This competition has now closed but thank you to all those who took part. Congratulations goes to our 5 winners who each won a bundle of Suttons vegetable seeds to sow in August.
For more inspiration on growing your own delicious vegetables that can be started in August, have a look at our list below.
Five veg seeds you can sow in August
Feed your family for less this winter and supplement your weekly shop with tasty, homegrown produce. Simply direct-sow the seeds into containers, raised beds or your veg patch and reap the rewards through autumn and winter.
It’s never too late in the year to start growing your own food. Here are five delicious varieties of versatile, high-yielding vegetable seeds you can still sow throughout August to jazz up mealtimes.
Winter Leaf Salad Seeds
Image: Leaf Salad Winter Mix from Suttons
Ready to eat in just three weeks, sow your salad leaf winter mix seeds in window boxes or containers on a balcony, and pick the leaves as and when you need them. Part of Suttons’ ‘Speedy Veg’ collection, this nutritious mix can be grown outdoors until the end of October. Cut-and-come-again crops are a good way to reduce waste as you only harvest what you need each day.
Easy to grow, simply sow your seeds, cover lightly with compost and maintain moisture. You can begin to pick the leaves once they reach 12-15cm high.
Chinese Cabbage Seeds – F1 Natsuki
Image: Chinese Cabbage Seeds ‘F1 Natsuki’ from Suttons
Looking for a zero-waste vegetable to use in a variety of dishes? Try the Chinese Cabbage. Entirely edible, add the young leaves of ‘Natsuki’ to stir-fries, or allow the plants to develop into full-sized cabbages for soups, casseroles or winter-warming roast dinners. High in iron and vitamins A and C, your crop can be harvested just 7 weeks after sowing.
Sow your Chinese Cabbage ‘F1 Natsuki’ seeds in containers of finely raked, moist soil, spacing them 15 inches apart. Germination takes 7-12 days. If you need to thin out some of the small plants, simply eat them while they’re young and exceptionally tender. Sow a few seeds every week to give yourself a constant supply of fresh vegetables through the colder months.
Wok Broc (Chinese Broccoli) Seeds – Kichi
Image: Floramedia
The ultimate cut-and-come-again vegetable, you can use all parts of Wok Broc ‘Kichi’ in your cooking. Slice up the stalks as an inexpensive alternative to asparagus, pick and use the leaves to replace spinach, and enjoy the flower buds in the same way as sprouting broccoli. This staple of Cantonese cooking can be harvested in just 8 weeks, and successional sowings every two to three weeks allows you to maintain a constant supply throughout winter.
Thinly sow Wok Broc ‘Kichi’ seeds outdoors into finely raked, moist, weed-free soil or alternatively, sow in containers in a cold greenhouse or conservatory later in the season. Remember to eat your thinned plants as you go and sow more seeds every other week for a constant supply.
Pak Choi Seeds – F1 Rubi
Image: Pak Choi ‘F1 Rubi’ from Suttons
With attractive red leaves which deepen in colour as it gets colder, Pak Choi ‘F1 Rubi’ is wonderfully versatile. Choose to harvest the baby leaves after just 30 days to add raw colour to salads, or leave these oriental vegetables to mature and slice up to cook in stir-fries.
Thinly sow Pak Choi ‘F1 Rubi’ seeds directly into warm, moist soil at 13mm deep in rows 30cm apart. Leave 15cm between plants if growing in containers. Water frequently during dry periods, and apply a weak liquid feed once a week. Not suitable for transplanting.
Beet (Leaf) Seeds – Sea Kale
Image: Beet Leaf Seeds ‘Silver or Sea Kale’ from Suttons
With a long cropping period, it’s up to you how to use Beet Leaf ‘Sea Kale’. You can harvest the green tips frequently while young as a ‘cut-and-come-again’ veg similar to spinach. Alternatively, you can let each plant mature and slice the thick white midribs into sections, cook for a few minutes in boiling, salted water, and serve while still crisp. Nutritious and high yielding, this ornamental dual-purpose vegetable will quickly become a staple in your kitchen.
If you’re looking to grow larger plants, thinly sow your Beet Leaf ‘Sea Kale’ seeds into rows and cover with soil. Alternatively, sow more liberally and snip the seedlings as required for use as baby leaves in salads or to stir through pasta.
Last Updated on November 8, 2024 by Suttons Horticultural Team
been cutting down on gardening due no local plant and seed provided
I love growing things – my allotment is my happy place! I’d enjoy having a go at growing something new that I can tend as the year goes on and my potatoes are harvested. I never know what to put in when they have finished! I especially love the idea of the Chinese Broccoli because my young family adore broccoli and eat it regularly.