Zone 5A — August
What to Plant in August in Zone 5A
August in Zone 5A:
0 crops to start indoors,
0 to plant or direct sow outside, and
111 entering harvest window.
Last frost averages April 30. Reference city: Des Moines, IA.
0 Start Indoors
0 Plant Outside
111 Harvest
Start Indoors in August
No crops to start indoors in August for Zone 5A.
Plant Outside in August
No crops to plant outside in August for Zone 5A.
Harvest in August
| Plant | Type | Planted / Sown | Harvest Window |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angelica | herb | Apr 30 | Aug 28 – Sep 27 |
| Baby's Breath Flowers | flower | Apr 30 | Aug 28 – Sep 27 |
| Brilliant Celeriac | root_vegetable | Apr 30 | Aug 18 – Aug 28 |
| English White Daisy Flowers | flower | Apr 30 | Aug 28 – Sep 27 |
| Evergreen Bunching Onions | root_vegetable | Apr 30 | Aug 28 |
| Grano Red Onions | root_vegetable | Apr 30 | Aug 28 |
| Grano White Onions | root_vegetable | Apr 30 | Aug 28 |
| Indian Spring Mix Hollyhock Flowers | flower | Apr 30 | Aug 28 – Oct 27 |
| Leek | vegetable | Apr 30 | Aug 8 – Sep 7 |
| Red Burgundy Onions | root_vegetable | Apr 30 | Aug 18 – Aug 28 |
| Rue | herb | Apr 30 | Aug 3 – Sep 2 |
| Shasta Daisy Flowers | flower | Apr 30 | Aug 28 – Apr 30 |
| Southport Red Globe Onions | root_vegetable | Apr 30 | Aug 28 |
| Southport White Globe Onions | root_vegetable | Apr 30 | Aug 28 |
| Spanish Sweet White Onions | root_vegetable | Apr 30 | Aug 18 – Aug 28 |
| Summer Carnival Mix Hollyhock Flowers | flower | Apr 30 | Aug 28 – Oct 27 |
| Tall Utah 52-70 Celery | vegetable | Apr 30 | Aug 8 – Sep 7 |
| Tansy | herb | Apr 30 | Aug 8 – Sep 7 |
| Wormwood | herb | Apr 30 | Aug 8 – Sep 7 |
| Abe Lincoln Tomatoes | tomato | May 14 | Aug 2 – Aug 12 |
| Alexandria Alpine Strawberry | berry | May 7 | Aug 15 – Sep 4 |
| All Sweet Watermelon | melon | May 7 | Aug 5 – Aug 10 |
| Amarillo Oro Melon | melon | May 7 | Aug 5 |
| Anise | herb | May 7 | Aug 15 – Sep 4 |
| Baby Blue Hubbard Winter Squash | squash | May 7 | Aug 15 |
| Banana Melon | melon | May 7 | Aug 5 |
| Beauregard Sweet Potato | root_vegetable | May 7 | Aug 5 – Aug 20 |
| Beefsteak Tomatoes | tomato | May 14 | Aug 2 – Aug 7 |
| Bhut Jolokia Ghost Pepper | pepper | May 14 | Aug 12 – Sep 11 |
| Big Max Pumpkin | squash | May 7 | Aug 30 – Sep 4 |
| Big Rainbow Tomatoes | tomato | May 14 | Aug 7 – Aug 17 |
| Birds Eye Hot Peppers | pepper | May 14 | Aug 22 – Sep 1 |
| Black Diamond Watermelon | melon | May 7 | Aug 5 |
| Bloody Butcher Corn | vegetable | May 14 | Aug 22 – Sep 1 |
| Brandywine Tomatoes | tomato | May 14 | Aug 2 – Aug 12 |
| Brussels Sprouts | brassica | May 14 | Aug 7 – Sep 1 |
| Burgess Buttercup Winter Squash | squash | May 7 | Aug 5 |
| Butternut Squash | squash | May 14 | Aug 22 – Sep 11 |
| California Wonder Peppers | pepper | May 21 | Aug 1 – Aug 4 |
| Cantaloupe | melon | May 14 | Aug 2 – Aug 12 |
| Caribbean Red Scotch Bonnet Pepper | pepper | May 14 | Aug 17 – Sep 11 |
| Carolina Cross Watermelon | melon | May 7 | Aug 10 |
| Carolina Reaper peppers | pepper | May 14 | Aug 12 – Sep 11 |
| Cayenne Peppers | pepper | May 14 | Aug 7 – Aug 17 |
| Chocolate Habanero Hot Peppers | pepper | May 14 | Aug 7 – Aug 27 |
| Cinderella Pumpkin | squash | May 7 | Aug 25 |
| Classic Cumin | herb | May 7 | Aug 15 – Sep 4 |
| Congo Watermelon | melon | May 7 | Aug 5 – Aug 10 |
| Creole Tomatoes | tomato | May 14 | Aug 2 – Aug 12 |
| Datil peppers | pepper | May 14 | Aug 12 – Sep 1 |
| Delica kabocha squash | squash | May 14 | Aug 17 – Sep 1 |
| Devils Tongue Yellow Hot Peppers | pepper | May 14 | Aug 12 – Sep 1 |
| English Lavender Herb | herb | May 14 | Aug 7 |
| Firecracker Hot Peppers | pepper | May 14 | Aug 2 – Sep 11 |
| Florida Market Eggplant | vegetable | May 14 | Aug 2 – Aug 12 |
| Georgia Rattlesnake Watermelon | melon | May 7 | Aug 5 – Aug 10 |
| Golden Hubbard Winter Squash | squash | May 7 | Aug 15 |
| Green Hubbard Winter Squash | squash | May 7 | Aug 25 |
| Green Striped Cushaw Crookneck Winter Squash | squash | May 7 | Aug 15 |
| Habanero Pepper | pepper | May 21 | Aug 19 – Sep 18 |
| Heirloom Red Kuri Squash | squash | May 7 | Aug 5 – Aug 15 |
| Holiday Marbles Hot Peppers | pepper | May 14 | Aug 12 – Sep 1 |
| Homestead Tomatoes | tomato | May 14 | Aug 2 – Aug 7 |
| Honeydew Melon | melon | May 14 | Aug 22 – Sep 6 |
| Jack Be Little Pumpkin | squash | May 7 | Aug 15 |
| Jack O'Lantern Pumpkin | squash | May 7 | Aug 5 – Aug 25 |
| Jacob's Cattle beans | legume | May 14 | Aug 2 – Aug 12 |
| Jimmy Nardello Peppers | pepper | May 21 | Aug 9 – Aug 19 |
| Jubilee Watermelon | melon | May 7 | Aug 5 – Aug 10 |
| King of the Garden Pole Lima Bean | legume | May 10 | Aug 6 – Aug 13 |
| Lemon Habanero Hot Peppers | pepper | May 14 | Aug 7 – Aug 27 |
| Lemon Verbena | herb | May 7 | Aug 5 – Sep 4 |
| Lemongrass Herb | herb | May 14 | Aug 2 – Aug 22 |
| Long Island Cheese Winter Squash | squash | May 7 | Aug 15 |
| Luffa gourds | vegetable | May 14 | Aug 22 – Sep 11 |
| Moon & Stars Red-Flesh Watermelon | melon | May 7 | Aug 5 – Aug 15 |
| Moon & Stars Yellow-Flesh Watermelon | melon | May 7 | Aug 5 – Aug 15 |
| Mortgage Lifter Tomatoes | tomato | May 14 | Aug 2 – Aug 7 |
| Mr. Stripey Tomatoes | tomato | May 14 | Aug 7 – Aug 17 |
| NuMex Twilight Hot Peppers | pepper | May 14 | Aug 12 – Sep 11 |
| Orange Habanero Hot Peppers | pepper | May 14 | Aug 7 – Aug 27 |
| Pacific Giant Pumpkin | squash | May 7 | Aug 30 – Sep 9 |
| Paris Yellow Pumpkin | squash | May 7 | Aug 15 |
| Parsnip | root_vegetable | May 7 | Aug 15 – Sep 14 |
| Pimento Sweet Peppers | pepper | May 14 | Aug 7 – Aug 12 |
| Pineapple Tomatoes | tomato | May 14 | Aug 7 – Aug 17 |
| Pink Banana Jumbo Winter Squash | squash | May 7 | Aug 15 – Aug 25 |
| Pink Oxheart Tomatoes | tomato | May 14 | Aug 2 – Aug 12 |
| Potato onion clusters | root_vegetable | May 14 | Aug 12 – Sep 11 |
| Pretty Purple Hot Peppers | pepper | May 14 | Aug 12 – Sep 11 |
| Purple Tiger Hot Peppers | pepper | May 14 | Aug 12 – Aug 22 |
| Queensland Blue Winter Squash | squash | May 7 | Aug 15 – Sep 4 |
| Rainbow Corn | vegetable | May 7 | Aug 20 – Aug 30 |
| Red Caribbean Habanero Hot Peppers | pepper | May 14 | Aug 7 – Aug 27 |
| Red Pontiac Potato | root_vegetable | May 7 | Aug 5 – Aug 25 |
| Red Prairie Mexican Hat Flowers | flower | May 7 | Aug 5 – Sep 4 |
| Rosemary | herb | May 14 | Aug 2 – Aug 22 |
| Round Mauve Eggplant | vegetable | May 14 | Aug 2 – Aug 12 |
| Soapwort | flower | May 7 | Aug 5 – Sep 4 |
| Spaghetti Squash | squash | May 7 | Aug 3 – Aug 15 |
| Sugar Pie Pumpkin | squash | May 7 | Aug 5 – Aug 25 |
| Sunshine Kabocha Squash | squash | May 7 | Aug 10 – Aug 15 |
| Tabasco Hot Peppers | pepper | May 14 | Aug 2 – Aug 12 |
| Tendersweet Orange Watermelon | melon | May 7 | Aug 5 – Aug 10 |
| Trinidad Moruga Scorpion peppers | pepper | May 14 | Aug 2 – Sep 11 |
| Tropical Milkweed Flowers | flower | May 7 | Aug 5 – Sep 4 |
| Turkish Orange Eggplant | vegetable | May 14 | Aug 7 – Aug 12 |
| VR Moscow Tomatoes | tomato | May 14 | Aug 2 – Aug 12 |
| White Cushaw Crookneck Winter Squash | squash | May 7 | Aug 15 |
| Yellow Oxheart Tomatoes | tomato | May 14 | Aug 7 – Aug 12 |
| Yellow Scotch Bonnet Hot Peppers | pepper | May 14 | Aug 12 – Sep 11 |
Key Tasks for August in Zone 5A
- 1 Apply 2–3 inches of mulch around heat-sensitive crops to retain moisture and keep root zones cooler. Water deeply and less frequently rather than shallow daily watering.
- 2 Check soil moisture before watering — stick a finger 2 inches into the soil. Water only when the soil is dry at that depth. Consistent moisture is more important than frequency.
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