Plants you can sow and plant in August

gardening in august
gardening in august

By August, the harvest of many vegetables is already in and there is room in the bed again – for lettuce, kale and radishes, for example.

Vegetables with short growing seasons are best suited for planting in August, i.e. varieties that grow so quickly that they are mature by the first cold snap. These include lettuce, kohlrabi, kale, chard, spinach and radishes. Perennial vegetables such as bulbs, garlic and rhubarb can also be sown or planted in August.

When is the appropriate time for sowing in August?

It is important to find the appropriate time for sowing or planting. A not-so-hot day is ideal, preferably after a rain shower. Then the soil is cool and moist, and the plants can grow better. If the soil is very dry, it should be watered extensively the day before the planned sowing.

How to prepare the soil?

Before sowing or planting, the soil should be loosened and freed from weeds. Depending on the condition of the soil, provide the bed with fertilizer. The most suitable is an organic slow-release fertilizer such as horn shavings. The young plants need abundant and regular watering.

The correct timing of planting

In order for vegetable plants to have the best conditions, gardeners should follow the so-called crop rotation. This is an annual sequence in which crops are grown on a given area. It is based on the different nutrient requirements of the plants.

A distinction is made between the categories of weak eaters, medium eaters and strong eaters. For example, areas on which legumes such as peas or beans have stood are enriched with nitrogen and thus provide a good breeding ground for strong eaters such as cabbage or rhubarb. In this way, the vegetables are supplied with sufficient nutrients and the soil is not depleted unilaterally.

Sow in August for the fall harvest

If rows in the vegetable garden are not free until the end of July or beginning of August, it is far from too late to sow new seeds. However, you have to give up some varieties, because they have too long growth and will not ripen before the cold autumn and winter.

Sowing in August: These varieties can be put in the ground

Finally, spinach and chard can be sown again. In the summer, the early sowing shot, the rows are free again and now you can sow new seeds. By the way, you can overwinter chard: After harvesting in the fall, the plants are cut down to about 5 cm (2 in), covered with some brushwood and in the spring the plants sprout again early and can be harvested again already from March.

For sowing at the beginning of August are particularly suitable lamb’s lettuce, as well as leaf lettuce. As is well known, lamb’s lettuce is a typical lettuce that comes to the table in the fall. Leaf lettuce grows very quickly and is ideal as an interseed. Autumn lettuces such as endive, sugarloaf and radicchio also come into the vegetable garden in August. Rocket and Asian lettuce can also be planted in August.

Radishes and turnips didn’t like the hot summer so much, but can still be in the ground throughout August. The small tubers grow quickly and are therefore ready for harvesting long before the onset of winter. Beet and winter radish are also suitable for sowing. But this should be done by the middle of the month, because the plants need some time until the red tubers or radishes are ready for harvesting.

Chinese cabbage and pak choi are also good to sow in early August.

Sow in August for the spring harvest

For the spring harvest spring onions and autumn onions come into the ground in August. They grow until winter and then continue to develop into harvestable onions in the spring.

Flowers for planting in August

Despite the great summer heat, there are some plants that you can sow already in August. These include especially the so-called biennials, which in the year after sowing usually form only roots and leaves and then bloom the following year. With their sowing in August, they also provide for the flowering in the year after next. And with favorable climatic conditions and early sowing, the chances are good that these biennials will also flower in the first year. We have selected five plants for you that will provide color in the bed in the coming years.

When sowing is important to water the seeds well. Also, make sure that the soil does not dry out even in the first few weeks, because the seeds need moisture for germination.

Wild carrot

Natural gardens are in vogue: If you want to do something good for the insect world, reach for the wild carrot (Daucus carota subsp. carota) when sowing in August. This native wild and medicinal plant is particularly popular with insects. Whether beetles, flies or wild bees – insects are magically attracted to the umbellifer. But the natural beauty is not only popular with the insect world. In the garden, too, the wild herb exudes a natural charm when combined with ornamental grasses, sunflowers or thistles. Wild carrots are best sown towards the end of August. For this, choose a sunny location with a nutrient-rich, calcareous and well-drained soil.

Hollyhock

The hollyhock genus (Alcea) comprises almost 60 species. One of the most popular representatives is certainly the common hollyhock (Alcea rosea), which is also known to many as common peony. With its exceptionally tall growth of up to two meters (6.5 ft) and its palm-sized flowers, it has secured a permanent place in any romantic cottage or country garden. Hollyhocks can easily be sown directly into the bed. The distance should be about 40 centimeters (16 in). For sowing, choose a sunny location with a nutrient-rich, well-drained and dry to slightly moist soil.

It is important to loosen the soil before sowing, as hollyhocks develop taproots, making it easier for them to penetrate the soil. Hollyhocks achieve a particularly beautiful effect when sown in front of walls, along fences or in front of light-colored house walls. If the seeds were sown too densely, it is advisable to separate the young plants in time, so that the giants have enough space to develop their full potential.

Horned pansy

Horned violets can still be sown directly into the bed until the end of September. Violets thrive in both a sunny and a semi-shaded location. The soil should be loose, rich in humus and moist. If the horned violets feel very comfortable in their location, they tend to run wild. For a culture in a pot, a humus-rich balcony flower soil or a permeable garden soil is suitable. Mix some compost and horn meal into the substrate to give the young plants a good start.

Great burnet

With its small dark red flower heads, the great burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis) is a real eye-catcher in the garden and is particularly suitable for combinations with wild perennials and ornamental grasses. The great burnet can also be used in flower beds. When sowing outdoors, it is important to consider the site requirements. The filigree perennial prefers a nutrient-rich, moist but well-drained soil and a sunny to semi-shady location. If the plant stands too dry, it can be infested with powdery mildew.

Evening primrose

The flowers of the common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) are especially appreciated by insect lovers, because with its beguiling scent, the herbaceous plant attracts numerous insects, such as moths, evening after evening. Evening primrose prefers a sunny location and a sandy-loamy, but permeable soil. The seeds should be sown about two centimeters (0.8 in) deep and separated after about three to four weeks. Since the evening primrose likes to self-seed, you should cut off the inflorescences early – if self-seeding is not desired.

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