Monty Don shares the 5 tasks you need to do this month, including the essential post-mowing step

THERE’S plenty to do in your garden this August, from removing faded flowers to pruning.

But according to Monty Don, clearing long grass is at the top of everyone’s priority list. But there’s one important step that people always forget.

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Every month Monty displays the list jobs that needs to be checked off, and this month the first thing you need to do is get your lawn looking its best.

“August is a good month to mow a flowering meadow as short as possible,” he explains on his blog.

“The goal is to expose bare spots so that fallen flower seeds can make contact and germinate.”

According to the professional, you can do this with a “power cutter” or a strimmer.

But it’s the step after mowing the lawn that people often forget.

“Once the grass is cut, it needs to be raked and thrown on the compost pile,” he said.

“It is important to remove all grass cuttings as they will feed the soil as they decompose and this will encourage lush regrowth at the expense of wildflowers and bulbs. However, as long as the grass cuttings are collected they can be mown short until winter.”

This month is also the perfect time to trim the hedge, Monty added.

The professional suggested pruning hedges with a slope from top to bottom.

“This prevents the lower part from being overshadowed by the upper growth, which becomes increasingly fuller as more light falls on it. The hedge thus remains completely ‘overgrown’ all the way to the ground,” he says.

And if you want to get ahead, Monty recommends setting aside some time this month to buy some new lights.

Although you should not plant them until September or October, it is still wise to order spring flowering bulbs now.

With all the warm weather we’ve been having lately, it’s also a good idea to feed the tanks regularly.

“I feed all of our containers weekly (on Feeding Friday) with liquid seaweed or homemade comfrey food,” says Monty.

Both options have high potassium levels, he explained, which promotes flower formation and keeps the plants blooming into the fall months.

And finally, if you are a tomato grower, your tomatoes may not be ready to harvest yet. However, there are a few little tricks you can use to make sure they are well on their way.

The first is to strip the lower half of the leaves from each plant. This allows light and air to enter, giving the growing fruits more sun, and the extra ventilation also reduces the risk of disease. This process can be repeated weekly until there are no leaves left at all.

Monty suggested limiting watering unless the weather is very hot. This will prevent tomatoes from splitting.

You should still continue to give “a weekly feeding of liquid seaweed or, if you can make it, homemade comfrey food.” Both are ideal for maximizing flower and fruit production.

Garden tips and tricks