9 Root Vegetables You Should Start From Seed in August

Root vegetables pack nutritional and hearty goodness that become the foundation of fall and winter cuisine. For many of us, August is the prime time to start root vegetables from seed. They enjoy the warm temperatures of late summer to germinate and develop, and fully mature in the cool weather of fall.

Root vegetables to sow in August are fast-growing for a harvest before soils freeze, and those that withstand seasonal transitions. To gauge the specific time to plant for fall in your growing zone, count out the days to maturity for the crop against the first anticipated frost date. Add in a week or two buffer for seasonal fluctuations.

Delay seeding if late summer conditions are hot and dry, or start seeds in trays in the shade or indoors. Direct sowing is best for root vegetables, whose taproots are sensitive to transplant disturbance.

In late summer, take care to provide even moisture as seedlings sprout. They dry out easily and may not recover if moisture is lost to the day’s heat. Otherwise, enjoy the easy care that is August root vegetables, awaiting a harvest to enjoy fresh or with a long storage life.

Cosmic Purple Carrot

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Cosmic Purple Carrot Seeds

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Chioggia Beet

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Chioggia Beet Seeds

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Mantanghong Watermelon Radish

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Mantanghong Watermelon Radish Seeds

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Carrot ‘Tendersweet’

	botanical name Daucus carota ‘Tendersweet’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 8-10″

‘Tendersweet’ is a classic carrot with a sweet flavor that’s as close as a carrot gets to candy. Long and slender in rich red-orange, they’re as pretty as they are flavorful. They retain their vibrant color and taste whether fresh or cooked.

‘Tendersweet’ reaches full size in 70 to 80 days. Aim to sow these root vegetables around August 10 to 12 weeks before the first frost for a full yield (though carrots store in the soil over the winter). Scatter seeds on the soil surface and spread lightly to ensure soil contact, about ¼ inch deep.

Pick carrots young or at any point up until peak size for the best flavor and tender crunch. They’ll continue to grow but become coarse and fibrous with decreased flavor if left too long.

Radish ‘Cherry Belle’

	botanical name Raphanus sativus ‘Cherry Belle’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3″

Radishes are a fast-growing August root vegetable that pairs well with the carrot patch. Scatter both seeds and harvest the quick radishes as the carrots continue to develop. Pulling the radishes thins the crop and aerates the soil for the carrots.

Crisp and crunchy, radishes are a source of vitamin C. Their leafy tops are edible, too. ‘Cherry Belle’ is a salad radish and heirloom from Holland with bright red skins and white flesh. The All-America Selections award winners are a chef’s favorite, especially as baby roots. Harvest when they reach one inch in diameter.

‘Cherry Belle’ matures in as little as 24 days. Sow the seeds up until several weeks before the average first frost.

Turnip ‘White Lady’

	botanical name Brassica rapa ‘White Lady’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 14-22″

Turnips are centuries-old root vegetables that make hearty stand-ins for potatoes. Tender varieties like salad turnips move beyond the sturdy classic and are a sweet delicacy to enjoy fresh.

Like radishes, beets, and carrots, the leafy greens are edible and packed with nutrition. They even grow as microgreens right on the kitchen counter, ready in about five days.

Turnips are quick to mature and work well in raised beds and pots, in addition to in-ground plantings. They make an easy companion to other August root vegetables and aerate the soil as they grow. If you have extra seeds, scatter them as a cover crop to hold beds you plan to leave bare for the cool season.

‘White Lady’ is a Japanese variety of baby salad turnips with smooth, tender white skins and a sweet flavor. A sweet delicacy with early picking, the two-inch roots are ready in as little as 30 days. Enjoy them grated on a salad, in a slaw, or eaten like an apple. They’re also delicious roasted and in stir-fries.

Turnips are typically ready in 30 to 60 days from planting. Allow four to five weeks before frost for early varieties, and eight to ten weeks for later ones. The hardy vegetables tolerate frost and even heavy freezes.

Carrot ‘Cosmic Purple’

	botanical name Daucus carota ‘Cosmic Purple’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1-2′

‘Cosmic Purple’ is a colorful selection in the purple of its wild ancestors that have been around for a millennium. It contains anthocyanin, which is responsible for the purple tones and is the same healthy antioxidant found in blueberries.

An orange interior belies the purple skins for a striking contrast on the crudité platter. The slender, cylindrical roots taper at the ends and reach six to seven inches long at full size. They have large leafy upper growth and mature in about 70 days.

Beet ‘Chioggia’

	botanical name Beta vulgaris ‘Chioggia’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 18″

‘Chioggia’ is an 1800s Italian heirloom that takes its name from an island fishing village in Northern Italy near Venice. The candy-striped variety has white and pinky-red interior rings. Skins are pink, orange, and red-hued. Roasted or steamed, this August root vegetable adds a playful mix to the plate.

‘Chioggia’ is an early producer that’s ready in 55 days. Sow the root vegetables in August, aiming for six to eight weeks before the first frost. The ideal soil temperature for germination is between 60 and 85°F (16-29°C).

Baby beets are ready early and are versatile in containers and raised beds. Harvest the beets early at one to three inches in diameter for the best flavor and texture. Both the roots and leafy tops are rich in vitamins and minerals, including A, C, iron, potassium, and folic acid, with antioxidant benefits.

Parsnips ‘All America’

	botanical name Pastinaca sativa subsp. sativa ‘All America’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 12″

Parsnips are compact root vegetables, but they’re long-maturing, developing in about 100 to 125 days. These suit a late summer/early fall sowing in mild climates for a winter harvest. In colder climates, sow them in spring or earlier in the summer.

Parsnips sweeten after a few freezes. Harvest in the fall after temperatures drop for the best flavor. For germination, 50 to 70°F (10-21°C) soils are optimal.

‘All America’ is a strong heirloom performer with nutty roots that store well through winter.

Sweet, earthy parsnips are easy culinary additions, roasted, mashed, and in stir-fries. The vegetables are high in vitamins B, C, E, and K, as well as folate, potassium, and dietary fiber.

As versatile as their carrot relatives, parsnips are a centuries-old crop and an underutilized seasonal delicacy. The compact root vegetables grow well in the ground, containers, and raised beds.

Turnip ‘Purple Top White Globe’

	botanical name Brassica rapa ‘Purple Top White Globe’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 14-22″

‘Purple Top White Globe’ is a European heirloom and classic turnip. Showy, it has purple shoulders above the soil and creamy white skin underneath. 

The roots reach two to six inches in diameter, ready for picking at any point (about 50 days). Use these easy turnips mashed, roasted, as fries, or fresh. The fall crop withstands light frost.

Beet ‘Golden Boy’

	botanical name Beta vulgaris ‘Golden Boy’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 12-18″

‘Golden Boy’ in sunny, golden orange has a mild, sweet flavor that’s best when young. Orange selections have a less earthy taste than their red relatives and are worth adding to the root veggie lineup, especially for those looking for a mild culinary addition. Golds also lack the staining juices of the reds for convenient slicing and cleanup.

‘Golden Boy’ bears firm, well-formed roots with orange skins and flesh. Bright green leaves have sturdy, upright gold-to-creamy white stems. The three-inch rounds mature in 45 to 60 days.

Radish ‘Mantanhong Watermelon’

	botanical name Raphanus sativus ‘Mantanhong Watermelon’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3″

The shorter day length of the cool season triggers root development for these favorite Chinese winter radishes, making them optimal root vegetables for August sowing. The greenish exterior gives way to a striking magenta interior, like a petite slice of the summer melon. With a mild flavor, the beautiful root is tasty raw, pickled, or cooked.

‘Mantanhong Watermelon’ produces three-inch rounds that can weigh up to one pound each. The frost-tolerant crop is ready to harvest in 65 days.