Did you know there are several vegetables to plant in August? You can take advantage of the spaces left in your vegetable garden from spring-planted crops, like peas, beans, greens, and root vegetables—or the garlic you pulled. As the heat-loving vegetables (tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, peppers, melons, etc.) in your summer garden start to mature, think ahead to fall harvests and make a plan for succession planting. In this article I’ll share some of my favorite veggies to sow so you can dig out those seeds you put away in the spring and benefit from some extra harvests.

The earlier you sow in August the better for some of the crops mentioned here. You want to maximize their growing time before temperatures start to drop. As the days become shorter, plant growth will start to slow, too. Some years, if I’m away on vacation or busy, I’ve planted a little later and still ended up with some reasonable harvests. But with fall vegetable gardening, much will also depend on factors like the weather and where your garden is located. I have a couple of planting spots that are like little microclimates, so I’m able to test the limits of when I plant and how long certain plants will survive through the fall. And if you don’t have space, consider container plantings.

Preparing your garden for vegetables to plant in August

Before we get into which vegetables to plant in August, here are some things to keep in mind:

• Plan ahead: If you think ahead, start some of these seeds under grow lights (the ones that don’t need to be direct sown), so they have even more of a head start in the garden. This is a good idea for lettuces because many are slow to germinate in hot, dry soil. Also, make note to include extra seeds for some of these crops when you’re making your winter seed order.
• Amend your soil: Pulling plants out of your garden always removes a bit of soil, but the plants themselves have absorbed the nutrients. Amend your garden with an inch or two of fresh compost before succession planting.
• Read the seed packet carefully: “Days to maturity” is the key phrase to look for. Count backwards from your region’s first frost date in the fall to see if your plants will have an opportunity to grow before the temperatures really start to dip.
• Day length: As the days get shorter and darker in September and October, plant growth slows. It’s essential to account for this slower growth when you time the planting of fall crops. I add an extra seven to 10 days to the ‘days to maturity’ listed on seed packets. If a turnip variety takes 40 days to go from seed to harvest, assume it needs closer to 50 days to mature.

Pay attention to newly sown seeds

Summer soil conditions (heat and dryness) can make it tricky for seeds to germinate. Try to keep the soil moisture consistent where newly sown seeds are planted, using the light spray nozzle on your hose, or a watering can. If you’re deep watering the rest of your garden, remember to check the bare soil areas on the days in between. And avoid deep watering these areas as you don’t want the seeds to wash away.

My favorite vegetables to plant in August

Here are a few of the veggies I sow in my summer garden (about USDA zone 6a).

Turnips

I remember how brilliant I felt when I first thought to sow turnip seeds in the space where I had pulled out my garlic. I shared some of my favorite turnips to grow in an article, including succulent Japanese turnips. They are so delicious and can be picked when they’re the size of a walnut or ping pong ball! I love to roast them on the barbecue with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Baby kale

Kale is another favorite green that I use in salads and stir fries, and bake into crispy chips. Most of my spring-planted kale plants are a good size by fall, so I appreciate the tender leaves of baby kale that I sow in the summer. Floating row cover protects my kale crops when temperatures really start to dip—though kale doesn’t mind a touch of frost. I’ve harvested well into November. I’ve also written about growing kale indoors if you’d really like to extend your season.

Beets

If you’d like to grow beets in your summer garden, look for early beet varieties, like ‘Chioggia’ and ‘Detroit Dark Red’. If things don’t go according to plan, and you’re left with minuscule beets, you can still enjoy the leafy greens in a salad or stir fry.

Cilantro

Cilantro is one of those frustrating crops that bolt early in the late spring/early summer. I really wish I could grow it in the garden all year! I try to plant slow-to-bolt varieties and give them a bit of shade, but they still go to seed too soon for my liking. I’ll let the seed pods open into the raised beds where they are planted. But I’ll also sow seeds in early August for guaranteed fall enjoyment.

Bok choy

Bok choy, in my opinion, is a stir fry superstar. I use a lot of it in my cooking, so I am always eager to plant some in August. Spring-sown crops can bolt quickly if there is a sudden hot spell, but in the fall, these leafy greens are cold tolerant. I love mini varieties, like ‘Toy Choy’ and ‘Asian Delight’.

Radishes

Radishes are a quick-growing crop that can mature in as little as 21 days. They don’t love the hot dry weather, so you can wait the end of August or even into September to plant them. Spring radish varieties, like ‘Cherry Belle’, can be planted in late summer for a fall harvest. Winter radishes can be planted in late summer for a winter harvest. I love this ‘Mini Purple’ daikon variety from Renee’s Garden.

Mizuna

Mizuna is a mustard green that’s a favorite of mine. It’s got a bit of bite, and is delicious tossed into salads with other greens. Start sowing seeds for red varieties in August, knowing you can also use them as ornamental foliage in your fall containers.

Salad greens

Speaking of salads, it only takes about four to five weeks before you can begin to snip cut-and-come-again lettuces. I love oak leaf varieties and ‘Buttercrunch’. Lettuce seeds can be sown in late August and you can harvest the leaves through the first frost. Arugula is another fast-growing green that can be sown towards the end of August into early September. I love arugula in salads, but also as a pizza topping!

Broccoli

Broccoli is a cool-weather crop that will benefit from a head start under grow lights. Sow seeds indoors under grow lights in July or early August before planting the seedlings in the garden.

Carrots

Sow carrot seeds in late July and early August. A favorite is the round ‘Romeo’ variety that I’ve planted in early in August with success. You can also deep mulch carrots for winter harvests if you start them soon enough.

Other vegetables to plant in August include:

• Kohlrabi
• Spinach
• Swiss chard
• Parsley (if you can find plants)
• Bunching onions
• Cauliflower

Late harvests and extending your season

• Learn about season extension from Niki’s online course
• Protect your crops in the fall with row cover hoops
• When to harvest Brussels sprouts
• How to know when your cabbage is ready
• When to harvest parsnips