If you’re wondering what crops to plant in August then you’ve come to the right place!
The summer garden season is coming to a close and many of the fresh vegetables and fruits we’ve enjoyed this year will soon be gone.
But fear not because planting season isn’t over!
There are still many cool-season crops that you can grow that will provide food through the winter months.
Regardless of where you live you can still have a thriving garden all winter if you get the seeds in the ground in August.
Several vegetables, like collards, will even develop a sweeter flavor after the plants have been frosted on.
So grab your garden tools and get to planting some of these vegetables that will provide food through the winter for you and your family.
7 Crops to Plant in August
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Collards
This leafy green thrives in cool weather and is easy to grow. Sow collard seeds in August-September. Sow the seeds heavily into prepared soil for a long winter harvest. Harvest the largest leaves first to provide plenty of growing room for the other plants.
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Chard
Chard is a nutritious leafy vegetable that comes in a variety of colors and thrives during the winter months. In August, sow seeds 1/2-inch deep and 18-inches apart. Harvest the outer leaves first so the leaves will continue to develop from the center.
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Radishes
Radishes provide two different foods from the same garden space – the green, leafy tops and the bulbous roots. They are ready to eat in 30-40 days after sowing the seeds and will thrive in cool weather. Sow seeds every 2-weeks for a continuous winter harvest.
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Spinach
Sow spinach seeds in August and enjoy the nutrition-packed leafy green by October. Spinach will thrive through the winter if the plants are protected from snowfall and below-freezing temperatures.
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Turnips
This root vegetable provides two vegetables from one plant. Both the bulb and the green tops are edible and nutritious. Sow seeds in August and thin the plants after germination to 8-inches apart. Enjoy the immature plants that are thinned out as part of a microgreen salad.
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Bush beans
Beans are packed with protein, and are a perfect winter food. And dried beans can basically be stored indefinitely. There’s still enough time to get a large harvest to feed you through the winter months if you get them in the ground in early August. Select a quick maturing variety that will give you a harvest within 45-60 days.
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Peppers
That’s right, you can sow pepper seeds in August. Most people think of peppers as summer plants, but they can actually produce food year round if taken care of properly. Sow them into 12 inch pots with a quality potting medium. Keep them outside or in a greenhouse until just before your first frost, and then bring them indoors. Put them near a window and supplement with fluorescent lights as needed to grow peppers throughout the winter.
Grow these 7 crops to plant in August and enjoy the bounty all winter long!
What crops will you be planting in August where you live?
Let us know in the comments below!
