August is the final month of the Hot Season in Houston (we hope!). While you may not love being outside in August, your kitchen garden, packed with heat loving plants, can still be overflowing. As long as you’ve filled your beds with Hot Season plants, the okra, peppers, sweet potatoes and eggplant should keep on going even if you’re staying inside!

You can keep planting this month, but it’ wise to be selective with what you add to the garden. Since August’s weather is hot and sometimes dry, well established plants should be fine with consistent watering, but new plants will need a lot more attention to help them survive the hot and dry days ahead.

Nightshade Family

Cherry Tomatoes

Believe it or not August is the time to plant cherry tomatoes. Planting in August will ensure that the plants become established and produce fruit before the threat of cold temperatures in the late fall.

Smaller tomato varieties, such as grape and cherry, are perfect options for new gardeners or even those who aspire for a plentiful harvest. Cherry and Grape varieties are ready to harvest sooner that a traditional slicer tomato, and are less susceptible to pests since they are on the vine for a shorter period of time.

Planting tomatoes in August does require some extra care to ensure they can sustain the hot temperatures while becoming established and growing strong roots. Consider a shade cloth to provide a reprieve from the intense mid-day sun as well as watering twice a day the first few weeks after planting.

Peppers

Small peppers such as banana, jalapeno, serrano and shishito are a great addition to the kitchen garden. They don’t take up a lot of space, are very productive during the hottest months, they can be frozen and saved for later and are versatile enough to be used in a variety of dishes.

Peppers are a fruiting vegetable which means they produce flowers and then fruit. As a result, they thrive in 6-8 hours of full sun. Peppers do require frequent and consistent watering like tomatoes, so an additional watering in the evening during the first few weeks after planting is recommended.

As your peppers grow taller you might find they need some additional stakes or supports. We love a natural stake such as bamboo attached with some twine, followed by a small mound of fresh compost around the base of the plant. Not only does this meet the plants nutritional needs, it also supports the plant as it grows.

Cucurbit Family

Cucumbers are typically considered the quintessential spring vegetable, which Houston has two opportunities to grow in.

However, this Suyo cucumber variety, and Armenian too, are winners in the summer kitchen garden. They are heat resistant and a plentiful producer of this garden favorite.

Squash and Zucchini can also thrive in the heat this summer.

Plant cucumbers, squash and zucchini by direct seed 1” into the soil. Be sure they receive top down watering for the first two weeks to ensure germination and consistent watering after that.

Lamiaceae Family

Basil loves the heat and humidity of Houston summers, so much so it will need frequent pruning to not overtake the garden

Sweet basil is the variety most well known for versatility and popularity of summer basil dishes. However, African Blue Basil and Thai Basil are useful and beautiful varieties that attract pollinators when allowed to flower and bring interest to your garden too.

Other herbs in the Lamiaceae family include rosemary, sage, thyme and oregano. These perennial herbs will last several years in the kitchen garden. Plant these herbs this month and enjoy them all summer long!

Legume Family

Like cucumbers and tomatoes, bush beans have two seasons in Houston as well.

August is the perfect time to plant another crop of these quintessential vegetable garden favorites. Plant these favorites by seed every 4-6”. Be sure they receive consistent watering to ensure the seeds germinate.

Plant by seed now and be ready to harvest in mid to late September!

Brassicas

Arugula

Even though your seed packet might tell you to grow arugula in the cool season when the temperatures are above freezing but below 75 degrees Fahrenheit, We've found you can stretch arugula's growing season well into your colder and hotter months of the year. Arugula is just not very picky about temperature. It’s way more heat-tolerant than most salad greens, and it can even withstand some frost. 

All that to say, you can grow arugula far outside of its optimal growing time, and in warmer climates, you can actually grow this green year round.

Clients are harvesting arugula leaves from their gardens even when the temperature spikes over 95 degrees and all other leafy greens have long since bolted and gone to seed. Few other plants can stand the heat quite like this little green, and this characteristic alone makes arugula a must-have when you’re missing that garden-fresh taste of salads in the hottest months of the year.

If you're somewhere warm, wait until temperatures are at least below 90 degrees to plant your arugula. A mature plant will be able to better withstand higher temps than a seedling.

What to Tend in the Houston Kitchen Garden in August

Don’t let the hot weather discourage you form getting out and caring for your plants! Beyond watering, the focus this month is on tending the garden. You’ll need to trellis and prune the vining plants, support your peppers and eggplants, fertilize you fruiting plants and protect your plants from summer pests. A little attention on your growing plants each week will ensure lots of things to pick in August.

As you tend, you’ll fund there’s already things to pick and harvest in August, especially if you’re diligent about venturing out to your garden in the early morning or early evening with a pair of pruners. Pick okra, eggplants and peppers often to keep your plants producing all month long.

Managing Garden Pests in August in the Kitchen Garden

Pest Control: 

At the first site of pests, be sure to remove any damaged leaves.  Our recommended pest control plan is to have the healthiest soil and plants to start and then monitor and treat pests as necessary.

If you have a pest issue, these are our recommended steps in treatment:

• Dr. Bronner's Castille Soap 

• Garlic Barrier

• Neem Oil

• Monterey BT

We generally only resort to using Monterey BT after trying the other options.  

Support: 

Plants like bush beans, squash & zucchini, and peppers can benefit from being supported around the base of the plant by adding a little compost as a 'hill.'  This encourages the roots to spread out and stabilize the plant more.

Fertilize:

All plants in the Nightshade family benefit from receiving fertilizer at least once a month, if not every one to two weeks.  Once the first flowers form, fertilize with a phosphorous rich fertilizer at the base of the plant.  I've had great success using composted chicken manure or even simply pure compost.  This addition will provide your plant the necessary boost it needs to produce more and more fruit all season long.  

What to Harvest in August in the Houston Kitchen Garden

Herbs: Rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, chives and basil.

Nightshades: Tomatoes, peppers, tomatillos and eggplants

Cucurbits: cucumbers

Brassicas: Arugula

Legumes; Beans and peas

You will likely be harvesting from the warm season plants you planted back in March, as well as starting to harvest from the hot season plants planted last month.

Keep in mind that warm season plants will be slowing down their growth and production now as the temperature have become above their optimal. These include tomatoes. However, the wonderful thing about growing in Houston is that we have two warm seasons and another opportunity to grow tomatoes is just around the corner in early September.

Get Started Growing This Summer with Rooted Garden

The wonderful part of gardening in Houston is there is not a bad time to start! We can grow all year long and when many parts of the country are covered by snow we are still enjoying the kitchen garden.

Even in the heat of the Houston summers we are harvesting herbs, okra, eggplant, hot peppers, yard long beans, Suyo and Armenian cucumbers and more. The garden never stops in Houston!

Working with Rooted Garden for your turnkey kitchen garden installation ensures that you are supported from the beginning. We offer personalized coaching sessions, monthly garden classes and events, monthly and quarterly planting services, access to Gardenary 365 and many others resources to help you have a successful and productive kitchen garden.

Working with us begins with a garden consultation with a trained garden designer. We will help you determine the perfect garden space, create a personalized garden design and a professional artist rendering so that you can begin to envision your new garden space!

We provide an estimate and proposal for a full, turnkey kitchen garden taking the guesswork out of setting up a garden on your own. We are typically able to complete cedar garden installations within two weeks and metal garden installations within 4 weeks.