While it may be tempting to assume that now the time of year has reached the late summer, it will be too late to plant things. However, this isn’t the case – even though August is towards the end of the usual summer, there is still plenty of time to get planting your favorite varieties.
While you may be limited to certain varieties, there are still plenty of things you can plant in both your flower beds and your vegetable garden.
Today, we’re going to take a look at everything you can plant in the late summer period to make the most out of your garden. As the cooler weather starts to draw in towards the end of August, you’ll be surprised by what you can actually plant during this time of year.
So let’s take a look at what to plant in August so that you can make the most of the hot weather while it lasts!
Best Vegetables To Plant In August
While planting more vegetables in August might not be your first thought, this is actually the ideal time to prepare your crops for fall and winter harvesting. Below is a list of all the tasty veggies you can get planting in your vegetable garden so that you can lengthen your veggie haul. So get your seed packets at the ready, and get planting!
Leafy Greens
Think lots of leafy vegetables such as chard, lettuce, collard greens, spinach, mustard greens, and kale. Curly kale, dazzling blue kale, and lacinato kale are excellent choices for growing from seed during the month of August. By opting for leafy green vegetables and salad greens, you can make sure you have a bountiful crop to hand.
Radishes
August is also the time to get planting your radishes. By planting them now from seed, you can ensure that you will have a fall crop to hand in the next few months. Winter cultivars will need to be sown in August, making sure to be spaced between 6 and 9 inches apart.
Turnips
Now is the ideal time to get planting your turnips. You can choose to sow them directly into your soil, then thin them out so that they are spaced around 10 cm apart. This will give the roots ample room to grow.
Beetroot
Another fantastic root vegetable to get planting during August is of course beetroot. All types of beets are suitable for planting during the August months. The best type to grow for eating fresh or cooking with is the candy-striped variety. These are great for adding color and flavor to salads, soups, stews, and other dishes.
Carrots
To give you a bountiful harvest of carrots during the fall and winter months, you should get planting these in August. Carrot seeds can be planted straight into the ground, but if you want to ensure that you get a good yield, you should space them out at least 12-18 inches apart.
Sprouting Broccoli
Sprouting broccoli is another excellent choice to expand the amount of greens on offer in your vegetable garden. It’s easy to grow from seed, and once it reaches maturity, you can enjoy its crunchy leaves throughout the fall and winter months. It’s typically available in purple and white varieties, and is considered to be a hardy vegetable.
Cabbage
Next up on the August planting menu should of course be cabbages. If you have attempted to grow winter cabbages from seed in the previous months before this time, now is the time to get them in the soil in your vegetable beds. They will need plenty of space to grow, so aim to leave them at least 18 inches apart.
Cauliflower
So now that you’ve gotten your sprouting broccoli sorted, you can also get planting your cauliflower in August. Cauliflower is one of those vegetables that is perfect for using in curries, stir fries, and other various recipes. It’s very versatile, so you can use it in many ways.
Coriander
Now is the time to get planting your coriander or cilantro seeds. To ensure a tasty supply of your favorite spice, you will need to either grow your cilantro from seed in pots in your windowsill, or you can plant it directly into your vegetable beds.
Kohlrabi
To get a fall harvest of kohlrabi, you’ll need to get planting this root vegetable in the month of August. You can eat the stems, leaves, and the kohlrabi root itself. Kohlrabi has been used as an alternative to cabbage since ancient times, and was even mentioned by Shakespeare!
Daikon Radish
Another variety of radish that you can get planting in August is the daikon radish or white radish as it is sometimes known. This vegetable grows best during the colder months, and should be sown with at least 12 to 18 inches in between the seeds.
Spring Onions
Spring onions, otherwise known as scallions, are another excellent choice for growing during the month of August. Planting scallion seeds in early summer means that they will reach their full potential by the end of September.
Pak Choi
If you want to get planting some pak choi in your garden this August, then you will need to opt for a bolt resistant variety. If you want to give your pak choi the best chances of survival, you can grow it from seed earlier in the year and then transplant it outdoors in August.
Peas
Want a fall harvest of tasty peas? Then August is the last chance you’ll have during the year to plant them. Make sure to support the vines of the pea plant with stakes so that they have somewhere to grow.
Rocket
One of the most flavorful green veggies around, rocket should be sown towards the start of August to ensure you get a bountiful crop. To give your salad rocket varieties the best chance to survive the colder winter months, make sure to sow them before the end of August.
Sweet Potato
To try and get that bountiful crop of sweet potatoes, it will be best to plant tubers that have gone through cold treatment. This change in temperature will give them better chances to thrive if you plant them towards the start of August, ready for harvesting in the fall months of late September to October.
Potatoes
You can also grow your very own crop of potatoes ready for harvesting around Thanksgiving and Christmas. It will be best to do this in your greenhouse, where they will better be able to withstand the colder weather of the fall and winter months.
Chicory
This is a tasty vegetable that can be sown between February through to September. To ensure that you can continue to harvest through the fall months, make sure to get planting your chicory in August. You can get them started from seed in a seed tray, then choose a sunny spot in your garden.
Strawberries
To give yourself the best chance of enjoying strawberries during the fall and winter months, now is the time to transplant your strawberry plants into the garden. This will give the strawberry plant plenty of time to establish itself before any harsh winter weather sets in.
Best Flowers To Plant In August
Sometimes you also want to think about something other than your vegetable garden while you still have the time and suitable dry spells for growing beautiful flowers. So to create the beautiful garden that you are after, think about planting some of the below varieties of your flower beds this August.
Californian Poppies
A hardy annual, the Californian poppy is suitable for surviving tough winter conditions. This bright flower will be a welcome addition to your garden, and can be grown exactly where you want them to bloom.
Cornflower
For a wonderful splash of color in your flower beds, you should opt for the cornflower in August. Planting your cornflower seeds now will give the plant plenty of time to establish itself, and you will see those beautiful blue blooms around May time next year.
Calendula
To enjoy the beautiful orange and yellow blooms of the calendula flower, you should start sowing them between now and September. This allows the calendula plant – also known as marigold – to bloom in time for the following spring months.
Larkspur
Larkspur is another excellent hardy annual to get planting in August. Planting your larkspur seeds now will give the plants time to germinate and establish itself, ready for blooming during the early spring months next year.
Winter Flowering Pansies
If you want a splash of color in your garden during the winter months, now will be the time to get planting your winter flowering pansies. These flowers will blossom throughout the fall months.
Forget-Me-Nots
Another beautiful blue flower, forget-me-nots can be sown throughout all the summer months, including August. If you enjoy growing tulips, then forget-me-nots will make a wonderful companion plant, giving the delicate leaves and bulbs plenty of shade.
Wild Carrot
Also known as Queen Anne’s lace, the wild carrot is another fantastic variety to grow in your garden as part of a wild garden. Bees and other insects will thank you for introducing this fascinating plant to your garden during the month of August.
In Summary
So there you have it! You should now have a much better idea of what to plant in your garden beds this August.
Whether you want to expand your vegetable gardening endeavors, plant additional flowers to make the most of the hot weather, or even just to get ahead of winter and ensure that your varieties can establish themselves before the first light frost, there’s something for everyone above.
We made sure to include a range of fresh vegetables as well as beautiful flora so that you can take advantage of your garden space.
Have you got a particular favorite plant that you like to get planting during August? Let us know in the comments below!
The majority of people who have no interest in the subject, and aren’t green fingered assume that all plants and vegetables require the same growing conditions. This is not the case at all. Each plant has its own unique and interesting history and growing process.
I hope you will find The Natural List useful, and that it will help educate you on the wide variety of different flower and plant species there are across the globe.
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