This organic seed set makes the most of August for autumn harvests, winter stores and preparing the next gardening season
August in the garden is not an ending, but a transition: now is still the time to sow quick leafy vegetables, spicy roots and winter salads, while green manure and parsley are already looking ahead to the coming year.
With the organic seed set "Sowing in August", the late summer weeks can be used to good effect. While many summer crops are gradually being harvested, new open spaces appear in the bed. These are exactly the places where new crops can now begin: lamb's lettuce, spinach, radicchio, radish and lettuce bring fresh greens, spice and harvest prospects for autumn and winter. At the same time, buckwheat prepares the soil for the next season as a green manure, and parsley is already sown for an early harvest the following spring.
The set is especially suitable for anyone who does not want to leave their vegetable bed, raised bed or larger planters empty in late summer. The varieties included are selected for sowing in August and combine quick harvests, robust autumn crops, winter-suitable leafy vegetables and soil health. In this way, late summer becomes a productive transition between two gardening seasons.
These varieties are included in the organic seed set "Sowing in August"
-
Lettuce 'Meraviglia delle quattro stagioni' (organic) (Lactuca sativa)
A very early butterhead lettuce with tender, aromatic leaves. The variety is versatile and can be sown outdoors very early in the year when the soil is open. In August, it complements the set as a classic lettuce crop for mild late summer and autumn days.
-
Radish 'Runder schwarzer Winter' (organic) (Raphanus sativus L. var. niger)
A traditional winter variety with round, black-skinned roots and a strong, pungent flavour. Black winter radish is a typical crop for the later season and brings a spicy harvest into the cooler months.
-
Lamb's lettuce 'Dunkelgrüner Vollherziger' (organic) (Valerianella locusta)
An undemanding, dark green lamb's lettuce with a pleasantly nutty flavour. It is a valuable salad crop for autumn and winter and provides fresh greens at a time of year when many other leafy vegetables have already disappeared.
-
Italian flat-leaf parsley 'Italian Giant' (organic) (Petroselinum crispum)
A large-leaved flat parsley from Italy with a fine, intense aroma. When sown in late summer, it can still establish itself and is especially interesting for an early harvest the following spring.
-
Spinach 'Matador' (organic) (Spinacia oleracea)
A well-proven spinach with strong green leaves. It grows quickly, is suitable for beds and balconies and can be used both as young leafy greens and cooked. Spinach is a classic crop for cooler weather and therefore fits very well into August sowing.
-
Radicchio 'Palla Rossa' (organic) (Cichorium intybus var. foliosum)
A traditional Italian radicchio variety from Chioggia with compact, round heads in dark wine red. Its slightly bitter flavour makes radicchio a distinctive salad and vegetable ingredient for the later season.
-
Common buckwheat (organic) (Fagopyrum esculentum)
An undemanding pseudocereal that is very well suited as a green manure. Buckwheat grows quickly, covers open areas and helps to green beds after harvest and prepare the soil for the next season.
One seed packet of each plant variety.
Why sowing in August makes so much sense
August is an important sowing month for anyone who wants to use their bed for longer. Many main crops have already been harvested or are gradually making way. Instead of leaving the soil uncovered, crops can now follow that cope well with shorter days and cooler nights. These include especially spinach, lamb's lettuce, winter radish, radicchio and various lettuces.
At the same time, preparation for the next gardening year already begins in August. Parsley often needs some time for germination and development and, if sown in good time, can be harvested early the following spring. Buckwheat has a different role: it is not primarily grown for a vegetable harvest, but as a green manure. This keeps the soil covered, protects it from drying out and silting, and helps it regenerate over the seasonal break.
Sowing & using the organic seed set
The varieties included can be sown individually, one after another or on different free areas, depending on your bed planning. Lettuce, spinach, lamb's lettuce, radish and radicchio are suitable for using vegetable beds, raised beds or larger planters that have become free. Even moisture during germination is important, as the soil can still dry out strongly in August. Especially fine seeds should not dry out and, in hot weather, should preferably be shaded or watered during the cooler parts of the day.
For good development, the crops should be given enough space and thinned out after germination if necessary. Buckwheat, by contrast, is broadcast over free bed areas and later incorporated as green manure or used as a protective plant cover. Parsley is best sown in a place where it can develop undisturbed. In this way, the set combines several functions: fresh harvests in late summer and autumn, leafy vegetables suitable for winter, spicy roots, an early herb harvest the following spring and natural soil care through green manure.
