I’m a gardening expert – the 5 tasks to do this month – including the post-mowing step you’re probably forgetting

THERE’S plenty to be getting on with in your garden this August, from deadheading to pruning.

But according to Monty Don the thing on the top of everyone’s list should be sorting out long grass – and there’s a vital step people always forget about.

Every month Monty lists the jobs that should be ticked off, and this month getting your lawn looking spick is the first thing to do.

“August is a good month to cut a flowering meadow as short as possible,” he explained on his blog.

“The aim is to expose areas of bare soil so that fallen flower seeds can make contact and germinate.”

According to the pro, you can do this with a “powerful cutter” or a strimmer.

But it’s the step after cutting grass people often forget.

“Once the grass is cut it should all be raked up and put onto the compost heap,” he said.

“It is important to remove all cut grass as otherwise it feeds the soil as it decomposes and this will encourage lush regrowth at the expense of the wild flowers and bulbs. However, as long as the grass cuttings are collected, it may be kept mown short right up until winter.”

This month is also the perfect time trim any hedges, Monty added.

The pro suggested cutting hedges with an outward slope from top to bottom.

“This ensures that the lower section is not shaded by the top growth – which is always more bushy as it gets more light – and the hedge remains fully ‘furnished’ right down to the ground,” he said.

And if you want to get ahead, Monty suggested setting some time aside this month to buy new bulbs.

Although they shouldn’t be planted until September or October, sit’s a good idea to order any spring flowering bulbs now.

With all the hot weather we’ve been having, it’s also a good idea to regularly feed containers.

“I feed all our containers weekly (on Feeding Friday) with liquid seaweed or home-made comfrey feed,” Monty said.

Both of these options are “high in potash”, he explained, which will help encourage flower formation and enable displays to flourish into the autumn months.

And finally, if you’re a tomato grower they might not quite be ready to harvest yet, but there are some small tricks you can use to make sure they’re well on their way.

The first is to strip off the bottom half of the leaves on each plant. This will let in light and air so that the growing fruits get more sun and also the extra ventilation will reduce the risk of disease. This process can be continued weekly until there are no leaves left at all.

Monty suggested reducing watering, unless the weather is very hot -his will prevent tomatoes from splitting.

You should still keep up “a weekly feed of liquid seaweed or, if you can make it, home-made comfrey feed. Both are ideal for maximising flower and fruit production.”