Between apples, blackberries, cherries, and even apricots, August is known for being a month of bounty. But it’s less known for being a great planting month.
If (like me) you’re a planting procrastinator, fear not ― there’s still plenty of time to get some veggies in the ground for a winter harvest. Here are five of the best plants you have time to plant now:
1) Turnips
Early turnips can be planted in March to June, and some, like “Atlantic” varieties, can even be planted under cloches in February. But maincrop turnips, also known as hardy turnips, are best planted from late July to mid-August per the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).
2) Cabbages
You can get cabbages in time for spring if you plant them now. You can either plant them directly outdoors, or start them off indoors in modules ― but you might want to cover them to protect them from cabbageworm and pigeons.
3) Spring onions
Spring onions grow quickly, meaning you can get ’em grown in time for spring. However, Gardener’s World says that “Onions don’t germinate well in temperatures regularly above 20°C.” And the RHS says that “Sowing small batches every couple of weeks will give you continual supplies.”
4) Chard
It might be dicey to plant chard this late, but you could well be able to get away with planting the hardy veggies if you get them in the ground ASAP. ” Sow direct in shallow drills or in pots of moist, peat-free compost,” Gardener’s World shared.
5) Kohlrabi
You can harvest an August kohlrabi crop as soon as October, and they’re delicious when stewed or roasted. “Choose hardier purple varieties for mid- to late summer sowing” the RHS shared.
Here are even more August planting ideas: