UK growing guide · Summer
What can I plant in August?
Last updated
August is a pivot. You are still picking tomatoes and beans, and you are sowing what will stand through winter. Vegetables to plant in August in the UK include winter spinach, spring cabbage, and the first overwintering onion sets late in the month.
It can be the driest month on a light soil. I soak a seed drill before I sow anything, or I don't bother.
What to sow in August
Vegetables to plant in August in the UK, split between sowing under cover and sowing outside.
Indoors or under cover
Sow winter salads in modules if the outdoor bed is baked or full. They transplant better than a failed direct sowing.
Lettuce — winter varieties, in modules
Spinach — for planting out when it cools- Spring cabbage — in a tray, if you did not sow in July
Outdoors
Direct sowing works if you can keep the row damp until germination. Shade the drill with a board for a few days if the sun is fierce, then remove it.
- Spinach — for autumn and winter leaves
- Lettuce — winter kinds
Radishes- Spring onions — for autumn use
- Turnips — eat them small
Autumn onion sets — late in the month, overwintering types
What to plant out in August
Plant the last winter brassicas and any spring cabbage that is ready. Empty ground can take a green manure if you will not crop it until spring.
Kale — last chance for a useful plant- Cabbage — spring cabbage late in the month
Broccoli — if plants are still waiting- Lettuce — module-raised winter varieties
What to harvest in August
This is peak picking. Onions want lifting and drying. Maincrop potatoes can start once the skins have set: rub one, and if the skin stays put, they will store.
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Courgettes- French beans
Sweetcorn — when the silks turn brown and a kernel milks- Onions — dry them before storing
Potatoes — second earlies, and maincrops as skins set
Beetroot- Plums and early apples
August jobs on the plot
Keep the summer crops going, and don't leave beds bare if a winter crop isn't going in.
Dry and store onions
Skins should be papery and necks closed before they go into a net in a cool shed. Soft necks rot.
Summer-prune trained apples and pears
On cordons and espaliers, shorten this year's side shoots. Leave a full winter prune for later, and don't summer-prune stone fruit.
Water and ventilate the greenhouse
Damp, still air brings grey mould and split tomatoes. Open the vents, and water in the morning.
Sow or mulch empty beds
A green manure, or a layer of compost, protects soil you will not plant until spring.
Frost and where you garden
North and south in August
There is no frost risk for vegetables in August. The useful warning is the opposite: heat, dry soil, and wasps on ripening fruit.
Further north, and high ground
August sowings of spinach, spring cabbage and winter lettuce are important in the north because autumn is shorter. Don't delay them into September if you can help it. Get the last brassicas planted.
The south and sheltered coasts
Southern gardens can still sow winter salads through the month and plant overwintering onion sets towards the end. Water is the limiting factor, especially on sandy soil and in the east.
Easy mistakes in August
August crops fail quietly: seed in dust, onions stored damp, and a greenhouse left shut on a hot day.
Storing onions before they are dry
If the neck is still thick and green, they will rot in store. Give them time.
Shutting the greenhouse on a sunny day
Temperatures climb fast. Flowers drop and fruit scorches. Ventilate.
Leaving blighted foliage on the plot
Remove diseased potato and tomato growth. Don't compost it.
Keep August on the dashboard
Sproutly is a web garden diary for UK fruit and veg growers. Add the plants and the jobs, then see what's due on your dashboard.
Record your sowings
Note what you sowed in August, and which bed it went in.
Plan the month's jobs
Add planting, covering and picking as tasks with a due date.
See what's due
Your dashboard shows what's due and what's overdue. Sproutly does not email you or send a push to your phone.
Sketch the beds
Use the garden planner to try a layout before you plant it for real.
Ready to plan your August garden?
Add this month's plants and jobs to your diary. Basic is free for up to 3 plants and 3 tasks. Pro is £5 a month if you want more, including recurring tasks.
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Gardening advice is provided as a general guide based on typical UK conditions. Weather soil and local climate can vary so always use your judgement and adjust timing as needed for your own garden.