Zone 8a planting calendar

What to plant in August: zone 8a

A rule-of-thumb starting point for zone 8a: last spring frost around March 30, first fall frost around November 15. Zones are set by winter lows, not frost dates, so two gardens in the same zone can be weeks apart. Measure your ZIP below for dates from your area's own 30-year record.

These are zone-average dates. Check an area-level frost estimate from thirty years of nearby weather history and this calendar retimes itself.
Typical last frost: March 30
Typical first frost: November 15
Winter lows: 10 to 15 °F
Zone 8a Almanac. What growers here actually recorded: sowing weeks, days to first pick, and yields.

Start indoors for fall

  • Kalearound Aug 7

    Fall kale window opens. Sow trays any time in the next four weeks.

  • Broccoliaround Aug 18

    Seedlings need 5 weeks before they go out for a fall harvest.

Direct sow for fall

  • Parsleyaround Aug 9

    Fall parsley window opens. Sowing now beats the last-minute date by a month of growth.

  • Bush beanaround Aug 14

    Fall bush bean window opens. Sowing now beats the last-minute date by a month of growth.

  • Lettucearound Aug 15

    Succession sowing 3 of 3. Sow every 21 days for a steady cut.

  • Peaaround Aug 19

    Fall pea window opens. Sowing now beats the last-minute date by a month of growth.

  • Cilantroaround Aug 20

    Succession sowing 3 of 3. Sow every 21 days for a steady cut.

  • Carrotaround Aug 20

    Fall carrot window opens. Sowing now beats the last-minute date by a month of growth.

  • Beetaround Aug 24

    Fall beet window opens. Sowing now beats the last-minute date by a month of growth.

  • Dillaround Aug 24

    Fall dill window opens. Sowing now beats the last-minute date by a month of growth.

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