August is the month for harvesting in the vegetable garden, but sowing and planting can continue. Also spend some time planning for the winter. Planting the vegetable garden in August will provide vegetables through the winter and into spring.
Pick off unhealthy leaves The vegetable garden should be inspected regularly for pests and disease. Any badly infected or diseased leaves should be removed. Do not put them on the compost heap, remove them completely from the vegetable garden so that the pest or disease does not spread.
Stake vegetables
Beans, tomatoes, peppers, and chili’s can be staked to keep the fruit off the ground and prevent fruit rot. When the vegetable plants are standing up the air can circulate around them, preventing the muggy conditions that allow fungal diseases to develop.
Water vegetables when necessary
- Make sure vegetables in the garden have enough water
- Water vegetables at soil level, rather than wetting the leaves which can encourage leaf disease.
water
Sow vegetable seed
- Parsley – for winter cropping
- Perpetual spinach
- Beet
- Radicchio
- Cabbages
- Winter lettuce
- Salad Leaves
- Chard
- Onion Hi Keeper
- Onion White Lisbon Winter Hardy Spring Onions
Buy Hessian sacks for potato storage
August is a busy time in the vegetable garden.