It was inevitable that the August Bank Holiday would coincide with wet weather. But, for once, we are grateful and instead of sitting for hours on the M23 on the way to the seaside we can get into the garden, stand in the refreshing downpour, and do some gardening. Wet hair and clothes never felt so good.
Most people tend to prune their trees and shrubs in autumn and winter without too much thought. They just tidy up and cut back ‘overgrown’ shrubs. But there should always be a good reason why you are pruning and August is a good time to prune lots of shrubs and trees.
It is the best time to trim hedges. The birds will no longer be nesting and, if you prune now there will be no new growth this year, so the hedge will be neat for the longest period.
The fact that most hardy shrubs will not produce new growth if pruned in late August is important. Summer pruning tends to reduce the vigour of a shrub but it can encourage the production of flower buds so it is the perfect time to prune apples and pears.
The basic rule is to prune back all the new growth, which was produced this summer and will not be carrying fruit, back to four leaves. This is done to all the stems that are not needed to extend the size of the plant. So you can prune long shoots less severely if you like but where you are pruning a cordon or carefully trained tree against a wall it is the normal, regular, annual job. This creates lots of ‘spurs’ on which the flowers and fruits are produced. _ There are a few exceptions to this where the variety is a ‘tip-bearing’ variety. These are not common by they include ‘Bradley’s’ and ‘Irish Peach’ which are not easy to prune as cordons.
This is also the time to tackle wisterias.
Like the apples, prune back all the long shoots back to four leaves. Once again the aim is to reduce vigour and encourage the production of short spurs that produce blooms.
You could also tackle your weigela, philadelphus and deutzia. Avoid the temptation to give them a ‘clip over’ but cut out a few of the oldest, flowered branches near the base and pull them out. Do this ever year to keep the plants full of young, vigorous growth and rid it of dead and crowded stems.
Weekly jobs
Feed lawns
If the grass is dry now is the perfect time to apply an autumn lawn fertiliser. Now the soil is moist it will encourage new growth and help your lawn recover.
Plant up autumn pots
If your summer pots are looking scruffy, plant pots for autumn and winter now.