Garden tasks in August: deadheading and harvesting in the garden
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Tijd nodig om dit artikel te lezen: 3 min
Summer is in full swing, and it's evident in the garden. Many crops are showing their best, the harvest keeps coming, and flowers are blooming abundantly. However, this doesn't mean the work in the garden is done—quite the opposite. You can sow again in the vegetable garden, harvest seeds from certain flowers, and how about drying some blooms? This way, you can still enjoy your home-harvested flowers during the winter months.
Garden chores in the month of August
We've mentioned it often, but keep removing spent flower heads from annuals. By deadheading the plants, they continue to produce new flower buds. This way, you can enjoy your garden flowers for longer.
Give tomatoes and peppers some organic fertilizer. This gives them the necessary boost to produce extra fruits and grow well in the garden or greenhouse. Also, think of your potted flowers, as they could use some extra nourishment too.
Don't forget to sow biennials in the garden. This keeps the sowing itch under control and ensures some beautiful crops for the next gardening season.
It may seem far off, but start thinking about your spring bloomers. By ordering your flower bulbs now, you'll be sure to have a beautiful selection in the spring.
For flowers like Lathyrus, the season is almost at its end. Let some flowers go to seed, so you can soon harvest the seeds from the pods yourself. Store them in a paper envelope to sow in the fall or early spring.
Harvest, harvest, and harvest again
August is the harvest month in the garden. Both flowers and vegetables and fruit are now ready to be harvested, sometimes leaving you with baskets full to enjoy. When harvesting flowers, consider the time of day and temperature. Try to harvest as much as possible early in the morning or late in the evening. This way, the flowers have absorbed enough water and will stay beautiful in a vase for longer. Have you picked a selection from the garden? Let the flowers rest in a bucket of water in a cool place. After a while, you can choose a lovely vase and arrange your harvested garden flowers into a beautiful bouquet. Do not place your flowers in front of a sunny window, as they will wilt quickly.
Drying flowers from the garden
When we think of harvesting, most people immediately think of fresh flowers, vegetables, and fruit. But you can also harvest flowers from the garden to dry. This way, you can preserve them for several months to create floral arrangements or enjoy them in a vase this winter. In principle, any plant can be dried, but some varieties preserve better than others.
- Strawflower or Helichrysum. A classic for drying: it retains both color and shape.
- Yarrow or Achillea. This flower comes in an incredible array of colors and is a perfect bouquet filler for drying.
- Cornflower or Centaurea. A delicate and elegant flower that can add a splash of color.
- Bronze fennel or Foeniculum. A stunning plant that can grow up to two meters tall. Perfect as an eye-catcher in your interior.
- Sea lavender or Limonium. A perfect plant for drying: it remains sturdy and retains its beautiful flower color even after drying.
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In this video, Angelo teaches you how to take cuttings from strawberries. These plants grow abundantly in the garden, and you can propagate them easily.
Sowing for the autumn vegetable garden
Many vegetables are now ready for harvest and are at their best. However, in autumn, most varieties will no longer grow, and you won't be able to harvest them. Fortunately, this is easily solved by sowing a few more varieties now. This way, you spread the harvest and ensure there are no empty spots in the vegetable garden.
- Leafy greens like spinach, winter purslane, and lettuce are fast growers, perfect for filling gaps in the vegetable garden.
- Herbs can also still be sown: think of coriander, salad burnet, and parsley.
- A versatile crop that fits anywhere? That's undoubtedly radish.
Taking cuttings
August is the perfect month to propagate some garden plants by cuttings. The warm temperatures allow the cuttings to root calmly, ensuring they enter winter robustly. Some garden plants that can be propagated by cuttings in August include:
- Rosemary
- Lavender
- Thyme
- Lemon verbena
- Mint
To propagate the plant by cuttings, snip a piece from the stem. The cutting should be about 10 to 15 centimeters long, preferably from a young part of the plant. Remove the lower leaves from the cutting to prevent them from rotting during rooting. Fill a P9 pot or another small pot with seed and cutting compost, and make three holes in it with a pencil. This way, you can gently press the cuttings into the soil, ensuring good contact. Water and keep the potting soil moist, but not wet. Overwinter the plants in a sheltered spot in the garden or greenhouse. Ensure the seed and cutting compost doesn't dry out, allowing the cutting to continue rooting and grow strong, ready to be planted out in the garden next spring.