Three Types Of Leafy Greens To Start Planting Before August Is Over

You may think August is the time to sit back, relax, and enjoy your garden. But this month is actually when you need to get a lot of work done. After all, not only are you harvesting, but there are essential gardening tasks that must be done in August to prepare for the end of the year, like collecting seeds and removing dead plants. It's also a great time to start seasonal plants that will thrive in the cool fall air, including leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, and kale. 

Whether you're looking to continue producing foods to freeze and can over the winter, or you're trying one last time to get your garden to take off after a far-too-hot summer, August is the perfect month to set a new round of seeds. Because of their fast growth and wide harvesting window, leafy greens like kale, lettuce, and spinach are some of the best options. They are durable and can thrive whether you live in a hot climate, a cool one, or anywhere in between. 

Thankfully, you don't have to throw together a bunch of beds to get a space ready for these leafy greens. They enjoy partial shade, well-draining soil, and a good amount of fertilizer. Grow them next to each other, making sure they have enough space to thrive, and you can keep all your greens in one place for a quick harvest at mealtime.

For lettuce, you can use pretty much any variety, and you should feel free to try out a fun mix to see what you like best. However, some varieties can be better than others for your garden, especially if you have particular weather concerns. If you have a short fall before a sharp temperature drop, you'd probably be better off with a simple leaf lettuce, which grows the fastest. If you're worried about cold weather ruining your new plants in the long run, romaine and butterhead can handle cooler temperatures. Depending on your variety, lettuce can take anywhere from 30 to 95 days to reach maturity.

In some plants, the cooler weather actually makes them taste better. Spinach is a good example of this, as ones planted around the end of August tend to be sweeter and softer. It takes spinach up to 45 days to grow from seed, but it can handle some light frosts, so you don't have to make sure they're completely harvested before a freeze hits.

The same is true of kale. It can handle the first light frosts, and the cooler the weather, the softer and less bitter the leaves. Like with lettuce, there are plenty of varieties, so you can pick one based on your taste preference. For example, try a kale variety to grow for both beauty and abundant harvests — Redbor kale. It has beautiful purple leaves you can enjoy up until it's time to harvest. Each variety is a little different, but these greens take somewhere between 50 and 70 days to reach maturity.

These three plants do so well in August due to a variety of factors. For one, leafy greens tend to bolt easily in the heat. They also grow best when soil temperatures are warm (between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, ideally) but the air is cooler. The perfect time for that is at the end of summer, going into fall. So if you want sweet and tender leaves without worrying about it flowering the second you turn your back, plant these greens in August. It isn't just a way to extend your fresh food season, but to get some of the sweetest salad ingredients you've ever had.

Additionally, even if it is still hot in your area in August, growing these cold-loving plants near the end of the summer season is ideal because the taller and more established ones can provide shade and keep your new sprouts a little safer. Another perk of planting these three leafy greens in August is that they don't necessarily have to reach maturity before you harvest. Baby lettuce, kale, and spinach are just regular lettuce, kale, and spinach plucked while the leaves are still small. This can still take up to 30 days, but as little as 15 to 20 for certain greens. Of course, these three greens aren't the only plants you're stuck growing during this season. You can also plant a refreshing veggie in August for a quick harvest — snap peas.