What to plant in August in zone 3

USDA zone 3 has winter lows of -40 to -30°F, a typical last spring frost around May 15 and first fall frost around Sep 15, roughly 120 frost-free days. August is the "fall garden season" there.

8 crops have a sowing or planting window this month, including chervil, mustard greens, spinach, tatsoi, turnip, arugula - and 7 of those windows close during August.

Dates come from the typical frost dates of USDA zone 3 (last frost May 15, first frost Sep 15). A zone covers many climates, so for dates tuned to your town use the planting calendar, or pick your state below.

Fall garden seasonSow or plant: 8Start indoors: 0Harvesting: 71

Zone 3: planting activity through the year

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Frost riskFrost-free: May 15 – Sep 15

Bars count the vegetables, herbs and fruit with a sowing or planting window in each month, from the state’s average frost dates. 8 have one in August; the busiest month is May (91).

Last chance in August

Chervil (sow for a fall crop, by Aug 4) · Mustard Greens (sow for a fall crop, by Aug 4) · Spinach (sow for a fall crop, by Aug 4) · Tatsoi (sow for a fall crop, by Aug 4) · Turnip (sow for a fall crop, by Aug 4) · Arugula (sow for a fall crop, by Aug 11) · Watercress (sow for a fall crop, by Aug 11)

For fall and winter harvests (8)

Sowings counted back from zone 3's first fall frost, so the crop matures before the cold - or, for garlic and similar, planted after it.

Crop	What to do	Window	This month
Chervil	Sow for a fall crop	Jul 18 – Aug 4	Last chance - ends Aug 4
Mustard Greens	Sow for a fall crop	Jul 18 – Aug 4	Last chance - ends Aug 4
Spinach	Sow for a fall crop	Jul 18 – Aug 4	Last chance - ends Aug 4
Tatsoi	Sow for a fall crop	Jul 18 – Aug 4	Last chance - ends Aug 4
Turnip	Sow for a fall crop	Jul 18 – Aug 4	Last chance - ends Aug 4
Arugula	Sow for a fall crop	Jul 25 – Aug 11	Last chance - ends Aug 11
Watercress	Sow for a fall crop	Jul 25 – Aug 11	Last chance - ends Aug 11
Radish	Sow for a fall crop	Aug 1 – Aug 18	Aug 1 – Aug 18

Harvesting in August

First harvests expected this month from crops sown or planted on time earlier in the season.

Cabbage · Jun 23 – Aug 2 Radicchio · Jun 30 – Aug 9 Tarragon · Jul 7 – Aug 6 Potato · Jul 10 – Aug 29 Fennel (Bulb) · Jul 12 – Aug 6 Mint · Jul 17 – Aug 6 Lemon Balm · Jul 17 – Aug 6 Cucumber · Jul 18 – Aug 7 Okra · Jul 18 – Aug 2 Tomato · Jul 21 – Aug 15 Sweet Corn · Jul 21 – Aug 30 Sweet Marjoram · Jul 21 – Aug 10 Onion · Jul 23 – Aug 22 Shallot · Jul 23 – Aug 22 Bitter Melon · Jul 23 – Aug 12 Malabar Spinach · Jul 23 – Aug 7 Endive & Escarole · Jul 25 – Aug 9 Bell Pepper · Jul 28 – Aug 27 Zucchini / Summer Squash · Jul 28 – Aug 29 Southern Pea (Cowpea) · Jul 28 – Aug 27 Thyme · Jul 29 – Aug 13 Sage · Jul 29 – Aug 13 Brussels Sprouts · Jul 30 – Aug 29 Ground Cherry · Jul 31 – Aug 20 Sunflower · Jul 31 – Aug 30 Shiso (Perilla) · Jul 31 – Aug 20 Lima Bean · Aug 2 – Sep 1 Cucamelon · Aug 2 – Aug 12 Oregano · Aug 3 – Aug 13 Broccoli · Aug 5 – Sep 16 Cauliflower · Aug 5 – Sep 21 Edamame (Soybean) · Aug 5 – Aug 30 Tomatillo · Aug 5 – Aug 30 Chili Pepper · Aug 7 – Sep 6 Cantaloupe / Muskmelon · Aug 7 – Aug 27 Watermelon · Aug 7 – Sep 6 Bush Bean · Aug 9 – Sep 5 Kale · Aug 9 – Sep 10 Eggplant · Aug 9 – Aug 29 Leek · Aug 9 – Sep 28 Winter Squash · Aug 10 – Sep 9 Lettuce · Aug 10 – Sep 26 Bok Choy / Pak Choi · Aug 15 – Sep 16 Mizuna · Aug 15 – Sep 11 Swiss Chard · Aug 16 – Sep 12 Parsnip · Aug 16 – Sep 15 Napa Cabbage · Aug 16 – Sep 27 Mustard Greens · Aug 17 – Sep 18 Cilantro / Coriander · Aug 18 – Sep 29 Carrot · Aug 19 – Sep 25 Salsify · Aug 19 – Sep 28 Pumpkin · Aug 20 – Sep 19 Dill · Aug 20 – Sep 26 Rosemary · Aug 20 – Sep 19 Rapini (Broccoli Raab) · Aug 20 – Sep 26 Pea · Aug 21 – Sep 22 Collard Greens · Aug 21 – Sep 27 Tatsoi · Aug 22 – Sep 23 Beet · Aug 23 – Sep 29 Radish · Aug 23 – Sep 17 Celery · Aug 23 – Oct 2 Celeriac · Aug 23 – Sep 12 Spinach · Aug 24 – Sep 18 Arugula · Aug 24 – Sep 20 Kohlrabi · Aug 25 – Sep 26 Mache (Corn Salad) · Aug 25 – Sep 26 Turnip · Aug 27 – Oct 3 Chervil · Aug 27 – Oct 3 Luffa (Loofah Gourd) · Aug 27 – Oct 26 Rutabaga · Aug 28 – Sep 24 Peanut · Aug 30 – Oct 19

Fall garden season: August garden jobs in zone 3

The average first frost is September 15, about 4 weeks away. Pick tender crops (tomatoes, peppers, squash, beans) before it, or cover them on cold nights.
Still time to sow or plant: chervil, mustard greens, spinach, tatsoi, turnip, arugula. Fast greens and radishes are the safest bets this late.
Row cover buys 4-6°F of frost protection and weeks of extra harvest - see season extension.
Pull finished crops and sow a cover crop (cereal rye or crimson clover) into empty beds before the soil gets cold.

Questions gardeners ask

What can I plant in zone 3 in August?

8 crops have a window in August: chervil, mustard greens, spinach, tatsoi, turnip, arugula, watercress, radish. The tables above give the exact dates for each.

When are the last and first frost in zone 3?

The typical last spring frost is around May 15 and the first fall frost around Sep 15. These are broad zone averages, so your own town can be a week or two either side: look yours up by ZIP code in the planting calendar.

What can I harvest in zone 3 in August?

From plantings made on time: cabbage, radicchio, tarragon, potato, fennel (bulb), mint, lemon balm, cucumber, okra, tomato.

August in states with land in zone 3

Alaska Colorado Idaho Maine Minnesota Montana New Hampshire New York North Dakota South Dakota Vermont Wisconsin Wyoming

Zone 3 in other months

February March April May June July September October Zone 3 overview →

What to plant in August in other zones

Zone 4 Zone 5 Zone 6 Zone 7 Zone 8 Zone 9 Zone 10 All states →

Dates are computed from the zone’s typical frost dates and each crop’s timing in our crop database. Your garden may be a week or two either side.