Put these tasks on your August to-do list and get your gardens ready for fall.
14 Things to Do in August to Get Your Garden Ready for Fall
Updated Sep. 01, 2024
Even in the coldest hardiness zones, August isn’t yet the time to start putting your garden to rest for the winter. By this time of year though, I’m usually ready for a break after months of weeding, planting and diagnosing pest problems. But I know I need to dig deep (pun intended) for some fresh motivation to get ready for the fall.
The work that’s done in August will promote a healthy harvest and a successful fall garden. Read on for tips from gardening pros Joyce Corbett from Classic Courtyards and Janey Santos from Dig, Plant, Water, Repeat on how to prepare your garden for fall.
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Amend the Soil
The soil in a vegetable garden can become depleted after a long growing season. August is a great time to add compost to the soil to replenish nutrients, especially if you’re planning to do fall plantings.
Spread a 1 to 3-in. layer of compost across the surface of the soil, then use a spade to mix it into the top 6 to 8 inches of soil. Water thoroughly to add moisture to the compost and help it incorporate into the existing soil.
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Plant Fall Crops
August is a good month for planting fall crops in your garden. In USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 6 and warmer, you can still plant some substantial crops like beans, cauliflower, cucumber and squash. In Zone 5 and colder, your options become more limited but are definitely worth doing.
Look at hardy, cold-tolerant greens like kale and chard, as well as some lettuces, spinach and Asian greens. To find out what zone you live in, refer to this chart from the USDA.
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Plant Trees and Shrubs
When preparing your garden for fall, aim to plant shrubs and trees four to six weeks before first frost. In northern gardens, that means late August. This gives the plant a chance to establish itself before the onset of winter, but not to get so far along that it thinks a new growing season has begun. “By planting this time of year, the soil is nice and warm so trees and shrubs can root in quickly and get established,” Santos says.
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Divide Perennials
Coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, hostas and other perennials that flower in spring will start to flag by the end of August. To keep them healthy and prevent overcrowding, divide the roots as the plants die back. Use a shovel to dig up the plant and then separate it into smaller sections. Replant a part of the original plant, then discard or replant the other sections. “This is a great way to expand your gardens and save some money,” Corbett says.
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Build a Cold Frame to Extend the Season
In August, you should start preparing to defend your garden against first frost. Build a cold frame (you can use it again in spring), a hoop house or even tack sheets of 3-mm plastic to some 2x4s to have at the ready, so you don’t end up trying to drape old sheets over your garden as the sun sets.
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Fertilize Your Garden for a Fantastic Finish
Depending on the crop, your garden plants and lawn have likely expended all or most of the nutrition from your spring fertilizing. August is a great time to re-up the amendments in your garden and yard. Stay on top of this if you use organic fertilizers — it takes much longer for organic nutrients to break down and become available to plants.
For plants growing in containers, regular fertilizing remains important into the fall. “By August all the nutrients are gone from the soil,” Corbett says, “Make sure to continue adding fertilizer for continued blooms.”
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Cut Back Your Herbs
Parsley, cilantro, basil (shown here), dill and other cool-season herbs probably have bolted by August, becoming too bitter to consume. You can let them flower — a good idea because pollinators love herb flowers, and the plants will self-seed later in fall. Or cut them back a couple of inches above ground and most should grow back for a fresh fall crop. Other herbs, like lavender will also benefit from a good trim in August.
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Order Fall-Planted Bulbs
Don’t start planting your fall bulbs in August (tulips, crocuses, hyacinth, garlic etc.). But to prepare your garden for fall, go ahead and order them from your favorite garden catalog. Most bulbs sell out as the late-fall planting season approaches, so order yours while the selection is best.
“If you want the most beautiful and most unique varieties blooming in your garden next spring, get those bulbs in your carts now before they sell out,” Santos says.
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Prune Your Summer-Flowering Shrubs
By the end of August, summer-flowering shrubs (hydrangea, mock orange, spirea) begin to wane, which makes it a good time to prune them. You can still identify any dead branches easily, and you don’t need to worry (much) about damaging the plant. Properly pruned shrubs look better and live longer. “By August, many shrubs start to look a little wild, so a good pruning cleans them up for the fall,” Corbett says.
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Clean and Maintain Your Garden Tools
Your garden and lawn tools have had a pretty good workout by now. Give them some attention in August before the frenzy of harvesting hits. You’ll need to repeat the process before you put them to bed for the winter, but the job becomes much easier when you’re not dealing with a whole season’s worth of wear and grime.
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Refresh Your Garden Mulch
“Mulch does so many wonderful things in your garden, from preventing evaporation of that precious water your plants need,” Santos says. But by August, most of your mulch has likely washed away, faded out, or simply disappeared into the undergrowth. Scatter a few bags now to get your garden ready for fall. “Adding more this time of year will set your garden up for success,” Santos says.
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Keep up on Weeds
After a long spring and summer of keeping weeds in check, it’s tempting to get a little lax as summer turns to fall. Resist the temptation and keep up on regular weed management in vegetable and flower gardens. “Although it’s not the most fun garden task to do, it’s one of the most important this time of year,” Santos says, “If you let those pesky weeds flower and set seed this summer, you will be giving yourself more work this next fall and spring.”
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Cut Back Annuals
Annuals will continue to provide beauty in your garden until the first hard frost, but they need some help to look their best heading into fall. Cutting back annuals stimulates new blooms and growth, as does fertilizer. “It’s tough to cut back those beautiful blooms, but trust me, you are going to give them a second life,” Santos says. Corbett says she fertilizes annuals weekly through the fall. “It really keeps them looking good,” she says.
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Save Seeds
Saving seeds is a cost-effective way to start planning for next year’s garden, and August is a great time to do it. In a vegetable garden, save seeds from mature tomato, pepper and cucumber plants. Once herb plants have flowered and set seeds, hang the plants upside down to dry, then collect seeds. On perennials and annuals, allow flowers to dry on the plant, then collect seeds from the head.
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About the Experts
- Janey Santos is a home gardener and trained Master Gardener from Davis, California. She hosts a popular YouTube channel, Dig, Plant, Water, Repeat where she creates inspirational how-to videos on important home gardening topics.
- Joyce Corbett is the owner of Classic Courtyards in West Springfield, Massachusetts. She has over forty years of landscaping design and installation experience.
Originally Published: August 18, 2020
