What to Plant in August USA
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What to plant in August in the USA depends entirely on your zone — this page answers it for every band. August is the fall-planting month. Direct sow fall greens and roots, transplant fall brassicas, and in the hot band start the fall tomato and pepper crop. Count backward from your first frost date before sowing anything.
August planting by region
| Band | Sow outdoors | Start indoors | Plant out | Harvest now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cold band USDA zones 3-5 |
Fall spinach, lettuce, radish, turnips and fast greens. | Little — the season is closing. | Fall brassica transplants early month. | Tomatoes, peppers, beans, corn, zucchini, onions, potatoes. |
|
Mild band USDA zones 6-7 |
Fall carrots, beets, spinach, lettuce, radish, turnips. | Overwintering brassicas. | Fall brassica transplants. | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, beans, corn, melons. |
|
Hot band USDA zones 8-10 |
Fall greens late month; beans and squash for a fall crop. | Fall tomatoes and peppers. | Fall brassica transplants in shade. | Okra, southern peas, melons, sweet potatoes, peppers. |
August garden jobs
- Work out your first frost date and subtract each crop's days to maturity.
- Sow fall greens where summer crops have finished.
- Keep watering — August drought stress ruins fall crops before they establish.
- Order garlic now for autumn planting; good cultivars sell out.
- Save seed from your best-performing open-pollinated plants.
Common August mistakes
- Sowing fall crops too late to mature before frost.
- Assuming the garden is finished — August planting is what fills October.
- Letting fall brassica seedlings dry out during establishment.
- Leaving diseased summer foliage in place to overwinter pathogens.
Turn August's jobs into a written plan. The USA Vegetable Garden Planner (printable PDF) has frost-date planning pages, bed layouts, crop rotation, a sowing log and a harvest tracker — 74 printable pages.
More USA planting guides
- What to plant in July USA
- What to plant in September USA
- Vegetable Planting Calendar USA
- Vegetable Growing Guides for the USA
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I plant in August in the USA?
Fall greens, spinach, lettuce, radish, turnips, carrots and beets, plus fall brassica transplants. In zones 8-10 August also starts the fall tomato and pepper crop.
How do I know if it is too late to plant?
Add the crop's days to maturity to today's date, then add about two weeks for slower fall growth. If that lands after your first frost, choose a faster crop.
Is August too late for beans?
In zones 7 and warmer, usually not — a 55-day bush bean sown in early August generally makes it. In zones 3-5 it is too late.
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 USA Vegetable Garden Planner (printable PDF, 74 pages). For the full year, see the USA vegetable planting calendar, browse every crop in the USA growing guides, or use the USA 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.