August Garden Guide - What To Plant In August

Planting Ideas for August

Get a printable checklist PDF version of this guide to keep you on track, via email HERE.

Check out the video version of this guide on my YouTube channel: 

It is still very hot outside during the month of August. Many gardeners are experiencing extreme heat with either very dry weather (west coast states) or very rainy weather (like here in Florida). Only the toughest plants will survive and continue to produce. It is also time to start planning your fall garden, gathering seeds/plants, sow seeds indoors, and prepare growing spaces.

What To Plant In August

Summer Squash, Winter Squash, & Pumpkins

August is an excellent time to direct sow squash seeds if you garden in an area with high disease and pest pressure. Planting in the fall takes advantage of the natural decline in pests and diseases.

• If you have around five months before your first winter frost, you can choose any squash variety since there's plenty of time before the cold arrives.
• For colder climates, where the first frost date is in November or early December, I recommend early maturing or smaller fruiting varieties such as delicata, honeyboat, early patty pan, grey zucchini, and white Lebanese. This ensures you can harvest before it gets too cold.
• If you struggle to grow squash or pumpkins because of the worms or squash vine borer, pick cultivars in the Curcubitae Moschata family. This group has thicker and harder stems that make it more difficult for pests such as squash bugs and vine borers to get into. Here are some of my favorites in this group: Seminole pumpkin, calabaza, Lunga di Napoli, Musquee de Provence, butternut, and tromboncino rampicante. I
• Use spinosad or BT spray to control worms and other chewing insects. Find the spinosad and BT from Amazon HERE.
• Try growing Chayote which thrives in the heat and can be substituted for zucchini.

Check out my How to Grow Squash and Zucchini From Seed YouTube video tutorial:

Cucumbers

Its time to direct sow seeds for all types of cucumbers. Or sow seeds indoors in 4 inch pots. 

• If you want to grow extra tough, disease resistant cultivars, then pick Asian cultivars like Suyo Long, Sooyow Nishiki, China Jade, and Japanese Long.
• If you want to grow cucumbers best for pickling, choose Boston Pickling, Wisconsin SMR 58, or Parisian Gherkin.
• If you get powdery mildew or other leaf diseases - Spray with 1 cup hydrogen peroxide per gallon of water.
• Spray with BT or spinosad to control the worms. 
• Some cucumbers are described as "gynoecious" which means it only produces female flowers. Some cucumbers are described as "parthenocarpic" which means all of the female flowers self pollinate. These varieties are very productive. Examples of some heirloom parthenocarpic varieties include Beit Alpha and China Jade. 
• Below I list some cucumber alternatives. I recommend these if you're having a hard time growing cucumbers because they are extra tough plants and can be substituted for cucumbers. 

Cucumber Cultivar Recommendations

Asian: China Jade, Sooyow Nishiki, Suyo Long, Tokiwa, Japanese Long

Disease Resistant Hybrids: Diva, China Long, Calypso, Tasty Green

Market: Beit Alpha, Marketmore, Spacemaster, Straight Eight

Pickling: Boston Pickling, Wisconsin SMR 58, Parisian Pickle, National Pickling

Cucumber Alternatives: Cucamelon, Indian Snake Cucumber, West Indian Gherkin, Metki

*** HUGE note about sowing seeds for SQUASH AND CUCUMBERS right now during the month of August*** I highly recommend that you start seeds indoors. The pests will chew up your tender seedlings very quickly. Starting them indoors will protect them from the high pest and disease pressure situation that is present outside during the summer. If you're in Florida, all of the rain causes growth of pathogens like molds and fungus that spread through the air and easily infect seedlings. The situation outside is not a nice clean and safe environment for seedlings right now.

Check out my How to Grow Cucumbers from seed to harvest YouTube video tutorial:

Beans

• Start direct sowing seeds for bush or pole green beans. Some of my favorites include Rattlesnake Pole Beans, Blue Lake Bush Beans, Purple Podded pole beans, and Golden Wax bush beans. 
• August is the last chance to direct sow seeds for yard long beans, winged beans, southern peas, and cow peas. This is to ensure a harvest before it gets too cold. 

Check out my how to grow yard long beans from seed to harvest YouTube video tutorial:

Alliums - Onions & Leeks

If you live in a mild winter climate with minimal frost and no snow, you grow onions and leeks during the fall, winter, and spring.

• These plants take a long time to germinate and reach transplant size, so I like to give them 3 to 4 months.
• My target date to transplant them into the garden is October or November, so I start sowing seeds in July, with August being my last chance.
• I fill a 10x20 tray with drainage holes with seed starting mix and heavily sprinkle onion or leek seeds. Once they germinate and grow over 6 inches tall, I gently pull them apart, and have a ton of onions ready to transplant.

How to grow onions from seed tutorial HERE. 

Brassicas Family (broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, etc...) 

It is time to sow seeds for these types of crops, but indoors only. This family of veggies is very sensitive to heat. It will stunt the growth of their seedlings and they might never recover. Sow 2 seeds per 4 inch container. I do not like sowing seeds for brassicas in smaller containers because they easily get root bound which will also stunt their growth. Start fertilizing when they grow their first set of true leaves, with an all purpose liquid fertilizer at half strength of whatever the directions say. By October these crops should be a nice transplant size.

I have tutorials on a lot of brassica crops that teach you how to grow them from seed.

How to grow broccoli from seed to harvest HERE.

How to grow cauliflower from seed to harvest HERE.

How to grow cabbage from seed to harvest HERE.

How to grow Napa cabbage from seed to Harvest HERE.

How to grow Piracicaba Brazilian Sprouting broccoli (best broccoli for hot climates) HERE. 

Okra

If you have a solid 4-5 months before your average first frost date, or if you don't get frost at all, you can direct sow seeds or transplant okra right now. This is most likely in zones 10 and above. Okra starts producing about 3 months after sowing and will continue to produce for many weeks. I like to have 1 or 2 months of harvest time, which is why I recommend having 4-5 months.

Flowers

These are my recommendations on flowers that handle the heat, pests, and diseases pretty well during the summer. Amaranth, zinnias, sunflowers, cosmos, moonflowers, celosia, blanket flower, lantana, salvia, sage, Thai Double Blue Butterfly Pea, Calendula, African Blue basil, morning glory, and marigolds.

• Direct sow these seeds, just make sure you keep the soil area moist to aid in germination.
• I recommend that you start the Thai Double Blue Butterfly Pea in solo cups. Its a little slow growing so its best to start in pots/containers where you can monitor it more closely.

Check out my how to grow sunflowers from seed to bloom YouTube video tutorial:

Herbs

It is time to sow seeds for all sorts of herbs so they are nice transplant size by the end of September/October.

• Traditional herbs like basil, cilantro (yes cilantro does not like extreme heat), fennel, or sage do not like the extreme heat situation that is outside right now. I recommend to sow seeds for these indoors if you can.
• If your garden zones 9 and up, continue planting tropical, heat loving herbs: Thai basil, mint, agastache (Korean Mint), green onions, bay leaf, Cuban oregano, lemon grass, papalo, pandan, and garlic chives.
• If you're in zones 9 and up, keep planting gingers like regular culinary ginger, shampoo ginger (also called Awapuhi), turmeric, and galangal. I prefer to grow them in containers or grow bags since they spread easily through underground rhizomes. Plus, it makes harvesting much easier— I can just flip the bag over. You can find plants for all of these on my website.
• If you're in garden zones 7 and below, it's best to wait until spring to plant any herbs. This way, they have the longest growing period—spring, summer, and fall—unless you plan to bring them indoors for the winter.

Watch my How to Grow Shampoo Ginger YouTube video tutorial:

Greens

• Sow Molokhia & New Zealand Spinach from seed. Can direct sow or start in pots. 
• If your in garden zones 8 and up - continue planting heat tolerant leafy greens: Longevity Spinach, Okinawan Spinach, Katuk, Malabar Spinach, Yerba Mate, Chaya, Sisso Spinach, Surinam spinach, sweet potato leaves, and South Sea Salad Tree. 
• Garden zones 7 and below can direct sow seeds for lettuce, spinach, and Swiss chard. 

Corn

Direct sow seeds for corn to get one last crop before it gets too cold. 

• I recommend early maturing varieties that produce a harvest in less than 75 days. 
• Use spinosad to control the corn ear worm. Find the spinosad from Amazon HERE. 
• Fertilize with something high in nitrogen and water consistently to get rapid growth. 

Check out my How to Grow Corn From Seed to Harvest Guide on my YouTube channel HERE.

Tropical Fruit Crops

If you are in zones 9 and up, you can still plant fruit trees and plants right now, so they get a little established before winter arrives. Here are some ideas: Pineapples, papayas, Barbados cherry, Grumichama, Jamaican strawberry tree, ice cream bean, bananas, plantains, passionfruit, blackberries, mysore raspberries, mango, avocado, lychee, muscadine grapes, mulberries, low cold chill hour peaches, nectarines, and plums.

• Keep them watered until they are established. If you're located in a rainy area, then just monitor these newly planted trees/plants to make sure they don't dry out.

Check out my "How to grow Barbados Cherry" YouTube tutorial.

Check out my how to grow pineapples video tutorial here:

Check out my how to grow muscadine grapes tutorial here:

Ground Cherries aka Gooseberry aka Physalis

Direct sow seeds or start in 4 inch pots.

• Seeds require light to germinate. Because of this I like to start them in 4 inch pots so I can place them under a strong light. Do not cover the seeds with soil. They are ready to transplant once the root system takes over the whole pot. 

Sweet Potatoes