In The Vegetable Garden This August

August is a peak month in the vegetable garden — lots to harvest, still time to sow, and plenty of maintenance to keep things productive. Here’s a list of top tips for your vegetable garden in August:

🥕 1. Harvest Regularly 

• Pick little and often to encourage more production.

Watch for: 

• Beans and courgettes (they’ll stop if you leave them to grow huge) 

• Tomatoes, cucumbers, sweetcorn, beetroot, potatoes, carrots 

• Salad leaves — cut-and-come-again types can still thrive 

🌱 2. Sow for Autumn and Winter 

Still time to sow fast-growing crops and hardy greens: 

• Radishes

• Spinach

• Pak choi

• Rocket

• Winter lettuces

• Spring onions

• Turnips

• Spring cabbage (sow now for planting out in September) 

Tip: Use mesh or fleece to keep brassica pests (cabbage white butterflies, flea beetles) at bay. 

💦 3. Watering and Feeding 

• Water deeply and early or late in the day to reduce evaporation. 

• Feed fruiting plants (tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers) weekly with a high-potash feed.

• Mulch where possible to retain moisture and suppress weeds. 

🧄 4. Plan for Next Season 

• Clear spent crops and prepare beds for autumn planting.

• Start planning where your overwintering garlic, onions, and broad beans will go. 

🐛 5. Watch for Pests & Diseases 

• Check brassicas for cabbage whites – remove caterpillars and eggs from undersides of leaves. 

• Keep an eye out for blight in tomatoes and potatoes – remove infected foliage immediately. 

• Net vulnerable crops (like brassicas and carrots) against pigeons, butterflies, and carrot root fly. 

🌾 6. Earth Up and Support 

• Earth up leeks and celery to blanch stems. 

• Tie in tall crops like climbing beans and tomatoes to prevent damage from August wind. 

🧺 7. Dry or Store Surplus Crops 

• Dry onions and garlic once tops flop over — cure them in sun or a well-ventilated shed. 

• Start curing potatoes (cut foliage 2 weeks before lifting for better skin). 

• Freeze or preserve excess beans, courgettes, and herbs. 

🔄 8. Succession Sowing 

Keep sowing quick crops like: 

• Lettuce 

• Rocket 

• Mizuna 

• Radishes 

You’ll stretch your season well into autumn. 

🐝 9. Attract Pollinators 

• Leave a few herbs (like basil, coriander, or chives) to flower. 

• Helps keep bees and other pollinators in your garden for late crops.