GardenWhat to sow in August in India
Vegetables, herbs and flowers to sow or plant in August, for the northern plains, the south and the hills, with the garden jobs of the month.
North and central plains
Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, West Bengal plains and places with a similar cold winter and hot summer.
Jobs this month:
- Sow mid-season cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli in trays, and the first carrots and radish late in the month.
- Sow French beans for an autumn crop.
- Feed the monsoon crops with compost, since rain washes nutrients out of pots.
- Pinch chrysanthemums and marigolds to make them bushy.
- Start clearing space and preparing soil for the winter garden, the main vegetable season of the plains.
South and coastal India
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Goa, coastal Maharashtra and Odisha: places where winter is mild and frost is unknown.
Sow carrots, beetroot, radish and beans. Plant the second round of gourds where the season allows.
Hills
Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Kashmir, Sikkim, Darjeeling, the Nilgiris and other places above about 1,000 metres, with cold winters and mild summers.
Sow mustard greens, turnip, spinach and lettuce for autumn and early winter.
Sowing windows are typical for each region and shift by a few weeks with altitude, the monsoon and the variety. Check with a local nursery if you are unsure.
All months
More garden help
- Gardening seasons in IndiaKharif, rabi and zaid explained for the home gardener.
- Balcony and terrace gardenPots, potting mix, sun and water for growing in containers.
- How to sow seedsDepth, trays, transplanting and why seeds fail.
- Compost at homeTurn kitchen waste into plant food in a bucket or a pot.
- Pests without poisonSimple, safe ways to deal with the common garden pests.
- Flower calendarWhen to sow 20 garden flowers in each region.
- Kitchen herbsTulsi, mint, coriander, curry leaf and six more.