Seasonal Action Guide
What to Do in the Garden in August (Warm-Climate US)
The short answer
In the warm-climate US, August is not the end of the season — it is the start of the second one. Texas A&M's Austin checklist has you sowing broccoli, cabbage, and other brassica seed now (indoors or in shade) for transplanting in about six weeks, and planting quick-maturing green beans, cucumbers, and squash — 60 days or less — late in the month to beat frost. Fall tomatoes go in the ground now; UF/IFAS lists both fall tomatoes and the first cool-season crop sowings for August.
Two tree tasks matter this month: water fruit and nut trees deeply, because August moisture drives next year's fruit bud formation, and skip herbicides when temperatures top 85°F. Gardeners with mums or poinsettias should pinch them back by month's end so buds form for fall and winter bloom.
Plant and sow
- Sow broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and Swiss chard seed indoors or in shade for transplanting in about six weeks (Texas A&M August checklist).
- Plant quick-maturing green beans, cucumbers, and squash (60 days or less) late in the month; stagger weekly for continuous harvest.
- Set out fall tomato transplants; keep them shaded and well watered while heat lingers.
- Start cool-season crop seed — collards, kale, lettuce — for the fall garden (UF/IFAS August task).
- Desert Southwest: late August opens the big fall planting window as monsoon heat breaks (Arizona planting calendars).
Maintain and protect
- Water fruit and nut trees deeply and slowly — this month's moisture sets next year's fruit buds (Texas A&M).
- Avoid herbicide applications when temperatures exceed 85°F.
- Mow removing no more than one-third of the blade; leave clippings to return organic matter.
- Pinch back mums and poinsettias before the end of the month so buds can form (UF/IFAS).
- Pull diseased or spent plants and refresh beds with compost ahead of fall planting.
Harvest
- Keep okra, southern peas, peppers, and eggplant picked — peppers and eggplant surge again as fall approaches.
- Harvest melons and pumpkins as they ripen.
- Cut herbs in the morning and dry or freeze the surplus before fall replanting.
Sources
Reviewed 2026-07-18. We cite university Extension, government, and established horticultural sources — and never invent pesticide rates or dangerous treatments.
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (Travis County) — August Gardening Checklist for Austin — August: sow brassicas for transplanting in ~6 weeks; plant quick-maturing beans/cucumbers/squash late month; deep-water fruit trees for bud formation; no herbicides above 85°F
- UF/IFAS Extension — North Florida Gardening Calendar (EP451) — August: start cool-season crops and fall tomatoes; pinch back poinsettias and mums before month's end
- University of Arizona Cooperative Extension — Vegetable Planting Calendar for Maricopa County (AZ1005) — Low-desert Arizona has two planting seasons, spring and fall, with fall planting beginning in late summer
Keep going
Garden Tasks for January (Warm-Climate US)
Seasonal Action Guide
Garden Tasks for February (Warm-Climate US)
Seasonal Action Guide
Garden Tasks for March (Warm-Climate US)
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Garden Tasks for July (Warm-Climate US)
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Garden Tasks for June (Warm-Climate US)
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Garden Tasks for April (Warm-Climate US)
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Garden Tasks for December (Warm-Climate US)
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Garden Tasks for May (Warm-Climate US)
Seasonal Action Guide