What We’re Planting in August

It might sound like absolute insanity to plant seeds in the middle of our hottest month of the year. I totally get it. Once upon a time, I too shook my head in disbelief. You might be thinking: “Caitlyn, I can barely keep my plants alive through the summer, and you’re telling me to start fragile seedlings now?” Yes, that’s right. You’re going to be bold, and put aside your doubts.

Where to start? Well, first you’re going to consider the heat, humidity, and rain. If you want success, you need to choose plants and varieties that are going to withstand these conditions. If you try to plant lettuce right now, you’re going to be totally disappointed. So, high heat, high humidity, lots of water. Here are some plants (we are personally starting now) that have zero problem with being started in these conditions:

• Eggplant

• Hot Peppers

• Tomatoes

• Tropical Cucumbers

• Yard Long Beans

• Okra

• Moringa

Notice, I said “started.” That does not mean that you are going to get fruit right now from everything on this list. For example, tomatoes don’t like to set fruit in this high heat. It’s a good thing that it takes them about 70 to 80 days to flower and start fruiting. So starting your tomato seeds now will put you in prime time to flower in October, and to begin harvesting in November. Those tomatoes can even last you all the way through spring, in the right conditions. 

Now, for something like okra, we’re nearing the end of the season. However, if you plant it now, you can get in some more harvests before the cooler weather starts and the days get shorter. It is never a bad time to plant moringa by seed in South Florida, and if you would like some in your garden, there’s no reason not to get it started now because it withstands our summer conditions just fine. Same for cassava and chaya (both by cuttings).

If you would like to learn more about what I recommend to plant when, I would like to invite you to participate in any of our fall workshops, especially “Get Your Garden Ready for Fall” and “Growing Food in South Florida.” Both would be beneficial for gardeners new to South Florida, gardeners who are looking to fine-tune their skills, and even new gardeners. 

You can find all of our classes and workshops here. I would love to see you there. Let’s grow!