Seeds to Sow in August
As you bring in even more squash and your first tomatoes, plan to replace your late summer and fall crops with varieties that thrive in cool weather, such as brassicas, carrots, lettuce, parsley, cilantro, and fennel.
If you just can’t say goodbye to summer crops yet, you’re in luck. Because we enjoy a long growing season in Napa County (Zone 9b), you can transplant cuttings from your favorite tomato plants. This is called “cloning,” since you are not starting from seed. Here’s how to do it: place fresh cuttings from “suckers” in water for 7 to 14 days and after they develop 2 inches of root growth, plant them directly into soil. This month you can also direct sow another round of corn, peppers, and cucumbers! See how much you can fill your garden by starting from seed or your own transplants? The spectrum of possibilities are listed below.
So which seeds are best to sow in August? As you bring in even more squash and your first tomatoes, plan to replace your late summer and fall crops with varieties that thrive in cool weather, such as brassicas, carrots, lettuce, parsley, cilantro, and fennel. Flowers like lavender, pansies, snapdragons, and poppies can be sown at this time, too. See the images for a full list.
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Veggies 🍆🌽🍉
bean, beet**^, broccoli**, Brussels sprout**, cabbage**, carrot, cauliflower**, chard, celery, collard**, corn, endive, kale*, leek, lettuce**, mustard, onion, parsnip, pea, pepper**^, radish, spinach**, tomato**^, turnip
Herbs 🌱🪴🍃
coriander, fennel, lemon balm, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary^, sweet marjoram, watercress
Flowers 🌼🪻🌻
borage, lavender^, pansy, poppy, snapdragon, sunflower, viola, zinnia
(**) start indoors
(^) transplant from seedlings or cuttings
Seed Care: Heat Protection and Storage
August in Napa County can feature heat waves boasting temperatures above 90 degrees, and this year is no exception. Watch your summer crops closely by watering them in cool early morning hours so they can take the midday heat.
During continued and intense heat outside, we periodically close the outdoor seed library annexes to protect the seed’s viability over the long term. What conditions are ideal for seed storage? Think cool, dark, and dry.
We created a video short to give you key takeaways about seed storage, and added one from Seed Savers Exchange as well. Each one describes what guidelines are typically followed to store seeds for personal use or for seed banking for a community.
If you just can’t say goodbye to summer crops yet, you’re in luck. Because we enjoy a long growing season in Napa County (Zone 9b), you can transplant tomato cuttings that have been soaked in filtered water and are showing root growth directly into soil, and you can direct sow another round of corn, peppers, and cucumbers! See how much you can fill your garden by starting from seed and your own transplants? The spectrum of possibilities are listed below.
