Care guides › Brisbane › August
August in the Brisbane garden
Late winter in Brisbane. Subtropical: no frost, a dry spring, then a wet summer. Here is what needs doing this month, with the essentials first.
- What to plant 18
- What to harvest 13
- Feeding 5
- Pruning and deadheading 4
- Watering 1
- Pests and diseases to watch for 1
- Tidying up 10
What to plant in August
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Tomato, Capsicum and Eggplant
Plant out once the soil is warm
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Cucumber and Zucchini
Sow or plant once the soil is warm
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Sunflower and Cosmos
Sow seed direct once the soil is warm
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Parsley and Silverbeet
Sow or plant seedlings
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Lettuce
Sow or plant every few weeks for a steady supply
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Carrot
Sow seed direct every few weeks
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Runner Bean
Sow at the base of a tall support
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Leek
Plant seedlings deep to blanch the stems
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Potato
Plant seed potatoes once the soil is warm
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Sweetcorn
Sow in blocks, not rows, so it pollinates
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Dahlia
Plant tubers once the soil warms
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Marigold
Plant seedlings once the soil is warm
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Bidens
Plant once the soil is warm
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Basil
Plant once nights are warm
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Dill
Sow seed direct; it dislikes being moved
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Paper Daisy
Sow seed or plant seedlings in autumn or early spring
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Sturt's Desert Pea
Sow scarified seed into warm soil in spring
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Warrigal Greens
Sow soaked seed or plant out in spring
What to harvest in August
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Pea
Pick pods as they fill
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Spinach
Pick outer leaves
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Kale
Pick lower leaves; cool weather sweetens them
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Broccoli
Cut the head while buds are tight; side shoots follow
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Cauliflower
Cut while the curd is firm and white
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Cabbage
Cut when the head feels firm
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Orange Tree
Pick when sweet; taste one to check
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Lemon Tree
Pick lemons as they colour; they hold on the tree
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Mandarin
Pick as they colour
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Cumquat
Pick when fully orange
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Silverbeet
Pick outer leaves as needed
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Lemon Myrtle
Pick leaves as you need them; they dry well
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Coriander If you have time
Pick leaves young; let a few go to seed
Feeding
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Citrus
Citrus fertiliser, watered in (late winter and late summer)
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Fruit
Fruit-tree fertiliser as the buds swell
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Summer vegetables and cool-season vegetables
Dig in compost before planting
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Peony
Scatter general fertiliser as the shoots appear
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Sasanqua Camellia
Azalea and camellia (acid) fertiliser after flowering
Pruning and deadheading
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Hydrangea
Cut stems that flowered back to a pair of fat buds
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Lemon Verbena
Prune hard in late winter while it is leafless
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Broad Bean If you have time
Pinch out the tips once pods set (deters aphids)
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Sasanqua Camellia If you have time
Shape or hedge after flowering
Watering
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Cooktown Orchid If you have time
Keep it fairly dry in winter
Pests and diseases to watch for
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Orange Tree, Mandarin and Cumquat If you have time
Citrus gall wasp: cut off swollen stems before spring
Tidying up
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Fountain Grass, Pampas Grass and Dwarf Pampas
Cut back hard to 15-20 cm before new growth starts
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Lomandra and Lomandra Tanika If you have time
Comb out dead leaves, or cut back by half if tired
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Potato If you have time
Mound soil over the stems as they grow
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Sunflower If you have time
Stake tall stems before they flop
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Dianella If you have time
Comb out dead leaves
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Poa Tussock If you have time
Comb out dead blades, or cut back by half if tired
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Agapanthus If you have time
Pull off dead outer leaves
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Liriope If you have time
Cut old leaves back before new growth
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Tree Fern If you have time
Cut off dead fronds
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Knobby Club-rush If you have time
Thin out old dead stems
Not listed: Cherry Tree, Blackcurrant Bush, Gooseberry Bush, Rhubarb, Blue Leschenaultia, Boronia and Common Heath, which don't suit Brisbane's climate.