Seeds to Sow in August
Your plants will be growing furiously in August, the hot weather giving the plants a burst of energy to give one final push before the end of summer. Enjoy the fruits of your labour as this month you will be able to harvest many vegetables and salads, and the majority of your flowers should be in bloom!
August is a great month for sowing seeds for colour throughout the colder months, or getting seeds in the ground to plan ahead for early-spring colour next year. It's also the perfect time to sow vegetables for winter crops or over-wintering for spring crops.
To see all seeds that can be sown in August, take a look here.
Top Seeds to Sow in August
Cabbage
This month you can direct sow spring cropping cabbages into the veg patch. Early next year, when not much else can be harvested, you'll be so grateful to have a fresh crop of cabbages ready to be picked.
It is good practise to avoid planting brassicas in the same soil as other brassicas the previous year. It is also helpful to cover with a protective netting or fleece to prevent attack from birds and insects.
Unwins Cabbage Winter Jewel produces loose heads of dark green leaves with good flavour and nutritional value. Disease resistant and hardy, this reliable winter crop can be harvested as loose heads of leaves, similar to spring greens, or left to mature to produce heads which can be eaten like sweetheart cabbage.
Green Manure
A green manure is a fantastic seed mix to sow over any areas of your garden that would otherwise be left bare over the winter months. Veg patches and raised beds are ideal for sowing green manure mixes in as they are often left as bare soil once the crops have been harvested.
Green Manure mixes are a quick growing solution to help add nutrients to the soil, as well as improving structure to give better drainage or water retention. In spring, once they reach 30cm, cut down and dig in, allowing the green matter to break down for several weeks before replanting with vegetables or flowers for the new season.
Try sowing Nature's Haven Green Manure Mix. This is an easy to sow mix and a great way to add green manure to your garden.
Alpine Saxifraga
Alpines are a brilliant way to add a carpet of flowers to a rockery or a pot.
Alpine Saxifraga can be sown in August to give it a head start on growing. It is an attractive cushion-forming plant which covers the ground, and themselves with flower, bringing beauty all the way down to the floor in your garden.
Unwins Alpine Saxifraga Snow Carpet produces masses of beautiful white flowers, looking like a carpet of snow. This alpine will spread over time and with evergreen foliage, it adds contrast to mixed plantings.
Viola
Sowing viola seeds in late summer is a brilliant way to get set up for plenty of colour throughout the cold winter months. Violas can either be sown in spring for summer colour, or in late summer for colour over the winter months.
Violas are ideal for pots or the front of borders. Viola petals are often edible and can be added to salads.
Unwins Viola Delta Endurio Purple Yellow Wing Seeds have a beautiful flower colour combination. Stunning semi-trailing viola look sensational in hanging baskets or pots. They will be surrounded in bright purple and yellow flowers for months on end.
Viola Delta Endurio will give you a wonderfully long-lasting display of flowers with a mounding habit that will quickly fill pots. They are very easy to grow and have a very good cold tolerance.
Other seeds to sow now
Flowers
Seeds to sow
- Pansies
- Californian poppy
- Poppy
- Cornflower
- Calendula
- Larkspur
Vegetables
Seeds to sow inside
- Winter lettuce
- Chervil
- Dwarf beans
Vegetables
Seeds to sow directly outside
- Spring onions
- Radish
- Salad leaves
- Swiss chard
- Pak choi
- Kohl rabi
- Spinach
Herbs
Seeds to sow inside
- Parsley
- Coriander
Herbs
Seeds to sow directly outside
- Watercress
Caring for Plants
Watering and feeding your plants is top priority this month. With the weather likely to be very hot and dry, in order to continue to harvest your vegetables and help your flowers continue to bloom, watering is so important. With water levels likely low in the UK in August, using stored water from a water butt, or grey water from washing up bowls can be really useful and be a great way to avoid using mains water.
Harvesting
There are so many crops for you to harvest this month, in fact, you're likely to have so much fresh veg that you'll be able to share with friends and family! Carrots, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, beetroot, peas, kale, aubergine, swiss chard, sweetcorn, runner beans, artichokes... the list goes on and on!
Thinking About Next Month
September is a great month to sow many seeds, such as calendula, sweet peas, cornflower and poppies, so spend some time this month thinking about the varieties you may want to grow next year. Once you've planned out your borders and pots, you can think about buying the seed packets you'll want to sow next month.