What Plants to Plant in August: 25 Best for Fall Garden
August is here and you may be wondering what plants to plant in August to ensure a fall harvest.
We’ve got the scoop on the top 25 plants that grow in autumn, adding color, and a harvest basket full of fresh produce to your garden.
The growing season for your plants will depend on the ideal time it takes for them to grow and flourish in the hot or cooler months.
Your summer garden might consist more of tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers.
August is actually an excellent time to start planting kale in your garden.
From leafy green to root vegetables, flowers, and even some fruit.
Your garden should be always developing into new features, this is just a great place to start.
Here’s a list of vegetables and plants for you to add to your garden.
Kale
The best time of the year to plant your Kale is late summer – early August. The cooler weather of early fall helps this leafy green proliferate.
Just sow seeds in fertile, well-drained soil under full sun. Later plantings in the early winter of Kale will give you the harvest you are looking for.
You’ll be adding homegrown kale to your fall garden menu before you know it!
Chrysanthemums
Chrysanthemums, known to the world as ‘mums’, come next, and both petunias and spider mums are a great boon for any garden that needs color in August.
Actually, this is a perfect time of year to plant them in your beds in August.
Just make sure you allow plenty of time for the roots to establish before the frost.
These beauties prefer sunny spots with moist soil.
Pansies
‘Mums’ might make your garden bed lush, but don’t discount pansies planted in August.
Late August is a good choice for a planting date. Pansies offer a unique color to your autumn harvest and thrive in cooler temperatures.
Their survival skills during dry spells make them stand out.
Radishes
Radishes still grow in cool late-summer soil, so slip a handful into your August planting agenda.
They’re quick-growing crops, perfect for fall vegetable gardening. Grab a seed packet and sow them square foot by square foot.
The growing time is short, so you’ll have young plants by late fall. With this good start, they’ll survive till the hard freeze.
Radishes are a rewarding choice!
Ornamental Cabbage
Shifting gears, ornamental cabbage, a beautiful and cold-hardy plant, is best planted in August.
Plant seeds trays of fresh compost in late spring or early summer and they love partial shade.
Parsley, chervil, and coriander all turn your winter garden into a kaleidoscope of green as soon as the first frost date hits.
By the time August rolls around you will have fresh cabbage.
They grow in cooler months when you want a crop for winter harvest, so get some ornamental cabbage going in August!
Swiss Chard
Another option for your August planting season is the sturdy Swiss Chard, a versatile leafy green that can add a touch of color to your vegetable garden.
Swiss Chard likes the hot weather, but it will also grow in dry weather with row covers.
It’s a fast-growing crop, an easy way to fill your summer months. Plant it in warm soil for best results as it prefers cool weather.
Snapdragon
Make sure to add some Snapdragons to your August planting: as the name suggests, they include tiny flowers styled like dragons, and they make for a vivid splash of color wherever you might place them.
These hardy annuals work best in the month of August opposed to the summer heat and colder months.
If you still have time before early spring, you’ll want to sow these winter crops.
Get some protection for the seeds – either a cold frame or a hoop house will work.
Lettuce
Set a few heads of lettuce in your garden beds now, in August, and within a month or so, you will have fresh crisp eaters for salads.
If you’re looking for a hearty annual to add late-season plantings, lettuce is a late-season crop that should be on your crops list.
With fertile soil and enough garden space lettuce is a great vegetable to have in the fall!
It’ll do well until early next winter, so plant more for next year.
Cyclamen
Moving off the vegetable parade, it would be nice to add some lovely cyclamen in August.
But unlike root vegetables or cover crops, cyclamen need little time to bloom, so they are ideal for covering bare spots and perform best in warmer zones.
So it’s a good idea to get started on these!
Plant them today – by next year you’ll be reaping the rewards. You’ll waste less time waiting and more time appreciating!
Spinach
Spinach is an excellent addition to your August garden as it can be used for multiple purposes: salad, soup, or vitamins.
It goes great with green onions, brussels sprouts, and bush beans.
You can spice it up with mustard greens or bok choy. And for a colorful touch, plant it near a ‘little finger’ or black-eyed susans.
Your fall garden will be the envy of the neighborhood!
Violas
Beyond salad greens, violas for your August garden.
These tough plants can bear the chill of fall, adding splashes of color to a time of year when most flowers have faded.
You’ll be tickled with pink, purple, or white violas that come in many hues!
This live plant is easy to care for, they add a happy balance to the end of summer.
Mustard Greens
If you plant your mustard greens in the middle of August, you will have a crop that is healthy and easy to grow and is also well-suited to the cooler months.
You’ll love how these leafy greens sprout in just a few days.
They’re not only tasty but also packed with vitamins.
So, don’t wait! It’s a great way to get your green thumb ready and add some mustard greens to your fall garden.
Asters
Do you want flowers that add a splash of color and life? Asters are your August garden’s next purchase.
These sun-loving perennials are about as easy as you can get with fall flowers, so don’t miss out on them.
Plus, they’re butterfly magnets! Just envision the fluttering wings adding to the autumn ambiance.
A top tip is to make sure you keep them watered and hydrated so they can flourish.
Broccoli
If you’re looking to spruce up your vegetable garden this August, don’t overlook broccoli.
This hearty veggie loves cooler temperatures and is perfect for a fall harvest.
This is the best option if you love a high vitamin and the distinctive taste of a vegetable.
Plus, it’s versatile in the kitchen.
Sweet Peas
Sweet peas are fast-growing crops that don’t take much time and are a great vegetable to have.
A pleasure to grow, these beauties bloom through the fall.
They’re not just pretty faces either, sweet peas are packed with protein. Plant them now and by fall, you’ll be saying ‘Peas please!’
Just remember, they’re climbers, so give them a trellis to play on!
Carrots
The carrot is generally overlooked in planning the August garden of the city dweller: but this root vegetable, the workhorse of the kitchen garden, is well worth growing in pots or boxes.
Easy to sow and cultivate, sweet and nutritious, it will yield plenty of useful greens for cooking when summer turns cool and the mowing is done.
As one of the best vegetables, carrots can add a unique flavor to any meal! Plus the planting dates can range from summer to fall.
Dianthus
Another for your August garden is Dianthus, a display of pink and crimson variegation.
These fiery flowers love the sun and aren’t fussy about soil. They’re also great at repelling pests.
So, get your gloves on, dig a hole, and pop in a Dianthus. You’ll soon have a garden that’s bursting with color and charm.
Arugula
And if you’re planting your fall garden in August, include some arugula, a selection from the cool-weather greens range that can perk up late-season salads with a spicy note.
This robust veggie is easy to grow and quick to harvest.
And the best part? You’ll get a salad bar right in your backyard!
Marigolds
Ever thought about adding a pop of color to your garden with marigolds?
Plant them in August when it’s warm, and they’ll grow readily and flower till frost.
Plus, marigolds can deter pests, a bonus for your other plants. So, why not add some sunshine to your garden?
Just remember, no rush to plant turnips, we’ll talk about those next!
Turnips
It might be swelteringly hot in August, but this is the right time to sow your turnips.
You’ll love their earthy taste in hearty fall soups and stews.
Stick ’em in the ground, then pull them up a few weeks later, tops and all. You can replant more the following year if you enjoy them!
Turnips are easy-going veggies that aren’t picky about soil, so give them a go!
Alyssum
August’s warmth is a good time for you to plant Alyssum in your garden.
This sun-loving little sweet-smelling flower flowers into fall, and creates a carpet of color.
You’ll love its honey-like aroma and the butterflies it attracts.
If you plant Alyssum, you can enjoy a flower-filled garden – and a myriad of colorful butterflies.
Now isn’t that a sweet deal?
Cauliflower
Moving from flowers to vegetables, cauliflower is a relatively easy, cool-season crop to grow and you can start planting it in August.
It’s a real champ in the garden, thriving in cooler weather.
You’ll love its crisp, creamy heads, just perfect for your fall salads. Cauliflower are super spreaders, so don’t let them overcrowd.
It’s time to bring on the cauliflower power!
Parsnips
Parsnips are a hearty root vegetable that’s ideal for an August planting.
They’re adaptable, thriving in cooler climates and even sweetening up after a frost.
Plant some parsnips. Put on your gardening gloves, take the trowel, and seed your parsnips.
Come fall, you’ll be enjoying a bumper crop of these tasty, versatile veggies.
Stock
Stock plants, also known as Matthiola incana, are popular flowering plants that are great for the end of August.
They are known for their beautiful, fragrant flowers and are commonly grown in flower beds and as cut flowers.
This hardy plant offers a delightful scent and an array of vibrant colors.
It’s simple to grow but needs a sunny spot to flourish.
Peas
Peas are a great vegetable to plant and you can even start them off in seed trays.
You’ll love how these little green gems sprout in the fall’s cooler temperatures.
Just make sure you have enough time to plant them and if not you will ave to wait until next spring.
They’re super easy to grow and even easier to enjoy. You’ll have a great time planting and eating these peas!
Fall Garden Plants
Plant anything from succulent kale to pretty pansies for your patio for a bountiful autumn harvest in August.
Red radishes, cool cauliflowers – not to mention parsnip! This list of crops and flowers will help you get started on your fall garden zone.
But put on your garden gloves, and you’ll be raising veggies and flowers in your backyard like the blooming hungry herbivore you are.
Now’s your last chance to get your planting times down pat.
Happy planting, and to a bountiful harvest this fall!
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