Even in August there is a lot to do in the garden. The harvest season is in full swing, everything is blooming and the work of the last few months is paying off. One of the main tasks this month is watering in hot weather. Now is also the time for summer pruning of the berry bushes. Ornamental and useful plants can still be fertilized until the end of the month, then the time for fertilizer application for this garden year is over.
What are the most important gardening tasks in August?
Chinese cabbage, pak choi, radishes, lettuce and herbs can be sown in August. The harvest time for vegetables and fruits is now at its peak. Preserving and canning the harvest is one of the most important tasks. Strawberries can be propagated, onion flowers can be planted and irises, peonies and evergreens can be planted.
Summary
- Sowing: Chinese cabbage, pak choi, Teltower turnips, lettuce, winter radish, radishes, spring onions, lamb's lettuce, spinach, winter lettuce, parsley, spoonwort, winter purslane, St. Barbara's herb, caraway, dandelion
- Harvests: Cucumbers, zucchini, peppers, beans, beetroot, chard, summer salads, carrots and early cabbage varieties, plums, peaches, mirabelle plums, early apple and pear varieties, blackberries and herbs
- Plants: Vegetable seedlings (winter endive, kohlrabi, Chinese cabbage, winter leek, bulbous fennel), new strawberries, bulb flowers (Madonna lily, imperial crown, steppe lily, autumn crocus and autumn crocus), irises and peonies, evergreen trees and hedges
- Propagate: Cuttings of fuchsias, geraniums, lantanas, oleanders, angel trumpets, among others; You can also separate strawberry children and plant them in a new bed
- Cutting: faded summer flowers and perennials, summer pruning of berry and fruit trees
- Other gardening tasks: Watering, fertilizing (heavy-feeding plants with a lot of leaf mass or that produce fruit), preserving the harvest, preserving the harvest, breaking out stingy and top shoots on tomatoes, cutting herbs and dry, remove withered flowers and leaves, tie up and support tall-growing perennials (e.g. dahlias), mulching, pest and fungus control
Sowing in August
August, as one of the last months of summer, still offers plenty of opportunity to enrich the garden with new plants. Despite the often high temperatures and intense sunlight, many vegetables and herbs can be sown directly outdoors. Other, slightly more sensitive varieties benefit from a protected start indoors before being moved outdoors later.
- Sowing outdoors: Cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, dill, kohlrabi, chard, pak choi, parsley, purslane, radicchio, radishes, rocket, chives, spinach, turnip, white cabbage, Savoy cabbage, onion
- Prepare in the house: Asian salads, basil, cauliflower, dill, endive, kohlrabi, cress, mint, oregano, parsley, chives, thyme
Harvests in August
Whether crunchy zucchini, fragrant herbs or sweet plums – August offers culinary diversity straight from your own garden. But the focus is not just on fresh consumption; preserving surpluses, drying herbs and preparing for the colder months are also central topics.
Vegetables: In August, the vegetable garden provides an abundance of fresh vegetables and salads: especially cucumbers, zucchini, peppers, beans, beetroot, chard, summer salads, carrots and early ones Cabbage varieties are now ready for the kitchen. If too much ripens at once, it is worth preserving some of the harvest. Onions and garlic can also be harvested in August: the harvest begins when a good half of the leaves have turned yellow. Take the onions and garlic out of the ground on a warm day and let them dry a little in the sun.
Herbs: Many herbs are still ripening to their aromatic peak. Harvest in good time, before the best time has passed and the herbs are about to bloom. Also pay attention to the seed heads of tea fennel, caraway and coriander: carefully cut off the ripe, brown umbels before the seeds fall out. They can be used for spicy teas and spice blends.
Fruit: The fruit is also ripening abundantly now. Various types of plums, peaches and mirabelle plums can be harvested in the next few weeks. Early apple and pear varieties are also available in favorable locations. Sweet black blackberries tempt you in the berry garden. These fruits do not have a long shelf life, so they cannot be stored and should either be processed fresh or preserved.
Aronia berries can be picked fresh from the bush or dried and processed.
Flowering plants in August
Many summer flowers and perennials are still blooming in the last month of summer. The ornamental grasses are now also making their big appearance. Autumn tones such as red and orange are now increasingly represented as flower and leaf colors.
- Flowers: Andean lupine, cup mallow, bergmagerite, bishop's weed, blue umbel, thistle, scorpionfish, golden poppy, maiden in the green, cornflowers, decorative baskets, marigolds, zinnias
- Perennials: Asters, Beardflower, Dost, Fairy Rue, Dyer's Chamomile, Sedum, Flame Flower, Hosta, Goldenrod, Autumn Monkshood, Motherwort, Lavender, Roseate, African Lily, Sunbride, coneflower, daylily
- Grasses: Miscanthus, feather bristle grass, hair grass, pennisetum grass, riding grass, giant pipe grass
- Trees: Henry's Linden, String Tree
- Shrubs and hedges: Large-flowered Abelia, hydrangeas, roses, red summer spars, dwarf spars
- Herbs: Valerian, comfrey, mountain savory, borage, chamomile, nasturtium, oregano, sage, hyssop
From August onwards, grasses in beds reveal their full splendor.
Planting and propagating in August
August, often referred to as one of the most productive gardening months, offers not only a bountiful harvest, but also numerous opportunities to prepare the garden for the coming seasons.
Apply green manure: Wherever harvested beds are no longer to be cultivated, sow fast-growing green manure plants such as mustard seeds or phacelia at the end of the month. These plants no longer reproduce because they freeze before flowering. If they do bloom, cut or scythe the fertilizer close to the ground and leave the green cuttings.
Create new strawberry beds: August is the ideal month to create a new strawberry bed: Choose a sunny spot and provide the soil with compost, organic fertilizer and a layer of mulch. This means the soil stays moist even on hot August days and the young strawberry plants can quickly take root.
Bulb flowers: Early in August, the bulbs of Madonna lilies, imperial crowns, steppe lilies, autumn crocuses and autumn crocuses should be planted in the ground. Now is also the right time for irises and peonies. Remember to order your fall flower bulbs in time!
The impressive Persian imperial crown offers a unique garden highlight in spring. Their black flowers harmonize perfectly with salmon-colored, purple and light yellow early bloomers such as tulips and daffodils.
Planting evergreen plants:For all trees with evergreen leaves or needles - for example yews and rhododendrons - the planting time from mid-August is good. These trees should be put in the ground as early as possible so that they can grow well before the first frost. You can also trim evergreen hedges this month. Please note that the Federal Nature Conservation Act applies until September 30th and“cutting it off or putting it on a stick” is prohibited. This also applies to “living fences, bushes and other woody plants”. Therefore, only a light shape cut is allowed.
Propagation via cuttings: In the first half of August it is time to take cuttings. With this inexpensive method you can propagate fuchsias, geraniums, lantanas, oleanders, angel trumpets and many other plants - even from balcony boxes and pots. To do this, you take finger-long, still soft shoots from the tips of the plants, so-called head cuttings. The cuttings remain on the warm windowsill or in the greenhouse until next spring.
Cutting in August
While many gardeners prune their fruit trees and shrubs in spring, there are certain species and varieties for which midsummer is the optimal time for pruning. Raspberries, blackberries, currants and walnuts in particular benefit from careful pruning in these warm days.
Fruit trees: If you haven't already done so, cut back the worn canes of the raspberries and thin out the young shoots by August at the latest. Tie up blackberries and cut back shoots. Thin out currant and gooseberry bushes and cut back the fruit-bearing shoots of sour cherries.
Walnut: Only a little juice comes out of the cuts in the walnut in August, so this summer month is particularly suitable for cutting.
Tomatoes: To ensure that the fruits still ripen, the height of the tomato plant can be cut back. This prevents the formation of new flowers and fruits. This means more energy is put into fruiting the fruits that are already there.
Plant diseases and pests in August
- Cabbage plants: The hungry caterpillars of the cabbage white butterfly are dangerous for cabbage plants. Collect eggs and caterpillars in good time. To distract the butterflies, spray with strong-smelling tomato leaf extract or wormwood tea.
- Vegetables and berries: Fine-mesh nets keep vegetable flies and leek moths away from endangered crops. Cultivated blueberries, autumn raspberries and blackberries can also be covered with the nets.
- Bulb flowers and perennials: It is best to collect lilies and their larvae.
- Oleander and laurel: Oleander and laurel in particular are often attacked by scale insects. Crush the pests and then wash the leaves.
- Fungal diseases: If powdery mildew spreads, you will need to spray more often with horsetail broth or garlic tea. In case of rust diseases, remove diseased leaves and fruits immediately.
- Tomatoes and potatoes: If late blight occurs on tomatoes, remove leaves and fruit as quickly as possible. Otherwise, only preventative sprays with horsetail broth, skimmed milk or algae preparations help. If it spreads too much, remove the entire plant to prevent it from spreading. You should no longer eat infected fruits.
More gardening work in August
Preserve harvest: Many vegetables and fruits can be preserved easily and gently by freezing. Some vegetables can also be preserved by pickling them in vinegar or s alt. Beans, for example, can be frozen, pickled in s alt or dried. Fruit can not only be frozen, but also boiled, dried or made into jam, compote, jelly or juice. If you have too many zucchini, you can find methods for preserving them here.
Drying and preserving herbs: Sage, thyme, oregano, savory, lovage, mugwort, wormwood, marjoram, lemon balm, peppermint and hyssop are suitable for drying. Dill and tarragon are best suited for herbal vinegars. Strong-tasting herbs such as thyme, marjoram and oregano as well as a few cloves of garlic are suitable in oil.
Store onions and garlic: Harvested and slightly sun-dried onions and garlic can be braided into braids or spread loosely in wooden boxes. Both types of tubers must be stored in a dry and airy place.
Fertilize and care for vegetable plants: Vegetables with a lot of leaf mass, tubers or fruits now need a strong supply of nutrients. Therefore, water tomatoes, cucumbers, leeks, celery and the large types of cabbage once or twice more with nettle or comfrey manure. This liquid fertilizer is quickly absorbed and converted into growth. On large tomato bushes you should also pay attention to stingy shoots. In August, also break out the top shoots so that all the strength flows into the ripening fruits. Also remove all diseased and dried leaves.
Maintaining ornamental gardens: Regularly remove wilted flowers and leaves, especially from perennials and summer flowers. Tie up dahlias and other perennials in good time before heavy thunderstorms or wind push them to the ground. Also pay attention to the mulch and add organic material (e.g. grass clippings) if necessary. If drought persists, watering only needs to be done rarely. By the way, from the end of August onwards, roses and perennials are no longer fertilized as the plants gradually have to prepare for winter rest.
When combined with grasses, spent inflorescences not only provide aesthetic accents in winter, but also serve as an overwintering habitat for insects.
Take care of potted plants properly: Perennial balcony and potted plants are fertilized for the last time towards the end of August. Then they have to prepare for hibernation.
Support fruit trees: Fruit trees that bear too much must be supported so that the branches do not break.
FAQ
What gardening work gets done in August?
August is a busy month in the garden: watering, fertilizing (especially heavy-feeding plants with a lot of leaf mass or those that produce fruit), preserving the harvest, breaking out stingy and pointy shoots on tomatoes, cutting and drying herbs, Remove wilted flowers and leaves, tie up tall perennials (e.g. dahlias), mulch beds with organic material, combat pests and fungal diseases.
What is sown in August?
In August, some types of vegetables such as Chinese cabbage, pak choi, Teltower turnips, lettuce, winter radish, radishes, spring onions, lamb's lettuce, spinach and winter lettuce as well as hardy biennial herbs such as parsley, spoonwort, winter purslane, St. Barbara's cabbage, caraway and dandelion can be sown become. Some of these late crops survive the winter and can be harvested early next year.
What to plant in August?
A lot can still be planted in August in both commercial and ornamental beds: vegetable seedlings (winter endive, kohlrabi, Chinese cabbage, winter leek, bulbous fennel), new strawberries, bulb flowers (Madonna lily, imperial crown, steppe lily, autumn crocus and autumn crocus), Irises and peonies as well as evergreen trees and hedges (e.g. yew and rhododendron).
What is pruned in August?
Cut back spent summer flowers and perennials to prevent seed heads from forming - this often encourages the plants to bloom again. Summer pruning of soft fruit should also be done in August if it has not already been done. Raspberries in particular should be cut back, currants and gooseberries should be thinned out.
Which plants can be propagated in August?
August is the ideal time to take cuttings of fuchsias, geraniums, lantanas, oleanders, angel trumpets, etc.
