August is harvest season. A dreamy time to linger with people you love, savor ripe tomatoes, and go to the beach as much as possible. Believe it or not though, it is also still Planting Season! At KGMV, our crew is out planting as space opens up in gardens and there’s still enough runway to grow another round of cool season crops for clients who harvest through the fall.
August planting is tricky because it must be site specific. If you’d like to learn more about how we approach that, check out this Late Summer Planting article in the new Resource Library section of KGMV’s substack.
Welcome to new readers!
Each month, I post a checklist with timely reminders tailored for our growing season on Martha’s Vineyard. You can learn more about my work and explore past posts here.
Check your seed stash for fall planted crops and order anything you’re missing. Right now I’m in the process of ordering some of our cool season flower seeds (like snapdragons and nigella) for early blooms next year.
Pre-order fall planted bulbs like seed garlic and shallots.
Get ready to compost all the plant material coming out of the garden as you prune, harvest, and clear beds.
Looking for help with your garden? KGMV offers garden care services and consultation for vegetables, herbs, and fruit.
Find out more and contact us on our website.
Direct sow:
Arugula, spinach, lettuce, and salad mixes
Radishes, beets, carrots, and turnips
Cilantro and dill
Bush beans
Peas for a fall crop, if you have space in a sunny spot
Cover crops in beds you won’t plant again until next season
Transplant:
Brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, romanesco, cabbages, kale, collards, kohlrabi)
Swiss chard
Fennel
Lettuces and chicories
Scallions
Perennial herbs so they can establish before winter
Sorry, it’s too late to start anything in the solanaceae family (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, potatoes), cucurbits (squash, cucumbers, melons), okra, Brussels sprouts, parsnips, celery, leeks or bulbing onions anew.
Keep labeling what you plant.
A common question! At KGMV, we are partnering with Milkweed Farm and growing some of our own seedlings for succession planting in client gardens.
I’m not aware of any local farms offering plant sales right now and nurseries won’t have as much selection available as they did in the spring, but it’s worth looking anyway. Perennial herbs are often on sale and you can still find some fresh annuals. Check their seed racks, too, for crops you can direct sow.
Send me a note if there is something you’re still looking for and can’t find- I might be able to help.
Many of these tasks are the same I shared July, but here are the key reminders for August:
Amend soil with compost anywhere you are planting new crops.
Water daily (unless there’s rain) and give your plants a nice deep soak once a week, especially fruiting crops. Try to water in the early morning to avoid fungal disease and set your plants up for a productive day of photosynthesis.
Keep up with weeding, always trying to get weeds out before they go to seed.
Remove plants that aren’t producing or don’t taste good anymore.
Prune and trellis tomatoes and cucumbers often.
Stake tall plants if they need support. We often stake peppers, eggplants, and tall top-heavy flowers like dahlias.
Fertilize heavy feeders like brassicas, squash, and tomatoes if you notice slow growth or pale foliage.
Hill potatoes.
Maintain basil by clipping often to avoid flowering. Cutting right above a pair of leaf nodes encourages new growth.
Monitor for pests and disease and intervene carefully.
Row cover or insect netting can help protect young brassicas while pest pressure from cabbage moth caterpillars and flea beetles is still high. Use Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) organic spray in moderation to control caterpillars.
Remove diseased or damaged leaves.
Deadhead your flowers.
Tomatoes
Peppers
Eggplant
Summer squash and zucchini
Cucumbers
Beans
Garlic and onions
Potatoes
Melons
Cabbage
Carrots
Celery
Onions
Leeks
Herbs- now is a great time to preserve them
Greens- cutting often for best texture and flavor in summer heat.
Blueberries, blackberries, peaches, pears, and other summer fruits
Did I miss any? Likely so with more good food to eat in August than I could possibly capture here.
Cheers!
Faren
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