August in the Garden
Golden days, ripening harvests, and gardens at their peak 🌾
August is one of the warmest and most rewarding months of the year. The garden is overflowing with colour, fruits, and vegetables — and while it’s tempting to sit back and enjoy the sunshine, there’s still plenty to plant, prune, and prepare for the seasons ahead. With a little care and watering, your garden will continue to thrive long after summer fades.
Top Jobs for August
- Keep sowing and planting – There’s still time to sow new crops including radish, rocket, spinach, carrots, turnips, spring onions, and salad leaves. You can also plant Japanese onions for a spring harvest, along with winter cabbages, broccoli, and transplanted cauliflower from earlier sowings.
- Harvest late summer crops – Pick the last of your broad beans and peas, and continue to gather tomatoes, chillies, and peppers for a few more weeks.
- Feed your pumpkins – Regular feeding every two weeks will help you grow impressive fruits ready for Halloween.
- Plant winter squashes – Choose a sunny spot and improve poor soil by laying down cardboard topped with manure or compost — a perfect nutrient bed that locks in moisture.
- Keep an eye on pests and disease – Check the underside of brassica leaves for Cabbage White butterfly eggs and remove them promptly. Watch for tomato and potato blight, removing any infected leaves straight away.
- Harvest and dry herbs – Pick herbs frequently to encourage new growth and preserve extras by drying or freezing them.
- Use straw mulch – Place straw beneath strawberries, pumpkins, and squashes to keep fruit clean and protect from slugs and rot.
- Prepare beds for winter – Consider sowing green manures such as alfalfa, grazing rye, or crimson clover. These improve soil structure, prevent weeds, and can be dug in next spring for added nutrients.
- Take cuttings – Propagate favourite plants by taking 2–3 inch cuttings from below a leaf node. Use rooting powder, keep them moist, and place in a bright, frost-free area.
- Prune and tidy – Trim climbing roses, wisteria, and summer-flowering shrubs once blooms fade to encourage healthy new growth for next year.
- Cut back perennials – Removing tired growth will keep borders tidy and promote fresh foliage.
Vegetable Seeds to Sow in August
You can still sow a few quick-growing crops this month:
Radish, rocket, spinach, and cabbage.
Harvests range from 25 days for rocket to 180 days for winter cabbage.
General Garden Care
August’s heat makes watering essential. Water early or late in the day, using grey water or stored rainwater where possible. If you’re heading on holiday, ask a neighbour to help, or invest in an automatic watering system like the Hozelock Easy Drip Sensor Controller Plus to keep your containers hydrated.
Feed hanging baskets and containers every two weeks, and stop feeding roses to prevent soft growth that could turn diseased.
Keep your patio swept and tidy, bird bath topped up, and ponds clear of overgrown plants and algae. In the greenhouse, open vents or windows for airflow, use shade netting or paint to prevent scorch, and spray water into the air to keep things cool.
Top 10 Jobs This Month
- Prune wisteria and other climbing plants after flowering.
- Don’t delay summer pruning of trained fruit trees.
- Deadhead flowering plants regularly to extend blooming.
- Water consistently — especially containers and new plants — using grey or rainwater where possible.
- Collect seeds from favourite plants for next year.
- Harvest sweetcorn and late-season vegetables as they ripen.
- Cut out old, fruited raspberry canes.
- Lift and pot up rooted strawberry runners.
- Keep ponds and water features topped up.
- Feed the soil with green manures to prepare for autumn.
What’s in Stock This Month 🌿
At Newquay Garden Centre, August is full of late-summer colour and harvest-ready crops! You’ll find:
- Autumn and winter vegetable seedlings — cabbages, broccoli, and cauliflower
- Pumpkin, squash, and onion sets for late planting
- Compost, mulch, and fertilisers to boost tired soil
- Hozelock watering systems, hose sets, and accessories
- Shade netting, pond care, and patio treatments
- Perennials, grasses, and ornamental shrubs to refresh garden displays
Come and browse our seasonal range — whether you’re growing, harvesting, or relaxing, we’ve got everything you need to make the most of Cornwall’s sunny summer days.
Cornwall Gardening Tip
Cornwall’s warm, coastal August climate is perfect for late harvests, but sea breezes and salty air can stress tender plants. Mulch well to lock in moisture, and give pumpkins, squashes, and tomatoes extra feeding to make the most of the long growing days. If you’re away on holiday, set up automatic irrigation — coastal winds can dry pots and baskets faster than you’d expect!
