Zone 8b planting calendar

What to plant in August: zone 8b

A rule-of-thumb starting point for zone 8b: last spring frost around March 20, first fall frost around November 25. 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 20
Typical first frost: November 25
Winter lows: 15 to 20 °F
Zone 8b Almanac. What growers here actually recorded: sowing weeks, days to first pick, and yields.

Start indoors for fall

  • Kalearound Aug 17

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

  • Broccoliaround Aug 28

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

Direct sow for fall

  • Parsleyaround Aug 19

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

  • Bush beanaround Aug 24

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

  • Lettucearound Aug 25

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

  • Peaaround Aug 29

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

  • Cilantroaround Aug 30

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

  • Carrotaround Aug 30

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

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