What I’m Sowing in August for a Massive Fall Harvest
By TigreBlume
August in the garden is a bit of a balancing act. The garden beds are overflowing with peak summer harvests, but if I want to keep the good food coming well into autumn, now is the time to plan ahead!
For me, August isn’t about starting over from scratch or filling up every single shelf under the grow lights like I do in March. It’s all about replacing spent plants, filling in small gaps, and getting succession crops underway. Sitting at roughly 12 weeks out from the first expected fall frost, this is the sweet spot to sow seeds for a lush, extended harvest.
Let’s dive into everything I’m starting indoors and direct sowing outdoors this month!
Starting Indoors: Seedling Prep for Total Control
While many of these crops can be sown directly into the ground, late summer weather can be brutal. Between unpredictable heatwaves and sudden heavy rains, starting seeds indoors gives me complete control over germination and early growth.
Young seedlings growing in black seed starting trays under indoor grow lights. Courtesy of TigreBlume.
Leafy Greens & Brassicas
Narrow Toscano Kale: A spring favorite returning for fall. It matures quickly—you can harvest tender baby greens in as little as 21 days!
Swiss Chard (Fordhook Giant & Rainbow): Both mature in 55–60 days. Starting fresh plugs indoors ensures a continuous supply after summer plants start to slow down.
Pak Choy: A quick-growing, hearty green that matures in just 45 days.
Lettuce Varieties: Sowing Marvel of Four Seasons, Red Salad Bowl, Little Gem, and giving Buttercrunch another shot.
Kale and Pak Choy seedlings growing in six-cell seed starting tray (5 days after sowing) . Courtesy of TigreBlume.
Warm-Season Succession Crops
Nimba Zucchini: Perfect for short seasons and fluctuating temperatures. Fall tends to deliver much better zucchini yields than hot, humid mid-summers.
Waltham Butternut Squash: Trying this classic winter squash variety from the seed stash for the first time this season.
Cucumbers (Beit Alpha, National Pickling & Homemade Pickles): Sowing a fresh round so they are ready to swap out as early summer vines in the main garden and deck containers wear out.
Cucumber and Squash seedlings growing in six-cell seed starting tray (12 days after sowing) . Courtesy of TigreBlume.
Cool-Season Herbs
Tetra Dill: High summer heat makes dill take 2 to 3 weeks just to germinate, so starting it inside gives it a head start before transplanting. (Bonus: The pollinators and butterflies love it!)
Slow-Bolt Cilantro: Preferred over standard cilantro because it resists bolting when early fall temperatures spike.
Dill and Cilantro seedlings growing in six-cell seed starting tray (8 days after sowing) . Courtesy of TigreBlume.
Fall Flowers
Sunflowers (Fiesta del Sol & Autumn Beauty): Fiesta del Sol is a stunning dwarf Mexican sunflower, while Autumn Beauty brings rich fall tones. Starting a few to replace spent summer blooms keeps the garden colorful.
Direct Sowing Outdoors: Root Crops, Beans & Companions
While the grow lights handle the delicate starters, a few heavy hitters go straight into the garden beds and deck container garden this month.
Root Vegetables: Direct sowing Kuroda Carrots and Cherry Bell Radishes. Cool autumn nights produce significantly sweeter radishes and carrots than the heat of spring!
Beans: Direct sowing Blue Lake Pole Beans, along with Gold Rush and Jade Bush Beans for one last yield before frost.
Nasturtiums: Sowing saved seeds directly into vegetable beds as a vibrant natural trap crop to keep pest pressure low.
Freshly harvested Gold Rush bush beans. Courtesy of TigreBlume.
☺️Final Thoughts
As the garden shifts, remember that fall gardening is all about taking advantage of open pockets of soil. Take a walk through your space this week—what looks tired? What is ready to be pulled?
If you want to follow along with my fall seed starting progress, plant transitions, and harvest updates, make sure to head over and subscribe to my YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/@TigreBlume)! I’ll be sharing regular video updates as these seeds sprout and move out into the garden.
🌱Are you starting seeds for a fall harvest, or are you riding out your summer crops until frost? Let me know in the comments below!
