I GENERALLY try a final sowing of carrots in late summer or early autumn, in a spare tub filled with reused compost.

It sits in a sheltered position outdoors over the winter, and with luck there’ll be a reasonable crop of fairly small roots in February or March. It doesn’t always work, but when it does it’s a treat.

Unless you live in an area where winter is reliably early, it’s worth having a go at sowing all sorts of leftover seeds in August.

Even in colder parts, if you have the use of a greenhouse or similar, there’s plenty of opportunity to fill some pots at this time of year.
Maincrop varieties of turnip, for use in the autumn, can be sown now both directly in the ground (if it’s not too dry) and in containers.

Turnip greens also do well from an August sowing, though you might need to work your search engine a bit to get hold of the seeds. I start them in modules, later planting them out at about 6 inches (15 cm) apart.

Parsley will sometimes germinate more easily in the late summer heat than it does in spring. Sown in a small pot and later planted out into something larger, it should provide foliage for use before winter.

It can be a slow grower in its early weeks, though, in which case you’ll get the benefit when growth restarts after a winter pause.

It may be a bit late to sow Swiss chard outside now, but I will sow a few seeds singly in 4 inch (10 cm) pots under cover. If they’ve made rapid progress by early September I’ll put them into large patio pots for use before Christmas. If not, I’ll leave them in their small pots, and those that survive the winter in good shape can be planted out in late February or March.

For autumn, winter and early spring salads, you can sow land cress, endive, radicchio, winter purslane, spring onions, rocket and corn salad this month.

Winter lettuce is often overlooked, but it can be a useful plant to harvest in the shortest days of the year, especially if you’ve got an unheated greenhouse that’s looking for seasonal work.

Valdor is the best-known variety, suitable for growing in greenhouses or under cloches — but more often than not it will also survive outdoors unprotected, for eating in early spring.

Both summer and winter varieties of radish are a good bet for sowing in August, as are spring greens.

Finally, a crop I haven’t tried before at this time of year, but which I will be sowing this month after a recommendation from someone who does it every year: dwarf French beans. They do need the cover of a greenhouse or tunnel, but apparently, started in late July or early August, and spaced a foot (30 cm) apart in pots or in the soil, they will produce for late autumn.