Great news, you don’t have to miss out on growing vegetables and herbs during the winter. There are still seeds you can sow during August so they’re well established before it gets too cold. Happy growing!

Cabbage

Cabbages can be sown directly into the ground (mid-August) or in modular trays (late August). Plant them in a sunny position and deep enough for the soil to cover their stems.

Make sure you have plenty of room as some varieties can become large in size.

Photo by GAP Photography

Lettuce

You can sow lettuce in late August to start harvesting the leaves in April. Sow straight into the ground in rows (create a shallow line around 1cm deep) and thinly cover with soil.

Cover the plants in cloches to protect them from any harsh weather during the winter.

Top tip: During hot weather sow your lettuce seeds in the evening when the soil is cooler to make sure there is germination.

Radish

It’s a good idea to sow radish seeds little and often for a continued harvest. Once the first row of seeds has started to germinate sow another. They do really well in containers and window boxes if you don’t have room in the garden.

Photo by GAP Photography

Spinach

Spinach seeds can be planted straight into the ground in rows (create a shallow line around 1cm deep). You can expect to harvest between six to eight weeks after planting. If you protect from cold weather the growing season will last a lot longer.

Keep them well-watered during spy spells.

Top tip: If you harvest alternate plants it will give the others more room to grow.

Spring Onion

Sow your onions in rows in well-draining soil as they can rot if the ground is waterlogged. If you sow in late August you can harvest from early April.

Protect from rabbits and birds by covering them in horticultural fleece.

Top tip: Pull out any weeds that grow between your onions as they hate competition.

Turnip

Turnips can be sown straight outside and will be ready to harvest between 6-10 weeks. These will need to be thinned so the root grows fast, seedlings that touch will not make good roots.

Protect from birds, butterflies and cabbage root fly by using horticultural fleece.

Photo by GAP Photography

Herbs

You can sow chervil, coriander, dill, parsley, and rocket seeds during the year to get a year-round crop. Why not plant indoors on your windowsill –  read our ‘How to‘? Create a Windowsill Herb Garden guide.

Photo by GAP Photography

Read our Seed and Sowing vegetable guide for a list of sowing and harvesting months.