What to do NOW: August 12 - August 18

• Take out spent flower shoots of roses about half-way down to encourage late flowers.
• If new areas are to be planted with trees this autumn, especially small plants for woodland or shelter planting, clear existing vegetation with two applications of Roundup or similar glyphosate-based spray, or cover small areas with old carpet to control existing vegetation. 
• Check young trees for signs of drought.
• Make sure that camellias and rhododendrons in pots do not dry out, especially in late summer, as they now set flower buds for next spring.

More on Trees, Shrubs and Roses

 Trees | Shrubs | Hedges | Mixed borders

• Continue to feed baskets and other containers on a regular basis and watering too, even though the task might be getting a bit tiresome at this stage - there is still at least two months of flower on some on these containers.
• Stay on top of weeding in flower beds and borders and prevent weeds going to seed now.
• If it is intended to plant up new borders with flowers or shrubs this autumn, the same preparation as mentioned for trees should be carried out from now.

More on Flowers

 Perennial flowers | Flower beds | Rockery | Containers

• If a lawn is tired-looking, apply lawn fertilizer in broken weather so that it  is well-washed in and there is no risk of scorchiing the grass, Spread evenly.
• No fertilizer is given to a wild flower lawn in order not to disadvantage the broad-leaved plants, but these will have benefited from the rain too and could in many cases be given a hard cutback to reinvigorate them for late flowers.
• Keep the lawn edges trimmed.

More on Lawns

 Lawns

Raspberry canes that have finished fruiting could be pruned out and the new canes tied into position. If there are too many canes, reduce the number to about ten or fifteen per metre of row.

Summer pruning of over-vigorous apples and pears could be carried out now to reduce vigour and increase cropping.

Vegetables to over-winter could be sown, for instance, lettuce. chard and spring onions.

If not already done, spring cabbage should be sown without delay, or wait and buy some plants in September.

Do not let weeds go to seed.

More on Fruit, Vegetables and Herbs

 Fruit growing | Vegetables | Herbs

• Take cuttings of geraniums and fuchsias soon to over-winter for next year.
• Continue watering and feeding greenhouse plants, especially those in flower or likely to flower in autumn or winter, such as Christmas cactus and indoor azalea.
• Continue to train and side-shoot tomatoes and cucumbers.
• Take the tops off tomatoes to encourage the green fruit that is already present.
• Take semi-hardwood cuttings of deciduous and evergreen shrubs in the greenhouse, inserting them in compost made of two parts peat/ one part sand or vermiculite, use rooting powder, and cover wth white polythene.

More on Greenhouse and House Plants

 Greenhouse growing