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Do you think it’s too late in the year to get into the garden? Actually, August is a great time to pick up your gardening gloves and tools and get to work. Whether you’re having a really late start to the gardening season or you’re a prolific succession planter working on maximizing your garden’s output, planting in August can add fall crops and color.
After clearing out any spent spring and summer plants, there’s plenty of space in the garden or in containers to add new greenery, florals, herbs, or vegetables. Depending on where you live, you might have many months of gardening ahead of you.
Want to know what to plant in August? Here are some varieties you can add to your garden beds in late summer.
1. Kale (Brassica oleracea)
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Kale is known for its hardiness, and grows well into winter. Gardeners can direct-sow seeds in the garden throughout August, so there’s no need to transplant. These are easy plants to grow; the biggest issue some kale growers might have is keeping the soil damp in hot climates. Plus, make sure to give them a side dressing with nitrogen-rich fertilizer once they’re established. Upcoming frost isn’t a bad thing either, since it helps improve kale’s flavor.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 11
2. Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta)
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Add a pop of color to the garden with these drought-resistant flowers that bloom into November (depending on your location). These plants are great for pollinators, and deer don’t care for them too much, making them a must-have for the autumn garden bed. If you’re propagating these from seed, they need several days of regular moisture to germinate, so you might have to be on standby with a watering can initially.