What to plant this week in Augusta, GA
Augusta's heatwave has officially kicked in with temperatures soaring well above the 85°F average, making this the critical push week for your summer crops. With the last frost date long past and soil warming rapidly, it is time to focus on sowing warm-weather staples like Okra and Malabar Spinach while your early harvests of Bush Beans and Cucumbers are ready to pull.
The next 7 days
Augusta, GAGrowing in Augusta right now
- Augusta's clay-heavy soils tend to bake hard in this heat; dig deep holes for new seedlings and keep beds mulched heavily with pine straw or shredded hardwoods to retain moisture.
- Be mindful that the local humidity spikes often around mid-week, which can slow germination for seeds like Scarlet Runner Beans; water early morning rather than evening to prevent fungal issues on leaves.
- Take advantage of the current heat spike by sowing heat-lovers now; crops like Yellow Summer Squash and Zucchini will thrive in Augusta's intense sun if planted directly into warmed earth.
Sow this week
17 crops- Basil
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cucumber
- French Marigold
- Malabar Spinach
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Pole Bean
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Summer Savory
- Thai Basil
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Transplant this week
Nothing is due to go out this week.
Harvest soon
36 crops- Basil
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Cantaloupe
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- Edamame
- Fennel
- Flour Corn
- French Marigold
- Garden Verbena
- Garlic
- Gourd (Ornamental/Bottle)
- Honeydew Melon
- Lima Bean
- Loofah (Luffa)
- Malabar Spinach
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Pole Bean
- Pumpkin
- Roselle (Cranberry Hibiscus)
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Summer Savory
- Sunflower
- Sweet Corn
- Thai Basil
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Watermelon
- Winter Squash
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Seasonal tips
- Succession sow bush beans and pole beans every two weeks for a continuous harvest through summer.
- Thin out dense seedlings of zucchini and yellow summer squash to prevent overcrowding.
- Apply a light layer of mulch around established crops to retain soil moisture as summer heat builds.
Pest & disease watch
- Watch for increased pressure from squash bugs on your young Pumpkin and Bottle Gourd vines as they expand rapidly in this warm climate.
- Spider mites are becoming active on Malabar Spinach and Fennel during these dry, hot stretches; inspect undersides of leaves daily if you notice stippling or webbing.
- Slugs and snails are still finding refuge under leaf litter near your Basil and Nasturtium beds despite the heat; check traps twice a week to keep populations down.
Watering this week
Water deeply at the base of plants in the morning to keep foliage dry and reduce disease risk during hot days.
Harvest watermelons when they produce a hollow sound upon tapping, indicating full ripeness.
Augusta gardening questions
3Can I finally plant my Malabar Spinach seeds outside in Augusta now?
Yes, Augusta's soil is warm enough this week for direct sowing. Unlike other spinach varieties that bolt quickly in our summer heat, Malabar thrives in temperatures up to 90°F and will produce a lush harvest if planted immediately.
My Bush Beans are ready to eat, but should I leave some on the vine?
You can harvest your beans as soon as pods are firm and plump, which is exactly where you are now. If you let them mature further on the plant for shelling, the vines will continue producing through August until the first fall frost in December.
How do I prevent squash bugs from destroying my new Pumpkin plants this week?
Since transplanting isn't ideal right now, start your Pumpkins as seeds directly in large containers or hills of soil. Inspect the undersides of leaves daily for egg-laying females and remove them by hand before they hatch into nymphs that feed on the plant.
Other cities in zone 8b
12See the full zone 8b guide → · Plan your Augusta garden in SproutGuide →