New York in August: what to plant
Over the last 5 years, August in New York has run 19.6–28.7°C with about 106 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 New York is actually having, today.
Grow one in New York's weather right now →❄️ No sub-zero nights in August in the last 5 years — frost is not the limiting factor here.
🗓️ This month sits inside the frost-free window. Average last spring frost around Apr 5, first autumn frost around Nov 19 — roughly 228 frost-free days. Sow tender crops after the last frost date and make sure they finish before the first.
☀️ About 10.8 h of sunshine a day this month. Within the month it cools by about 1.2°C from the first ten days to the last — the window for autumn sowings is opening.
Sow this month — when would you harvest?
Assuming you sow in mid-August, then adding up the warmth New York usually gets, one day at a time — which is why some of these run past the end of the month.
| Crop | Days | Harvest around |
|---|---|---|
| 🌿 Amaranth greens | 48 | Oct 1 |
| 🏵️ Marigold | 40 | Sep 23 |
| 🧅 Onion | 74 | Oct 27 |
| 🌱 Microgreens | 6 | Aug 20 |
| 🌿 Garlic chives | 53 | Oct 6 |
| 🥬 Bok Choy | 25 | Sep 8 |
| 🥕 Carrot | 57 | Oct 10 |
⏳ Too late this month: Okra, Luffa, Chili Pepper, Bitter melon, Sunflower would still be in the ground when the first frost arrives (around Nov 19). Sow them earlier in the year, or grow them under cover.
Best crops to sow now
- 🌶️ Okra Ideal about 82 days to harvest Recent mean 24.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🥒 Luffa Ideal about 101 days to harvest Recent mean 24.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🌶️ Chili Pepper Ideal about 103 days to harvest Recent mean 24.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🥒 Bitter melon Ideal about 92 days to harvest Recent mean 24.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🌿 Amaranth greens Ideal about 39 days to harvest Recent mean 24.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🌻 Sunflower Ideal about 62 days to harvest Recent mean 24.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🏵️ Marigold Ideal about 35 days to harvest Recent mean 24.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🧅 Onion Ideal about 55 days to harvest Recent mean 24.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🌱 Microgreens Ideal about 6 days to harvest 🪴 Windowsill pot — sheltered from outdoor weather
- 🌿 Garlic chives Good about 45 days to harvest Recent mean 24.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🥬 Bok Choy Good about 24 days to harvest Recent mean 24.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🥕 Carrot Good about 48 days to harvest Recent mean 24.2°C — right in the sweet spot
Leave these for another month
- 🌿 Coriander — Recent mean 24.2°C is too hot (ideal 8–24°C)
- 🫘 Broad bean — Recent mean 24.2°C is too hot (ideal 6–22°C)
- 🥕 Parsnip — Recent mean 24.2°C is too hot (ideal 6–22°C)
Other months in New York
📍 Somewhere else? Look up your own city →
Temperature and rainfall come from Open-Meteo's historical observations for New York, 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.