Predicting the weather is a job for clowns - not Graham the Grumpy Gardener

Trying to predict the weather with our massively changing conditions is a job for clowns and not for me. Traditionally, August has always been a difficult month as it regularly flips from drought to downpour but nowadays it is even more irascible.

I heard or read the other day that July was the hottest, wettest and windiest on record and trying to garden in such protean conditions is a nightmare, but I’ve put together my ten top tips of do’s and don’ts which I hope you find helpful.

• In the greenhouse keep doors and windows open during the day, water and feed regularly and keep an eye open for pests and diseases.

• Keep weeds under control and in hot weather use that massively under-utilised tool – the hoe. Use this in the morning and by lunch time the weeds will be withered and dying if not dead.

• In dry weather try not to mow but, if you have to, raise the height of cut so as not to scalp the lawn which will immediately turn savannah brown.

• Water and feed pots and urns regularly and if they have a lot of plants with heavy leaf cover they will become dry, even in reasonably heavy rain as the moisture cannot penetrate through to reach the roots. I feed all my pots and urns each Saturday morning with a liquid seaweed feed. The actual pots and urns themselves become hot in sunny weather and they all need a lot more water than you might think.

• Check your roses for brown/black spots on leaves. If they turn yellow and fall, collect them up immediately as the spores will live on in the soil and create damage throughout the season and next year. Do NOT compost these diseased leaves. Spray leaves with a foliar feed and put well-rotted manure or a proprietary rose feed around the roots (keep it off the leaves). Don’t forget to dead head spent flowers and remember to wear gloves when dealing with roses. Mrs GG comes up in a terrible rash if her skin gets nicked by a rose thorn.

• Currently I am harvesting runner beans and the last few remaining broads, early cabbage and broccoli, curly kale, chard, potatoes, spinach beet, courgettes, tomatoes and sweet peppers. We also have our best sweet peas for a few years and they have a really strong perfume. In the fruit cage, Mrs GG is harvesting raspberries, blackberries, black currants, goosegogs and redcurrants. It’s a race against time for her as the fieldfares have found a way in and I cannot for the life of me fathom out where it is.

• I was too slow in getting my anti butterfly netting out on the various cabbage plants and the Cabbage Whites have already laid their eggs. I am treating with a proprietary spray once a week in the evenings when the sun is off the plants.

• Its time to take cuttings from Pinks but do remember to keep them well watered and out of direct, hot sun.

• If you have put in any new trees, shrubs or plants over the past 12-months they will need a lot of TLC in hot weather and plenty of water.

• Turn your compost heap over in hot weather to ensure that the process gets completed more quickly. They love a bit of heat.

• If you have climbing plants on your house do check to make sure they are well tied in. Heavy rain and wind will cause havoc if they are not. If you have wisteria, late August is an excellent time to cut off the long, whippy pieces, cut them back to within a couple of buds of the main stem.

One final thought, if you have hedges in your garden that need a trim, remember that it is not advised to do this until at least the end of August when birds will have finished nesting. Personally, I leave my hedge cutting until late September to avoid any late breeding pairs.

Happy Gardening!

The Grumpy Gardener