Planting Options for August: My Top 25 Picks
August Sowing for Late Autumn and Winter Harvest: A Guide for UK Gardeners
As the summer begins to wane, gardeners in the UK can still enjoy a bountiful harvest by sowing a variety of vegetables and herbs in August. Here are some suggestions for what to plant now for a late autumn or winter crop.
Quick-Growing Root Crops
Dwarf beans can be sown under cover for quicker germination and outdoor crops as autumn comes. Turnip, a fast-growing root vegetable, is perfect for autumn stews. Carrots can still be sown for faster maturing crops outdoors or under cover. Radish and Mooli can be grown outdoors or under cover, and are ready in just a few weeks, with both root and leaves edible.
Autumn/Winter Salads
Chinese Cabbages are fast-growing and can be sown outdoors or under cover. For a more diverse salad selection, consider sowing chicory, endive, and radicchio. These bitter leaves are well-suited for sowing in August and will overwinter for harvesting in late autumn or early spring. Spinach can also be grown outdoors or under cover.
Spicy Mustard Greens and Hardy Salad Greens
Mizuna can be sown outdoors or under cover, and is a good choice for a spicy mustard green. Oriental Mustards, such as Red Frills, Purple Frills, Green Wave, Red Giant, Golden Streak, Komantsuna, and others, are cool weather brassica crops grown for their leaves and are frost tolerant. Rocket, mustard greens, and chicory varieties serve a similar culinary purpose and are ideal for sowing in August.
Spring Onions and Beetroot
Salad Onions can be sown now for harvest outdoors in early spring or indoors for winter harvest. Beetroot sown in August tends to mature before the cold sets in, providing a substantial crop. Spring onions sown now may be harvested before the first frosts and can survive mild winters for further picking in early spring.
Herbs
Parsley, coriander, basil, and chervil can be sown in seed trays now for growing on a window sill under glass throughout the winter. Lambs Lettuce, also known as Corn Salad, is a hardy winter salad that lasts well through the winter. Winter purslane, Claytonia, or Miner's lettuce is a very hardy winter salad that produces small, mild-tasting, succulent leaves.
Microgreens and Specialty Crops
Microgreens can be sown to harvest as small plants or leaves within days/weeks of sowing. They are effective at the stage after sprouted seeds. Land cress, often called American cress, is an excellent substitute for watercress. Swiss chard can be grown outdoors or under cover, with Rainbow Chard being a popular variety. Gai Choi, a tuberous vegetable, can be sown in late summer for outdoor growth or early September for protected environments.
Choosing Seeds
Homegrown and shop-bought seeds have different benefits. Old established varieties (heirloom varieties) are reliable and true to type, while F1 varieties offer maximum yield and fast growth. However, seed saved from F1 plants are predictably unreliable and rarely breed true to type.
Sowing in August: A Summary
In summary, focus on autumn/winter salads (rocket, mustard greens, chicory varieties), spring onions, beetroot, and fast-growing root crops like radishes when sowing in August in the UK for a harvest extending into late autumn and winter. Don't forget to consider Chinese Cabbages, turnips, carrots, and microgreens for a varied and delicious autumn and winter harvest.
- In addition to autumn/winter salads, home-and-garden enthusiasts should consider sowing quick-growing root crops like radishes, turnips, and carrots for a bountiful late autumn or winter harvest.
- For a lifestyle that involves gardening and home-and-garden activities, consider sowing spicy mustard greens such as Mizuna, as well as hardy salad greens like Rocket and Chicory in August, ensuring a diverse choices in your homegrown salads through late autumn and into the early spring.
