Watering

Deadheading and Cutting Back

Protect Your Plants - Pests

August can be one of the hottest months , so watering containers for newlyestablished plants is a must . Maintaining a steady water supply for your tomatoes is essential for healthy plants and a bumper crop . They are very thirsty plants and in hot conditions ideally need watering twice a day , once in the morning and once in the evening . Not only is this important to keep the crop healthy , but it also prevents the fruit cracking and staves off problems such as blossom-end rot . Always keep the water where it is needed at the roots and avoid watering the leaves wherever possible .

Keep camellias and rhododendrons well watered throughout late summer while the flower buds are forming to ensure a good show for next year .

Feeding

Regularly feed plants to keep them flowering . Your summer annuals will keep on flowering right through to the frosts , but only if you keep them well fed and deadhead them . Tomatoes will be especially grateful for a good feed ! Aim for once every two weeks or so with a high potash fertiliser for the very best results .

Summer annuals will want to set their seed so that their job is done , but we want them to keep looking beautiful ! Nip off the flowers as soon as they start to fade . Pick off the yellowing lower leaves of your geraniums too . This is a completely normal process for them as they move valuable nutrients out of the lower leaves into the new ones that are closer to the light . Cut back and deadhead dahlias and other perennials to encourage a continuous display of blooms . It ’ s the perfect time to cut back dying leaves and stems .

Summer Pruning

Wisteria : After flowering , cut back the whippy green shoots of the current year ’ s growth to five or six leaves . Pruning in the summer controls the size of the wisteria and prevents it getting into unwanted spaces like windows and guttering . This also encourages flowering spurs to form that will produce flowers next spring .

Lavender : Once finished flowering , lavender can be pruned to maintain a compact shape . Avoid cutting into old woody stems .

Rambling Roses : Once flowered , prune up to a third of stems and ensure well supported .

Vine weevils can be a real pain – the young eat the roots of our favourite plants and their adults eat the leaves . Nematodes are a great way to control the problem . Go on regular slug and snail hunts , especially on warm damp evenings , to keep the populations in check .

Enjoy the Fruits of Your Labour

Harvest fruits and vegetables as they become ready . When dry , collect seeds as they ripen , especially sweet peas and aquilegia . Dry store them , ready to sow for next year .

Take time to enjoy your garden .

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