Jobs to do in August

Water well during dry spells, using rainwater or recycled grey water where possible. Irregular watering can lead to problems with blossom end rot in tomatoes and splitting of root vegetables

Sowing and planting

Fruit

• Plant out rooted strawberry runners.

Vegetables

• In the south of England you can still sow fast-maturing salad crops such as summer lettuce, radish, rocket, sorrel, chicory and fennel.
• Continue to sow spring cabbage, turnips, Oriental vegetables and overwintering onions in the south of England.
• Sow green manures such as crimson clover and Italian ryegrass to act as a soil improver and to cover bare areas. When dug in, they conserve nutrients and improve soil texture.

Pruning and training

Fruit

• Summer prune sideshoots on trained apples and pears (such as espaliers and cordons) to three to four leaves to form fruiting spurs.
• If necessary, prune nectarines, apricots and peaches after they have fruited.
• If necessary, prune plums, gages and damsons immediately after harvest.
• Loosely tie together new blackberries and hybrid berry canes.
• ​Prune out fruited summer raspberry canes and tie in new ones.

Prevention

• Look out for tomato blight and potato blight and pick off infected leaves as soon as you see them, adding them to council green waste or burying them deeply.
• Irregular watering can lead to problems with blossom end rot in tomatoes, splitting of root vegetables and flower abortion in runner beans. Help prevent this by watering well during dry spells. Look out for other ripening problems too.
• Look out for fungal spots on bean and pea pods and leaves.
• Remove any sweetcorn cobs affected by smut.
• Carrot fly is still about, so keep crops covered with fine mesh.
• Check stored onions for softness and the grey or black mould of neck rot.
• Pick off fruits affected by brown rot (pictured below) on apple, pear and plum trees.
• Ensure good ventilation to reduce powdery mildew on indoor grapes and melons.

General care

Fruit

• Water cranberries, lingonberries and blueberries regularly with rainwater. Tap water will do if butts run dry.
• Remove straw and old leaves and tidy up strawberries after fruiting.
• Pollinate female indoor melon flowers, then pinch out 2cm (0.75in) beyond the flower.
• Pinch out the growing point of outdoor melons twice, at four-week intervals.
• Water and feed outdoor melons regularly once established.
• Pull off suckers appearing around the base of fruit trees.
• Make sure fruit isn’t drought-stressed, especially those in containers, against a wall or newly planted.
• Give regular liquid feeds to plants growing in containers.
• Protect heavily-laden fruit tree and bush branches against snapping under the weight. Use a stake or prop to keep them upright.
• Check tree ties as tree trunk girth increases.

Vegetables

• Weeds can also compete with vegetables for water, and act as hosts for pests and diseases, so remove regularly by hoeing.
• Marrows should be raised off the ground slightly, to prevent them discolouring from contact with the soil.
• Continue earthing up celery for varieties that need blanching, putting a layer of paper between the stems and the soil.
• Take care when thinning out any late-sown carrot seedlings to prevent the scent released attracting carrot fly females.