What to Plant in August in Your Vegetable Garden

Last Updated: July 31, 2024
As August approaches, many gardeners wonder what steps they can take to ensure their gardens continue to thrive and produce well into the fall. It’s a common misconception that the planting season ends with the start of summer. However, August is a prime time to add a second wave of crops to your vegetable garden. Whether you’re looking to extend the harvest season or maximize the use of your garden space, understanding what to plant in August can make all the difference.

Although many of the summer crops are coming to end at this time of year, August is the perfect time to grow many other vegetables.

With the temperatures slowly decreasing, it opens up new opportunities to get in your cool season crops for a fall harvest.

What to Plant in August in Your Vegetable Garden

Here’s what you’ll learn from this post:

1. Late-Summer Planting Benefits: You will learn the advantages of August planting, such as quicker plant growth and reduced garden pests, leading to a more successful harvest.
2. Optimal August Plants: This post details which vegetables and flowers are best to plant in mid to late summer, providing a straightforward plan for extending gardening efforts.
3. Preparation and Timing: Insights into proper timing based on climate and frost dates, alongside garden preparation tips like soil replenishment and weed management, are covered to ensure successful late-season planting.
4. Extending the Harvest Season: This article teaches you strategies to prolong garden productivity and enjoy fresh produce into the fall, maximizing garden space and enhancing the gardening experience.

The Benefits of Late-Summer Planting

Late-summer planting comes with its unique benefits. Not only does it extend your garden’s productivity, but it can also lead to a more prolonged harvest, allowing you to enjoy fresh produce well into the fall.

• Faster Growth: Warmer soil temperatures in August accelerate germination and growth. This can help to jumpstart your plants without stressing them out from the heat.
• Pest Reduction: Many garden pests start to diminish by late summer. This means that plants will have an easier time growing and will not be decimated by pests. Aphid populations, which are one of the worst garden pests, will be reduced significantly as the season closes.

Learn more about the benefits of late-summer and fall planting at Mohawk College.ca

Timing and Temperature Considerations

Understanding your local climate and first frost date is paramount. These two things form the base of late summer and fall vegetable gardening.

• Count Backward: Use the expected first frost date and the maturity time of your crops to plan when to plant. For example, if your first frost date is October 1st, plant your carrots and beets roughly 4-6 weeks before that date (mid August).
• Microclimate Manipulation: Techniques like using row covers, cold frames, or planting in raised beds can extend your growing season. These provide summer crops protection from heat and fall crops protection from extreme cold.

Preparing Your Garden for August Planting

Prepping your garden properly can ensure your late-summer vegetables thrive. Follow these basic principles to prep your garden for late summer.

• Soil Replenishment: Add compost and a balanced organic fertilizer to replenish nutrients used by early-season crops. Previous summer crops, such as squash, tomatoes, and peppers, are heavy feeders, meaning they used a lot of the soil nutrients.
• Weed Management: Keeping weeds at bay will reduce competition for water and nutrients. Make sure to pull out weeds as soon as you see them. This will give you the best results.
• Mulching: Mulching helps to reduce weeds and watering, as well as blocking excessive sunlight from heating up the soil. Additionally, mulch insulates plants’ roots during the cooler months. All these reasons make mulch an excellent addition to your August garden.

What Vegetables to Plant in August

Selecting the right vegetables is crucial for late-summer planting. Here are some top picks that thrive when planted in August. To purchase any of the mentioned crops, simply click its name!

• Leafy Greens: Spinach, kale, and Swiss chard can flourish in the cooler temperatures that follow the peak summer heat. When given too much heat, these plants will turn bitter and bolt. But with the onset of fall, you can get a bountiful harvest in your backyard.
• Root Vegetables: Carrots, beets, and radishes enjoy the cooling soil and can be harvested in fall. The roots of these vegetables become sweeter with cooler temperatures. This gives you a better harvest for the same work. Amazing!
• Fast-Growing Veggies: Green beans and Tiny Tim tomatoes will produce quickly before the first frost. These vegetables varieties have short maturity times compared to other fruiting crops. That means you can still get a summer harvest as the season ends.

In my growing zone (5b), I can typically only get away with leafy greens and root crops planted at this time. Although, bush beans may work as well. I will have to try it.

Find your hardiness zone: Canada, USA, Europe, Africa.

Check out this video where I harvest French Breakfast radishes!

What Flowers to Plant in August

Not just vegetables, some hardy flowers can be sown in August to provide fall color and support pollinators. To purchase any of the mentioned varieties, simply click its name!

• Annuals for Fall Color: Marigolds, zinnias, and calendula can brighten up the garden into the fall. These flowers will mature quickly and thrive in the cooler temperatures of late summer and early fall.
• Perennials for Next Year: Planting perennials like echinacea and asters ensures early blooms next spring. The seeds of these flowers require a period of cold (cold stratification) to germinate in the spring. A late season planting ensure they receive this cold period.

Marigolds and calendula are my favourite flowers to plant at this time of year. I notice that they grow really well with the changing temperatures.

Discussion Questions

• What has been your most successful August planting? Let’s discuss below!
• Have any late-summer planting questions? Drop them in the comments!

Frequently Asked Questions

Even More Gardening Ideas

Here are a few more posts to get the ball rolling in your garden!

• What to Plant in May in Your Vegetable Garden
• How to Grow Peppers this Summer
• 10 Best Winter Vegetables to Grow

Products

For all-purpose organic fertilizers, check out Arber.

To buy organic, non-GMO lavender seeds, check out SeedsNow.

For a wide selection of perennial garden plants, check out Nature Hills Nursery.

For gardening equipment, check out Bootstrap Farmer

Conclusion

In summary, August presents a valuable chance to enrich your garden with vegetables, flowers, and herbs that flourish as summer ends and fall approaches. By selecting plants suited for late-season growth and accounting for your local climate, you can extend your harvest and add vibrant colors to your garden.

With the right preparation, the month of August can be a productive period, offering ongoing rewards from your gardening efforts.

Have you tried planting in August, or do you have any tips for late-summer gardening? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below, and don’t forget to share this post with fellow gardening enthusiasts. If you found this guide helpful, consider signing up for our newsletter for more gardening tips and tricks.

If you want to learn more about gardening, foraging, nature, and sustainability, check out The Real Gardener on Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest. 

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