Gardening tips

Flowers

Secure tall or top-heavy plants with stakes to ensure they don’t topple over
Cut back dahlias
Harvest herbs now to encourage new growth before the frost sets in
Collect ripened seeds and store them for next year. Leaving some seed heads in place can be visually appealing and allows the plant to self-seed in the surrounding soil.
Mow meadows to help scatter established wildflower seeds.
Keep an eye out for clematis wilt, indicated by black discoloration on the leaves and stems. Cut out any affected plant material and dispose of it in your household waste.

Harvest vegetables as they ripen and when needed. Vegetables like sweetcorn, beans and tomatoes tend to produce more during this time of year.
Use high-potash fertilizers such as tomato food once fruits begin to emerge on pepper, cucumber, and aubergine plants.
Take herb cuttings, such as rosemary, sage, or mint, to increase your supply. Place the cuttings in well-drained potting compost (one part grit to one part compost) and put them in a cold frame. You can divide established clumps of chives at this time.
To ensure quality fruits, limit squash plants to about three fruits and pinch out any surplus once established.
Once onion and shallot tops die down, harvest them and let them dry in the sun.

Transplant new strawberry runners into pots.
Continue to feed your citrus trees.
Ripe cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines and apricots can now be harvested! Early varieties of apple trees will be ready towards the end of the month.
Freeze any excess autumn raspberries, blackberries or loganberries for winter use.
Remove old straw from around strawberry plants for better ventilation and to reduce the risk of pests and diseases.
After harvesting, prune the fruited stems of your blackcurrant bushes.
Cut back the fruited canes of your summer raspberries, and tie in next year’s canes to support wires or fencing.

Regularly top up ponds and bird baths to ensure a clean water source.
Check hedges for nests before trimming, as blackbirds and thrushes may continue nesting late into August.
Leave seedheads on plants like lavender and honeysuckle to provide food for birds and small mammals.

On a dry day, brush out ant nests before mowing your lawn.
Regularly hunt for snails, particularly on damp evenings, to keep their populations under control.
Prevent slugs from attacking your young plants by using slug control.
Kill weeds on paved areas by pouring boiling water over them. The weeds will wilt and die in a few days.
If you notice potato or tomato blight, remove and dispose of affected plants right away to prevent the disease from spreading.
Keep an eye out for cabbage white butterfly eggs under brassica and leafy green leaves and squash any that you find. Alternatively, use nematodes to kill the caterpillars.
Get rid of any diseased or spent foliage surrounding your vegetable plants to discourage pests and diseases from spreading.
Protect your crops by creating a bird scarer out of CDs tied to strings.

Remove floating weeds and algae from the water surface.
Plant water lilies or other floating pond plants in still water, away from fountains.
Prevent the spread of invasive pond plants like bulrushes or irises by removing them before they go to seed.

Take leaf cuttings from houseplants, including begonias, African violets and Cape primroses
Water the plants more often and check the soil every few days
Ensure that sensitive plants are not exposed to direct sunlight
Feed them once a month
Mist the plants frequently, sometimes even daily
Deadhead flowering plants to encourage new blooms