What Seeds Can You Plant in August?

There are still so many things you can grow from seed in your garden in the month of August. But here's the thing: We won't all be planting the same veggies to get ready for our fall gardens. It all comes down to when we can expect our first frost of the season.

So if you haven't already, look up the average first frost date in your town. We'll use this information to figure out what you can plant in your garden this month.

When Is Your First Frost Date?

September or early October

You're in colder climate if you can see frost in your near future. That means you've got just a little bit of time left in your warm season (when your temps are in the 60s, 70s, and 80s) before you head into your cool season (when your temps are in the 30s, 40s, and 50s).

Mid to Late October

You're in a mild climate if your first frost isn't until spooky season. You've still got a good period ahead of you to grow warm season crops, but you can start planting things that like cooler weather this month.

November or Beyond

Lastly, you're in a warmer climate if you're not expecting frost until November or December—maybe you don't even have frost in a typical winter. You are leaving your hot season (when your temps are in the 90s and above) behind soon and can begin planting your garden for your second warm season of the year. You won't be planting anything that likes cool weather anytime soon.

All right, now that you know a little more about your climate, let's look at what you can plant this month. We'll focus on the herbs, leafy greens, root crops, and fruiting plants that you can grow from seed in your kitchen garden to get harvests that look like this.

What to Plant in August in Colder Climates

If your frost date is quickly approaching in your neck of the woods, then you should begin filling your vegetable garden with cool season plants that can tolerate frost. Here are the best herbs, leafy greens, roots, and fruiting plants to grow.

Herbs

Cilantro, parsley, and dill will thrive as your temps drop.

Leafy Greens

You're entering the best season to grow leafy greens. If you sow seeds for kale and Swiss chard now, they'll be ready to cut in 45 to 60 days and continue growing past your first frost. You can also plant lettuces like spring mix and butterhead lettuce. The closer and closer you get to your frost date is when another leafy green, spinach, really shines.

Root Crops

Root crops that do great in the cool season include carrots, bunching onions, radishes, and beets.

Fruiting Plants

If you're looking for a productive fruiting plant to grow up a trellis as you head into your cool season, I recommend snap peas. They'll be ready to pick in about 60 to 75 days.

What to Plant in August in Mild Climates

If your first frost will be in mid to late October, then you've still got all of August, all of September, and part of October to grow warm season plants in your garden. You can begin tucking in some cool season plants near the end of August if you'd like.

Herbs

You can sow cilantro, parsley, dill, and even basil by seed. Your basil will be done once you have your first freeze, but the other herbs can keep growing. Your cilantro and dill plants will be happiest if you give them some shade during these last days of summer. This is also a great time to add any of the perennial herbs to your garden so they can get established before winter.

Leafy Greens

Kale and Swiss chard are two great greens to start right now. They're both biennials, which means they can last for two years in your climate before they go to seed. You can go ahead and grow these larger leafy greens even if your weather's not showing any signs of cooling down just yet.

Another green that you can grow right now is arugula. You may have to replant, but you'll be able to enjoy arugula well past your first frost.

Root Crops

Toward the end of the month, you can begin sowing seeds for carrots, onions, radishes, and beets. I recommend planting these underneath taller plants like peppers, kale, or eggplant. That way, these root crops will have some shade as they start to grow. Root crops generally like the soil to be a little cooler, so shade is your secret weapon to planting earlier.

Fruiting Plants

You've got just enough time before your first frost to grow bush beans, which take about 60 to 75 days to produce. These are the perfect plants to fill in any empty spots in your garden as you transition from your summer garden to your fall garden. If you have trellis space to fill, cucumbers are the perfect fruiting plant to grow in just 60 to 75 days.

What to Plant in August in Warmer Climates

If frost is not anywhere on the distant horizon, then August is a time to fill your garden with warm season plants. This means you'll be planting all the things you grew back in the spring, before your hot season kicked in.

Herbs

You've got plenty of time to grow basil, basil, and more basil. It's still a little too warm for cilantro, parsley, and dill.

Leafy Greens

You can go ahead and plant arugula, Swiss chard, and kale. These greens can hang in there even when it's hot outside. Another good leafy green for warmer weather is mizuna.

Root Crops

You actually have the opportunity to do a second set of potatoes (I know, they're tubers, not roots). Fall is a great time to grow potatoes in warmer gardening zones.

Fruiting Plants

You finally get to plant all the quintessential "summer crops" this month: cucumbers, pole beans, squash, zucchini. If you sow seeds for these veggies in August, you'll get to harvest them throughout the fall.

You can grow tomatoes from seedlings that you started yourself indoors or bought from the store. It's a little late to grow tomatoes from seed if you do get frost in November or December.

Plant These Vegetables in August to Start Your Fall Garden off Right!

There you have it! Those are all the wonderful, delicious plants you can start growing, no matter where you're gardening. Even if frost is on the way, we're nowhere near done growing for the season.

I can't wait to see all the vegetables you plant in August!