What to Sow in August
Abundance and forethought — harvest daily, sow for the cold months.
August overflows with harvest, yet it is also the moment to sow hardy crops that will overwinter and green manures that protect and feed the soil. A little sowing now rewards you when little else is growing.
Dates assume a temperate Central European climate. Warmer regions can sow a little earlier; colder or higher areas a little later. Ask a coach if you’d like advice for your own climate zone.
Start indoors / under cover
Nothing needs starting indoors this month.
Sow direct outdoors
Winter salads & spinach
VegetablesSow 1-2 cm deep for autumn and, under cover, winter picking.
Overwintering onions & spring onions
VegetablesSow hardy varieties 1 cm deep for an early crop next year.
Turnips, radish & oriental greens
VegetablesFast crops sown 1-2 cm deep still have time to mature.
Green manures (field beans, phacelia, rye)
VegetablesSow on cleared beds to protect and enrich the soil over winter.
Tips for August
- Sow green manures on any empty ground to prevent nutrient loss and weeds.
- Collect and dry seed from favourite open-pollinated plants for next year.
- Keep watering and harvesting — regular picking prolongs cropping.
Harvesting now
Tomatoes, sweetcorn, beans, courgettes, onions, and the first main-crop potatoes.