COLUMBIA, S.C. — While some may argue that August is too early to start buying pumpkin flavors and halloween candy, it's never too early to think Autumn in the garden. Mid-August is the perfect time to start some cool season crops from seed and replant summer fruits and veggies for one last harvest before frost. Starting plants from seed can save you a lot of money, and help set garden goals that last for the rest of this year.
Late August is the start of the "Second Summer".
Summer in the southeast can be brutal. Pounding rain, extreme heat, and pests destroy most fruits and vegetables in the garden. A lot of plants don't look their best in August, but late summer gives an opportunity for gardeners who want a last try at summer favorites before frosty weather starts.
Gardeners hoping to start warm weather plants from seed in August will have to keep a close eye on how long plants need to reach maturity. In the South Carolina Midlands, the first frost can hit as late as December or as early as late-October. Typically, the first frost falls during the first or second week of November.
Most tomato plants need about 2 months to start producing fruit and peppers and watermelon need about 3. You probably would struggle to get away with getting the most out of peppers and watermelon that are started from seed this late in the season.
When to start cool weather plants from seed
The Clemson Extension Office has a fantastic spreadsheet on when to start cool weather plants for spring or fall gardening. Make sure to scroll down to the Midlands region if you're gardening in the WLTX viewing area.
You'll notice that August is the best time to plant many fall favorites like Cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, brussel sprouts, and lettuce. All of these plants can survive frosty weather and will even remain green through hard freezes. Starting these from seed in September will leave the harvest vulnerable to extreme winter weather and potentially ruin the crop so at that point in the season, it might be better to find starter seedlings from local nurseries.
There are ultra-cold hardy plants like Garlic, Onions, Turnips, Spinach, and Kale that grow fast and prefer to be planted in September when cooler weather sets in.
What my plan is in Gandy's Garden
In Mid-August I started red flowered sunflowers, cauliflower, broccoli, parsley and lettuce. The sunflowers won't survive a frost, but will be beautiful in cut arrangements just in time for October. The parsley and lettuce seeds were saved from last year's crop. I'm not sure if they'll sprout, but this is an experiment in saving money!
In September, I will purchase collards, cabbage, and other fall leafy greens as starter plants. I will start carrots, onions, garlic, beets, and other root plants from seed. I'm looking forward to throwing pansy seeds around the raised beds because they're very easy to sprout and will add an incredible pop of color!
You can keep up to date with my spring plans by following my posts on twitter.
We also have a Facebook group with gardeners from around the South Carolina Midlands called WLTX Gandy's Gardeners. Just answer the questions, and we'll let you in!