August Garden Guide

Note: This is general information for the entire state of Arkansas on what to plant in your garden in August. For specific questions about planting in your area, please reach out to your local county agent.

August in Arkansas brings with it extreme summer heat, challenging even the most seasoned gardeners. However, with the right strategies, your garden can continue to thrive. The key this month is making sure you are watering your garden well!

Garden Chores for August

Keeping up with garden chores can ensure your garden remains productive and healthy during this time of intense heat and humidity. Check out which chores we recommend doing this month:

Deadheading your flowers can help keep them putting on more flowers as well as keep your garden looking neat and tidy. Get your nippers handy!

Monitor rainfall and water appropriately.
Scout for pests.
Water and turn your compost pile.
Water beloved trees and shrubs deeply as high temperatures and lack of water can be extremely stressful. It is best to water early in the morning. If these are spring-flowering trees and shrubs, such as camellias and dogwoods, letting them get too dry in the summer will keep them from setting good blooms next year.
Deadhead spent flowers to keep them producing more flowers.
Clean and sharpen or replace lawn mower blades.
Fertilize strawberry beds in late August or early September. Ask your county agent for fertilizer recommendations.
Although production has likely slowed this month, fertilize tomatoes toward the end of the month to encourage fall production, and continue to water appropriately.
Remove fall webworms from ornamental/fruit trees and shrubs.
Remove poison ivy and unwanted honeysuckle. For removal recommendations, please reach out to your county office.
Start your fall vegetable garden.

Find more resources for Summer Landscaping in Arkansas

Gardening Safely

August is the peak for summer heat in Arkansas, so it's best to practice safe gardening to prevent injury and heat-exhaustion. Some tips for safe gardening include:

Hydration: Working in the garden can be dehydrating, especially during the hotter parts of the day. Make sure to drink plenty of water.
Sun protection: Wear protective clothes, hats, eyewear, and sunscreen to prevent getting burned in the sun.
Pace yourself: Avoid working in the garden during the hottest part of the day, usually between 10 am and 4 pm.

August Vegetable Planting Guide

August is the time to start planting your fall vegetable garden. You can plant both short-season vegetables as well as cool-season vegetables this month. You will want to wait until the middle or end of the month to plant these.

Some vegetables you can plant this month include:

August Planting Guide - read text for what to plant

Download the August Planting Guide!

Harvesting Tips: Harvest vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, okra, and squash regularly. This encourages the plants to produce more and prevents overripening. Remove any diseased or damaged plants immediately to prevent the spread of pests and diseases.

August Flower Planting Guide

Chrysanthemums
Marigolds

Roses: Continue deadheading and treating for pests. In early August, fertilize roses one last time for the year. Be sure to keep the soil around your roses evenly moist.

Annuals looking leggy and tired? Give your annuals a refresh by feeding them fertilizer and removing faded flowers and cutting back leggy stems. If they are too far gone to be rehabilitated, replace them with fall annuals.

Deadheading: Flowers that benefit from a regular deadheading include echinacea, blanket flower, coreopsis, rudbeckia, summer spirea, buddleia, roses, and crape myrtles.

In Bloom in August

bush full of azalea flowers

Azalea

light red begonia flowers

Begonia

bright yellow coreopsis flowers

Coreopsis

buddleia

Buddleia

gardenia

Gardenia

lantana

Lantana

red impatiens

Impatiens

blue hydragea flower clusters

Hydrangea

magenta-colored penta flower cluster

Penta

The Arkansas Garden is a blog created by horticulture specialist Randy Forst and social media manager Melissa Johnson for home gardeners and Master Gardeners. Check out our Monthly Garden Guides and other blogposts! Ready to up your gardening game? Consider becoming an Arkansas Master Gardener!