August in the vegetable garden

🌻 August: a month of harvest and preparation

August brings plentiful harvests: tomatoes, courgettes, beans, and lettuces fill your baskets. But it’s also time to look ahead and prepare the garden for autumn and winter crops.

🌱 What to sow in August

👉 Direct sowing outdoors

• Radish

• Turnip

• Lamb’s lettuce

• Rocket

• Autumn spinach

• Purslane

• Autumn lettuces (butterhead, oakleaf)

• Wild chicory, sugarloaf

• Chinese cabbage

• Autumn broccoli

• Sorrel

👉 Sow green manures
Mustard, phacelia, or crimson clover will enrich and protect your soil.

🌼 Sow flowers

Sow biennials like pansies, forget-me-nots, wallflowers, and sweet William to ensure spring blooms.

🌿 Planting and transplanting

👉 Plant out autumn and winter vegetables

• Winter leeks

• Cabbage family (cauliflower, savoy cabbage, kale)

• Autumn lettuces and chicory

👉 Plant strawberries (late August–early September) for strong roots before winter.

🛠️ Care and maintenance

• Water wisely: water early morning or evening to reduce evaporation.

• Mulch to keep soil moisture.

• Harvest regularly to encourage continued production.

• Watch for pests and diseases: mildew, blight, slugs.

🍂 Prepare for autumn

• Clear spent crops and work in compost or green manure.

• Plan your autumn/winter crop rotations.

• Tidy beds and plan next sowings.

Happy gardening!