8 Crops You Can STILL Plant in August RIGHT NOW!

Summary

In this gardening video, host Kevin and guest Meg Shanny discuss planting strategies for August, focusing on artichokes, broccoli, root crops like carrots and radishes, and green beans. They emphasize variety selection for heat tolerance, direct seeding, and companion planting. Tips for planting flax and snap peas are also shared, along with advice on tomato cultivation for a mild fall season. Eric highlights fennel as a triple threat plant for mild climates, offering tips for successful growth.

Takeaways

• 🌱 August is an ideal time to plant artichokes, especially in warmer climates like San Diego Zone 10B.
• 🌼 Artichokes are perennials in zones 7 and above, meaning they can regrow year after year.
• 🍃 In mild climates, plant artichokes in the fall to establish them before winter and get a spring harvest.
• 🥦 Despite the heat, August is the right time to start planting broccoli for an early fall harvest.
• 🌡 To grow broccoli in hot weather, select heat-tolerant varieties like Bellstar and Kylon.
• 🥕 Carrots and radishes are excellent companions for 'chaos gardening' and can be planted together in August.
• 🥬 Beets and turnips are another good root crop combination to plant in the fall for a cool weather harvest.
• 🌱 Green beans are easy to grow and can be direct-seeded in the soil, with care to not damage their shallow roots.
• 🍆 Smaller tomato varieties like 'chocolate cherries' are recommended for humid and disease-prone areas.
• 🌿 Flax is both a beautiful garden plant and a source of edible seeds and oil, and it's tolerant of heat and drought.
• 🥒 Snap peas are a versatile cool-weather crop that can be grown vertically on trellises for an attractive garden feature.

Q & A

What is the best time to plant artichokes in San Diego Zone 10B?

The best time to plant artichokes in San Diego Zone 10B is in the fall, specifically in August, as it allows the plant to establish before the mild winter and produce in the following spring.

How long does it take for artichokes to become established and produce in San Diego's climate?

Artichokes in San Diego Zone 10B can become established and produce within 3 to 5 years after planting, with the first harvest expected the following spring.

What are the steps to maintain artichoke plants in a mild climate?

To maintain artichoke plants, cut the main trunk off to allow the plant to go dormant during the fall season, enabling offshoots to emerge the following spring.

What is the strategy for growing broccoli in hot summer months?

The strategy involves selecting heat-tolerant varieties like Bellstar and Kylon, starting seeds in shaded areas, and transplanting them to the garden once seedlings emerge.

How long does it typically take for broccoli seedlings to be ready for planting in the garden?

Broccoli seedlings usually take about 2 to 4 weeks to be ready for planting in the garden after seeds are started.

What is the benefit of planting root crops like carrots and radishes together?

Radishes grow quickly and can be harvested before carrots, loosening the soil and aiding in thinning, which benefits the growth of carrots.

What are some tips for planting green beans in the fall?

Directly sow green beans about 1 inch deep, space bush beans 3 inches apart and thin to 6 inches, and for pole beans, space seeds 4 to 6 inches apart.

Why is flax seed an interesting plant to grow in the garden?

Flax seed is interesting because it is both edible and produces beautiful flowers. It's also heat and drought-tolerant, making it suitable for many climates.

How should snap peas be planted for optimal growth?

Snap peas should be planted directly into the soil at the base of a trellis about an inch deep, spaced about 2 inches apart for optimal growth.

What are some tips for successfully growing tomatoes in the fall in the Deep South?

Choose small-sized tomato varieties like chocolate cherries, start seeds in a cool place, and transplant them with adequate spacing and good air circulation to prevent diseases.

Why is fennel a good choice for planting in August in a mild climate?

Fennel is a good choice because it is a 90 to 100 day crop that can be used for its bulb, seeds, or as a pollinator plant, and it thrives in mild climates.

Outlines

00:00

🌱 Planting Artichokes in August

The script discusses planting artichokes in August, particularly in warmer climates like San Diego Zone 10B. It highlights that artichokes are perennials that can regrow year after year if left in the ground in zones 7 and above. The video suggests planting artichokes from seed trays, buying starts, or direct seeding. It emphasizes the ornamental value of artichokes, with their silvery green spiky leaves and purple flowers attracting bees. The speaker also explains the process of cutting the main trunk to allow the plant to go dormant in the fall and produce new offshoots in the spring. For colder climates, the advice is to start the plants indoors and transplant them after the last frost, protecting them with mulch over winter.

05:00

🥦 Starting Broccoli and Root Crops in Late Summer

The paragraph focuses on the counterintuitive advice of starting broccoli in August despite the heat, with a strategy involving heat-tolerant varieties like Bellstar and Kylon. The speaker outlines the process of starting seeds in a shaded area and transplanting them into the garden once they emerge. The video also touches on the concept of 'chaos gardening' with root crops like carrots and radishes, which are planted together for companionship and ease of thinning. The script mentions the importance of harvesting radishes early to loosen the soil for carrot growth. Additionally, it discusses planting green beans directly into the soil, with specific spacing instructions for pole and bush beans, and the importance of not transplanting them due to their delicate root systems.

10:01

🥕 Planting Root Crops and Flax for Fall Harvest

This section of the script covers planting root crops like beets and turnips together for a successful fall harvest. It also introduces flax as a dual-purpose plant for both its edible seeds and its ornamental flowers. The speaker demonstrates how to start flax seeds both directly in the ground and as transplants, noting that the seeds need light to germinate. The paragraph also discusses planting snap peas, with a preference for varieties like 'Sugar Daddy' and 'Sugar Magnolia', and provides instructions for direct planting at the base of a trellis. Lastly, the script talks about the best time to plant tomato seeds for a mild fall season in Florida, recommending smaller varieties like 'Chocolate Cherries' and providing tips for successful growth and disease prevention.

Keywords

💡Artichoke

An artichoke is a perennial plant that produces an edible flower bud. In the video, it is highlighted as an ideal plant for August in warmer climates like San Diego Zone 10B. The video emphasizes planting artichokes in the fall to establish the plant before winter, ensuring a good harvest of the unopened flower buds in the following spring. The script also mentions the ornamental value of the plant, with its silvery green spiky leaves and purple flowers attracting bees.

💡Perennial

A perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The video discusses how artichokes are perennials in zones seven and above, meaning they can be left in the ground and will regrow year after year. This is important for garden planning as it indicates a long-term investment in the garden that provides seasonal returns.

💡Broccoli

Broccoli is a cool-season vegetable crop mentioned in the script as a plant to start in August despite the heat. The video suggests selecting heat-tolerant varieties like Bellstar and Kylon for summer planting. This advice is part of a two-part strategy to get an early broccoli harvest, showcasing adaptability in gardening practices.

💡Chaos Gardening

Chaos gardening is an approach to gardening where seeds are scattered rather than planted in rows. The video uses this term when discussing planting root crops like carrots and radishes. This method is praised for its simplicity and the natural companionship of certain plants, such as radishes loosening the soil for carrots.

💡Root Crops

Root crops are plants harvested for their edible roots. Carrots and radishes are highlighted in the video as ideal chaos gardening crops for the fall. The script explains how radishes grow quickly and can be harvested before carrots, aiding in soil loosening and thinning.

💡Green Beans

Green beans are a popular vegetable crop discussed in the video as a transition from tropical to temperate climate-loving plants. The script provides detailed instructions on how to plant green beans directly in the soil, with specific spacing recommendations, reflecting the importance of proper planting techniques for successful gardening.

💡Flax

Flax is a plant known for its edible seeds and oil-producing capabilities. The video introduces flax as a beautiful and useful plant for the garden, with varieties like Scarlet flax for ornamental flowers and Blue Breezy for edible seeds. The script provides instructions for both direct seeding and transplanting flax, emphasizing its heat and drought tolerance.

💡Snap Peas

Snap peas are a type of edible-pod pea that is grown for its sweet, edible pods. The video recommends planting snap peas in August for a fall harvest, with varieties like Sugar Daddy and Sugar Magnolia. The script describes how to plant them directly at the base of a trellis and their preference for cool weather, making them a perfect choice for a fall garden.

💡Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a popular fruit often treated as a vegetable in cooking. The video discusses starting tomato seeds in August for a mild fall harvest, with a focus on smaller varieties like chocolate cherries that are suitable for humid and disease-prone areas. The script provides tips for successful tomato cultivation, including starting seeds in a cool environment and transplanting them with adequate spacing for airflow.

💡Fennel

Fennel is a plant with a bulbous base and feathery leaves, known for its anise-like flavor. The video script positions fennel as a 'triple threat' due to its edible bulb, seeds, and ornamental value. It is recommended for planting in August in mild climates, with instructions on sowing and transplanting, highlighting its versatility in the garden.

Highlights

August is an ideal time for planting artichokes, especially in warmer climates like San Diego Zone 10B.

Artichokes are perennials in zones seven and above, returning year after year.

Artichoke flowers, if not harvested for eating, can bloom beautifully and attract bees.

In mild climates, planting artichokes in the fall allows them to establish before winter.

For colder climates, start artichokes indoors and transplant after the last frost.

Broccoli can be started in August despite the heat with specific heat-tolerant varieties.

Planting broccoli in late summer can lead to an early harvest in the fall.

Chaos gardening is recommended for cool weather root crops like carrots and radishes.

Radishes grow quickly and can be harvested before carrots, aiding in soil loosening and thinning.

Beets and turnips are another excellent root crop combination for fall planting.

Green beans are a favorite for fall gardens, with recommendations for planting and spacing.

Flax seed is not only useful but also a beautiful plant that can be grown for its flowers.

Snap peas are perfect for vertical gardening and can be planted in late summer for a fall harvest.

Tomatoes can be started in August for a mild fall season, with tips for variety selection and care.

Fennel is a triple threat plant that can be used for its bulb, seeds, and as a pollinator.

Fennel is recommended for planting in August in mild climates.

Botanicals.com is mentioned as a place to shop for seeds, owned by Eric.

Transcripts

it's August my garden is cranking and

I'm still planting so in today's video

myself shock Meg Shanny and a special

unnamed unseen guest are going to show

you exactly what you should be planning

right now in August this Barren

Wasteland in my sidey yard is actually

my pick for August especially in my

warmer mild climate of San Diego Zone

10B and that would be artichoke what you

see before you is the start of something

new a new artichoke offshoot coming from

something old these old artichoke stumps

that I planted almost 3 years ago every

single year in zones seven and above

aroke is a perennial it can be left in

ground and it will come back year after

year in fact in about 5 or 6 months this

entire area will be covered in beautiful

sort of silvery green spiky almost

prehistoric looking leaves and then

beautiful artichoke flowers of course

when you have an artichoke what you're

eating is an unopened underdeveloped

flower but if you let that bloom and you

can do that cuz you do this right you'll

have more order chokes than you know

what to do with you have this beautiful

purple that all the bees really like to

flock to and it's quite an ornamental

beautifier to your garden but if you're

in a mild climate like myself now is the

time to plant your artichoke you can

start them in seed trays or if you want

to you can go buy some starts from the

nursery or start them from seed directly

but the beautiful thing about it is it's

time to plant in Fall if you have a

milder winter it lets the plant plant

establish and you will get 3 to five

arter choke your very next spring and

then for many years after that you'll

continue to get AR choke what you have

to do with these plants to keep them

maintained though is do what I've done

you can see a little saw Mark there I've

cut that main trunk off to allow the

plant to kind of go dormant during that

fall season so that little offshoots

like this can come up next spring now if

you are in a colder climate you're

saying hey Kev you forgot about us I did

not what you need to do is start them

indoors and then put them out after your

last frost of the Season grow them

through that spring and you can even

protect them over Winter in zones below

seven if you cut them down and throw a

bunch of mulch on top to keep that

temperature buffered so artichoke to me

is one of those beautiful perennial

edible plants that's very tasty but also

ornamental if you don't want to harvest

it to eat it's Midsummer and if you're

anything like me you're thinking about

tomatoes day in day out but right now

I'm starting get a little bit too hot

and I'm thinking about those delicious

crisp cool fall nights we're not having

tomatoes on the table we're eating

something else and that is broccoli now

you might think I'm absolutely crazy to

tell you to start broccoli at this time

of the year in August when it's so hot

but there is a two-part strategy here

they will guarantee that you'll get some

broccoli maybe earlier than anyone else

growing broccoli at this time of the

year is all about variety selection so

here I have bellstar a more traditional

standard heading broccoli and kylon a

Chinese style broccoli both of these

have been bred to tolerate some amount

of heat and will give you a much better

chance of success when growing them in

the summertime like we are right now so

what I'm going to do is start all these

seeds and then place my tray somewhere

where it gets a little bit of shade in

the afternoon and once those seedlings

emerge we can move on to the next step

it'll take about 2 to four weeks for

those seedlings to be ready to go out

into your garden so try to think about a

spot that soon will be harvested out and

free right here I have a bush bean

section in my raised bed by that point

I'll be done with these I'll Harvest

them out and I'll swapping my broccoli

and the great thing about doing a small

amount of broccoli at this point of the

year is that if the summer is actually

cooler towards the end I'll have a

massive Harvest of broccoli come fall if

it's too hot all I'm going to lose are

those six plants and nothing else guess

what it is finally time to start chaos

gardening again here in zone 8A and one

of my absolute favorite things to chaos

Garden are your cool weather root crops

in my experience I feel like root crops

love to just be thrown on the ground and

forgotten about until they start to pop

up and if you've been around long enough

you know that one of my favorite chaos

planting combos are your carrots and

your quick growing radishes I absolutely

love growing these two together I do it

every spring and every fall and your

radishes are going to be so quick

growing that they're going to be ready

to harvest before your carrots even

really get going so that act of

harvesting the radishes kind of loosens

up the soil so that the carrots can grow

a little bit better and it helps out

with the task of thinning so they are

great companion plants this is just an

example of an entire bed that I chaos

gardened with carrots and radish and the

radish have been harvested for quite

some time now but the carrots continue

to grow all spring into the summer

they're fully mature now they're ready

to harvest and it's actually getting a

little bit too hot for them now so I

really need to get in here and get to

harvesting so August is the perfect time

to mix some of these up and if you're

not a lazy Gardener like myself you can

mix these up in an old herb Shaker or

something like that and then Shake them

onto the soil and that kind of just

helps with a more even seed distribution

than with your fingers and that can help

with thinning later on but if you're

like me you're just going to mix them up

in your hand and just use your fingers

anyway and I'm going to be sprinkling

these anywhere in the garden that I can

find Space honestly I kind of have a

little bit of a planning issue so

there's not that much open space but I

will find some after sprinkling I'll

just run my hands through the soil just

to give them a little bit of like seed

to soil cont contact and then I'm done

my carrots and radishes are planted for

the fall another really great root crop

planting combo that I love are beets and

turnips planted together I planted these

together back in the spring and I had a

lot of really great success with it so

I'm going to be planting them together

again this fall it's August I have made

it through a long hot summer of

surviving on tropical and subtropical

perennial vegetables and it is time for

me to finally plan out my fall garden

and pivot over to my more temperate

climate loving annual veggies so one I

am so excited to get started are my

green beans that's it just the standard

common phasal is vulgaris french green

bean I've been craving it I cannot wait

to get it planted there's a reason that

most of us learned how to grow beans in

elementary school as our science

experiment they're very easy to

germinate so we're going to sew them 1

in deep in the soil or about twice as

deep as they are big

and we are going to space our beans out

differently depending on whether they

are a pole bean or a bush bean I usually

like to sew my seeds about 3 in apart

thinning them to a final spacing of 6 in

apart this can differ depending on my

trellis style and how much space I'm

working with a good rule of thumb in the

Deep South is to space your plants out a

bit further to promote better air

circulation I always direct seed by

green beans green beans are known to

have a shallow and delicate root system

that's easily damaged by being

transplanted so if you do choose to

start your beans indoors and Transplant

them out just be super careful with that

transplanting you don't want to damage

those delicate shallow roots and the key

is to keep picking those pods readily as

soon as those pods start to mature and

the beans start to harden it sends a

signal to the plant to slow production

so we want to keep those pods picked as

quickly as we can there are a ton of

different things that we consume or

maybe use on a day-to-day basis without

having any idea of what that plant

actually looks like and one of those

that recently shocked me was actually

flax seed flax is not just a extremely

useful thing for the edible seed or the

oils that you can produce from it it's

also an extremely beautiful plant so let

me show you how to start them in ground

and as transplants because you'll want

to have this in your garden this variety

is called Scarlet flax for its Scarlet

colored flowers and it's not actually an

edible seed variety but we do have one

called blue and Breezy that makes

wonderful blue flowers that is also

edible the nice thing about flock is

that it's extremely heat and drought

tolerant whether you started in spring

or in summer for late fall and the way

you want to grow it is actually directly

in ground if you can I like to start by

roughing up the soil getting it all wet

scattering seeds watering it again and

then once you've done that your seeds

should be good to go but let me show you

how to do it as a transplant in case you

want to transplant them later on the

reason why we're starting the seeds in

such a weird way both in ground and now

for a transplant is because these seeds

need light to germinate so that's why I

didn't bury them back there when I put

them in the ground and when I do them in

the seed tray I'm likewise not going to

bury them instead what I'm going to do

is scatter the seeds on the surface just

like this and then what you could do is

either press them in using your finger

that'll help give them good soil contact

or if you're worried that they will dry

out before they germinate you could use

something like vermiculite scattered

over the surface which holds on to water

while letting some light through to

ensure a good germination but flax

regardless of how you start it is going

to be a wonderful Beau F plant and a

beautiful flower in your garden this

next crop loves the cool weather just a

little bit more than the others so if

you live in a warmer climate you're

going to wait until the later half of

August maybe even the end of August to

plant it and that is snaap Peas I

absolutely love growing snaap peas in

the fall because if you can't tell I

love growing vertically I love the look

of an arched trellis or any kind of

trellis just full of plants not only are

they beautiful growing up at trellis

they're also extremely tasty I love

eating them just as like a snack walking

through the garden but they're also

delicious in stir fries salads you can

pickle them you can really do anything

with them they're really versatile two

of my favorite varieties of snap peas

are sugar daddy and sugar magnolia and

they grow pretty differently sugar daddy

is more compact they only grow like 2 to

3 feet tall so this is really great for

like a balcony Gardener somebody short

on Space whereas sugar magnolia grows

pretty long pretty vigorous vines that

you do need a decent size trellis for

I'm really digging this A-frame trellis

that's new to Epic this year it's really

tall I'm growing cucumbers up it right

now but they're almost finished because

we are in our rainy season our powdery

mildew season here in North Carolina so

as soon as I rip these out I'm going to

be replacing it with some sugar snap

peas to plant snap peas you want to

plant them directly into the soil at the

base of a trellis I never start these in

Sea trays because they don't really like

root disturbance at all so just directly

into the soil will do you want to make

sure you're planting them about an inch

in depth and you can space them pretty

close together about every 2 in apart or

so and then in a few months you'll see

what they're named after and you'll

start hearing those snaps when you're

harvesting them right off the vine

August is the perfect time to sew your

tomato seeds to transplant out for a

more mild fall season best tomatoes that

I've grown down here in Florida have

been the ones I started in August and

grew throughout the fall proper variety

selection is so essential for growing in

these humid and disease prone areas of

the Deep South I stick to the smaller

sized Tomatoes I love chocolate cherries

anything Cherry sized is a great bet for

this region I tend to avoid the beef

steaks the super large Tomatoes as they

don't often ripen before they get hit by

Pest and disease I start my tomatoes in

Fall just like I would any other time of

year so I sew those seeds an eighth to

1/4 in deep pretty shallow I like to

keep my trays in the coolest place

possible because I'm starting them in

such a hot time of year and I absolutely

don't let those trays dry out they're

not going to be soggy but I'm going to

make sure that the water is consistent

Kevin recently shared a really handy tip

about finishing your Tomatoes ripening

process in the window sill try that one

out especially if you grow in the Deep

South because it's going to prevent

getting attacked by certain pests that

love your ripe Tomatoes I'm going to

grow those tender little seedlings on in

a shady and cooler environment until it

is is time to transplant them out I'm

going to use a Florida Wei they also

grow beautifully with a tomato cage or

up a trellis the key is that we make

sure to space our Tomatoes adequately

apart 2 and 1/2 3 ft is perfect that way

we're getting some air flow between our

plants and we're preventing some of

those diseases that love high humidity

it's also not a bad idea to prune some

of that lower foliage so that we've got

better air flow to the plants as

[Music]

well ah finally my time to shine Eric

here San Diego Zone 10B little known

secret I'm really the brains behind this

epic gardening operation Kevin as you've

seen for years has been stealing my work

for a very long time so I'm here I've

got two picks for you actually one pick

two varieties fennel that's what you

should be planting right now in August

Kevin's been keeping this one under apps

for a very long time so it's time for me

to take the cat out of the bag fennel

the perfect plan to be putting in the

garden in a mild climate right about now

in August why fenel is the ultimate

Triple Threat my friends ever had those

Good and Plenty candies as a kid I used

to have them all the time they're so

tasty if you eat the unopened flour of a

fennel it tastes exactly like Good and

Plenty candy but if you let it keep

going what do you have here fenel seed

that's a spice that's our second thread

what's the third thread to make fennel a

triple threat it's the bulb down below

it's a 90 to 100 day crop you're going

to take take that bulb out of the ground

cut it in half roast it you've got so

many dishes that you can make with that

and you can just let it grow it looks

beautiful you can turn it into a little

sort of candy popper or you can use the

seed or you can simply just use it as a

pollinator plant what you want to be

doing is probably sewing it indoors or

probably sewing in some seed trays

transplanting it out bury it about a/4

of an inch deep give it ample water and

it will Rip just like this so my first

tip here on the scene on the channel

even though really every tip's been

coming from your boy Eric not Kev thanks

for watching guys if you want to see

some more planting guys and chores check

out this video right here any of the

seeds you see you can shop at kev's

company botanicals.com I actually Own

100% of that company but uh yeah thanks

for watching guys good luck in the

garden and keep on growing

[Music]