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What to Plant in August in Ireland

What to Plant in August in Ireland

If you’re wondering what to plant in August in Ireland, you’re not alone — this is one of the most common questions gardeners ask this time of year, and it catches a lot of people off guard. The bunting’s still up from the summer holidays, the tomatoes are only starting to properly ripen, and it feels far too early to be thinking about autumn. But if you want food coming out of the garden right through winter and into next spring, August is actually one of the most important sowing months of the year — even if it doesn’t feel like it.

Here’s what’s worth getting into the ground this month.

Spring cabbage

This is the big one for August. Spring cabbage sown now will sit through the winter and give you a fresh, tender crop in April and May, right when there’s not much else coming out of the veg patch. Varieties like ‘Durham Early’ or ‘Wintergreen’ do well here. Sow direct or in modules, and get the young plants out into their final spot by September.

Winter spinach and salad leaves

Spinach sown in August will keep cropping right through the darker months if you give it a sheltered spot or a bit of fleece protection. Rocket, mustard greens, mizuna and land cress are all quick to establish and will fill gaps in the beds where you’ve already lifted spuds or pulled the last of the broad beans. If you’ve got a polytunnel or a cold frame, even better — you’ll be picking leaves well into December.

Spring onions and onion sets for overwintering

Sow onion seed now, or plant an overwintering variety like Senshyu, and you’ll have a head start on next year’s crop. They’ll sit quietly over winter and bulk up fast once the days start lengthening again, giving you onions to harvest in June rather than August.

Kale, chard and oriental greens

Kale sown in August will see you through winter — it actually improves after a frost or two, which is more than can be said for most of us. Swiss chard is nearly as tough and keeps producing right up until the hard frosts arrive. Pak choi, mibuna and other oriental greens are quick growers too, so there’s still time for a last sowing before the light really starts to drop off.

Turnips and radishes

Both are fast enough to squeeze in one more sowing this month. Turnips sown now will give you small, tender roots by autumn rather than the woody ones you get from a spring sowing left too long. Radishes are even quicker — some varieties are ready in three to four weeks, so they’re a handy one to tuck into any bare patch of soil.

Other jobs for the garden this month

Knowing what to plant in August in Ireland is only half the picture — a few other jobs matter just as much:

  • Keep netting brassicas, as cabbage white butterflies are still very active
  • Feed tomatoes, courgettes and cucumbers with a high-potash liquid feed to help fruit swell and ripen
  • Stay on top of watering during any dry spells, since crops are close to harvest and stress now shows up in the yield
  • Sow a green manure like mustard or phacelia into any bed that’s gone empty, to protect and feed the soil until it’s needed again

And if the slugs have been giving you grief all summer (they usually have, this being Ireland), August is no time to ease off. Keep checking under leaves, especially on anything you’ve just transplanted.

Not sure what to plant in August in Ireland for your own garden?

If all of this sounds like a lot, you’re not alone — most people who come into us this time of year are juggling the same question: what’s actually worth planting now versus what’s a waste of a bag of seed this late in the season. That’s exactly the kind of thing we’re happy to talk through, whether you’re working with a full allotment or a couple of raised beds in a small back garden.

Pop Robertsons a call or message and we’ll help you. Give us a call on 0896057631 or Whatsapp us!

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Happy planting.