August in your Cool Temperate garden

Apply Phostrogen Plant Food to winter flowering annuals to sustain their growth and flowering. Remember to dead-head consistently to encourage new flower development and pinch back tall growth, eg on pansies and violas, to encourage dense floriferous plants.

Dig in last season's organic mulch, lightly forking over the soil to open it up and break up compacted areas. At the same time remove weeds. Apply Debco SaturAid to ensure good uptake of rainfall.

Clip the heads of standard camellias following flowering to keep them tight and dense.

Once the risk of frosts is past, prune hard the quick growing, late summer and winter flowering shrubs including buddleia, clerodendrum, iochroma and luculia. Use a pruning saw to cut back especially large stems and to remove diseased stems.

Wet weather and new season's growth brings out snails and slugs. These can decimate the flowers on your winter flowering annuals and bulbs overnight. Either be pro-active with a torch and pair of heavy boots or use a pet-safe snail bait around the most susceptible plants.
Peach Leaf Curl is a fungal problem encouraged by cool moist conditions. Symptoms are distributed leaves blistered and swollen with red blotches. Leaves may be shed and a new flush of leaves developed but the tree may be weakened especially from repeated attacks. Apply a copper-based fungicide as buds begin to swell with a second application ten days later.

Citrus gall wasp causes the stems of citrus to swell. This may cause the decline of the plant if infection is serious. Cut off and dispose of wood in early August prior to the emergence of the wasps at the end of the month. If this is not done the wasps are likely to reinfect this tree and others around.

Purchase perennials from your nursery and establish them in the garden now to benefit from spring growth flush. Dig in some suitable organic compost to ensure soils are in good condition prior to planting.

Lettuce seedlings planted now will provide delicious salads in 6-8 weeks. Dig in organic compost prior to planting them and use Phostrogen Plant Food every two weeks up to harvesting. Watch out for snails and slugs. Grow a single lettuce type if you prefer or alternatively plant a mix of types with arugula (rocket), mustard, cress and chicory to provide mesclun. Pick the outer leaves as you need them for delicious fresh salad.

Begin sowing parsley. Soak the seeds overnight in warm water to hasten germination. The Italian or flat leaf parsley makes an outstanding steamed vegetable and has a stronger flavour. Traditional curly leaf parsley makes an attractive garnish.