Green Thumb Guide: What to Plant in August (Indoors or Out)

We may be hitting the home-stretch of summer, but it’s not too late to get some herb and vegetable plants growing, indoors or out. In fact, August is a particularly good time to sow seeds for fall harvest.

According to Colleen Vanderlinden, author of Edible Gardening for the Midwest, the following plants can be started now (for fall harvest) in most climates: Arugula, beets, beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, collard greens, kale, lettuce, leeks, radishes, spinach and winter squash. You can direct-sow these vegetable seeds (plant them directly in an outdoor garden), or start seeds indoors for transplanting to a garden (be it in your yard or on your fire escape, porch, rooftop—even a sunny windowsill) after they sprout.

Some vegetables are particularly well-suited to growing indoors, including salad greens (lettuce, arugula, endive), leafy greens (collards, mustard greens, spinach, kale), broccoli, beets, radishes, swiss chard and beans. These crops will grow in partial sun—three to six hours of direct sunlight, or constant ‘dappled shade’—per day. “Basically, a good rule to remember is that if you grow a plant for the fruit or the root, it needs full sun,” according to Vanderlinden. “If you grow it for the leaves, stems, or buds, a little shade will be just fine.”

“Many of these crops, especially lettuce, and leafy greens thrive when the temperatures are below 75 degrees,” explains Kimberly Sevilla, of Brooklyn’s lovely Rose Red & Lavender. “Some, such as Brussel sprouts and kale, actually taste better after a frost.”

And it’s not too late for herbs, either. “Many herbs, such as rosemary, oregano, thyme and lavender will come back year after year, and can be planted now,” Sevilla says. “Basil starts can also be planted and will continue to thrive and grow until the first frost. Tomatoes and peppers can also be planted if you have good healthy starts.”

Why should you grow your own herbs and veggies? It’s cost-efficient, for starters. Plus, growing your own (if you plan properly) means never going without fresh produce for meals, regardless of what’s at the farmer’s market or whether you can get to the store. It can be intimidating, sure—I’m no gardening aficionado, and when I started my first seeds a few winters ago, I was sure I’d just mess it all up. Some things I did mess up—my spinach beds (tucked into my apartment building hallway) got all swampy; squirrels ate my (fire-escape) basil. But overall, it was easier to grow than I expected. If you (like I did) think most produce can only be grown on a farm—or at least in a large, sunny yard—you may find yourself pleasantly surprised by all the things that can be grown with little space (or skill).

I just started some new seeds last night myself (I’m attempting to grow arugula, lettuce, sorrel, radishes, beans and collard greens, along with daisies, sunflowers and borage), so I’ll be posting some more in-depth guides to sowing and growing particular plants and herbs in the days and weeks to come.

For a more detailed guide of what to grow when, check out this cool interactive ‘vegetable diary’ planner, which you can adjust based on your region of the U.S. or U.K. And by all means, share your late-summer growing tips in the comments if you’ve got ‘em.

Photo: Room Envy