Garden Notes for August 2025.
August is a busy month for gardeners harvesting crops and cutting flowers to enjoy indoors, apart from getting ready for the Annual Flower Show. This year happens to be the 125th Annual Flower Show for Capel and should be a memorable day for everyone on Saturday 16th August.
It is the time to lift and store Early and 2nd Early potatoes for future use. It is worth taking time and care to lift the crop, and then let them dry in the sun for about an hour or so before putting them into potato sacks. Main crop potatoes take longer to develop and should be left till September for harvesting. You may need to cut their foliage down, if they have been affected by blight. Try to leave the tubers under the soil for at least 3 weeks after cutting their foliage; otherwise the fungal spores of blight could still affect the tubers you want to store because, as they are lifted through the soil, the spores may still be active and ruin you crop when you want to use them.
Laurel is a very useful plant but it is very vigorous and August is the month to keep it neat by trimming your laurel hedge. Some gardeners say that the laurel hedge should be trimmed using secateurs only. This does give a much improved finish, if you have the time. Using shears is much quicker and does not substantially make much difference. If you can allow your compost more than 2 years to compost, then put your laurel trimmings on to it.
Cut out old raspberry canes that have fruited this year. Cut them down to ground level and retain only six or seven of the strongest new canes on each plant for fruiting next year. Overcrowding of the canes can lead to a higher incidence of disease.
Spring cabbage can be sown in the middle of the month; good varieties are Duncan, Flower of Spring or Wheeler’s Imperial. Onions that are reaching maturity should have their stems bent over and the bulbs partially lifted with a fork to encourage full ripening. Well ripened bulbs are much more likely to keep right through the winter.
Planting up strawberry runners in the later part of August will help provide a good crop next year. If you are buying plants in, make sure that they are certified virus-free stock, as strawberries are very prone to virus disease.
Towards the end of the month, rambler roses that have finished flowering should be pruned. Disentangle the growth from the trellis (use gloves for this!) and cut out all the stems that have carried flowers. It is much easier to do this if you untie all the stems before you start the pruning. All the new stems made this year should be retained and tied back into place. You will really appreciate all the work you have done when they flower next year.
Do come to the Capel Show that is being held on Saturday 16th August. Staging of your entries begin from 8am and close at 10am. The gate for visitors opens at 12 noon, but the Marquee will not be opened to the public until 2 pm in order to give the Judges time to complete their work. It should be a really good event and exceptional value for money.
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