What to do in the garden in August: Harvest and prune plums
It’s between us and the wasps in the battle for the plums, and the season is short

The short but glorious season of the British plum is upon us. We must gorge ourselves on them or be defeated by the wasps, whose partiality for them verges on the desperate. Plums can't be kept, except by the tried and tested method of bottling, but the recipe book beckons at such times. As soon as the harvest is complete, the trees should be pruned, as winter pruning exposes the wood to the danger of the dreaded silver-leaf disease. The plum tree is a rather ragged creature, and pruning can usually be restricted to the removal of any damaged and crossing branches.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Bringing the quintessential English rural idle to life via interiors, food and drink, property and more Country Life’s travel content offers a window into the stunning scenery, imposing stately homes and quaint villages which make the UK’s countryside some of the most visited in the world.
-
Churchill's birthplace, Monet's London home and more in the Country Life Quiz of the Day
Try your luck at Monday's quiz of the day.
By Toby Keel Published
-
How the railways will save the countryside, with Gareth Dennis
The engineer and policy expert Gareth Dennis joins the Country Life Podcast.
By Toby Keel Last updated