Melbourne in August: what to plant
Over the last 5 years, August in Melbourne has run 7.3–15.2°C with about 61 mm of rain across the month. Here is what weather like that will carry to harvest.
Everything above is a five-year average. In the game it is this — the weather Melbourne is actually having, today.
Grow one in Melbourne's weather right now →❄️ No sub-zero nights in August in the last 5 years — frost is not the limiting factor here.
🗓️ Frost is rare and confined to midwinter (recorded around Jul 12). Most of the year is frost-free; only the coldest weeks need cover.
☀️ About 8.1 h of sunshine a day this month. Within the month it warms by about 1.9°C from the first ten days to the last.
Sow this month — when would you harvest?
Assuming you sow in mid-August, then adding up the warmth Melbourne usually gets, one day at a time — which is why some of these run past the end of the month.
| Crop | Days | Harvest around |
|---|---|---|
| 🌿 Rocket | 45 | Sep 28 |
| 🌿 Spinach | 58 | Oct 11 |
| 🫛 Peas | 78 | Oct 31 |
| 🌿 Chrysanthemum greens | 56 | Oct 9 |
| 🌿 Coriander | 61 | Oct 14 |
| ⚪ Turnip | 63 | Oct 16 |
| ⚪ Daikon radish | 80 | Nov 2 |
| 🍒 Cherry Radish | 42 | Sep 25 |
| 🟣 Beetroot | 78 | Oct 31 |
| 🍓 Strawberry | 83 | Nov 5 |
| 🫘 Broad bean | 91 | Nov 13 |
| 🏵️ Marigold | 94 | Nov 16 |
🌡️ Winter melon, Aubergine, Okra never accumulate enough heat outdoors in Melbourne — not in any month. Locally these need a greenhouse or a warm windowsill.
Best crops to sow now
- 🌿 Rocket Ideal about 52 days to harvest Recent mean 11.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🌿 Spinach Ideal about 67 days to harvest Recent mean 11.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🫛 Peas Ideal about 97 days to harvest Recent mean 11.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🌿 Chrysanthemum greens Ideal about 68 days to harvest Recent mean 11.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🌿 Coriander Ideal about 72 days to harvest Recent mean 11.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- ⚪ Turnip Ideal about 77 days to harvest Recent mean 11.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- ⚪ Daikon radish Ideal about 100 days to harvest Recent mean 11.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🍒 Cherry Radish Ideal about 49 days to harvest Recent mean 11.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🟣 Beetroot Ideal about 97 days to harvest Recent mean 11.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🍓 Strawberry Ideal about 104 days to harvest Recent mean 11.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🫘 Broad bean Ideal about 116 days to harvest Recent mean 11.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🏵️ Marigold Good about 142 days to harvest Recent mean 11.2°C is too cold (ideal 12–30°C)
Leave these for another month
- 🌶️ Okra — Recent mean 11.2°C is too cold (ideal 20–33°C)
- 🍆 Aubergine — Recent mean 11.2°C is too cold (ideal 18–32°C)
- 🍈 Winter melon — Recent mean 11.2°C is too cold (ideal 18–32°C)
Other months in Melbourne
📍 Somewhere else? Look up your own city →
Temperature and rainfall come from Open-Meteo's historical observations for Melbourne, averaged day by day over the last 5 years. Whether a crop finishes in time is worked out from its own starting temperature and heat requirement — those numbers are listed on each crop page if you want to check them.