What to Sow in August: Vegetables & Flowers to Grow Now 🌱

August may feel like the garden is beginning to slow down, especially after the hot and dry summer we have had, but there’s still plenty of growing to be done.

The soil is warm, there are still good levels of light, and seeds can germinate quickly at this time of year. A little thoughtful sowing now can keep your vegetable patch productive through autumn and winter — while some flowers sown towards the end of the month will quietly establish themselves ready for a beautiful display next year.

So, don’t put the seed packets away just yet. Here’s what you can sow in August.

Vegetables to sow in August

August is a good month for sowing vegetables that enjoy the cooler conditions of late summer and autumn.

Leafy crops are particularly useful. Try Perpetual Spinach and Rainbow Chard for productive plants that can continue cropping as the seasons change.

An August or September sowing of Perpetual Spinach can overwinter, giving you fresh new growth from late winter onwards — just when home-grown greens are especially welcome.

You can also sow White Lisbon Spring Onions. The winter-hardy strain can be sown in August and September, establishing before the colder weather and providing an early crop next spring.

Other vegetables to consider sowing this month include:

• Pak choi
• Oriental greens
• Winter lettuce
• Spring cabbage
• Turnips
• Radishes
• Spinach
• Chard

The key is to think beyond summer. You’re not necessarily sowing for an immediate harvest — some of these plants will establish now and continue giving back as we move into autumn, winter and early spring.

If you are creating new vegetable beds, choose quick-growing crops and you could be harvesting your first home-grown vegetables within weeks.

Salad leaves, Oriental greens, spring onions and Sparkler Radishes are all good choices. Sparkler Radishes are particularly rewarding for new growers as they can be ready to harvest in around 25–30 days.

Before you sow, spend a little time looking after the soil.

Remove weeds, gently loosen the surface and add some good organic matter or well-rotted compost where needed. Healthy soil holds moisture, supports soil life and gives young plants the conditions they need to establish naturally.

There’s no need to create a huge vegetable garden either. A small raised bed, a few containers or even a little patch of ground can provide a surprising amount of fresh food.

Start now and your first August vegetable patch could be productive by autumn.

Flowers to sow in August

August isn’t only about vegetables.

It’s also your last opportunity to sow biennials such as honesty, foxgloves and sweet williams. Sown now, they can establish before winter and flower next year.

Towards the end of August, you can also begin sowing hardy annual flowers for next year.

Cornflowers and Larkspur Giant Imperial Mix are lovely choices.

Autumn sowing gives hardy annuals time to develop strong roots before winter. They then sit quietly through the colder months, ready to grow away as temperatures and light levels increase in spring.

The result can be stronger plants and earlier flowers — bringing colour to the garden and providing valuable nectar and pollen for bees and other pollinators.

Hardy Annuals

Late August through to early autumn is a good time to begin sowing hardy Annuals.

You’re aiming for small, healthy plants that have had enough time to establish before the coldest weather arrives, rather than large plants that have put on lots of soft growth.

You can sow seeds into modules and overwinter the young plants in a cold frame or unheated greenhouse. In milder, sheltered gardens, hardy annuals can also be sown directly into well-prepared soil.

Whichever method you choose, prepare the soil gently and avoid overfeeding. Hardy annuals don’t need to be pushed into lots of leafy growth — allowing them to establish naturally helps create resilient young plants.

It’s one of those lovely examples of working with the seasons rather than against them: sow a little now, let nature do much of the work, and enjoy the rewards next year.

Natural Grower Tip 🌱

Don’t think of August as the end of the sowing season.

Warm soil and the remaining summer light make it a valuable month for sowing. Choose quick-growing vegetables for fresh autumn harvests, leafy crops that can carry on into the cooler months, and hardy flowers that will establish themselves ready for next spring.

And, as always, start with the soil.

Look after it, feed it naturally and keep it protected, and you’re creating the foundations for healthier plants — not just for this season, but for those still to come.

Healthy soil. Healthy plants. Naturally.