Gardening: Expert demonstrates how to deadhead flowers
Josh Novell, director of Polhill Garden Centre, Kent’s leading garden centre, shared some of his tips for gardening in August.
The gardening expert said there are two “top” tasks to complete this month:
1. Continue deadheading
Deadheading is when gardeners remove faded or dead blooms from plants so they look more attractive.
This needs to be done throughout the growing season including August and will ensure plants produce more flowers.
Josh continued: “Keep deadheading, it’s really worthwhile to ensure you keep encouraging new flowers.”
READ MORE: Gardeners could be fined up to £1,000 for not completing basic gardening task
He suggested concentrating on the spent blooms of roses and summer bedding plants.
“Deadhead your roses to prolong the display into autumn,” he added. “Cut them off just above the uppermost leaf on the stem.”
Sweet peas can also be deadheaded this month to “increase the flowering season”.
2. Add bedding plants
In August, gardeners can add some bedding plants to pots including violas and pansies. Violas can be planted from May until August and will produce flowers from May until December.
These plants are heat-tolerant but are often used for winter bedding. Pansies can be planted from April to October and flower throughout the entire year.
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Add some pot bedding, including gorgeous violas and pansies, to fill in any gaps in your displays or baskets.
Josh also shared some general August gardening tips:
Prune wisteria
Wisteria needs to be pruned back to six or seven buds on longer growth in August.
Watering
Plants need to be watered more in August, especially container plants. Where possible, use grey recycled water or stored rainwater. Water containers twice a day during the hot weather, even if there has been some rain.
Collect seeds
Collect seeds from your favourite plants for next year’s planting. These can be stored throughout the year until they’re ready to be sown.
Harvest summer crops
As they become ready, crops can be harvested and then stored or consumed.
Once raspberries have fruited gardeners can cut back old canes. Pick any remaining raspberries, then prune the stems down to soil level before then tying in new shoots and removing excess ones. Strawberry plant runners can also be lifted and potted up.
Mow lawns frequently
Josh said: “You could leave the cuttings on the lawn to provide protective, moisture-retentive mulch. Raise the blades on fine lawns to help prevent lawn scorching.”
Other August gardening tips:
- Feed roses with a specialist rose fertiliser
- Plant bulbs for spring flowering
- Give priority to daffodils as they begin their root growth early
- Clip evergreen hedges now to give them time to grow new leaves before winter
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