August
Written by Grace Mandeville
August Greenhouse Growing Guide – Grace Mandeville
August is my favourite time in the vegetable garden, with plenty to harvest, ongoing maintenance and a final wave of sowing. The days are still long but the first signs of autumn are creeping in, making it the perfect moment to enjoy your summer bounty, preserve gluts of fruit and vegetables, and prepare for the months ahead. This August Growing Guide brings together the key jobs, harvests and sowings to focus on during this abundant month.
Harvesting Highlights
August is one of the most abundant months for harvesting. Regular picking doesn’t just fill your basket, it signals plants to keep flowering and fruiting instead of shutting down, extending your harvest well into autumn.
Vegetables:
Keep harvesting courgettes (before they become huge marrows), runner and French beans, tomatoes, sweetcorn, cucumbers, beetroot, carrots, lettuce, and spring onions. It may also be time to dig up your maincrop potatoes, so pull up a few and have a look.
Fruits:
Pick raspberries, blackberries, plums, cherries, apples, and pears as they ripen. Frequent harvesting prevents fruit dropping and attracting wasps, and picking apples and pears while slightly firm means they’ll store better into autumn.
I love nothing better than making jam or cordial but let’s be honest, we all want to be in the garden right now, not stuck in the kitchen! We can spend time cooking tasty food with our home-grown ingredients later in the year.
Our August Growing Guide Top tip: Check daily for ripe produce and harvest little and often to get the best flavour and avoid waste. Or get chickens so they can eat your huge overgrown marrows.
What to Sow in August
Although summer is well underway, there’s still time to sow fast growing crops or get a head start on autumn and winter harvests:
Salad leaves: Sow lettuce, rocket, and mustard for quick crops into September and October.
Radishes and spring onions can still be sown directly. Plant your radishes in a shady area to stop them from bolting in the current heat.
Spinach, chard, and kale sown now will give harvests later in autumn and may overwinter in mild areas or grow them under cover in a greenhouse or polytunnel.
Chinese cabbage, pak choi, and turnips are also good choices for late sowings.
Key Gardening Jobs for August
August isn’t just about picking—it’s also a crucial time to maintain plants and prepare for the seasons ahead.
Pinch out the growing tips of outdoor tomatoes once they’ve set 4–5 trusses of fruit to direct energy into ripening.
Tie in vigorous growth on climbing crops to keep them tidy and productive.
Clear leaves around your winter squash and pumpkins so they can ripen in the sun.
Save seeds from open-pollinated varieties like lettuce, peas, tomatoes, and beans if you want to be self-sufficient next year.
Turn compost heaps this month to speed up decomposition, adding fresh green waste from summer trimmings. If it’s dry, water to keep the microbes active. Well-maintained compost in August will be ready for mulching beds later in the year, improving soil structure and conserving moisture.
Pest & disease watch
Watch out for blight on tomatoes during August’s humid spells, early removal of infected leaves or plants helps stop spores spreading to healthy crops.
Check brassicas regularly for caterpillars in August, especially on cabbages and kale. Pick them off by hand or use fine mesh netting to prevent cabbage white butterflies laying eggs. Early action stops whole leaves being stripped and protects your crop into autumn.
Keep an eye on aphid numbers in August, particularly on beans, cucumbers and brassicas. Ladybirds and their larvae are natural predators, so encouraging them into your garden is one of the best organic controls. If infestations build, wash affected leaves with a jet of water to keep populations in check without harming beneficial insects.
Planning Ahead
Although August is full of life, it’s time to start thinking ahead to autumn and winter:
Plant out spring cabbages, kale, and purple sprouting broccoli if you’ve raised them earlier.
Prepare space for overwintering crops such as onions, garlic, and broad beans (to be planted in autumn).
Clean and organise your greenhouse and seed trays ready for autumn sowings.
About the author
Grace Mandeville is a self-made Digital Creative and Small Holding owner, on a mission to live the stereo-typical good life and bring you all along for the adventure. Grace began her career acting in children’s TV on CBBC, since then she has presented for MTV, acted in TV Commercials and has even been lucky enough to appear in Vogue (twice).
Grace’s passions took a turn towards nature and sustainability after presenting a series for the BBC on Sustainable Fashion. Since then she has bought a Small Holding with her family in Somerset (multi-generational style) which has attracted the attention of Escape to the Country and Gardeners world. You can see her vegetable growing and DIY projects on her successful Instagram profile, Youtube Channel ‘The Little Holding’ that she runs with her husband or follow some of her cooking and gardening tips on her TikTok.
Where to find out more
Instagram: @gracemandeville
@thelittleholding
August brims with abundance, the garden at its most generous. Courgettes, beans, tomatoes and sweetcorn fill baskets, while berries and stone fruits ripen in the sun. The days are still long, but the first hints of autumn creep in, making it the perfect time to harvest little and often, preserve summer’s bounty and sow quick crops for late salads. Pinch out tomatoes, tidy climbers, turn the compost and save seeds for next year. A little care now keeps the garden productive, carrying its richness from high summer into a fruitful autumn.
FAQs: August Growing Guide
August is when most crops reach peak productivity, but it’s not just about collecting what’s ready. Regular harvesting actually keeps plants productive for longer.
When crops like courgettes, beans, and tomatoes are picked frequently, the plant continues to produce more flowers and fruit. If they’re left too long, the plant shifts into seed production and slows down. That’s why “little and often” harvesting isn’t just a tip, it’s what extends your season well into autumn.
There’s still plenty you can sow in August, especially crops that establish quickly or tolerate cooler conditions as the season shifts.
You’re not starting from scratch at this stage, you’re filling gaps and planning ahead. Good options include:
- fast-growing salad leaves like lettuce and rocket
- radishes and spring onions for quick harvests
- spinach, chard, and kale for autumn and overwintering
Success depends on making the most of the remaining warmth in the soil, which helps seeds germinate quickly before temperatures begin to drop.
By August, tomato plants often have more fruit set than they can realistically ripen before the end of the season. If left unchecked, they’ll continue putting energy into new growth instead of maturing what’s already there.
Pinching out the growing tips redirects the plant’s energy into ripening existing fruit. It’s a simple intervention, but it makes a noticeable difference in the quality and timing of your harvest.
Fast-growing crops can quickly go from perfect to oversized if they’re not checked regularly. This isn’t just a cosmetic issue, it affects flavour, texture, and continued production.
The key is consistency. Checking plants daily and harvesting at the right stage keeps them tender and encourages the plant to keep producing. Once fruits are left to mature fully, the plant often slows down, assuming its job is done.
Warm, humid conditions in August create the perfect environment for pests and diseases to spread quickly, especially in dense planting.
Common issues include:
- blight on tomatoes during humid spells
- caterpillars on brassicas, particularly cabbages and kale
- aphids on beans, cucumbers, and leafy crops
Catching these early is far easier than dealing with a full infestation. Regular checks and small interventions help protect crops without needing heavy treatment.
Compost often gets overlooked during busy growing periods, but August is one of the best times to manage it properly. With plenty of green waste available, you have the materials needed to build a rich, active compost heap.
Turning the compost introduces oxygen, which speeds up decomposition, while keeping it slightly moist supports the microbes doing the work. By maintaining it now, you’re effectively preparing high-quality compost ready for use later in the year.
It might feel early, but August is exactly when that planning should begin. As summer crops peak, space gradually becomes available for the next cycle of growing.
This is when you start thinking ahead:
- planting out brassicas for winter harvests
- preparing beds for onions, garlic, and broad beans
- clearing space as crops finish
Acting now ensures a smooth transition rather than a gap between seasons.
August is one of the best times to save seeds, particularly from open-pollinated varieties. Plants have had the full season to develop, meaning seeds are mature and viable.
Saving seeds allows you to carry forward plants that have performed well in your specific conditions. Over time, this creates a more reliable and locally adapted growing setup, rather than starting fresh each year.
