Scorching temperatures in August may be daunting, but during this toasty month, you can start preparing the ground for fall planting and also plant several fruits and vegetables for your fall season.
- Snap and Lima Beans – mid-to-late August
- Collards (seeds or transplants) – late August
- Cucumber – all of August
- Eggplant (transplants) – early-to-mid August
- Pepper (transplants) – mid-to-late August
- Potatoes – mid-to-late August
- Summer Squash – all of August. Try planting summer squash as part of a Three Sisters Garden!
- Tomatoes (transplants) – yes, believe it or not! It’s best to plant in early August. Be sure to use shade cloth and plenty of mulch to keep new transplants happy. (For details, see our Time to Plant Summer Tomatoes blog post.)
To prepare for your fall garden, start cleaning up your current or future garden area by pulling weeds and dead plants. It’s far more motivating to start your fall garden with an area free of debris. Keep watering your existing plants and trees (preferably early in the morning), and make sure the soil around them is covered with a hefty 2-3 inch layer of mulch. Some of your existing plants may look droopy, especially during the mid-day heat, but they’ll revive themselves in the fall – just like most Austinites!