What to Do in the Garden in August (UK)

Sow and plant

• Sow quick maturing salads and oriental leaves for autumn picking.
• Plan and order spring bulbs and autumn-planted crops now so they arrive in time.

Prune and tidy

• Tidy up strawberries after fruiting: remove the straw and cut away old leaves.
• Cut out the fruited canes of summer-fruiting raspberries after harvest, tying in the new green canes.

Watering, protection and general care

• Help prevent problems by watering well during dry spells, prioritising containers and fruiting crops.
• Use netting to protect blackberries and autumn raspberries from birds.
• Mid to late August is a good time to apply biological (nematode) controls for vine weevil — grubs are hatching and soil temperatures are suitable.

Harvest

• Pick runner beans regularly so plants keep cropping.
• Lift potatoes as they come ready.
• Lift onions and shallots once their tops die down, then leave them to dry in the sun.
• Keep picking raspberries and other soft fruit as it ripens.

Regional adjustment

Harvest and die-down timings run with the local season: milder southern and western gardens generally reach onion die-down and main harvests before colder northern gardens. The RHS keys the vine weevil biological-control window to soil temperature, so northern gardens should check conditions rather than the calendar.

Sources

Reviewed 2026-07-18. We cite university Extension, government, and established horticultural sources — and never invent pesticide rates or dangerous treatments.

• RHS — Gardening in August: jobs to do this month — August jobs include watering during dry spells, tidying strawberries after fruiting, lifting onions and shallots once tops die down, netting autumn raspberries and blackberries, and mid-to-late-August biological controls for vine weevil.
• RHS — Grow Your Own: jobs to do in August — August allotment harvests including runner beans, potatoes and raspberries.

Keep going