August brings a flurry of activity as fruits and vegetables ripen. After tending your garden by watering plants, fertilizing the soil, and even helping it beat sizzling heatwaves, you get to reap the rewards! Whether you plan to eat it fresh or store it for later, your August harvest is packed with delicious delights.
Discover the best fruits and vegetables that are ready to pick in August and learn how pros harvest them to make gathering your summer crops a breeze!
Summer Squash Is an August Delight
These veggies are versatile and delicious in the kitchen
Yellow zucchini summer squash on a vine
Summer squash (Cucurbita pepo) includes a range of crisp and refreshing vegetables such as vibrant green zucchinis, golden yellow straightneck squash, and scallop (pattypan) squash.
- Summer squash grows quickly and is ready to harvest about 55 days after you sow seeds.
- If you plant squash in June when temperatures reach 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, you can pick it in August.
- As a general rule, harvest zucchini at 7 to 8 inches long, straightneck squash at a diameter of 1½ to 2 inches, and scallop squash when it's 3 or 4 inches across.
Cut summer squash off the vine with a knife, keeping 1 inch of the stem attached to the squash.
Tomatoes Are a Summer Staple
Enjoy garden-fresh tomatoes all season long, even in August
A hand holding tomatoes growing on a vine
Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) take 52 to 90 days to grow. They're a classic summer crop and, for many, a must-have in any backyard garden.
- So, if you want to harvest tomatoes in August, start tomato seeds indoors about six to eight weeks before you get the last spring frost in your area.
- Then, transplant tomatoes outside around June, when temperatures are optimal for growing, between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Gently twist tomatoes to remove them from the plant when the fruit has its ripe color (red, yellow, or orange depending on the cultivar) and feels firm to the touch.
Blueberries Taste Like Summer Itself
Fresh and sweet, these berries deliver the right summery flavor
A gardener picking blueberries from a bush
Blueberries (Vaccinium sect. Cyanococcus) are a sweet summer treat that pair beautifuly with desserts and stand alone as a refreshing hot weather snack.
- Depending on where you are in the United States, their harvest season spans April to September.
- For example, in Minnesota, July kicks off blueberry harvesting, while in New Hampshire the height of the blueberry season is in August.
- After planting a blueberry bush, you'll only see a few berries in the first three years. Usually, it takes five years for the bush to produce a large amount.
- Encourage a larger yield and bigger berries by planting two or more blueberry cultivars like sweet-tasting 'Bluecrop' or large 'Northblue,' so they cross-pollinate.
Onions Go With Everything
Add these flavor-packed root veggies to all your food
A gardener harvesting spring onions
Cultivating onions (Allium cepa) takes three to four months. Their versatility in the kitchen is undisputed, as onions pair well with a huge variety of dishes and can be eaten both raw and cooked.
- Choose to grow them from seed or an onion set, which is a little onion bulb.
- Sow seeds like 'Early Yellow Globe' ½ inch deep, inside, about 6 weeks before the soil outside is 50 degrees Fahrenheit and warm enough for transplanting.
- Alternatively, plant onion sets like 'Sweet Sandwhich' in spring, when it's above 28 degrees Fahrenheit, and you can work the soil 1 to 2 inches deep.
- For an August harvest, start seeds in February and transplant in May, or plant onion sets in April.
Peppers Thrive in Summer Gardens
It's hard to go wrong with these versatile veggies
Jalapeño peppers growing in full sun.
Bell pepper and hot peppers (Capsicum) grow well in balmy summer weather when it's about 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit outside.
- Pepper varieties usually take around 100 to 120 days (three to four months) to grow from seed or 70 to 85 days when you cultivate pepper transplants.
- If you want to harvest peppers in August, start seeds indoors six to eight weeks before the last spring frost and then transplant them in May if it's above 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Wear gloves (for hot peppers) and use a sharp knife or pruning shears to cut the pepper stem when it feels firm and it has turned a rich deep green, a bright golden yellow, or a vivid ruby red, depending on the cultivar.
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PepperColor Chart |
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Green |
'Jalapeno M,' Shishito, Ancho |
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Yellow |
'Sunbright Yellow Bell,' Cornito Giallo |
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Red |
'Carolina Cayenne,' Piquillo, Cherry |
Cantaloupe Is a Sweet Summer Delight
Savor the delicious flavors of fresh garden cantaloupe
Cantaloupe fruits growing in a garden
Cantaloupe (Cucumis melo var. cantalupensis) is a mouthwatering fruit perfect for summer fruit salads.
- For best results, plant varieties with a short growing season like 'Goddess,' which grows in 68 days, or 'Accolade' and 'Atlantis,' which mature in 74 days.
- Sow seeds in May or June when the soil is 65 degrees Fahrenheit, so you can enjoy cantaloupe in mid to late August.
- Cantaloupe melons are ripe 35 to 45 days after you see flowers.
- Twist the melon off the vine when the skin is yellow and feels rough, and the stem browns.
Cucumbers Grow Quickly in Summer Gardens
A perfect ingredient for summer meals is right in your backyard
Person checking ripe cucumbers
Watch for ripe cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) 50 to 70 days after sowing cucumber seeds.
- Maturity varies by cultivar, 'Bush Crop' takes 55 days, and 'Bush Pickle' is ready in just 48 days, while 'Sweet Slice' grows over 63 days.
- Direct sow your seeds when the soil is at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit but ideally 70 degrees Fahrenheit, in late May or June for an August harvest.
- Use pruning shears to cut them off the vine when they are at least 2 inches long .
Sweet Corn Loves Summer Gardens
Add this quick-growing crop to your backyard for a tasty source of fresh food
Corn growing in the garden
Sweet corn (Zea mays) matures in 80 to 95 days. However, some cultivars grow faster.
- Prepare for an August harvest by planting sweet corn cultivars like 'Seneca' that grows in 64 days, or 'Ambrosia' that's ready in 75 days.
- Sow seeds once the soil is 60 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit, no later than May for a bite of sweet corn on the cob in mid to late August.
- Watch for silks which are fibers that look like threads.
- They form around the corn cob, underneath the green husk.
- You can usually see them poking out at the top of the 'ear' or cob of corn. After they show up, gather sweet corn 20 days later.
- Harvest when the silks brown and dry out by twisting and pulling the ear off the plant in a downward motion.
Apples Bring Taste and Beauty
Add fresh fresh in a pretty package to your backyard
People outside holding freshly picked apples in their hands
When August arrives, you can also harvest certain cultivars of apples on trees.
- 'Ginger Gold,' 'Gala,' and 'Mollie's Delicious' usually ripen from late July into August.
- When cultivating a new tree, you need patience.
- They take anywhere from two to eight years to bear fruit.
- Research your cultivar carefully before planting if you want to bite into a fresh apple (Malus domestica) sooner.
- Apple harvesting season lasts from August to October, according to the University of Minnestoa Extension.
Eggplants Grow Beautifully in Warm Weather
Grow these yummy veggies all summer long
'Fairy Tale' eggplant in a container garden.
Eggplants (Solanum melongena) can take 65 to 80 days when you cultivate transplants or 100 to 120 days to grow from seed, depending on your cultivar.
- They prefer warm temperatures of 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
- If you are planting close to August, choose varieties that mature fast like 'Santana,' a white eggplant that's ready in 80 days, or purple 'Epic' eggplants that grow in 64 days.
- For eggplants in August, pick a quick cultivar and start growing in June at the latest.
Savor the Fruits (and Vegetables) of Your Labor!
It takes patience and dedication to produce a bumper crop of fruits and vegetables in your garden. You have to plan ahead and design a garden that can fit all the mouth-watering fruits and veggies you want to bite into. But with a little effort, your backyard becomes a delicious bounty full of tasty treasure!
When August arrives, and you start harvesting delicious, mouthwatering produce like summer squash, blueberries, and apples, it's all worth it!
