In August there is a lot of work in the garden: ripe fruit and vegetables need to be harvested and processed, some late winter vegetables can still be sown or planted, harvested beds need to be sown with green manure and fruit trees need to be pruned.
Sowing and harvesting takes place in August
Sow and plant in August
It is true that most of the harvest takes place in the last month of summer, but some winter vegetables can still be sown or planted now.
- July and August are the best planting times for garden strawberries.
- You can still plant Chinese cabbage, pak choi, kohlrabi and winter leeks until mid-August.
- The same applies to some salads and late radishes.
- Even by the end of August is the planting of endive and salads
- as well as the sowing of radishes, rocket and turnips possible.
- Dill, chervil and cress can also be sown.
- It is not until the end of August that it is the turn of the seeds for lamb's lettuce, autumn spinach and winter onions.
If, on the other hand, harvested beds are only used again next year, green manure, for example with phacelia or mustard, is recommended. For this purpose, the corresponding beds are now being processed and the seeds are being sown.
cultivate and harvest
In a kitchen garden you literally have your hands full with the harvest in August. In particular, many fruit trees and bushes are not only harvested once, but picked several times - fruits often do not all ripen at the same time, but at different times. Make sure you harvest as early as possible and do not let fruit or vegetables ripen for too long: the sun does enhance the aroma of fruits and herbs, but heat can also cause some vegetables to shoot early and/or cause a sharp, bitter taste to develop lead to taste.
Furthermore, the following maintenance work is still pending in August:
- Prune most berry and stone fruit trees immediately after harvest.
- Continue to water, weed and mulch regularly.
- Also pinch out the tomatoes and protect them from the rain with a foil roof.
- Ventilate greenhouses (77.12€) well, especially when it is hot.
- Cut back strong blackberry shoots to two or three buds.
- Prune fruiting shoots of kiwi fruit to a few leaves above the last fruit.
tips
If you start your summer vacation in August, take care of a watering and harvesting representation among your friends, relatives and/or neighbors in good time. As thanks for the effort, they can certainly take some of the ripe fruit and vegetables home with them.