Care guides › Sydney › August

August in the Sydney garden

Late winter in Sydney. Warm temperate: mild winters, light frost inland, humid summers. Here is what needs doing this month, with the essentials first.

What to plant 12
What to harvest 13
Feeding 5
Pruning and deadheading 4
Pests and diseases to watch for 1
Tidying up 8

What to plant in August

Parsley and Silverbeet

Sow or plant seedlings
Lettuce

Sow or plant every few weeks for a steady supply
Carrot

Sow seed direct every few weeks
Potato

Plant seed potatoes after the last frost
Marigold

Plant seedlings after frost
Cosmos

Sow seed direct after frost
Bidens

Plant after frost
Coriander

Sow in cooler months; it bolts in heat
Dill

Sow seed direct; it dislikes being moved
Paper Daisy

Sow seed or plant seedlings in autumn or early spring
Sturt's Desert Pea

Sow scarified seed into warm soil in spring
Warrigal Greens

Sow soaked seed or plant out in spring

What to harvest in August

Pea

Pick pods as they fill
Spinach

Pick outer leaves
Kale

Pick lower leaves; frost sweetens them
Broccoli

Cut the head while buds are tight; side shoots follow
Cauliflower

Cut while the curd is firm and white
Cabbage

Cut when the head feels firm
Orange Tree

Pick when sweet; taste one to check
Lemon Tree

Pick lemons as they colour; they hold on the tree
Mandarin

Pick as they colour
Cumquat

Pick when fully orange
Silverbeet

Pick outer leaves as needed
Lemon Myrtle

Pick leaves as you need them; they dry well
Coriander If you have time

Pick leaves young; let a few go to seed

Feeding

Citrus

Citrus fertiliser, watered in (late winter and late summer)
Fruit

Fruit-tree fertiliser as the buds swell
Cool-season vegetables

Dig in compost before planting
Peony

Scatter general fertiliser as the shoots appear
Sasanqua Camellia

Azalea and camellia (acid) fertiliser after flowering

Pruning and deadheading

Hydrangea

Cut stems that flowered back to a pair of fat buds
Lemon Verbena

Prune hard in late winter while it is leafless
Broad Bean If you have time

Pinch out the tips once pods set (deters aphids)
Sasanqua Camellia If you have time

Shape or hedge after flowering

Pests and diseases to watch for

Orange Tree, Mandarin and Cumquat If you have time

Citrus gall wasp: cut off swollen stems before spring

Tidying up

Fountain Grass, Pampas Grass and Dwarf Pampas

Cut back hard to 15-20 cm before new growth starts
Lomandra and Lomandra Tanika If you have time

Comb out dead leaves, or cut back by half if tired
Dianella If you have time

Comb out dead leaves
Poa Tussock If you have time

Comb out dead blades, or cut back by half if tired
Agapanthus If you have time

Pull off dead outer leaves
Liriope If you have time

Cut old leaves back before new growth
Tree Fern If you have time

Cut off dead fronds
Knobby Club-rush If you have time

Thin out old dead stems

Not listed: Cooktown Orchid, which don't suit Sydney's climate.