In the Vegetable Garden - Things to do this Month - August
Refer to the Vegetable Planting Diary – Month by Month.- Continue to water, mulch and hoe depending on the weather!
- Tomatoes: need regular watering, (especially in the greenhouse) – irregular or infrequent watering may lead to ‘blossom end rot’ - see main image. In extreme heat, don’t feed tomatoes, as this can stress the plant.
- Potatoes: harvest second early varieties, and the first of the maincrop. Clean the tubers and leave in sun to dry skins before storing in hessian or paper sacks, and check after a few days to make sure none are rotting. Continue to watch for blight on maincrops (brown, blotchy leaves – remove at the first sign)
- Crops to sow from seed: lettuce, spring cabbage (lime soil first), spinach, chicory, radishes, spring onions
- Transplant cabbage, purple sprouting broccoli, cauliflower and kale plants to their final growing positions, having limed the soil in readiness
- Pick French and runner beans regularly – any that get left behind can be dried on the vines, then store the beans in jars to use in casseroles and soups
- Pick out growing tips of tomato, cucumber and pepper plants to concentrate energy into the fruits, and continue to feed regularly
- Check brassicas leaves daily for Cabbage White butterfly eggs – small clusters of yellow eggs, usually on the underside of leaves – and rub off to prevent caterpillars developing
- Try planting a ‘green manure’ on harvested or fallow areas of the vegetable garden to add fertility and humus to the soil, and suppress weeds – two of our favourites are Phacelia, which has beautiful blue flowers, and Lupins, which are leguminous meaning they have nitrogen-producing nodules on their roots so help to fertilise the soil. Both these can be planted between May and September (www.greenmanure.co.uk)
- Finally, try to find the time to freeze, bottle, store, dry and preserve all the excess vegetables you’ve successfully grown – there are some recipes and ideas for preserving your bounty HERE, and if you have any of your own please send them to us and we will post on this website for others to share!