What to Plant in August in Zone 8: Fall Garden Start Dates
In zone 8, August is the start of the fall garden. Sow beans and cucumbers early, then kale, lettuce, carrots, broccoli, and collards as heat breaks.
Published · Reviewed by ThriveThyme
August Zone 8 August zone 8 fall planting
What to Plant in August in Zone 8
USDA zone 8 treats August as the beginning of the fall garden. Heat still limits lettuce germination, but kale, collards, southern peas, bush beans, cucumbers, and squash can go in now. First frost is often late November in many zone 8 gardens, but check My Garden frost settings or your zone 8 fall calendar rather than assuming a statewide date. You usually have a long cool season ahead. See the zone 8 vegetable planting guide and the zone 8 fall calendar.
Watermelon and cantaloupe from seed can still work in zone 8 if you use a 70 to 75 day variety and plant in the first half of August. After that, skip melons and plant greens.
Sow or Transplant Now
- Bush beans, cucumbers, summer squash: early to mid August.
- Kale, collards, mustard, turnip greens: all of August. Fall kale, fall turnips.
- Broccoli and cabbage transplants. Fall broccoli.
- Carrots and beets as soil cools late in the month. Fall carrots.
- Lettuce and spinach: wait until late August or use indoor starts. Fall lettuce.
Garlic and Onions
Garlic in zone 8 waits until November. Short-day onions are a late-fall crop too. Use garlic by zone.
Next Steps
Water new seed daily in the heat. Mulch once seedlings stand. Keep picking peppers and tomatoes; they will produce until the first cool snap. When to harvest peppers. When September starts, use what to plant in September in zone 8.