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Farmers almanac
One almanac per growing zone, published every month. Pick your zone and month below for the full picture: what to plant now, what should be coming ready to harvest, the moon planting calendar, sunrise and sunset for your zone, and the climate averages you can expect from Bureau of Meteorology records.
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August 2026 Farmers Almanac
Planting, moon and climate guide for the Cold Highland zone
Climate Overview
| Zone | Max | Min | Rainfall | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Highland | 14°C avg | 1°C avg | 46mm avg | Still cold with hard frosts, but days slowly lengthening. |
Astronomical Events
Moon Phases
Sunrise / Sunset
Days are lengthening noticeably as we head toward spring. Here’s the welcome change across the month:
| City | 1st | 15th | Last | Daylight change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canberra (AEST) | 6:58am – 5:21pm (10h 22m) | 6:44am – 5:31pm (10h 46m) | 6:24am – 5:43pm (11h 18m) | +56 min |
Trend: Melbourne gains a full hour! Spring is approaching fast.
Planting Guide
Cold Highland Zone
Planting windows from the GardenBuddy zone planting master (109 crops tracked for this zone). Harvest months are the verified zone harvest window where we have one, otherwise calculated from typical days to maturity.
- Apple (grafted tree, potted or bare-root)
- Artichokes (seed tray)
- Asparagus (crowns)
- Beetroot (seed tray)
- Blueberry (potted plant)
- Broad Beans (sow direct)
- Cabbage (seed tray)
- Cape Gooseberry (seed tray)
- Capsicum (seed tray)
- Celeriac (seed tray)
- Chilli peppers (seed tray)
- Coriander (seed tray)
- Eggplant (seed tray)
- Endive (seed tray)
- Fig (potted or bare-root tree, or cuttings)
- Horseradish (root cuttings)
- Jerusalem Artichokes (tubers)
- Kale (seed tray)
- Kohlrabi (seed tray)
- Leeks (seed tray)
- Lettuce (seed tray)
- Mulberry (potted or bare-root tree, or cuttings)
- Onion (transplant)
- Parsley (seed tray)
- Peach (grafted tree, potted or bare-root)
- Pear (grafted tree, potted or bare-root)
- Peas (sow direct)
- Pecan (grafted tree, potted or bare-root)
- Persimmon (grafted tree, potted or bare-root)
- Plum (grafted tree, potted or bare-root)
- Pomegranate (potted or bare-root tree, or cuttings)
- Raspberry (canes or suckers)
- Rhubarb (crowns)
- Rocket (sow direct)
- Silverbeet (sow direct, transplant)
- Snow Peas (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
- Spinach (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
- Spring Onion (seed tray, transplant)
- Strawberries (runners)
- Tomato (seed tray)
- Walnut (grafted tree, potted or bare-root)
- Collards
- Horseradish
- Jerusalem Artichokes
- Kale
- Leeks
- Lemon
- Lime
- Mandarin
- Orange
- Parsley
- Parsnip
- Rosemary
- Rutabaga
- Salsify
- Silverbeet
- Spinach
- Spring Onion
- Thyme
Moon Planting Calendar
| Phase | Dates | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Waning (Full to Last Quarter) | Aug 1-6 | Root vegetables, garlic, onions, bulbs. Pruning. |
| Waning (Last Quarter to New) | Aug 6-13 | Soil preparation, composting, pest control. Rest period. |
| Waxing (New to First Quarter) | Aug 13-20 | Leafy greens and herbs. Sow above-ground crops that fruit outside the plant. |
| Waxing (First Quarter to Full) | Aug 20-28 | Fruiting crops – tomatoes, beans, cucurbits. Strongest above-ground planting energy. |
| Waning (Full to Last Quarter) | Aug 28-31 | Root vegetables, garlic, onions, bulbs. Pruning. |
Livestock Guide
Birth season kicks off properly. Busy weeks ahead, plan for early mornings and check rounds.
Cattle
- Pre-calving management
- Nutrition critical
- Calving paddocks ready
- Monitor closely
Sheep & Goats
- Lambing/kidding begins
- Close monitoring essential
- Shelter ready
- Colostrum supplies on hand
Poultry
- Production improving
- Natural daylight increasing
- Reduce supplemental lighting
- Order chicks for spring
Bees
- Spring preparation
- Check queens
- Add supers if needed
- Early spring flow possible
Self-Sufficiency Focus
The Late Winter Gap
This is traditionally the “hungry gap” – winter crops are finishing, spring crops aren’t ready yet. Prices at markets reflect this. If you’ve preserved well through summer and autumn, now’s when it pays off. If not, remember this feeling for next year’s planning.
Energy Outlook
Heating needs are declining but not gone. Solar output is improving noticeably. By late August, you should be generating more than early winter. This is a good time to service your solar system before the high-production months.
Key Takeaways
- Full Moon: August 28 – note: a partial lunar eclipse occurs on this date but is not visible from Australia (Americas, Europe, Africa only)
- Lambing begins: Intensive livestock management period
- Seedlings indoors: Continue tomatoes, capsicum, eggplant
- Hungry gap: Food prices rising – between seasons
- Spring approaching: Wattle blooming, days lengthening