Top Gardening Tips for August

As summer slowly starts to mellow, August brings both harvest and preparation.

While blooms are still thriving and fruit is ripening, it’s also time to look ahead to the seasons to come. Whether you’re maintaining your summer display or laying the groundwork for next year’s colour, here are the top gardening tasks to tackle this month:

1. Prune Lavender After Flowering

Give your lavender a light prune once the blooms fade to keep it compact and bushy. Trim just below the spent flower spikes, but avoid cutting into old wood, as it may not regrow. This will help maintain a neat shape and encourage a good display next year.

2. Tidy Rambling Roses

After flowering, prune your rambling roses by removing up to a third of the older stems. Tie in the remaining, healthy growth to supports to encourage a tidy, structured shape and better flowering next year.

3. Keep Pots and Baskets Blooming

Maintain flowering in your containers and hanging baskets by deadheading regularly, watering daily during hot spells, and feeding every two weeks with a liquid tomato fertiliser. This helps keep displays vibrant right into early autumn.

4. Pinch Out Outdoor Tomatoes

As the end of summer nears, pinch out the tops of outdoor tomato plants to stop them producing more flowers. This helps concentrate the plant’s energy on ripening the existing fruits before the season ends.

5. Use Capillary Matting in the Greenhouse

If you're planning a break, installing a capillary matting system in your greenhouse is a smart way to keep plants hydrated. It allows for steady, even watering without over-saturating, keeping your crops happy in your absence.

6. Clear Weeds from Paving and Paths

Weeds in cracks between paving stones or along driveways can quickly take hold. Remove them before they spread or set seed. For a chemical-free solution, use a weeding knife or pour boiling water directly onto the weeds.

7. Deadhead Border Plants

Continue deadheading flowers in your borders to encourage fresh blooms and prolong the display. If you'd like to save seeds for next year, leave a few flower heads intact to dry out and collect the seeds once they ripen.

8. Sow Hardy Annuals

Plan ahead for early summer colour next year by sowing hardy annuals such as calendula, cornflowers, and nigella. Plant them directly into sunny, well-prepared soil where they are to flower, and they’ll overwinter before bursting into life in spring.