We are now in the dog days of summer. It’s hot and humid in most areas, and not typically the time of the year many gardeners consider an ideal planting month. But August is actually a perfect time to begin a second gardening season. There are many vegetables that are very productive when planted in August. So if you are ready for round two and eager to feel your hands in the soil again, slather on the sunscreen, make yourself a cool glass of iced tea, and start digging.
* Cucumbers — Grown on a vine or bush, this delicious fruit will grow quickly and in abundance. Vine grown cucumbers are much tastier, but require much more space for growing than the bush varieties.
* Beans — August is the deadline for sowing beans. Planting both bush and pole beans now will produce a continual crop if you try a continual 7-10 day sowing of different bean varieties.
* Radish — This veggie is quick and easy to grow, so if you plant them now you can have a crop ready in just 30 days.
* Lettuce — If planted in August you will yield a nice crop in the fall.
* Kale — Also for an excellent fall and winter harvest if planted by mid-August.
* Peas — Try planting both green peas and sugar peas for a moderate harvest by autumn.
* Cauliflower — To enjoy this vegetable by fall, sow them now.
* Kohl Rabi — When planting this unusual vegetable now, it will be ready in as little as 8 weeks.
* Herbs — Basil and Cilantro are quite fast-growing and will be ready for harvesting in about a month.
* Spinach — Because spinach grows well in the cooler weather of the autumn months, August is an excellent time to plant it.
It’s important to know the average first frost date in your region so you can calculate how fast a vegetable will mature so it isn’t planted too late and risk being killed by cold weather. Some vegetables can tolerate some frosty temperatures and continue growing. However, others cannot and will cease growing. You need to do a little research on the veggies you wish to plant to find out exactly how late in the month you can still plant and be safe.
Photo Credit: thinkstock
