Garden Tasks for August

This month is when I will be completing all the Rose pruning on our roses for all the tips on how to do this, check out my blog post here

Continuing on with the pruning theme I also have some deciduous trees and stone fruit to be pruned.  To get all the tips on how to prune deciduous tree check out my blog post here 

If you are pruning stone fruits then the key is to first remove dead, damaged or diseased wood. Then remove any lower branches (lift the canopy)  and anything that’s considered extension (wayward) growth. Remove crossing branches, then thin out centre of tree so that sunlight can reach the internal sections of the tree when the tree is back in leaf. Some commercial growers also lop back tops so they are flat topped to give maximum light in to these areas.  If you do flat top the top of your tree you will need to continue doing this every year.

There are more frosts on the way so make sure you have frost protection over tender plants.

Keep on top of weeds and try to fertilise and mulch over the areas once weeded.

If you have broad leaf weeds in your lawns (the most common broad leaf weeds in lawns are clover, cape weed and bindi) treat with a broad leaf spray now before the growth starts.  Other weeds such as paspalum, winter grass, nut grass will need to be treated with a selective herbicides.  In warmer climates you could also start fertilising your lawn. We will aim to be doing ours in September when it is a little warmer.

In the veggie garden you can start prepping veggies ready for the spring summer crops. These could be started in pots that are stored under cover with some protection or in greenhouses.  Some plants you could start would be Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Beans and Zucchinis.  I’m also adding more leafy greens – I cannot get enough of these!

Check irrigation systems, make sure all systems are working, fix broken drippers, pop ups and joiners. Changing batteries of controllers if necessary. Ensure the systems are ready to go for when the hot weather hits.

If you have any water features or ponds now is a good time to empty out and clean if needed. If you manage to get this done before a shower of rain you could let the rain fill them back up.

Fix up or repair any hard landscaping parts of the garden such as paths, wall, gravel or pebble areas.