Phew what a hot dry summer we are having.  The poor plants and lawns are really suffering.
Let’s hope that by the time you read this we will have had some rain (during the night time would be good).
Many summer flowering bulbs are still in flower during August and once these are over those in pots can be dried off very gradually as the bulbs approach their dormant period.  The two major tasks this month are to plant narcissi of all kinds – including daffodils.  Plant colchicums, autumn-flowering crocuses and hardy cyclamen. Take cuttings of border carnations and pinks and tender perennials such as penstemons.  Continue deadheading roses, annuals and perennials.  Spray roses against insects, black spot and other diseases.    Prune climbing and rambling roses that do not repeat flower.
Complete the planting or re-planting of bearded irises by the end of the month.  Take cuttings of fuchsias and flowering shrubs, rooting them in a propagator.  Deutzias, buddleias and many evergreens will root easily this month.  Remove leaves from lower half of stem and dip end of cuttings in hormone rooting powder. They will also require watering in dry weather, applying liquid feed as the buds begin to show.
Collect and store seed of hardy annuals and perennials for sowing later in the autumn. Good plants to try include Calendula, Nigella, Cerinthe, Papaver, Aquilegia and hardy Geranium.    
Continue to pick summer fruit. Freeze surplus and make jams and jellies.
Start picking apples and blackberries for use in pies and desserts.  Support heavily laden branches on plums to prevent breakage.
Lift and pot up rooted strawberry runners.  Cut out fruited canes of summer raspberries and tie in new canes to fruit next year.  Tie in new growth on blackberries and hybrid berries.  Complete summer pruning of restricted fruit trees such as cordon and espalier apples and pears.   Prune out dead and fruited wood after cropping of fan-trained plums and cherries, and tie in replacement shoots.
Shallots and autumn sown onions may be ready for lifting.  The indication is when the foliage has faded completely.  Do this when the weather is dry.  Store them in a dry frost proof place.  Lift and store beetroot.  Sow Brussels sprouts for next year and the last batch of lettuce for this year.  Sow spring cabbages, endives, kohlrabi, lettuce, radishes, spinach and turnips.  Hoe between rows to keep down weeds.
Raise the blades on the mower before cutting fine lawns. This will help reduce drought stress. Mow lightly and frequently so that short grass clippings can remain on the lawn during the hot summer to act as a moisture-retentive mulch. Excess thatch can be scarified out during autumn maintenance next month. Mulching mowers cut the clippings even finer than normal rotary blades, making the mulch less visible. Lawns on thin soils may benefit from a high phosphate feed. This will strengthen the roots for winter, rather than encouraging lush top growth that could suffer in the cold and weaken the grass.  Avoid using lawn weedkillers in late summer - they will be more effective in the cooler, damper autumn weather.

© Irene Allaway

Reproduced from the BASINGA, Parish Magazine of Old Basing and Lychpit, by kind permission of the Editor and Author, Irene Allaway.