OUTDOORLIVING
YOUR GARDEN THIS MONTH:
AUGUST
TOP 10 JOBS THIS MONTH
1. Prune wisteria 2. Don’ t delay summer pruning fruits trained as restricted forms 3. Deadhead flowering plants regularly 4. Watering! Particularly containers and new plants, preferably with grey recycled water or stored rainwater 5. Collect seed from garden plants 6. Harvest sweetcorn and other vegetables as they become ready 7. Continue cutting out old fruited canes on raspberries 8. Lift and pot up rooted strawberry runners 9. Keep ponds and water features topped up 10. Feed the soil with green manures
DEADHEAD BEDDING PLANTS AND REPEAT- FLOWERING PERENNIALS
Most flowers lose their attraction as they fade, spoiling the overall appearance of beds, borders and containers, and are best removed. However, there are other reasons.
Regular deadheading directs energy into stronger growth and more flowers. Once the flowers are pollinated, seed heads, pods or capsules form at the expense of further growth and flower development. It can prevent plants with numerous petals such as peonies, some camellias and many roses, scattering debris widely.
COLLECT SEED FROM GARDEN PLANTS
Harvesting your own seed is fun but takes a little understanding and planning:
• Collect ripe seed on a dry day, as soon as the seedheads( e. g. capsules or pods) ripen. This is often indicated by a colour change from green to brown, black or red, but must be before they open and shed their contents.
• Pick the seedheads, either singly or on stalks, and lay them out to dry on a greenhouse bench, warm windowsill or in an airing cupboard. This enables seed to be more easily extracted from pods, cones or capsules.
• If they don’ t open when dry, gently crush pods and capsules to release the seed.
• Collect seed from fleshy fruits and berries by mashing them in a fine sieve and then rinsing away the pulp in cold water. Leave the seed to dry for a few days on paper towels.
• Exploding seedheads need checking every few days. Place a bag over them and shake – this will usually cause the ripe seedheads to explode into the bag. Alternatively, remove the seedheads on their stems as they turn brown and place in a labelled paper bag.
• Nuts should be collected around the time they would naturally fall either by hand picking, or by placing a sheet at the base of the tree and shaking the branches until they fall.
• After extracting the seed, clean off any surrounding material( chaff) attached to them, as this material could rot and lead to the seed damping off. Chaff can harbour moulds, pests and diseases.
KEEP PONDS AND WATER FEATURES TOPPED UP
• Water evaporates during windy or hot weather, leading to the water level dropping. The reduced surface area can be damaging for fish as there’ s less oxygen available, so top up the pond if necessary. Ideally use
rainwater from a butt as tap water is rich in nutrients that causes algae to prosper.
• If you do have to use tap water and you keep fish, add the tap water gradually in small amounts to prevent the cold liquid shocking the fish in the pond.
• On hot, humid nights, spray water over the surface of the pool from a hose to break the surface and improve oxygen levels in the water. Alternatively, install or turn on a water feature to keep the surface bubbling gently.
• Floating weeds can quickly cover the surface of a pond if left unchecked, so twirl these out with a stick or use a net to scoop them out. Leave weeds and algae on the side of the pond overnight, so that larger creatures can return to the water. Rinsing the material in a bucket of pond water can help release smaller creatures which can then be returned to the pond.
The RHS is a UK charity established to share the best in gardening. Their work is driven by a simple love of plants and the belief that gardeners make the world a better place.
For more information visit www. rhs. org. uk
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