IN THE GARDEN

What to plant in August

August weather facts

Average high temperature: 32.2°C Average low temperature: 26.7°C Average rainfall: 432 mm (17”) Average rainfall days: 16.9 days Average sunshine hours: 6.1 hours

With the midsummer month’s dream forthcoming, August represents a meager cooldown from July’s peak sizzling weather, granted it’s still a tad too hot for most.

With social distancing measures in place, there is no better time to tend to our gardens and enjoy the fresh air from the comfort of our own home.

The key practice this month is to inspect your plants or any diseased foliage for any plant diseases carried over by the heat and humidity then dispose of it properly. Like the month before, remember to use disinfectant fluid to protect your seedlings from pests. Monitor weeds as they compete with your plants for nutrients and water, and dig over all vacant ground in your garden to ensure good conditions for sowing seeds in the next few months.

Seeds of the following may be sown: mustard and cress, Chinese spinach, lettuce, sweet corn, Chinese green and white cabbage, celery, tomatoes and carrots. Short beans sown last month will also require staking.

From the hottest to the wettest month of the year, August carries over sudden showers and occasional typhoons shutting everything down. However, as the saying goes, ‘You can’t have a rainbow without a little rain’. May this month reward you with a budding backdrop of captivating crops and flowers for your garden.

By William James Tutcher F.L.S. (1867-1920)

Superintendent of Hong Kong Botanical Gardens. Paraphrased from his seminal 1906 work Gardening for Hong Kong.