August is a great time to plant seeds for a second gardening season that can be as productive as your major early spring plantings. Late summer is perfect for a delicious fall vegetable and herb harvest. Here are some flower, vegetable, and herb varieties that are great to start planting in August based on the Hardiness Zone that you live in:
Zone 3-8:
- Spinach: Spinach is more of a cool weather vegetable and is great to sow in August for a tasty fall harvest.
- Beans: Early August is the last practical sowing date for both bush and pole beans now that the soil and air are warmed up.
Zone 3-9:
- Cucumbers: Starting vine or bush cucumbers in August will lead to a delicious fall harvest.
- Herbs: Arugula, basil, chives, cilantro, dill, lemon balm, lemongrass (from transplants), and oregano (from transplants) .
Zone 3-10:
- Cover Crops: A great way to add nutrients to your soil for the following year is by growing fall/winter cover crops this fall. Start in August so they get some good growth before winter comes.
Zone 6a:
- Kohlrabi, spinach, Swiss chard, parsley (if you can find plants), and bunching onions.
In addition to the above, other vegetables and flowers that can be planted in August include kale, black-eyed Susans, mint, cleomes, carrots, snapdragons, peas, marigolds, and asters. When planting in August, its important to pay attention to how long plants take to reach maturity before you put them in the ground. Some plants, like corn, take a long time to mature, and if planted too late in the growing season, the plants will die when frost hits.
