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Vegetable Seeds to Sow in August

Posted on 02. Aug, 2009 by Tracey in How to Grow Veg

August is nearly the end of the summer (where did the time go?) and is the month to start sowing vegetables for autumn and spring next year. There is still plenty to sow from Chinese to baby vegetables and winter versions of the summer classic vegetables. Take your pick from the contenders below.

Lettuce

1. Winter Lettuce

Winter lettuce is ideal if you want to keep picking lettuce throughout the autumn and winter. Some varieties are very winter hardy and some require frost protection in the form of cloches in September.

As lettuce is a cool weather crop, high temperatures may cause slow or no germination. Sow in the coolest part of the day and water well with cold water.

Sow Seeds: August and September
Harvest: October to April

Varieties to choose from:

• Winter Density – Semi cos type, slow to bolt in spring

• Winter Crop – Organic early variety with large heads of pale green leaves.
• Valdor – old favorite with deep green leaves and is winter hardy.
• Lattughino – loose leaf with red tinge and resistant to cold
• Winter Marvel – a french variety which can be harvested from October onwards

Japanese Onions

2. Japanese Salad Winter Onions

Japanese salad onions have spring and winter varieties. The winter varieties can stand in the soil in cold conditions and withstand frost under a cloche.

Sow Seeds: June to October
Harvest: August to December

Varieties to choose from:

• White Lisbon Winter Hardy
• Winter Over Salad Onion

Florence Fennel

3. Florence Fennel

Florence fennel is a white bulbous Italian vegetable which is a dwarf version of the herb fennel. The vegetable provides an aniseed flavour in salads or can be braised or roasted.

Sow Seeds: July to Mid-August
Harvest: September to December

Varieties to Choose from:

• Colossal – good for autumn harvest, forms bulb well and less prone to bolting
• Mantovano – strong bolt resistance, forms good flat bulb for autumn harvest.

Chinese Cabbage

4. Chinese Cabbage

Chinese cabbage grows tall and has cylindrical heads. They crop in 1 to 2 months so are definitely worth sowing now to get some cabbage leaves before the winter sets in. Chinese cabbages can be cooked as normal cabbage or added to stirfrys. They like moisture so remember to water frequently as this will prevent them from bolting.

Sow Seeds: June to August
Harvest: August to November

Varieties To Choose from:

• Nikko (organic) Dark green leaves and bolt resistant,
• Granaat (organic) – medium green leaves and tall heads. Good for successional sowings.
• Green Rocket F1 – Quick grower, bright green leaves and long storage period.
• Richi F1 – Short oval heads, yellow hearted with dark outer leaves

Turnips

5. Turnip (Maincrop)

Turnips are a quick and one of the easiest vegetable to grow. They come in a variety of colours: white, purple, yellow and purple. Both turnips and their turnip tops (green leaves) can be harvested and eaten. They hold their nutrients when cooked to give you a nutritious vegetable on your dinner plate. Harvest when they are the size of a golf ball.

Tips: Maincrop turnips need larger spacing when thinning the seedlings for a good root to develop and to prevent diseases like powdery mildew (between 8 – 12 inches apart). If you want baby turnips, space 3-6 inches apart. They also require watering in dry periods to prevent the skin from cracking.

Sow Seeds: Early Crops: April to July, Maincrop: July to August
Harvest: Early Crops: May to September, Maincrop: September to November

Maincrop Turnip Varieties:

• Armand – the Christmas turnip! purple and white variety, very good resistance to cold.
• Golden Ball – A yellow round variety which stores well.
• Model White – all round great variety for good taste.
• Giant Limousin – can reach up to 10 – 12 inches wide if left in the ground. Tender and white.

Spring Carrot Harvest

6. Baby Carrots

If you forgot to sow carrots last month, fear not, there’s still time to sow some fast cropping baby varieties so you can harvest before the winter sets in. So this is your last chance to sow some carrots this year! These can be sown in patio pots and in raised beds.

Sow Seeds: August
Harvest: October to November

Late Season Baby Carrot Varieties to choose from:

• Ideal – from Suttons speedy seeds range ready to harvest in 6 – 12 weeks.
• Giant Red – Quick growing carrot ideal for late summer sowings.

Beetroot

7. Baby Beetroot

This is your last chance to sow beetroots this year for a late baby crop for harvesting in autumn. These baby vegetables can be grown in patio pots or raised beds and crop in 6 – 12 weeks. Baby beetroots are usually the size of a golf ball.

Sow Seeds: August
Harvest: September to November

Baby Beetroot Varieties:

• Pronto – sweet and nutritious, dark purple variety, very speedy cropper.

More Vegetable Seeds to Sow in August

1. Radish – Winter varieties (10 – 12 weeks)
2. Spring Cabbage (for harvest next May)
3. Lambs Lettuce
4. Pak Choi
5. Swiss Chard
6. Mustard Greens
7. Salad Endive
8. Rapini (Broccoli Raab)
9. Quick heading calabrese (can be sown in greenhouse or unheated polytunnel)

Other Posts in the Vegetable Seeds to Sow Series:

• Vegetable Seeds to Sow in May
• Vegetable Seeds to Sow in June
• Vegetable Seeds to Sow in July