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Curious what you should plant in Tucson in August? It's a great time in the low desert! Let's talk about what you can grow in August in Tucson.
Weather
August usually has higher monsoon rainfall than July or September, which is a big help for getting plants started in the heat.
Overnight average lows drop from 76F to 74F during August.
Depending on how consistent the rain is, you may have to make frequent adjustments to your irrigation timing or water by hand during dry stretches.
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High heat combined with humidity can make midday gardening risky business, but early mornings, evenings, and night are all great times to get some seeds planted and take advantage of the rains while they last.
Planting
August can be a slow month for harvests in Tucson gardens. That said, if you planted pole beans earlier in the summer they may be ready now
Cover Crops & Forage
if you're using sorghum, sorghum-sudan, or sudangrass as forage, understand that these grasses produce prussic acid and cyanide under certain conditions which may affect some livestock. Do thorough research before grazing animals on these.
Herbs
1st Half of August
SOW INDOORS:
HARDEN OFF & TRANSPLANT OUT:
2nd Half of August
SOW INDOORS:
HARDEN OFF & TRANSPLANT OUT:
Fruits & Vegetables
1st Half of August
SOW INDOORS:
Artichoke, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cannabis, Cardoon, Cauliflower, Chili Pepper, Collards, Black-Eyed Peas, Cucumber, Melon, Napa, Okra, Romanesco, Summer Squash, Sweet Pepper, Winter Squash
DIRECT SOW OUTDOORS:
Cannabis, Chili Pepper, Black-Eyed Peas, Cucumber, Melon, Okra, Potato, Pumpkin, Seminole Pumpkin, Summer Squash, Sweet Pepper, Winter Squash, Yard Long Bean
HARDEN OFF & TRANSPLANT OUT:
Cannabis, Chili Pepper, Black-Eyed Peas, Cucumber, Melon, Okra, Summer Squash, Winter Squash, Yard Long Bean
2nd Half of August
SOW INDOORS:
Artichoke, Arugula, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cardoon, Cauliflower, Chard, Collards, Cucumber, Kale, Napa, Romanesco, Sweet Pepper
DIRECT SOW OUTDOORS:
Cucumber, Potato, Pumpkin, Seminole Pumpkin, Summer Squash, Sweet Pepper
HARDEN OFF & TRANSPLANT OUT:
Cannabis, Chili Pepper, Black-Eyed Peas, Cucumber, Melon, Okra, Summer Squash, Sweet Pepper, Winter Squash, Yard Long Bean
Grains, Seeds, & Cereals
Flowers
1st Half of August
DIRECT SOW OUTDOORS:
2nd Half of August
DIRECT SOW OUTDOORS:
Harvesting
Produce
1st Half of August
Basil, Chili Pepper, Lemon Balm, Lemongrass, Melon, Mint, Okra, Pole Bean, Rosemary, Summer Squash, Sweet Pepper, Winter Squash
2nd Half of August
Basil, Chili Pepper, Lemon Balm, Lemongrass, Melon, Mint, Okra, Pole Bean, Rosemary, Summer Squash, Sweet Pepper, Winter Squash
Seed Saving
1st Half of August
2nd Half of August
Cut Flowers
1st Half of August
2nd Half of August
Weeding
Weeds to Pull
Spurge
Spurge starts popping back up in August. I like it as a ground cover and typically leave it until I'm ready to plant an area, but some gardeners pull it when they see it so I've included it here.
More Tucson Planting Calendars
That's all for now, thanks for reading!
If you have any questions, comments, or would like to connect with fellow gardeners, head on over to the forum and post there.
