Planning on achieving a late summer harvest this year, but don’t know how and where to begin? Well, congratulations, you’re in the right place!
I meet many people on a daily who mistakenly believe that by August, it’s just too late to plant anything, and whatever they do plant will end up burned with the August heat. However, this idea is complete bollocks!
In this article, I’ll take you through my special list of vegetables that I often plant as a contingency in August for a late summer harvest. Let’s jump right into it!
Why August Isn’t Too Late To Plant?
I always say this, and I’ll say it again: It’s not really the seasons that make the garden, it’s the gardener.
If you equip yourself with the right planting knowledge and wisdom, you’ll have something to plant every single month of the year, be it August or January.
There are so many fast-maturing vegetables out there that thrive in late summer warmth. Since the soil is already warm enough, germination speed is enhanced drastically, leading to quicker results. That’s how an enterprising, passionate gardener should be thinking.
And if you’re worried about the heat, these plants actually love hot weather and bloom right through it, August can be a perfect time to take advantage of the warmth.
Vegetables You Can Still Plant In August
1: Lettuce (Loose-leaf)
Lettuce varieties like loose-leaf are best grown in zones 5-7. Sow it ideally around 6-8 weeks before the first frost kicks in.
Thanks to lettuce’s hardy, resilient nature, it tolerates frost really well and can even develop a better, slightly sweeter flavor during cold periods.
To help your lettuce grow even better, try planting it alongside these ideal companion plants for healthier, more productive harvests.
2: Radishes
All zones from 5-8 can accommodate radish growth fairly well. This vibrant vegetable has a fast maturing time and is perfect for some late summer succession planting.
And if your radishes are all tops with no roots, here’s why they might not be forming properly and how to fix it.
3: Arugula
Arugula is the perfect leafy green for moderate zones between 4-8, but it grows especially well in zones 5-7. It thrives in cool to moderate temperature conditions and can withstand the seasonal transition quite well, as long as you opt for bolt-resistant varieties.
And once it starts growing, here’s how to harvest arugula the right way so you can enjoy fresh greens again and again all season long.
This colorful, crunchy leafy green is suitable for zones 4-9 since it tolerates both heat and cold surprisingly well. If you’re okay with baby leaves, they’ll be ready to harvest in just about 30 days, but full-size ones can often require another 20-30 whole days.
And if your Swiss chard ever tastes bitter, this quick guide explains why and how to fix it for better-tasting leaves.
8: Spinach
Although spinach grows best in milder zones like 4-7, you can still plant it in zone 8 as long as it’s given plenty of shade on the hottest days. Sow spinach seeds 5-8 weeks before frost kicks in and allow them to grow through the cool weather, giving you a solid spinach harvest around late summer.
For even better results, consider pairing spinach with the right companion plants to boost growth and keep pests in check.
Let’s Conclude
If you can’t already tell, I was once obsessed with growing vegetables in my mom’s garden, and it was to the point that I only had vegetables in there for 3 years straight! Then, my mother flew in one fine summer and told me to get some damn flowers and berry bushes in there to make the garden well-rounded.
What I said about the gardener’s knowledge being more important than seasonality stands because, during this time of my life, I never ran out of vegetables to plant, no matter where I moved or what month/season it was.
Now it’s time to arm yourself with this knowledge and pick what you want in your garden this August because the right choices will reward you with a kickass late-summer harvest!
