What to Grow In your Low Desert Garden In August
With the coming of the monsoon rains, August is an excellent time to start your fall garden. Not sure what to plant this month? Here is a list of what to grow in your low desert garden in August.
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VEGETABLES TO PLANT IN AUGUST:
Plant these between August 1st & 30th:
Beans (Snap Beans)
Snap beans are a family favorite here in the Yardibles kitchen. These beans are easy to grow. Amend the soil with compost and plant the seeds about 8″ apart. Make sure to keep an eye out for cutworms, slugs, and snails if they are in your area.
Varieties:
- Royal Burgundy Bush Bean Seeds – Organic
- Trio Bush Bean Seeds – 3 Seed Varieties
- Blue Lake 274 Bush Bean Seeds – Organic, Heirloom
- Gold Rush Bush Bean Seeds – Organic
- Orient Wonder Pole Yard Long Bean Seeds
Black Eyed Peas (Cowpeas)
We have been enjoying our black-eyed peas for over the last month here in the garden. If you haven’t tried these yet, you still have time. We love to add them to stir fry, soups, and stews.
Varieties:
Carrots
You can never plant too many carrots, at least in our household. Some carrots are fast growers 30-40 days, and others like to take their time. All of them are delicious straight from the garden. Did you know that carrots come in a variety of colors from purple to red & even white?
Varieties:
- Atomic Red Carrot Seeds
- Carnival Blend Carrot Seeds – Organic
- Cosmic Purple Carrot Seeds
- Scarlet Nantes Carrot Seeds – Organic, Heirloom
Corn
Corn is always a fun crop to grow, especially for kids. You can grow a variety of colors and sizes in your own backyard garden. August is a great time to plant the three sisters – Corn, Beans & Squash.
Varieties:
- Honey and Cream Sweet Corn Seeds
- Sugarbaby Sweet Corn Seeds
- Dakota Black Popcorn Corn Seeds
- Glass Gem Flint Corn Seeds – Organic
Green Onions
Green onions are such a useful vegetable to grow in the garden. They are excellent on baked potatoes, tacos, and chili. We love being able to walk into the garden and harvest fresh green onions to add to a tasty family meal.
Varieties:
- White Lisbon Bunching/Scallion Onion Seeds – Organic, Heirloom
- Onion Seeds – Bunching – Everygreen – Organic
Set out Transplants August 1st – 15th
Tomato
Between the 1st & 15th is the time to get your tomato transplants in the ground. When planted in August, you can be harvesting tomatoes up through the first frost.
Varieties:
- Sun Gold Cherry Tomato Seeds
- Artisan Tiger Stripes Blend Pole Cherry Tomato Seeds – Organic
- Italian Roma Bush Tomato Seeds – Organic
- Beefsteak Pole Tomato Seeds – Organic, Heirloom
- Heirloom Tomato Seed Collection
Winter Squash
Your lance chance to get your winter squash growing for the year is the first two weeks of August.
Varieties:
- Waltham Butternut Winter Squash Seeds
- Table King Winter Acorn Squash Seeds
- Vegetable Spaghetti Winter Squash Seeds – Organic, Heirloom
- Sweet Meat Winter Squash Seeds
Plant August 16-30th
All the plants listed above can also be planted in the last two weeks of August plus the list below. It is getting a little late to get your tomatoes & winter squash in, but if you are determined, I say go for it anyway.
Bok Choy
If you love vegetable stir fry as much as we do, you will not want to miss out on throwing some seeds in your fall garden. You may have also heard of this Chinese cabbage by the names Pak Choi or Pok Choi.
Varieties:
Broccoli
Did you know that 1 cup of broccoli has just as much vitamin C as an orange? As if there weren’t enough good things to say about this amazing superfood. It’s time to get your broccoli ON!
Varieties:
- Belstar Broccoli Seeds– Organic (heat tolerant)
- Chinese Kale (Kailaan) Seeds
- Romanesco Broccoli Seeds – Heirloom
- Waltham 29 Broccoli Seeds – Heirloom
Brussel Sprouts
For some reason, this is the ONLY veggie that is not my favorite, but for others like my dad, you can’t get enough of them. If you are one of those people you can plant these anytime after the 15th.
Varieties:
- Long Island Improved Brussels Sprouts Seeds – Heirloom
Cabbage
Cabbage is another fall favorite around here. We love making homemade sauerkraut and other dishes. Check out some of these varieties you can try this year in your zone 9-10 garden.
Varieties:
- Copenhagen Market Cabbage Seeds – Heirloom
- One Kilo Slow Bolt Napa Cabbage Seeds
- Red Acre Cabbage Seeds – Organic
Cauliflower
We have an old family recipe that we grew up with that involves cauliflower. It is one of our family’s favorites recipes, maybe I will share it with you one day. Until then, if you love cauliflower, make sure get it planted this month. Check out the purple and cheddar colored cauliflower. These are fun ones to grow with kids.
Varieties:
- Snowball Y Cauliflower Seeds – Organic
- Cauliflower Seeds – Graffiti Hybrid (Purple)
- Cauliflower Seeds – Cheddar Hybrid
Celery
Every gardener has a nemesis. For years, mine was celery. But once I got it started in my garden and let it reseed itself year after year, I now have an easy fall and spring crop to be proud of.
Varieties:
- Utah Celery Seeds – Organic, Heirloom
- Nan Ling Cutting Celery
Chard
Chard is a dark green vegetable that keeps on giving. Plant some now in August and you will have large leafy greens into the winter and late spring. I have also had some that lasted right into the heat of summer.
Varieties:
- Bright Lights Swiss Chard Seeds
- Rainbow Mixture Swiss Chard Seeds – Organic, Heirloom
- Ruby Red/Rhubarb Swiss Chard Seeds – Organic, Heirloom
Collard Greens
Collard greens are another versatile green to grow in your garden. These are great in stir fry, soups & stews or cooked up as a simple side dish.
Varieties:
- Georgia Southern Collards Seeds – Heirloom
- Vates Collard Greens – Heirloom
Cucumber
Like all vegetables planted this time of year, cucumbers welcome the monsoon rains. Plant these between the 16th and 30th this month.
Varieties:
- Baby Persian Cucumber
- Homemade Pickles Cucumber Seeds
- Parisian Gherkin Cucumber Seeds– Organic
- Straight Eight Cucumber Seeds – Organic, Heirloom
Kale
Besides, lettuce, Kale is my all-time favorite leafy green to grow in the garden. This dark, superfood can be eaten fresh in salads, cooked down like spinach, dried & powdered to sneak into your kid’s food, or made into Kale Chips (yummy!)
Varieties:
- Nero Toscana Kale Seeds – Organic, Heirloom
- Premier Blend Kale Seeds – Variety Pack
- Vates Blue Scotch Curled – Organic
Kohlrabi
Kohlrabi, also known as German turnip or Cabbage Turnip forms an edible turnip-like bulb. The entire plant is edible from its roots to its leaves, although it is recommended to peel the bulb before eating.
Varieties:
- Kohlrabi Purple Vienna – Organic, Heirloom
- Kohlrabi Early White Vienna
Leek
Winter is on its way in just a few short months. Leeks are an excellent addition to soups, stews, and other winter comfort foods.
Varieties:
- King Richard Leek Seeds – Organic
- Large American Flag Leek – Heirloom
Lettuce, Head
If you are a beginner gardener, lettuce is one of the easiet crops you can grow. Head lettuce has more compact leaves that form a head similiar to cabbage. One common type of head lettuce you may be familiar with seeing at your local grocery store is Ice Berg Lettuce & Romaine.
Varieties:
- Buttercrunch Butterhead Lettuce Seeds – Organic, Heirloom
- Crisphead Great Lakes 118 – Heirloom, Non-GMO
- Paris Island COS – Heirloom, Non-GMO
Lettuce, Leaf
Leaf lettuce differs from head lettuce by its growth habit. Leaf lettuce has leaves that spread out and are not tucked in close to each other. They tend to be softer in texture and crunch than head lettuce but are excellent in salads. Leaf lettuce comes in a variety of colors and textures.
Varieties:
- Bronze Guard Lettuce Leaf – Heirloom, Non-GMO
- Lollo Rosso Leaf Lettuce – Organic, Heirloom, Non-GMO
- Oak Leaf Lettuce – Heirloom, Non-GMO
Mustard
Mustard greens are a great zesty addition to any meal. These slightly spicy dark greens are full of vitamin A and C & K as well as other valuable minerals & fiber.
Varieties:
- Red Giant Mustard – Organic, Heirloom, Non-GMO
- Wasabi Mustard Seeds – Organic, Heirloom, Non-GMO
- Tendergreen Mustard Spinach Seeds – Heirloom
Pumpkin
If you love pumpkin pie, you can never grow too many pumpkins. Whether you like to grow the giant ones or the funny looking ones, August is a great time to get in your last crop. This is a great crop to plant with kids.
Varieties:
- Sugar Pie Pumpkin Seeds – Organic, Heirloom
- Big Max Pumpkin Seeds – Organic, Heirloom
- Red Warty Thing Pumpkin Seeds
Summer Squash
You have a few more weeks to plant out your summer squash. Plant now in time for the monsoons for the best growth.
Varieties:
- Black Beauty Summer Squash Seeds – Organic, Heirloom
- Cube of Butter Squash Seeds
- Scallop Blend Summer (Patty Pan) Squash Seeds – Heirloom
Turnips
Turnips can be a love it or hate it type of veggie, but you never know until you try it. My mom would mix them in with mashed potatoes for a yummy healthy treat. Make sure when you purchase seeds that you check whether they are only turnip tops, or if they grow a bulb.
Varieties:
- Turnip Purple Top White Globe – Heirloom, Non-GMO
- Market Express Turnip Seeds
- Seven Top (grown for the greens) – Heirloom, Non-GMO
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