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Gardening in the UK?→ August’s almanac for the British climate
ALMANAC · ITALIAN CLIMATE

The garden in August — Italy

August is the garden's long afternoon. Rudbeckias, crape myrtles and hardy hibiscus are in flower, the vegetable patch is at peak production and the main job is still keeping everything watered.

But August is also the start of next year. Cuttings taken now root quickly and give you free plants, in the south the seed trays go in for September's 'second spring', and the bulb catalogues arrive — order early and you get the best choice.

Italy, from the Po valley and pre-Alps to the south and islands. The heat is still intense everywhere; in the north, late-month thunderstorms bring cooler nights. In the mountains and inland valleys, autumn jobs come 2–4 weeks earlier.

AT A GLANCE

Spotlight: oleander, lavender and pelargonium cuttings

Late summer is the easiest time to propagate shrubs and perennials. Choose healthy, non-flowering shoots from this year, firm at the base but still flexible at the tip, and cut them in the morning when they're full of water.

Oleander is the easiest of all: a 15–20cm sprig with its lower leaves removed will root in a jar of water on the windowsill in three to four weeks. For lavender, rosemary, pittosporum and bottlebrush, cut 10cm lengths just below a leaf joint, strip the lower leaves and push them in around the edge of a pot of half compost, half sand; cover with a clear bag and keep in the shade. Pelargoniums, on the other hand, rot under a bag: leave them uncovered in free-draining compost and water sparingly.

When you feel resistance on a gentle tug, roots have formed — usually after four to eight weeks. Pot the cuttings up individually and, in the north and centre, keep them frost-free for their first winter.

OleanderEnglish lavenderPelargoniumPittosporumBottlebrush Propagation: taking cuttings ›

In your area

NORTH

Nights turn cooler towards the end of the month: time to plant out the cabbages and fennel sown in July. Give hedges their last trim.

CENTRAL

Sow turnips, spinach and salad leaves from late in the month. Take cuttings of oleander, lavender and pittosporum.

SOUTH AND ISLANDS

Still very hot and dry: water the veg patch in the morning. Sow trays of cabbages, fennel, lettuces and chard to plant out in September, once temperatures drop.

Jobs this month

Cuttings

Late summer is the best time for semi-ripe cuttings: this year's shoots, firm at the base but still soft at the tip. Many root in four to six weeks, in shade and with the compost just moist.

Take cuttings of pelargoniums, fuchsias and lantana to overwinter indoors. Propagation: taking cuttings › PelargoniumFuchsiaLantana
Root cuttings of lavender, rosemary and bay. Propagation: taking cuttings › English lavenderOrnamental salviaBay
Root oleander cuttings in a jar of water, and pittosporum and bottlebrush in sandy compost. Propagation: taking cuttings › OleanderPittosporumBottlebrush

Beds and shrubs

Late-flowering plants need water and deadheading to carry on into autumn. Hedges cut now stay neat until spring.

Trim hedges for the last time this year. Trimming a hedge › PittosporumPrivetBay
Lightly trim escallonia and bottlebrush after flowering. Pruning shrubs (general principles) › EscalloniaBottlebrush
Water hardy hibiscus in dry spells to stop the buds dropping. Watering well › Hibiscus
Deadhead rudbeckias and Shasta daisies to extend flowering. Deadheading › RudbeckiaShasta daisy

Harvest and the autumn veg patch

Onions, potatoes and the first apples are ready. Anything you plan to store needs to be dry and undamaged.

Lift onions once the leaves flop over and dry them in the sun. Ornamental allium
Cut back on watering melons as they ripen. Watering well › Cucumber
Sow winter lettuces and chard; plant out cabbages and fennel in the north and centre. Propagation: sowing seed › LettuceChard
Pick early apples when they come away with a gentle twist. Crab apple

Houseplants and pots

Houseplants are at their peak of growth. Late summer is also when some need preparing to flower later on.

Feed cymbidiums with a high-potash fertiliser to help them build flower spikes. Feeding & NPK basics › Cymbidium
Keep watering coloured calla lilies until the leaves start to yellow. Watering plants in pots › Arum lily
From the end of the month, let amaryllis leaves die down for its rest. Watering plants in pots › Amaryllis

Sow and plant

Sow
  • Winter lettuces, spinach, rocket, chard
  • Turnips and radishes
  • In the south: trays of cabbages, fennel and lettuces for September
Plant out
  • Cabbages, cauliflowers, fennel (north and centre)
  • Autumn bulbs: colchicums, saffron crocus, nerines
  • Strawberry runners

Watch out for

Vine weevilAdults notch leaf edges; now the grubs start eating roots in pots. Use nematodes in containers in late summer.Powdery mildewVery common in dry spells on roses, courgettes, asters and zinnias.WhiteflyCommon on lantana, hibiscus and greenhouse vegetables.

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 and hardwood cuttings in winter.

When should I order and plant spring bulbs?

Order them in August or early September. Plant daffodils in September–October and tulips in October–November (in the south, right up to December).

Can I cut hedges in August?

Yes, and it's a good time for the final trim: growth is slowing and the hedge stays tidy all winter. Check first that there are no nests.