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Gardening In August-Growing Food
spearmint
Can I Start Eating Food From My Garden In August?
Based on my personal experience growing vegetables, yes, we can officially start eating food from our garden in August. A few herbs are blooming and in regular use by July, like basil. However, by the month of August a small yield of vegetables are ready to be served. This abundance allows for some free summer drinks as well as meals.
To cook delicious meals purchase my Authentic Homemade Vegetarian Cookbook as well as The Complete Meatless Lifestyle Vegetarian Cookbook-Volume 2. They are available on Amazon. Thank you for supporting me.
Gardening in August growing food continues producing positive results. Do not feel like you missed out on growing food during this month because there is still time to receive something.
Intensifying Extreme Weather
The intensity of weather disasters around the world has been accelerating. There are powerful strong floods happening in several places damaging homes. The areas of land and where food can grow are places where building gardens are a good idea. It does not matter how small your space is. If you have the space to garden then you are in luck.
What Are Some Changes After 2020?
One of the biggest changes after 2020 is that food supply and food production can stop quickly. People can easily run out of food in a short time and this may potentially cause problems. In some places it already is an unfortunate reality.
Look ahead into the future by seeing where we are currently at. Does it look like the economy is going well? How about the weather? Food production?
Not really. It is somewhat heading South. Therefore, no matter how rich or poor you are, you have to prepare.
On the one extreme there are raging floods that are mercilessly ravaging homes. On the other hand there are long days of heat and droughts and massive wildfires. All of this intensifying extreme weather is creating a ripple effect with growing food and food production. As a result of both scenarios, there is little prospect of growing a successful garden.
On the positive side, living in any area where produce can grow, with using only one seed, a gardener can receive a high quantity and quality of fruits, beans and vegetables. We are able to feed our families growing our own produce. If the land we own is large, there is a greater opportunity to build an even larger garden. Growing a lot of produce is not difficult if the conditions are right.
How Do I Grow A Garden In My Backyard?
There are some basics to take advantage of when you are growing a garden in your backyard. The best opportunity to receive a successful yield is when the area faces direct sunlight. This will encourage better growth with fruits, vegetables, legumes and herbs.
It is a great idea to invest in plant seeds to grow herbs or produce throughout the summer months. They will flourish and you will be left with remaining herbs to dry up and store for the winter months. Plus, you will receive more than just that. In the past I made my own sun dried tomatoes that lasted up to one year from my harvest. Plus I made large mason jars worth of my own homemade pasta sauce from the tomatoes in my small backyard garden in the city. Both of these recipes are in the cookbooks that you can purchase.
Some of the herbs regrow again the next year without planting new seeds such as chives, oregano, rosemary and any kind of mints like peppermint, lemon balm and spearmint. You will be amazed by how much you will receive in return.
Check out more gardening posts on growing a garden in the backyard or on your balcony.
What is Showing Up in August 2022?
My backyard is fairly small and there is a part of it that we have not done anything to except grow produce. During the summer the space is occupied with a growing garden in the city. One of the tomato plants has surpassed my body’s height and needs another stick for it to lean on in order to grow taller. Tomato plants are growing gradually but making progress.
Growing tomatoes is an excellent idea because they are resilient plants and want to grow tall. They just need the space and some trellising. Once you start growing tomatoes, you will want to grow them every year because of how easy it is.
Kidney Beans
I harvested about 15 long kidney bean pods and used them. Now I am waiting for more to show up before we come into September. As beans come out and start to grow the leaves go yellow and eventually brown. They fall off and new leaves grow as well as kidney beans.
Strawberries
The strawberries grew a little this year. As it is the first year I was told nothing may show up the first year we plant them. However, a couple strawberries did come through. Strawberries are a great fruit to grow as they are perennials and will come back the next year, better and stronger. Be mindful where you plant them though.
I planted a few strawberry slips in the ground. They have taken root this year and established themselves. Next year though the area where the slips are planted will grow much stronger and more strawberry leaves as well as fruit will come out.
Kale
The kale is still standing but not growing any leaves. It may grow a little in the fall. For now, it is not going to be pulled out from the ground. We have received a few cucumbers so far and many more flowers are coming out. It is a sign that more cucumbers are on their way.
I ended up lifting the cucumber plant as it did not look right laying on the ground. When it is raised up, you can see how tall this plant has grown. Also in the picture there is one cucumber peaking out. It is ready for consumption any day now.
Yellow Zucchini
The yellow zucchini is growing but is also being eaten by animals so I have no idea whether we will receive anything. Nevertheless, this plant has grown very large and there are flowers coming up from the inside of the large plant. This means that more zucchini is about to come through. Hopefully I will be able to pick some up during harvest season.
Green Collards
The green collards are producing more leaves after already pulling several collard leaves from this plant. As more of the leaves are growing I am picking off more greens for us to enjoy. Although several leaves have holes in them, other collard leaves are turning out just fine with no holes. You can see how this plant is sideways thanks to animals hanging out and playing with it in when I am not around.
When this happens inevitably, make sure to straighten it out as well as add some extra soil around it to keep it in tact. As you pick off leaves from the plant, the stem stands out and can be covered again. The same applies with the kale.
Garden Herbs
All the herbs are growing abundantly. The spearmint is giving the biggest yield, of course. This is an excellent herb to grow effortlessly in your garden, especially for women. Consuming spearmint is very good to help women balance and regulate their hormones as they age.
Gardening In August Growing Food
Herbs for cooking are expensive at the store and you will only receive a small amount. I have a lot of spearmint growing in the backyard. None of it is going to waste. Most of it is getting dried up and used to consume hot peppermint tea in the winter and a cold glass of peppermint water in the summer. Both of the beverages are tasty.
Caffeine-free spearmint tea can be made from these leave that is, on average, $3.00 a cup at any coffee and tea store. I will share more about this power mint in the near future.
Celery
The celery is growing thin but strong. Within another week it will become much larger. Placed next to the green collards and the mini kale, celery stems are shooting up and the leaves are sprawling out. Growing celery in your garden is very easy to do and it is an excellent vegetable to eat. Plus, celery is often expensive at the grocery story. People do not buy it because it has a low calorie count but you pay a high price. Without costing you much money it is worth it to grow celery in your own backyard or balcony.
Collecting Rain Water
Some days it is sunny and other days it is raining. On the days it rains, collecting rain water is a practical gardening trick that also helps you save money. Collecting a few buckets in August gives me around two full days of watering the whole garden without using the hose. It all depends on how much I can collect after the rain falls.
When the weather is hot and dry I water the garden for approximately 5–10 minutes. When watering your garden, target the roots of the vegetables so that the water is not wasted. Be mindful how much water to use.
In Summary – Gardening In August-Growing Food
You will be able to garden in August and receive produce even if it is a little late in the season. Many items are easy to plant and are effortless to grow. Feel abundance at your doorstep by planting seeds or roots of vegetables in soil to bask in the sun.
Be amazed by how that little effort will give back so much good quality and quantity in return. This is nature’s wealth for everyone.
Enjoy the rest of your summer.
Originally Published on August 18, 2022 on mcinthehouse.com
**Newly published** on August 2, 2024 on mcinthehouse.com
