Garden parties, BBQs and picnics, August truly is the time to let your garden shine. As well as sitting back and enjoying the sun, August is the perfect time to reap the rewards of your gardening efforts throughout the year and start harvesting the delicious crops you’ve grown.
What to Grow in August:
August is the perfect time to get ahead for the remainder of the year, as you can start planting your autumn and winter crops, such as your winter potatoes. However, in August there is still time to plant crops such as spinach and microgreens to enjoy throughout the summer and autumn months.
Spinach
Spinach is a great plant to grow within your greenhouse in August as spinach plants take about 8 weeks to mature. Spinach favours the warm, sunny conditions of our greenhouses in August, so it is a great plant to grow in late summer. When planting your spinach plants, use a soil mix that can drain effectively and place your spinach in an area of your greenhouse that receives full sun throughout the day.
Microgreens
August is an amazing time of year to plant microgreens, such as kales and salads. Easy to grow and full of nutrients, microgreens make a delicious addition to your greenhouse throughout August. Plant your microgreens in well-draining potting soil directly into trays or small pots in your greenhouse. Keep your microgreens well-watered, ensuring the soil is consistently moist, but not waterlogged. Microgreens are extremely fast-growing plants, so within 1-2 weeks you will notice your microgreens forming shoots and ready to harvest.
Potatoes
August is a great time to start planting your winter, or Christmas, potatoes. Cold stored potato tubers can be planted directly into large containers inside your greenhouse, ensuring that your container is at least 1ft in depth and width. Winter potatoes need to be adequately spaced out when planting, so ensure that you plant your tubers with spacings of around 10 inches, to allow your potatoes enough room to form. Once planted ensure that you keep your potatoes thoroughly watered, to ensure that the soil stays consistently moist.
Harvesting
As mentioned, August is the time to start harvesting, meaning you will have an abundance of fresh and tasty crops to pick, eat and make into chutneys and jams throughout August.
What to harvest in August:
Aubergines
August is the perfect time to start harvesting your Aubergines, as they will begin to ripen. Throughout August it's worth keeping an eye on your Aubergines to check whether they are ready to harvest, an Aubergine plant ready for harvest will produce fruits which are plump, glossy and smooth. If the skin of your Aubergine begins to look dull, your fruit could be over-ripened and may have a bitter taste. To harvest Aubergines, use a pair of small gardening shears, sharp scissors or a small clean knife to cut the stem of your Aubergine roughly 1 inch above the fruit. Harvesting your Aubergine plants throughout August can encourage your Aubergine plant to develop and ripen more fruits. Aubergines are simply delicious, rich in fibre and vitamins and can be enjoyed in salads, roasted or enjoyed in stews and curries. Check out Gil Meller’s recipe for Roasted Aubergine Bake.
Peppers
Peppers are ready to be harvested by mid-late summer, and fresh homegrown peppers make beautiful additions to your summer salads. Peppers can be harvested when ripe or picked later once they have reached a vibrant red colour. To harvest peppers, take a small pair of shears, sharp scissors or a small clean knife and cut the stem of your pepper about 1.5 to 2 inches away from the fruit.
Tomatoes
By August, your greenhouse will be full of beautiful tomatoes, ready to harvest. Throughout the summer your tomatoes will begin to ripen so it’s worth regularly checking in on your tomatoes, and harvesting frequently, to not only further encourage new tomatoes to develop and ripen, but to have an abundance of tomatoes to enjoy throughout the summer. To check the ripeness of your tomatoes prior to harvesting, ensure that your tomato is an even colour, take extra care to ensure the bottoms of your tomatoes are the same colour as the tops, as the bottoms of your tomatoes take longer to ripen. Once your tomatoes are ripe, it is time to start harvesting. To harvest your tomatoes, gently grip your tomatoes and gently twist the tomatoes off the vine. If your tomatoes don’t easily come off with a twist, avoid pulling your tomatoes off the vine and instead grab a small pair of shears, sharp scissors or a small clean knife and cut them off the vine. When harvested your tomatoes can be enjoyed on their own, in salads, roasted or even blended. One of our favourite ways to enjoy fresh tomatoes at Rhino Greenhouses Direct is in Gil Meller’s Plum, Tomato, Beetroot, Red Onion and Mint Salad.
Herbs
By August, the herbs that you planted in July should be ready to harvest. Taking a small pair of gardening shears or sharp scissors, take cuttings of any basil leaves, coriander or any other herbs that you have been growing over the past few weeks.
Rhino Greenhouse tips:
Lift your Pumpkins
With Autumn just around the corner, your pumpkins will be growing nicely, however if left sitting on the soil, your pumpkin is more susceptible to premature rot, especially in the August heat. Therefore, it is crucial to raise your pumpkins, place a small piece of wood, or a brick on the soil and gently place your pumpkin on top, this will prevent premature rot as they continue to grow throughout the summer.
Keep Watering
Just like July, your greenhouse will be extremely warm throughout August, so it is crucial that you keep on top of watering your plants. Regularly check the soils of your plants both within your greenhouse and garden, and thoroughly water whenever the soil is dry to the touch. Watering your plants throughout harvesting is also essential as it can further promote the development and ripening of additional fruits on your plant
For more inspiration on what you could be growing in your greenhouse in July, check out our wonderful friend Ellen Mary’s latest August post for Rhino Greenhouses Direct.