Gardening Jobs for August

6 Tips: What to do in the garden in August

August is commonly a month for heatwaves, summer holidays, hosepipe bans, and bored school kids.

Therefore, you’ve got to tackle both keeping your plants and grass hydrated in the heat, as well as entertaining the kids (and enjoying the weather yourself).

While you have less to do than in other months, the jobs are as important, so below are some things to do in the garden in August.

Always wear PPE when gardening—gloves, eye protection, and protective work boots are all essential, and you may need ear protection when working with powered gardening tools. Don’t forget suncream when working in your garden in summer, either.

1. Prepare soil for laying turf

If you’re going to be laying new turf, you can do this from September onwards. So, if your grass is looking a bit bare, prepare your soil now.

Bring up the old grass using a turf cutter, and then rotavate your soil. This will increase aeration and ensure any weeds quickly grow before you lay the new grass, so you can get rid of them.

We have a full guide on how to lay turf as well as a blog on how to overseed a lawn, just in case you feel yours can be saved.

2. Keep everything watered

High temperatures and dry weather mean our plants and lawns need a bit of extra TLC. Ideally, you should save water over the year (grey water) to use rather than mains water, especially if you’re commonly at risk of a hosepipe ban.

• What you can and can’t do in a hosepipe ban

Feed your plants regularly and use water retaining crystals or slow drip watering systems to ensure no water is wasted but your plants remain healthy.

Don’t forget to water hanging baskets and use tomato feed on any fruit or vegetables.

3. Keep on top of weeds

Weeds compete with your plants for water and nutrients, and some can get really big and strong in August warmth and moisture.

So, pull them out when you see them. For any which can’t be pulled, such as dandelions, pouring boiling water on them is a good method of killing them, as it doesn’t affect your other plants either.

Rotavating can help improve drainage and churn up soil, so once your flower beds are empty, prepare to rotavate soil to encourage weed growth and ensure none remain for next year.

4. Collect seeds

Plants such as sweet peas and foxglove can self-seed year after year, but you may wish to collect the seeds now to sow yourself, ensuring all have the best possible start.

Once the flower head dies, collect the seeds, and leave them to dry before storing.

SPEEDY TOP TIP: Save the tiny silica bags you get in new clothing and accessories over the year, to pop in with the seeds and absorb any moisture.

5. Plant strawberry runners

Hopefully, your strawberry plants are giving you some fruit by now. You’ll also have some runners which should have formed, so if you haven’t already, root these in small pots of compost before cutting once the roots have been established.

This should help give your main plant a final boost to grow more fruit, and also gives you more plants for next year!

The Gardener’s World website has a good guide on everything strawberries, including how to grow strawberry plants from runners.

6. Keep your grass longer

In summer, grass should be kept around 13–25mm (½–1in). But if you’re going through a drought, leave your lawn a bit longer to retain moisture. Cutting it too low could mean it struggles to grow back and scorches.

Hire a mulching lawnmower if you want to make use of your grass cuttings. The cuttings are compacted back into the grass to act as feed, releasing nutrients rather than just getting rid of them. This will help with hydration, too.

You still want to keep on top of weeds, though, so- if you’re keeping your grass longer, use a weed killer for targeted action.