What to Plant in August Canada
On this page
What to plant in August in Canada depends entirely on your zone — this page answers it for every band. August is harvest month and the last realistic planting month in Canada. Harvest garlic and onions and cure them properly, sow fast fall greens, and start watching the forecast — the first frost arrives in early September on the Prairies.
August planting by region
| Band | Sow outdoors | Start indoors | Plant out | Harvest now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Long season Zones 7-9 |
Fall spinach, lettuce, radish, turnips and Asian greens. | Overwintering brassicas. | Fall brassica transplants early month. | Tomatoes, peppers, beans, corn, zucchini, onions, garlic. |
|
Medium season Zones 4-6 |
Fast greens, radish, spinach early month. | Nothing. | Nothing. | Tomatoes, beans, zucchini, cucumbers, corn, onions, garlic. |
|
Short season Zones 2-3 |
Radish and fast greens in the first week only. | Nothing. | Nothing. | Peas, beans, zucchini, potatoes, carrots, early tomatoes. |
August garden jobs
- Lift and cure garlic and onions somewhere warm, dry and airy for two to three weeks.
- Count days to maturity against your first frost before sowing anything new.
- Keep harvesting to keep plants producing.
- Prepare row cover and low tunnels now, before you need them in a hurry.
- Order garlic for October planting.
Common August mistakes
- Sowing anything that cannot mature before the first frost.
- Curing garlic in full sun, which scalds the bulbs.
- Being caught without row cover when the first Prairie frost arrives.
- Leaving onions in the ground after the tops have fallen, which shortens storage life.
Turn August's jobs into a written plan. The Canada Vegetable Garden Planner (printable PDF) has frost-date planning pages, bed layouts, crop rotation, a sowing log and a harvest tracker — 70 printable pages.
More Canada planting guides
- What to plant in July Canada
- What to plant in September Canada
- Vegetable Planting Calendar Canada
- Vegetable Growing Guides for Canada
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I plant in August in Canada?
Only fast crops — radish, spinach, lettuce and Asian greens — and only where the season allows. In the long-season band you have until late August; on the Prairies, only the first week.
How do I cure garlic?
Hang or spread it somewhere warm, dry and well-ventilated but out of direct sun for two to three weeks, until the necks are dry and the wrappers papery.
When is the first frost in Canada?
Early to mid-September on the Prairies and in the North, late September to mid-October through Central Canada and the Maritimes, and early November on the Pacific coast.
Plan your August beds
Turn this month's list into a layout: sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner, then follow the whole season with the Canada Vegetable Garden Planner (printable PDF, 70 pages). For the full year, see the Canada vegetable planting calendar, browse every crop in the Canada growing guides, or use the Canada site directory.
Last updated 25 August 2026
Turn This Month's Jobs Into A Plan
Month-by-month advice works best when it becomes a written sowing list, bed plan, and follow-up task list.
Keep going
Plan the next step
Use the printable SoilCommander planner for your region to turn this guide into sowing dates, bed layouts and weekly garden tasks.