What to Plant in August — Zone 2

August is the closing stretch of zone 2's season — the average first frost (Sep 8) is only weeks past month's end, so this is fall-sowing and garlic-planting territory.

Fall planting — Counted back from the first fall frost.

🥬 Lettuce Jul 14 – Aug 11 45–60 days to maturity
🌿 Arugula Jul 28 – Aug 11 30–40 days to maturity
🌶️ Radishes Jul 28 – Aug 11 22–30 days to maturity
🧄 Garlic Jul 28 – Aug 25 plant cloves; harvest next summer

Windows use zone 2's typical frost dates (May 30 / Sep 8). For your own city's dates, run the frost lookup — the planting calendar then localizes everything automatically.

Frequently asked questions

What can I plant outside in August in zone 2?

4 crops can go in the ground: lettuce, arugula, radishes, garlic. Exact windows are in the tables above — early and late in the month can differ by a full frost date.

Is August the right time for tomatoes in zone 2?

The spring window has passed; tomatoes set out this late won't beat the Sep 8 average first frost to ripeness. Plan for next spring's seed-starting instead.

August in other zones

Zone 1Zone 2Zone 3Zone 4Zone 5Zone 6Zone 7Zone 8Zone 9Zone 10Zone 11Zone 12Zone 13

Zone 2, month by month

← July September → All months

Zone 2 frost dates near you

Fairbanks, AK