What to Sow in August
August is the month when harvest season really starts to kick in. Meaning that there is plenty of empty space to fill in the veg plot! There are many options for sowing in August...Lettuce, Kale, Spinach will all see the crop season extended in to early Autumn. For those not wanting to sow more vegetables then don't leave the soil bare, take this opportunity to sow a Green Manure over winter. August is also the start of the period to sow your own Wildflower Meadow. Sow many choices!
Crimson Clover Green Manure is a good choice for smothering weeds, fixing nitrogen from the air and is a fast-growing bulky green manure. It has deep roots that penetrate the soil and bulky furry foliage that once dug in helps to improve soil structure. It is not always winter hardy...
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Caliente Mustard 199 is an excellent green manure that has biofumigant properties. (Biofumigation is the suppression of soil-borne pests & diseases by the release of naturally occurring gases). By combining the lush organic matter with the plants biofumigant properties the activity of beneficial soil microbes is increased, so they can...
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Parsley Plain Leaf Herb is also known as French Parsley and has serrated fine leaves that are generally regarded to have a slightly better flavour and texture than curly parsley. It is the one that the continentals grow and use and is the 'true Parsley variety'. Parsley is one of...
£1.85
The flowers in the Bees & Butterfly Wildflower Meadow seed mix will help you create a flower-rich meadow with a particular emphasis on species that are known to be important as sources of nectar for bees, butterflies and other insects. If you ever wondered what beekeepers sow to attract the...
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This trendy Wasabi Rocket actually has the punchy flavour of Wasabi - a Japanese vegetable much like horseradish. Real Wasabi is a root veg that is very difficult to grow in the UK climate so this little leaf helps fill a gap and companies like Wagamama use it to flavour...
£1.75
Forage Rye Green Manure (also known as Hungarian Grazing Cereal Rye) can be used anywhere in crop rotation plans and is one of the best for overwintering as it significantly reduces leaching throughout the winter period. It's an excellent nitrogen lifter and it can lift and release up to 90%...
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Alfalfa, Arabic for 'father of all foods' which is very appropriate as it is packed full of lots of different vitamins & nutrients. Alfalfa is a bean sprout and looks a little bit like Cress. It's great for adding a crunch to salads and is mild in flavour. Best eaten...
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Apache F1 is well worth a try - we love its reliability & productiveness with very little fuss. A real doer! Apache F1 chilli seeds are easy to germinate and produce a small compact bushy plant that only reaches about 35-45cm. Apache F1 is a Capsicum annuum which is a...
£2.95
Carrot Chantenay 2 Red Cored has an exceptionally sweet flavour when grown as a baby carrot. It produces uniform, smooth skinned roots with a small core. The tapered stumps reach 8cm in length and as a shorter variety are good for container planting. They are an early maturing maincrop that...
£0.99 £0.99
Spinach Medania has large mid to dark green leaves that are slightly blistered. The leaves measure about 17cm by 11cm wide when mature and taste mildly sweet & earthy but are juicy and tender. Spinach Medania produces lots of high quality leaves. It can be harvested young as micro leaves...
£1.85
The flowers in the 100% General Purpose Wildflower meadow seed mix are yellow, purple and white with a hint of red - it's a wildflower mix reminiscent of the traditional English country meadow. The mix contains a range of seeds that are suitable for most open sunny sites. This mixture...
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Cress Plain has all the attributes of the curled variety but a slightly stronger flavour with different leaf formations to give variation and texture to a salad. It is a dual-purpose type that can be grown indoors on your window sill or, broadcast directly into your soil outside. Cress Plain...
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Thyme English Winter, also known as Common or Garden Thyme, is a hardy evergreen perennial and has small aromatic dark green leaves with clusters of small pale pink flowers. Thyme English Winter (Thymus vulgaris) can be picked all year round and is the classic herb used in 'bouquet garni'. It...
£1.95
Spearmint Herb is the common variety of mint that is very versatile and makes great mint sauce as well as fresh with new potatoes or peas or in your summer Pimms. Spearmint/Garden Mint has attractive, fragrant dark green serrated leaves and produces little mauve flowers. Mint grows to 60cm and...
£1.85
Winter Tares 'Vicia sativa', also known as 'Vetch' is a hardy annual that can be sown March-May or July-September for over-wintering. It is good at nitrogen-fixing and is extremely competitive against weed suppression, forming an aggressive canopy rapidly on heavier soils but avoid acid or dry soils and dig in...
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Red Cabbage microgreen seeds produce bright red leaves with a light, mild, sweet cabbage taste. They are ready to harvest in 6 days and add a bit of extravagance to a salad and elegance to a piece of fish etc. Red Cabbage can be grown as both a microgreen and...
from £1.55
Salad Rocket or Plain Rocket (Arugula) has long dark green serrated leaves and the usual peppery flavour associated with rocket. It is quick to crop and so easy to grow, just regularly pick fresh individual leaves as required to ensure new leaves continue to grow. There is no need for bags...
£1.65
Pak Choi Red Choi F1 is a colourful purple/red leaved variety with bright green stems that looks as attractive in the garden as on a dinner plate. It is easy to grow, slow to bolt and quick to crop, a tasty little leaf with a mild cabbage flavour. Pak choi...
£1.85
Mustard (Sinapsis Alba) is fast-growing green manure that can be sown from March to September. It has a growing period of 1-2 months and can reach 60-90cm tall. This half-hardy annual grows on most soil types but particularly likes fertile ones. It may require additional watering in dry periods especially...
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Italian Ryegrass is an annual/biennial grass that is winter hardy and can be grown for up to 2 years but it will require cutting during the growing season to encourage new growth and prevent it going to seed in the 2nd year. It is good at suppressing weeds and although...
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