What to Plant in August in Zone 6
Here is what you can sow in August if you garden in USDA zone 6. Dates use typical zone 6 frosts, so your own microclimate may shift them by a week or two.
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| Crop | Window | Sow between |
|---|---|---|
| Squash, summerZucchini Dunja | spring | Apr 27 – Aug 10 |
| Bush BeanProvider | fall | Jul 1 – Aug 3 |
| CilantroCalypso | fall | Aug 1 – Sep 14 |
| ParsleyItalian Flat-Leaf | fall | Jul 15 – Aug 30 |
| Lettuce, leafSalad Bowl | fall | Aug 1 – Sep 30 |
| Lettuce, romaineChalupa | fall | Aug 1 – Sep 30 |
| Lettuce, headButtercrunch | fall | Aug 1 – Sep 14 |
| SpinachBloomsdale | fall | Aug 1 – Sep 19 |
| ArugulaAstro | fall | Aug 1 – Sep 30 |
| KaleDazzling Blue | fall | Jul 15 – Aug 30 |
| Swiss ChardBright Lights | fall | Jul 15 – Aug 30 |
| CollardsGeorgia Southern | fall | Jul 1 – Aug 30 |
| Mustard GreensFlorida Broadleaf | fall | Jul 20 – Aug 31 |
| CabbageTiara | fall | Jul 1 – Aug 15 |
| BroccoliBelstar | fall | Jul 1 – Aug 10 |
| CauliflowerSnow Crown | fall | Jul 1 – Aug 5 |
| KohlrabiWinner | fall | Jul 20 – Aug 20 |
| CarrotNapoli | fall | Jul 20 – Aug 15 |
| BeetDetroit Dark Red | fall | Jul 20 – Aug 20 |
| RadishCherry Belle | fall | Aug 1 – Sep 14 |
| TurnipPurple Top | fall | Jul 20 – Aug 25 |
| Onion, bulbTexas Legend | fall | Aug 20 – Oct 1 |
| Onion, bunchingEvergreen | fall | Jul 20 – Aug 30 |
| Brussels SproutsLong Island Improved | fall | Jul 1 – Aug 16 |
| Napa CabbageBlues F1 | fall | Jul 7 – Aug 16 |
| Bok ChoyJoi Choi F1 | fall | Jul 27 – Sep 5 |
| Rapini (Broccoli Raab)Zamboni F1 | fall | Jul 22 – Aug 31 |
| Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli)Crispy Blue | fall | Jul 17 – Aug 26 |
| TatsoiTatsoi | fall | Jul 22 – Sep 5 |
| MizunaMizuna Early | fall | Jul 27 – Sep 10 |
| Daikon RadishMiyashige | fall | Jul 27 – Sep 5 |
| EndiveFrisée Fine Maraîchère | fall | Jul 22 – Aug 26 |
| EscaroleBatavian Full Heart | fall | Jul 22 – Aug 26 |
| RadicchioPalla Rossa Mavrik | fall | Jul 12 – Aug 21 |
| SorrelProfusion | fall | Aug 1 – Sep 15 |
| WatercressCommon | fall | Aug 1 – Sep 15 |
| CeleryTango | fall | Jul 7 – Aug 6 |
| ParsnipHollow Crown | fall | Jul 2 – Aug 6 |
| LeekLincoln | fall | Jul 2 – Aug 20 |
| SalsifyMammoth Sandwich Island | fall | Jun 25 – Aug 6 |
| CeleriacPrinz | fall | Jul 9 – Aug 13 |
| RutabagaLaurentian | fall | Jul 2 – Aug 13 |
| Fennel, FlorenceOrion | fall | Jul 16 – Aug 20 |
| Strawberry, day-neutralAlbion | fall | Aug 16 – Sep 15 |
| DillFernleaf | fall | Aug 13 – Sep 24 |
| ChervilCurled | fall | Aug 20 – Oct 1 |
| Strawberry, June-bearingHoneoye | fall | Aug 16 – Sep 15 |
| Bean | fall | Jul 1 – Aug 3 |
| Lettuce | fall | Aug 1 – Sep 30 |
| Onion | fall | Aug 20 – Oct 1 |
| Calendula (Pot Marigold)Resina | fall | Aug 1 – Sep 14 |
| Mache (Corn Salad)Vit | fall | Aug 16 – Oct 5 |
| Cress, gardenCurled | fall | Aug 1 – Sep 30 |
Zone 6 in August
August in Zone 6: The Quick Greens Take Over From the Slow Crops
Seventeen new plantings open, and almost all of them are fast
August's new arrivals lean hard toward speed, though not all at the same pace: radish and cress are done in as little as 25 to 30 days, with arugula not far behind, while lettuce needs closer to 45 to 55 days and spinach 40 to 50. Even the slowest of that group fits comfortably inside the roughly 10 weeks left before Zone 6's mid-October frost. Slower crops like cabbage do not get a fresh opening this month, since anything needing more than 8 weeks is already too late to start from seed and still finish before frost risk sets in.
Strawberry crowns go in for next year, not this one
August is when Zone 6 growers get new strawberry crowns into the ground, day-neutral and June-bearing types alike, since a crown planted now has roughly 10 weeks to build root mass before the ground cools for winter, a full head start over a spring planting that spends its first weeks just getting established instead of growing. Set the crown so it sits level with the soil surface exactly, since burying it even an inch deep tends to rot the growing point before it ever leafs out.
Onion sets and bulb onions squeeze in behind the greens
Fall bulb onions and onion sets both open this month too, aiming to establish a root system before winter and resume growth early next spring, which typically produces a larger bulb than a spring-only planting manages. Space sets 4 inches apart and push them into loosened soil until just the tip shows, watering every 2 to 3 days for the first 2 weeks until roots take hold in soil still warm enough to encourage fast establishment.
August in zone 6: common questions
What can I plant in August in zone 6?+
In August, USDA zone 6 gardeners can sow Squash, summer, Bush Bean, Cilantro, Parsley, Lettuce, leaf, Lettuce, romaine, and more. Dates use typical zone 6 frosts, so your own microclimate may shift them by a week or two.
What USDA hardiness zone am I in?+
Zone 6 is one band of the map, but planting time is set by your local frost dates, not the zone number. Enter your ZIP code in the free planner and it uses your actual frost dates, which can differ by weeks within a single zone.
Are these August planting dates exact?+
They are typical zone 6 windows. Two gardens in the same zone can be a week or two apart because of elevation and local climate, so treat these as a starting point and tune them to your ZIP code with the free planner.