Heather’s Gardening Service

Extending Your Harvest: 

The Top Crops to Sow in August for a Fabulous Fall (or Spring) Harvest

Written by Heather Morren

I don’t know about you, but my vegetable garden did not fare all that well this gardening season. 

I started peas, beans, cucumber, tomatoes and peppers in my shed in early April. They were warm, had plenty of sunshine and I kept on top of watering them. Unfortunately, I had mixed results. The peas, beans and some cucumbers thrived while my tomatoes and peppers barely grew. 

In late May/early June, I planted my seedlings and sowed seeds for spinach, arugula, lettuce, carrots, basil and oregano. Again, mixed results. The beans, carrots and cucumber flourished. The peas kept getting eaten by birds, so I put a net over them, but then something began eating them from below. My seeds took their time but when they finally came in, they did all at once and, before I knew it, my spinach and arugula all went to seed. 

Top: beans and cucumbers flourishing

Bottom: peas after being eaten by some pest

By the end of July, I was staring at my less than satisfactory garden, wondering if there was any hope left. I sat down at my computer to consider my options when I came across a link I had saved for the Farmer’s Almanac back in February when I was planning my garden. 

As it happens, there are still a few crops that you can plant now that have a short enough growth period and that are fairly tolerant to early frost. Edmonton’s first frost usually occurs on or after September 16, approximately 50 days from now. You could follow the link here (https://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-calendar/AB/Edmonton) to get a wealth of information about planting, but I thought I’d make a list of crops that you can still plant in August and harvest in mid September.

Crop	Average Days to Maturity	Frost Tolerance
Arugula	40	hardy
Basil	45	tender
Beets	50	tolerant
Bok Choy	50	tolerant
Kohlrabi	45	tolerant
Radishes	25	tolerant
Spinach	30	hardy
Turnips	50	tolerant

While perusing the Farmer’s Almanac website, I also found the planting dates for garlic and onions and remembered planting mine last fall. They grew all spring and summer and are ready to harvest now. This made me wonder: are there other crops that I can grow over the winter? I was pleasantly surprised to find several crops that are hardy enough to survive even Edmonton’s harsh winters!

Garlic planted last fall and harvested at the end of July

Here is a list of vegetables you can plant in the fall that overwinter well:

Crop	Frost Tolerance
Asparagus	hardy
Carrots	tolerant with a cold frame or row cover
Garlic	hardy
Kale	tolerant with a cold frame or row cover
Onions	hardy
Rhubarb	hardy
Shallots	hardy
Spinach	tolerant with a cold frame or row cover

Some things to consider if you are planting crops that you hope to overwinter:

1. Plant them in a sunny, well protected spot, such as along the southwest side of a structure.
2. Add a thick layer of mulch on top of the plants for extra insulation against the cold.
3. Use cold frames or frost covers for less hardy plants to give them the best chance of survival.

Despite the challenges of this gardening season, there are still opportunities to make the most of your garden. By planting crops with short growth periods and considering overwintering options, you can extend your harvest into the fall and beyond. 

Photos in this article were taken by Heather Morren. Information was sourced from my personal experience and a variety of online resources including the Farmer’s Almanac. Please ask, should you wish to see a full list.