August Jobs

Keep cutting dahlias - Encourage more flowers by cutting dahlia blooms regularly. If they're growing in pots, they'll benefit from regular high-potassium feeds such as tomato fertiliser too, following the pack instructions.

Trim wisteria shoots - Keep wisteria in check after flowering by cutting back the whippy growth to within five or six buds of the main stems. This helps to trigger the formation of more flower buds for next year.

Preserve gluts - Make the most of any gluts in the fruit and vegetable garden by finding ways to preserve your harvest, whether that's freezing, drying, bottling or making jams or chutneys.

Sow hardy annuals - Begin to sow hardy annuals such as poppies, cornflowers or nigella towards the end of this month. If you have these plants already, harvest your own seed for sowing.

Prune trained pears - Summer prune trainers forms of pears and apples, such as espaliers and cordons, to allow sunlight to ripen the fruit and ensure good cropping for the following year.

Check for late blight - Watch for symptoms of late blight, usually brown patches on the stems and leaves of tomatoes and potatoes. This can spread rapidly and destroy crops to remove affected plants immediately.

Water lettuce regularly - Lettuces are prone to 'bolt' (go to seed prematurely) in hot, dry weather so keep well watered. If they bolt, sow deep rooted autumn salads - chicories and endives for example - which seldom bolt.

Watch for slowworms - Slowworms produce young towards the end of the month. If you find a family in your compost heap, leave them be - they will repay you by consuming your gardens slugs and snails.

Ventilate greenhouses - Keep your greenhouse well ventilated in warm weather, and provide shade for your young plants to prevent scorch.

Prune hedges late - Wait until the end of the month to prune beech, hornbeam or other hedges to avoid disturbing any late-nesting birds.

Hoe weeds - Weeds compete with flowers and crops for nutrients, water and space. Hoeing your plot regularly will help to keep them under control.

Build a beetle bank - Find a sunny spot to create a beetle bank; mound up soil to 30cm high (and at least 1m long). Spread grass seed, water and wait for insect life to arrive.

Pot up runners - Remove straw and old leaves from strawberry plants after fruiting, and pot up runners to produce healthy new plants.

Stop deadheading your roses - Allow late blooms to remain on roses to develop into fat hips, which are a valuable winter food for birds.