August in the Garden

Dig It - Discussions on Gardening Topics

August in the Garden Show Notes

In this episode Chris and Peter discuss National Allotments week and their drive towards sustainability helped by using water butts and mulch to conserve water.

Find out about National Plum Day, Pershore and the Vale of Evesham including the Victoria Plum and how it grows and fruits on North facing walls.

We discuss Waspinators and wasp traps to keep the wasps away from your Tea and cake! They also share the difference between High Tea and Afternoon tea.

August is the time to check your potatoes for Blight. Find out what to do if you have it and how to check whether your potatoes are ready to lift. Garlic, shallots and onions are nearly ready for harvest too and we have a tip on how to get the bulbs to mature.

Learn of the benefits of the Hozelock Growbag Waterer for growing tomatoes and using good fertilizers like Phostrogen to stop blossom end rot.

There’s still time to plant Lettuce - lollo rossa, Radish – French Breakfast, and for next year it is now time to plant your, Spring onions – White Lisbon, Spring Cabbages Offenham Spring, Swiss Chard – Bright Lights, Pak Choi. We discuss how to use Cress seeds to mark out your rows of slow sprouting vegetables like Parsnip and have the bonus of delicious Cress seedlings.

In case you haven’t yet seen it the informative Whartons rose video is well worth a watch (discussed in more detail in our Celebrating Roses podcast)

Chris and Peter discuss their favourite fruit, the Strawberry, and the Strawberry Alpine.

It’s time to start taking softwood cuttings from semi hardy plants like Argyranthemum just in case your specimen plants get killed off by harsh winter frosts and we explain how to use rooting powder and gels and what to plant your cuttings in, including the benefits of mixing in some Perlite or Vermiculite.

Buckingham Palace Gardens are open until the 19th Sept and we chat about what the gardens have to offer. Other gardens to visit more local to you and across the country can be found at National Gardens Scheme.

Peter's Broad bean Dip recipe:

250g - 300g of shelled (or frozen) broad beans

3 or 4 cloves of Garlic

25 ml of olive oil

retain a small amount of water the beans were cooked in

Sprig of Rosemary

Listen to the episode to find out how to make the dip.

Music by Chiltern Music Therapy

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