Have you pruned your roses and your fruit trees? Are you removing winter-flowering annuals that are looking tired? Make sure your garden is in great condition this month with these gardening tips...

  • If you have not pruned your roses and fruit trees, now is the time to start.

  • Once you are sure of no late frosts you can prune your fuchsias back.

  • Don’t cut back frost-damaged plants until the danger of frost has passed.

  • Continue watering and fertilizing annuals and bulbs.

  • Continue deadheading winter flowering annuals like poppies and primulas to prolong flowering.

  • Prepare your summer garden by removing winter-flowering annuals that are looking tired.

  • Continue watering plants in containers and hanging plants to prevent drying out especially in the Highveld where gusty, August winds prevail.

  • Divide and replant any over crowded perennials.

  • Repot pot plants and other plants that have outgrown their containers.

  • Feed Lawns with Wonder Lawns and Foliage or Blade Runner or 5:2:1 SR See article on August Lawn Care. See our article on August Lawn Care.

  • Feed the rest of your garden with a general fertilizer or use an organic alternative like Wonder Organic.

  • Clean gutters in anticipation of the summer rains.

  • Feed roses, fruit trees and citrus with Wonder Rose Food or Ludwig’s Vigarosa.

  • Watch out for the lily borer on clivias and lily bulbs.

  • Sow seeds like ageratum, alyssum, aster, Canterbury bells, cleome, cosmos, dianthus, impatiens, lavatera, lobelia, marigold, petunia, salivia, schizanthus, verbena and viola.

  • Plant seedlings like allysum, begonia, celosia, cosmos, chrysanthemum palidosum,dahlia (bedding), dianthus, lobelia, marigold, impatiens, pansy, petunia and vinca.

  • Plant vegetable seedlings like celery, lettuce, parsley and spinach.

  • Plant bulbs like amaryllis, arum, begonia, canna, dahlia, eucomis, galtonia, gladiolis, spider lily, nerine, tigridia and zephyranthus.