallflowers – sow outdoors in a seed bed to overwinter and plant out in spring
- Forget-me-nots, nigella, poppy and honesty – great for self-seeding, cottage-style borders
- Pansies and violas – sow now to flower in autumn and winter
Soil:
A well composted soil, full of organic matter, holds water well, even in dry spells. Keep mulching – with lawn cuttings, light layer of compost or even straw and last year’s leafmould – only add mulches after watering.
Now is the perfect time to sow green manures, especially if you have bare soil after harvesting. Plants such as vetch and clover will rapidly cover bare patches and fix nitrogen from the air onto root nodules. Be sure to dig them in after flowering and before seed sets. Phacelia can be sown now, will germinate quickly, and its beautiful lilac flowers are a magnet for bees and other useful insects. See Green manures for a full list and what each plant will offer:
Composting:
The compost heap should be a mix of brown and green material in a roughly 50:50 ratio. If your heap is dry, water it and then add grass clippings, nettles or comfrey leaves to speed up the decomposition process. If too wet, scrumpled cardboard or shredded/scrunched up paper will create air pockets and prevent lawn cuttings going slimey.
Perennial weeds are full of minerals, so don’t waste them. Apart from bindweed which shouldn’t be composted, add the foliage to the compost bin.
Finally:
Start planning your autumn planting – order spring bulbs, prepare beds, and clean out greenhouses. Consider ways to improve your soil structure and moisture levels now before autumn rains arrive.