What Vegetables to Plant in August for Autumn Harvest

Last Updated on January 3, 2022 by Real Men Sow

August, hey? Just where has the year gone? If like me, this year has left you floundering under the problems of slugaggeddon, rubbish Spring weather, and slow ripening tomatoes, you might actually be quite happy to take your mind off Summertime crops. The list of vegetables to plant in August may vary from garden to garden but they’re worth considering in the late summer.

Is it too late to plant vegetables in August?

The good news is that there are still plenty of vegetables to plant in August. Late summer planting is still ideal for gardeners, because there are great vegetables that grow well in August and September.  Set up youf vegetable garden today, here are 6 of my favourite seeds to sow in August.

Which Vegetables to Plant in August in Your Garden

French Beans

Every year, I sow a couple of rows of French beans between late July and mid-August, specifically to be bagged up a frozen. French beans are so prolific that keeping up with the harvests takes some doing, so it makes sense to freeze a crop for use during Winter.

This adds some variation to the leafy Winter brassicas and saves some cash too when harvests are lean during January and February.

Perpetual Spinach and Chard

A sowing perpetual spinach and chard, the cut and come again greens, should see you in crops for the whole of winter. They’re incredibly easy to grow and very hardy. The seeds are best sown straight into the ground, where they will germinate within a week this time of year. Thin out to a few inches apart and keep watered until established.

Mangetout

I keep sowing mangetout into August and have harvested as late as October in previous years. Like French beans, mangetout freezes well, so any glut can be frozen for use in Winter. Varieties I’ve found reliable are Oregon Sugar Pod or Carouby de Maussane. Oregon Sugar Pod is fairly compact and grows well in a container, so can be moved undercover if you’ve got a greenhouse.

Spring Greens

I like to start spring greens off in pots during August and September, to transplant when 15cm or so high. I sow seeds every couple of weeks, so to get a staggered harvest towards between January and March.

Hispi is my favourite variety, having always found them reliable and hardy. I always find a handful of crispy spring cabbage leaves very welcome during the lean winter times.

New Vegetables to Plant in August

Oriental Salad Greens

I have grown these spiky, peppery salad leaves for a number of years now, after discovering the excellent Mibuna and Mizuna. I can’t recommend them enough – they taste delicious, and being cut and come again, are hardy enough to keep you in salad beyond Christmas.

Normally, the only thing to kill these toughies is the snow, but if you have a greenhouse or some plastic protection the leaves will survive pretty much anything Winter can throw at them.

Pak Choi

I sow pak choi in August as it isn’t a big fan of the heat, so early sowings can often bolt. By August the days are getting shorter, and I’ve experienced better results by waiting. When I’m growing pak choi, I sow into small pots of multi-purpose compost rather than directly into the ground. Once they’re about 10 – 15cm high, I plant the pak choi out in rows, 25cm or so apart.

They’ve only got small roots, so will need regular watering, but the plants are hardy and will happily sit in the ground for a few weeks beyond Autumn.

Real Men Sow
Real Men Sow

Hello, I’m Pete and I’m currently based in the west of Scotland, in a small place called Rosneath, where I’m exploring my garden adventures. I personally started gardening around 6 years ago and initially, I started out by growing my favorite fruits and berries, such as strawberries, Raspberries & Gooseberries. Since then I’ve added a lot of vegetables and working closely with my neighbor, it’s been a lot of fun.

2 thoughts on “What Vegetables to Plant in August for Autumn Harvest”

  1. Great tips – hopefully some of these (Spring greens and Mizuna?) can still be sown early September when we’re back from our hols.

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