August · month 8 of 12
What to do in the garden in August
Every job worth doing in August, built from the real care schedules of the plants gardeners grow — with the exact plants that need each one.
Plant in August
Plant or transplant rhizomes in late summer, leaving the top exposed to the sun.
Prune in August
Shear back spent flower spikes by 1/3 to encourage repeat blooming
Divide in August
Divide crowded clumps every 3-4 years, a few weeks after flowering has finished.
Fertilize in August
Feed with a balanced liquid fertilizer every 4-6 weeks.
Deadhead in August
Remove spent flowers for tidiness, but leave some cones for winter interest.
Check for Pests in August
Check for yellow oleander aphids; wash off with a strong spray of water.
Stake in August
Provide support for tall stems before they begin to flower, if needed.
Propagate in August
Collect seeds from dried pods for next year's planting or allow to self-seed.
Harvest in August
Harvest flowers when fully open for cutting.
What's blooming in August
In flower around now.
Frost dates and bloom windows are typical ranges, not guarantees — your microclimate moves them by weeks. Sow uses your real local forecast instead.
August questions
What should I do in the garden in August?
The jobs that matter most this month are plant, prune, divide, fertilize. Each section above lists the specific plants that need that job in August — drawn from the care schedules of the plants gardeners actually grow.
Does this calendar change by hardiness zone?
The tasks are the same, but which plants you can grow is not. Pick your zone below to see this month's jobs filtered to plants that survive your winters.
What's blooming in August?
New England Aster Harringtons Pink, Autumn Colors Mix Black-eyed Susan, Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass, Trio Butterfly Bush, Lou Williams New England Aster and others are in flower around now. The full list is above.
Keep exploring
Get August's tasks for your own plants
Sow builds this checklist from the plants actually in your yard — and adjusts it to your real forecast, so a wet week skips the watering and a frost warning reaches you first.