So, summer's slowly drawing to a close, but we've specially picked some fast-growing varieties so that you can squeeze the very last out of the summer sun. It's also a good time to start thinking about sowing some spring vegetables.

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What to plant in August

What to sow outdoors in August

  1. Cabbage (Spring)

    April

    This bolt-resistant cabbage can be sown in early spring for medium sized cabbages and spring greens or later in the season for larger cabbages ready in the summer.

    Buy Cabbage (Spring) Seeds

  2. Carrots

    Autumn King

    Hardy carrots such as Autumn King can still be sown for an early crop next spring. Autumn King give a reliable crop of large carrots which store well.

    Buy Carrots Seeds

  3. Kale

    Scarlet

    A good variety of kale to plant at this stage of the season due to its excellent hardiness and will offering up its dark red veined leaves throughout winter.

    Buy Kale Seeds

  4. Lettuce

    All Year Round

    This very hardy lettuce can be sown all the way from early spring to autumn. It gives medium sized heads of lettuce with dense, crisp hearts.

    Buy Lettuce Seeds

  5. Pak Choi

    Green

    This fast-growing oriental green is ready to harvest as baby leaves in just 30 days or wait 45-70 days for full size heads.

    Buy Pak Choi Seeds

  6. Potato (Late Maincrop)

    Vivaldi

    Second cropping potatoes don't require chitting, so get them in the ground and soon as they arrive and they'll be ready for the plate by Christmas.

    Buy Potato (Late Maincrop) Seeds

  7. Salad Leaves

    Speedy Mix

    This great mixture of quick-growing salad seeds give you a great variety of texture, colours and flavours that will be ready just 25 days after sowing.

    Buy Salad Leaves Seeds

  8. Spinach

    Fiorano

    An ideal variety for spring sowing due to its high resistance to mildew, this spinach will reliably produce a heavy crop of dark green, curvy leaves.

    Buy Spinach Seeds

  9. Spring Onion

    White Lisbon

    Always a favourite, this quick-growing salad onion can be sown regularly for continuous cropping all the way through spring, summer and autumn.

    Buy Spring Onion Seeds

  10. Swiss Chard

    Five Colour Silverbeet

    A plant as decorative as it is versatile with bright coloured edible stems in yellow, orange, red, green and pink with spinach-like dark green leaves.

    Buy Swiss Chard Seeds

  11. Turnip

    Atlantic

    This popular variety is perfect for harvesting as succulent, sweet baby turnips. The leaves can then also steamed as fresh greens.

    Buy Turnip Seeds

What to plant outdoors in August

  1. Garlic

    Albigensian Wight

    This is a popular variety of garlic as it grows to generous proportions and its excellent keeping qualities, storing well into the new year.

    Buy Garlic Seeds

  2. Mushrooms

    White Cap Button

    Mushrooms are grown from spawns rather than seed, but it is available all year round and is surprisingly simple to grow.

    Buy Mushrooms Seeds

  3. Radish

    Rainbow Mixed

    These tasty and attractive ball-shaped radishes grow in a variety of colours - red, white, purple, gold or white and red. They can be eaten in just 28 days.

    Buy Radish Seeds