August 2025's blooming oasis: The garden
August: The Perfect Time for Repotting and Gardening
August is a busy month for gardeners, as it's the ideal time for repotting plants and sowing late crops. Whether you're tending to indoor or outdoor plants, this month offers the perfect conditions for growth.
Repotting Plants
When repotting, it's essential to use a high-quality, well-draining advanced potting mix enriched with compost. This mixture, combined with perlite or vermiculite, provides the ideal balance of moisture retention and drainage, supporting healthy root growth and preventing waterlogging.
During the repotting process, check roots for any signs of circling. If roots are tightly bound, gently prune them to encourage fresh growth and prevent root-bound issues. This is especially important when transplanting runners or well-rooted plants like strawberries.
After repotting, water thoroughly and maintain watering when the top 1-2 inches of soil feels dry to avoid stress from drying out. Avoid pots with excessive empty space to prevent overwatering and root rot. Use slow-release fertilizers or organic amendments like worm castings to provide nutrients over the season.
Late Crops and Vegetable Production
In late winter, August, vegetable plants such as broccoli, cabbages, cauliflowers, onions, and peas are in full production. English spinach and snow peas can be grown as late crops in August. When harvesting vegetables, remove dead and diseased foliage.
Compost Heap Management
Compost can be used to enrich potting mixes or garden soil during this period. To ensure nutrient-rich organic matter is available for use, manage your compost heap in August. Mature compost can be added to mixes or used as a mulch to improve moisture retention.
Turn compost in compost heaps regularly to encourage the breakdown of materials. Maintain a good balance between wet ingredients (often called "greens") and dry ingredients (often called "browns") in the compost heap.
Containerised Plants
In August, it's ideal to repot containerised plants that have outgrown their pots. For container vegetables, repot with appropriate soil to maximise development. When planting seedlings, use PowerFeed Controlled Release for Tomatoes & Vegetables.
Regularly apply the same product every 2 weeks to promote root development and overall plant health. Use a slightly larger pot and fresh, premium potting mix like Advanced Potting Mix for the best results.
Watering and Rainwater Collection
To encourage strong growth and stunning flowers in native plants like grevilleas, banksias, kangaroo paws, and correas, use PowerFeed All Purpose including Natives. For watering, use a product like the website's solution (40mL of concentrate per 9 litres of water) to water the plant into its new container to help with plant establishment.
Install a rainwater tank to capture rain for the upcoming seasons. Make sure that the roots are completely covered and surrounded by premium potting mix with no air pockets.
In summary, repot in August when plants are actively growing, use a high-quality, well-draining advanced potting mix enriched with compost, prune roots if needed, and ensure proper watering and nutrition to support healthy growth. Manage your compost heap to provide organic matter, and for container vegetables, repot with appropriate soil to maximise development.
- In August, the optimal time for repotting plants and sowing late crops, it's crucial to use a high-quality potting mix enriched with compost for a balanced moisture and drainage.
- While repotting, check roots for circling and prune them to encourage fresh growth, especially when transplanting runners or well-rooted plants.
- Manage your compost heap in August to ensure nutrient-rich organic matter is available for mixing or mulching, improving soil health and moisture retention.
- For brush trees like grevilleas, banksias, kangaroo paws, and correas, use a suitable product to water them while repotting to aid in plant establishment.
- Containerised plants that have outgrown their pots should be repotted in August, using appropriate soil and a slightly larger pot for maximum development.
- To minimize the need for frequent watering, manage a good balance of "greens" and "browns" in your compost heap and use slow-release fertilizers or organic amendments for continuous nutrient supply.
- Inspire a greener lifestyle by installing a rainwater tank to capture rainfall for gardening needs, ensuring that roots are covered and surrounded by premium potting mix for optimal growth.
