According to some authors, there are more than 30 different crops that you can sow in August to harvest in autumn and winter. In this article, I’m going to focus on 9 crops that you can plant in August that I consider to be the staple fall and winter crops. But I’ve included a list of other plants you can grow at the end of this article.
Your exact planting dates will be based on the expected date of the first frost. Planting for a good autumn and winter harvest starts 6 to 8 weeks before the expected date of the first frost. So for most of us, the planting date will fall somewhere in late August.
Below are 9 crops you can plant in August that I consider to be the staple crops for planting a fall and winter garden.
Broccoli and cabbage
The first of the crops you can plant in August is actually a whole family! Plants in the Brassicaceae family are perfect crops that you can plant in August. Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi, and Brussels sprouts all do great in the fall. A very important thing to note is that you should plant all of these crops from seedlings and not seeds.
If you plant from seed, your plants won’t have enough time to grow before cold weather arrives. Therefore, you should buy seedlings from your local nursery or start your own seedlings indoors. You should plant these seedlings in the garden about 6 weeks before the first frost and you should plan to protect them at the end of the season with a fabric cover or greenhouse.
Kale or kale
All types of kale also belong to the Brassica family, but it’s a very different crop and deserves its own spot on this list. Kale is one of the hardiest plants you can grow in the fall and winter. In fact, if you live in an area with mild winters, you can grow kale in your garden with just the protection of a piece of cloth. The other great thing about kale planted in the fall is frost, and freezing temperatures mellow the kale, drastically altering the flavor.
Another advantage of kale is that it can be grown from seed as well as from seedlings. Since you use the leaves, it doesn’t take that long to have an edible harvest. Simply plant the seeds in the soil 8 weeks before frost and you will have sweet, tasty leaves all winter long.
Salads
Lettuce will be one of your most abundant crops in the fall and early winter. In fact, I like growing lettuce in the fall more than in the spring. Lettuce is quite hardy, so moderate frosts and cold nighttime temperatures aren’t a big deal. And the biggest difference from fall lettuce is that you don’t fight the impending summer heat that causes burning and bitterness.
You can start planting fall lettuce 8 weeks before the first frost. Continue planting for up to two weeks. These later plantings can be used as seedlings or overwintered in a cold environment for very early spring harvests.
Chinese green vegetables
Chinese vegetables are next on the list of crops you can plant in August. They are also technically part of the Brassicaceae family. But then again, they deserve their own spot on the list.
Chinese vegetables such as pac choy and tatsoi are very hardy and grow very well in autumn. The cool temperatures of fall give these vegetables great flavor.
Chinese vegetables can be planted from seed if desired 8 weeks before the first frost. For an earlier harvest, you can start by bringing them indoors and planting them in your garden when there starts to be space in your vegetable garden later in the fall.
Carrots
Carrots are one of our favorite late fall and winter treats. When temperatures start to drop, an incredible change happens inside the carrots. Vegetable starches are converted into sugars, which makes winter-harvested carrots sweet and delicious. They really are some of the best vegetables!
August is usually a pretty warm time for most of us, which means you need to pay more attention to carrots to germinate and get off to a good start. Plan to lightly water the seedbed once or twice a day.
When the weather really starts to get cold in December, simply cover the bed with straw.
Spinach
Spinach planted in autumn is an amazing plant. A little protection from the cold will give you 6-8 months of harvest. Planting spinach in August will give you a harvest starting in mid-October. If you cover the bed, you can continue to harvest small amounts throughout the winter. Then, when spring arrives, the plants will come back and offer a good harvest until May.
Start planting spinach 8 weeks before your first frost. Like lettuce, you can continue planting for up to 2 weeks before the first frost. Late planting won’t give you a harvest in the fall, but they will overwinter for an early harvest in the spring.
Chard
Swiss chard is another very hardy plant. Treat it the same way you would spinach. Early plantings will give you fall and winter harvests. Late plantings will give you an early spring harvest if you protect the plants from the cold. All chard planted in autumn will overwinter. Expect fall and winter crops to consist mostly of small leaves. In the spring you will get a very early harvest of large traditional Swiss chard plants.
beets
Planting beets early will give you a steady harvest in late fall. Subsequent plantings of beets will only produce the leaves, but they will still give you something different to add to your fall salads.
To have beets to harvest, you need to start planting 8 weeks before your first frost. Anything around 6 weeks before frost will only produce tasty highs.
Turnips
Formerly known only as fodder for farm animals or as peasant food. Plant breeders have really improved the flavor and variety of turnips. Look for tasty oriental varieties and many other small turnips with roots.
Like beets, you’ll need to plant them early if you want to harvest roots. 8 weeks before your last frost would be perfect. Later planting will only produce leaves.
Unless you live in an area with fairly mild winters, don’t plan to overwinter with beets or turnips, they’re just not hardy enough to survive the winter.
Other crops you can plant in August:
The 9 crops I listed above are what I consider my “basic” crops for my fall and winter garden. There are several other crops that can be planted in August and harvested in the fall and winter. They include the following:
- Rocket
- Chicory
- Sorrel
- radishes
- Parsley
- The endives
- dandelions
- Leeks
- La Mâche (do not plant before September)
- The chicory
- The Mizuna