Zone 7

What to Plant in August in Zone 7

By Parvez Akhtar Pasha | Aug 15, 2025

August in Zone 7 is like standing in the middle of two seasons; summer is still shining hard, but fall is quietly knocking at the door. This is not just the end of summer, actually, it's the start of a great planting season. While most people think this is not the right time to plant anything, smart gardeners know this is the perfect time to prepare for fresh fall harvests, beautiful late-season flowers, and even next year's crops.

I know gardening advice can feel like everyone, maybe your grandma, neighbor, and YouTube uncle giving you different advice. That’s why I went on a full research mission, gathered information from everywhere I could, and put it all together in this guide. My goal is to save you time, make things simple, and give you a clear guide on what to plant, when to plant it, and how to do it, so you can get a great result before the frost comes.

Leafy Greens

Leafy greens planted in August grow quickly because the soil is warm. The soil is warm now, so if you plant leafy greens in August, they will grow quickly. When the weather gets cold, they taste sweeter and become softer.

Plant a new batch every 2–3 weeks so you can keep harvesting fresh greens until the frost comes.

Leafy Green	Best Planting Time	Planting Method	Transplanting Time	First Harvest	Variety Recommendations
Lettuce	Early to mid-August	Direct sow or start indoors	3–4 weeks after sowing	30–50 days	‘Buttercrunch’, ‘Romaine’
Spinach	Mid to late August	Direct sow	Not required	35–50 days	‘Bloomsdale’, ‘Tyee’
Swiss Chard	Early to mid-August	Direct sow or start indoors	3–4 weeks after germination	50–60 days	‘Bright Lights’, ‘Fordhook Giant’
Kale	Early to mid-August	Direct sow or start indoors	4–6 weeks before frost	50–65 days	‘Lacinato’, ‘Winterbor’
Collard Greens	Early to mid-August	Direct sow or start indoors	4–6 weeks before frost	60–75 days	‘Georgia Southern’
Mustard Greens	Mid to late August	Direct sow	Not required	30–45 days	‘Red Giant’, ‘Southern Giant Curled’
Arugula	Throughout August	Direct sow	Not required	20–40 days	‘Astro’, ‘Rocket’
Endive	Early to mid-August	Direct sow or transplant	3–4 weeks after sowing	50–60 days	‘Frisée’, ‘Batavian’
Mâche (Corn Salad)	Mid to late August	Direct sow	Not required	40–50 days	‘Vit’, ‘Gala’

Water your plants regularly in hot weather to stop them from flowering too early.

You can also use a light shade cloth to keep your greens fresh and last longer on hot days.

Vegetables

August is the perfect time to plant veggies that grow fast and give you a tasty fall harvest. Think about crops that can handle a light frost.

Also, the warm soil is perfect for root vegetables, they grow well in the warm soil now and can be stored for use during winter.

Vegetable	Best Planting Time	Planting Method	Transplanting Time	First Harvest	Variety Recommendations
Beets	Early to mid-August	Direct sow	Not required	50–70 days	‘Detroit Dark Red’, ‘Chioggia’
Carrots	Early to mid-August	Direct sow	Not required	60–80 days	‘Danvers 126’, ‘Nelson’
Radishes	Throughout August	Direct sow	Not required	20–40 days	‘Cherry Belle’, ‘French Breakfast’
Turnips	Mid-August	Direct sow	Not required	40–60 days	‘Purple Top White Globe’, ‘Hakurei’
Broccoli	Early August	Start indoors / transplant	4–6 weeks before frost	60–80 days	‘Calabrese’, ‘Green Magic’
Cauliflower	Early August	Start indoors / transplant	4–6 weeks before frost	55–80 days	‘Snow Crown’, ‘Amazing’
Cabbage	Early to mid-August	Start indoors / transplant	4–6 weeks before frost	70–100 days	‘Stonehead’, ‘Copenhagen Market’
Brussels Sprouts	Early August	Start indoors / transplant	4–6 weeks before frost	90–120 days	‘Long Island Improved’, ‘Jade Cross’
Kohlrabi	Mid to late August	Direct sow or transplant	3–4 weeks after sowing	45–60 days	‘Early White Vienna’, ‘Purple Vienna’
Garlic (for next year)	Late August	Plant cloves	Not applicable	Next summer	‘German Extra Hardy’, ‘Music’
Onions (sets for overwintering)	Late August	Plant sets	Not applicable	Next summer	‘Yellow Globe’, ‘Walla Walla’

After sowing seeds, cover your soil with mulch to keep the ground moist and cool. This helps the seeds sprout faster and protects them during hot days.

Fruits & Berries

August may not be the best time to plant most fruits in Zone 7, but it's a great month to put some perennials in the soil.

Perennials are plants that come back year after year. If you plant them right now, their roots will get time to grow strong before the cold winter comes.

Fruit/Berry	Best Planting Time	Planting Method	First Harvest	Variety Recommendations
Strawberries	Mid to late August	Plant crowns	Next spring	Earliglow, Allstar
Raspberries	Late August	Plant canes	Next summer	Heritage, Caroline
Blackberries	Late August	Plant canes	Next summer	Natchez, Triple Crown
Grapes	Late August	Plant bare-root or potted	2–3 years	Concord, Himrod
Blueberries	Late August	Plant bushes	2–3 years	Bluecrop, Jersey
Figs	Late August	Plant young trees	1–2 years	Celeste, Brown Turkey
Apples	Late August	Plant bare-root or potted	2–3 years	Fuji, Gala
Peaches	Late August	Plant bare-root or potted	2–3 years	Redhaven, Elberta
Plums	Late August	Plant bare-root or potted	2–3 years	Santa Rosa, Methley
Pears	Late August	Plant bare-root or potted	2–3 years	Bartlett, Bosc

After planting, water your new plants well so their roots can get comfortable in the soil.

Spread some compost around the base to give them extra nutrients.

Herbs

If you plant herbs now, they will grow well in the cooler fall weather. You can also bring them indoors before the frost to have fresh herbs all winter.

Herb	Best Planting Time	Planting Method	Transplanting Time	First Harvest	Variety Recommendations
Cilantro	Mid to late August	Direct sow	Not required	30–45 days	Santo, Leisure
Dill	Mid to late August	Direct sow	Not required	40–60 days	Bouquet, Fernleaf
Parsley	Early to mid-August	Direct sow or start indoors	3–4 weeks after germination	70–90 days	Flat Leaf Italian, Curly Moss
Chives	Throughout August	Direct sow or transplant	3–4 weeks after germination	60–80 days	Common Chives, Garlic Chives
Thyme	Early August	Start indoors / transplant	Not applicable	85–90 days	English, Lemon
Sage	Early August	Start indoors / transplant	Not applicable	75–85 days	Common Sage, Purple Sage
Oregano	Early August	Start indoors / transplant	Not applicable	80–90 days	Greek, Italian
Basil	Early August	Direct sow or start indoors	3–4 weeks after germination	30–45 days	Genovese, Sweet Thai

Herbs like basil and dill are sensitive to cold, so grow them in pots if you plan to bring them indoors later.

Flowers

Some flowers grow quickly and bloom within a few weeks, so planting them now can make your garden look colorful even as summer ends.

You can also plant perennials in August. This gives them time to grow strong roots, so they will bloom beautifully next year.

Flower Name	Best Planting Time	Planting Method	Transplanting Time	First Bloom	Perennial or Annual
Marigold	Early August	Direct sow or start indoors	3–4 weeks after germination	8–10 weeks	Annual
Zinnia	Early August	Direct sow	Not required	6–8 weeks	Annual
Calendula	Mid-August	Direct sow	Not required	6–8 weeks	Annual
Pansy	Late August	Start indoors / transplant	6–8 weeks after sowing	Next spring	Perennial
Viola	Late August	Start indoors / transplant	6–8 weeks after sowing	Next spring	Perennial
Snapdragons	Late August	Start indoors / transplant	6–8 weeks after sowing	Next spring	Annual/Short-lived
Dianthus	Late August	Start indoors / transplant	6–8 weeks after sowing	Next spring	Perennial
Sweet Alyssum	Mid to late August	Direct sow	Not required	6–8 weeks	Annual

Water your new plants or transplants consistently and protect them from extreme heat so they establish strong roots.

Perennials planted in August will bloom next spring, so give them about 6–8 weeks to grow before the first hard frost comes in your area.

Parvez Akhtar Pasha

Hi, I am Parvez Akhtar Pasha. I was in school when I first saw a plant grow from a seed. Over the years, I have gained a lot of experience in gardening, and I will gradually share it with you here.