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Gardening in Italy?→ August’s almanac for the Italian climate
ALMANAC · UK CLIMATE

The garden in August

August is the garden's long, slow afternoon. Late-summer perennials like rudbeckias, crocosmias and hardy hibiscus take over, vegetables are at their most productive and the main job is keeping everything watered and fed.

It's also the start of next year. Cuttings taken now root quickly and give free plants, hedges get their last trim, and spring bulb catalogues arrive — ordering early gets the best choice.

UK and similar cool temperate climates. Late August nights begin to cool in the north; tender plants are still safe outdoors.

AT A GLANCE

Spotlight: semi-ripe cuttings

Late summer is the easiest time to multiply shrubs and tender perennials. Choose healthy, non-flowering shoots from this year's growth that are firm at the base but still flexible at the tip, and take them in the morning, when they are full of water.

Cut a piece 10-15cm long just below a leaf joint, remove the lower leaves and any flower buds, and pinch out the soft tip. Push several cuttings around the edge of a pot of gritty compost (half multipurpose, half sharp sand or perlite), water, and cover with a clear plastic bag or place in a cold frame, out of direct sun. Most root in four to eight weeks; gentle resistance when you tug lightly means roots have formed.

This works well for lavender, rosemary, pittosporum, escallonia, callistemon, bay, hydrangea and fuchsia. Pelargonium cuttings are the exception: they rot under a bag, so leave them uncovered. Oleander is even easier — its cuttings root in a jar of water on a windowsill. Pot rooted cuttings individually and keep them frost-free for their first winter.

English lavenderPittosporumEscalloniaBottlebrushOleanderPelargonium Propagation: taking cuttings ›

Jobs this month

Cuttings

Late summer is the best time for semi-ripe cuttings: shoots from this year that are firm at the base but still soft at the tip. Many root in four to six weeks.

Take cuttings of pelargoniums, fuchsias and lantanas to overwinter indoors. Propagation: taking cuttings › PelargoniumFuchsiaLantana
Root cuttings of lavender, rosemary and bay. Propagation: taking cuttings › English lavenderOrnamental salviaBay
Take cuttings of pittosporum, escallonia and callistemon. Propagation: taking cuttings › PittosporumEscalloniaBottlebrush

Borders and shrubs

Late-flowering plants need water and deadheading to keep going into autumn. Hedges can be trimmed now and will stay neat until spring.

Trim hedges for the last time this year, after birds have finished nesting. Trimming a hedge › BoxPrivetBay
Trim escallonia and callistemon after flowering. Pruning shrubs (general principles) › EscalloniaBottlebrush
Water hardy hibiscus in dry spells to prevent bud drop. Watering well › Hibiscus
Deadhead rudbeckias and leucanthemums to prolong flowering. Deadheading › RudbeckiaShasta daisy

Harvest and storage

Onions, potatoes and early apples are ready. Crops that will be stored need to be dry and undamaged.

Lift onions once the tops fall over and dry them in the sun. Ornamental allium
Reduce watering of melons as they ripen. Watering well › Cucumber
Sow hardy winter lettuce and chard for picking under cover. Propagation: sowing seed › LettuceChard
Pick early apples when they come away with a gentle twist. Crab apple

Houseplants and patio plants

Houseplants are at their growth peak. Late summer is also when some need their conditions changed to flower later.

Feed cymbidiums with a high-potash feed to build flower spikes. Feeding & NPK basics › Cymbidium
Keep coloured callas watered until the leaves start to yellow. Watering plants in pots › Arum lily
Let amaryllis leaves die down from late summer for their rest period. Watering plants in pots › Amaryllis

Sow and plant

Sow
  • Winter lettuce, chard and spinach
  • Spring cabbage
  • Hardy annuals for early flowers next year (in mild areas)
Plant out
  • Autumn crocus and nerines
  • Strawberry runners
  • Madonna lilies

Watch out for

Vine weevilAdults notch leaf edges; larvae now start eating roots in pots. Apply nematodes to containers in late summer.Powdery mildewWidespread in dry spells on roses, courgettes, asters and zinnias.WhiteflyCommon on lantana, fuchsia and greenhouse crops.

Questions

When is the best time to take cuttings?

Late summer, from mid-July to September, for most shrubs and tender perennials. Softwood cuttings are taken in spring, hardwood ones in winter.

When should I order spring bulbs?

August and early September, for the widest choice. Plant daffodils in September and tulips in October or November.

Can I still trim hedges in August?

Yes, and it's a good time for the final cut: growth slows, so the hedge stays neat through winter. Check first that no birds are still nesting.