If you enjoy growing your own produce, now could be the perfect time to start planning your winter salad - by getting it in the ground today.
Spring and the height of summer may have passed, but August is actually one of the best months to sow a selection of crops that will keep your kitchen well-stocked deep into the colder season.
According to guidance from BBC Gardeners' World magazine, there are three key crops you can plant right now if you want to enjoy a fine vegetable harvest come winter.
Spinach
Sowing spinach in late August is almost a shortcut to success. It will yield a crop of young leaves by October, then lie dormant throughout winter before returning with fresh growth in early spring.
The great advantage is that spinach is straightforward to grow - simply sow it directly into well-prepared, fertile soil, and be sure to watch for bolting by keeping it well watered during any warm periods. For best results, once temperatures begin to fall, cover your plants with a low cloche.
Lettuce
A summer favourite, lettuce is also recommended for planting in August, setting you up nicely for an early winter harvest. A cloche becomes particularly handy from late September onwards, once the weather begins to cool in earnest - much like spinach.
If you want to extend your harvest even further into the following year, there is an easy solution. Simply overwinter lettuce beneath cloches or in a greenhouse, and you can expect to pick leaves from April through to June the following year.
Rocket
The most versatile crop on this list, rocket can be successfully cultivated using two different methods.
Wild rocket sown in early August is certain to deliver leaves before winter arrives, then remain dormant until approximately March, when it will then grow on its own accord. The alternative is salad rocket, a variety that has the greatest frost resistance if you delay sowing until late August. It will probably yield more leaves throughout winter than its wild counterpart, but it's more susceptible to bolting once April arrives.
General August Planting Tips
Generally speaking, August is an excellent month for planting, but certain precautions are required. Higher temperatures can accelerate germination in some crops but also lower the water table, so seedlings and freshly planted crops may require slightly more watering than usual.
If your region experiences a notably dry period or drought, it's advisable to postpone sowing until rainfall returns.
