Most people assume the growing season is over by August.
It isn't.
In fact August is one of the most rewarding months to plant in Ireland because everything you sow now grows quickly in the last of the summer warmth, and many of the best autumn crops actually prefer the cooler conditions coming in September and October.
You just need to know what to plant.
Here's what works in August in Ireland, including everything you can grow on a windowsill, balcony or kitchen table with no garden required.
Why August is actually a great time to start growing
August marks the end of the outdoor seed sowing year in Ireland but there's still plenty of time for a rewarding harvest. The key is choosing fast-growing varieties that don't need a long season to produce.
The good news for families is that the fastest and most child-friendly crops are also the ones perfectly suited to an August sowing. Short growing windows, quick results and easy harvests. Exactly what children need to stay engaged with growing.
What to plant in August in Ireland
1. Radishes: Ready in 25 to 35 days
Radishes are the fastest vegetable you can grow in Ireland in August. You can still sow radishes in August and they're ideal for filling gaps where other crops have already been harvested.
White Icicle Radish is particularly good for children. It looks like a tiny white icicle, tastes mildly peppery and pulls from the ground with a satisfying tug. Plant it now and your child could be eating it before the end of September.
How to grow: Sow directly into compost, about as deep as your fingernail, one seed per hole. Keep damp and place in a sunny spot. Harvest when the root is about the length of your finger. Pull gently and it should come straight out.
No garden needed: Grows perfectly in a deep pot or window box on a balcony or sunny windowsill.
2. Lamb's Lettuce: Harvest through to winter
Lamb's lettuce is a lovely hardy winter salad that grows well from an August sowing and keeps producing long after other salad leaves have given up.
It's one of the softest, mildest leaves you can grow. Perfect for children who find strong salad flavours overpowering. Sow it now in August and it will still be producing fresh leaves in December and January.
How to grow: Scatter seeds thinly across the surface of compost and press down lightly, they need to be close to the light so don't bury them. Keep damp and place in a cool bright spot. Harvest outer leaves as needed and the plant will keep growing.
No garden needed: Grows beautifully in a pot or window box. Actually prefers the cooler conditions of a north-facing windowsill as autumn arrives.
3. Calendula: Flowers before the first frost
Calendula, also called Pot Marigold, is one of the most cheerful flowers you can grow and one of the few that will still flower from an August sowing before the first Irish frost arrives.
Bright orange and yellow petals, completely edible and absolutely loved by bees and butterflies. Children can scatter the petals over salads, press them into butter or simply watch the bees arrive.
How to grow: Push two or three seeds about as deep as your finger into compost, cover and water gently. Place in a sunny spot and keep damp. Flowers should appear in four to six weeks.
No garden needed: Grows happily in a pot on a sunny windowsill or balcony. The more you pick the flowers, the more it produces.
4. Spinach: Fast and nutritious
Spinach can be sown in August for a Christmas and spring harvest and is one of the most reliable crops for Irish autumn growing.
It grows quickly, tolerates Irish weather well and children love harvesting the leaves for homemade pizza toppings, smoothies and pasta dishes.
How to grow: Sow seeds thinly across compost, about 1cm deep and water well. Place in a bright spot. Spinach tolerates partial shade better than most vegetables. Harvest outer leaves regularly to encourage more growth.
No garden needed: Grows well in a deep pot or window box. Water regularly as spinach bolts quickly if it dries out.
5. Spring onions: Ready in eight weeks
Spring onions are one of the most overlooked August sowings in Ireland but they're fast, easy and incredibly satisfying for children to pull from the ground.
Sow now and they'll be ready to harvest in about eight weeks. Just in time for autumn meals.
How to grow: Scatter seeds thinly in a pot or row, about 1cm deep. Keep damp and place in a sunny spot. Harvest when the green tops are about as tall as a pencil.
No garden needed: One of the best crops for a deep pot or window box.
6. Pak choi: Fast and beautiful
Pak choi can still be sown in August and grows quickly in the cooler conditions arriving in September and October.
It has beautiful architectural leaves, grows fast and the harvest moment, pulling a whole rosette from the compost, is deeply satisfying for children. Watch out for slugs which love it.
How to grow: Scatter seeds thinly across compost and press down lightly. Keep damp and place in a bright sheltered spot. Harvest when the rosette is about the size of your palm.
No garden needed: Grows well in a pot or window box. Move inside to a bright windowsill as temperatures drop in October.
What NOT to plant in August in Ireland
Not everything works from an August sowing in Ireland. These are the ones to avoid:
- Tomatoes: They need too long a season. The Irish summer isn't long enough for an August sowing to produce fruit.
- Courgettes: The same problem. Too late in the season for a worthwhile harvest.
- Sweetcorn: Needs warmth and a long season. Not suitable for August in Ireland.
- Most climbing beans: Too late. They need at least 10 to 12 weeks of warm weather.
- Sweet peas: Best sown in March to May in Ireland for summer flowering.
The secret to successful August sowing in Ireland
The key in August is to keep watering. Mulch around plants to retain moisture during the last of the summer warmth.
Beyond that, the most important thing is choosing the right varieties. Fast-growing, cool-weather-tolerant and container-friendly crops are what work in August. Everything else is wishful thinking.
The good news is that the crops that tick all three of those boxes are also the most child-friendly growing experiences of the whole year. Quick results, satisfying harvests and seeds that are easy for small hands to plant.
August is not the end of the growing season.
It's the beginning of the harvest.
Want to grow with your children this August?
The Little Sprouts Garden Box August edition includes three seeds chosen specifically for Irish August conditions all windowsill and balcony friendly, all child-led, all ready to harvest before autumn is over.
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