If you want to know what you can sow now, KG’s deputy editor Emma Rawlings has some suggestions.
We all know that mad rush in spring to rip open the seed packets when we have that first window of opportunity but summer is also a good time to get more crops sown. Here are a few suggestions of what you can sow in early summer.
Summer sowings are either extra sowings of crops you sowed in spring to give a succession of harvests or it’s a time to sow specific crops for winter harvesting. A good example is the brassicas, in particular sprouting broccoli and spring cabbage which is sown late spring to early summer.
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You may have missed the boat on certain crops but there is plenty more you can still sow now.
- Brassicas: Brassicas such as cabbage, calabrese, kale, cauliflower and sprouting broccoli can all be sown now. You can sow seeds fairly close together direct on a patch of ground known as a seed bed and then transplant young plants into their final spacings on another part of the veg plot. Alternatively, sow into cell trays and then plant out young plants in mid-July or early August when the plants are a decent size to handle and plant out.
- Turnips and swedes: These are also in the brassica family and can be sown now. Turnips are quick growing so can be sown late summer but June or early July is peak time to get swede sown as it needs a fairly long growing season.
- Carrots: There are many different varieties of carrots but look out for the maincrop ones to sow in summer. You could try ‘Chantenay Red Cored’, ‘St Valery’ or the very popular maincrop ‘Autumn King 2’.
- Beetroot: Beetroot can be prone to bolting which is when it produces a flower shoot and once it does it puts energy into this rather than producing good roots. Hot weather is not a friend of beetroot, which is why earlier sowings are ideal as heat and dry soil at seedling stage can stress the plant, forcing it to bolt. However, it is worth trying a sowing now and using a more boltresistant variety such as ‘Boltardy’ or ‘Red Ace’ which are more tolerant of dry conditions.
- Salads: Most crops grown for salads can be sown during the summer months as they are fast growers. You could try radish, spinach (heat can cause bolting so avoid sowing in very hot weather), mizuna, chicory, endive, Florence fennel, kohl rabi, lettuce, spring onions, mixed salad leaves, tatsoi, lamb’s lettuce. Lettuce can be sown but doesn’t germinate as well in hot temperatures so time sowings or sow in shadier spots.
Worth a try…
The following crops are often sown during spring. You may have already got some growing but you could try a second batch if you are reading this in June or very early July.
- Leeks: These are usually sown in April/May but you could try a late sowing in June or early July at the latest. You will end up harvesting small leeks but these are still very tasty.
- Courgettes: These are usually sown in April/May but a second batch sowing at the end of June/ early July may extend the season a little into September.
- Peas and beans: French and runner beans are usually sown in April/May but you could try a late sowing in June/ early July, especially if you have a polytunnel – but even outside you may be lucky if we have a decent late summer into early autumn. Peas can also be sown in June for a late crop. The pea moth that lays its eggs on the flowers is on the wing in June and July so it may be that a crop could be affected – covering with a fine crop protection mesh may be a good idea. Early crops or late ones are less affected so you may escape.
Buy in plants
Another alternative to sowing is to buy in young plants so it is worth checking your local garden centre or online companies. Look out for young brassica plants such as kale, sprouting broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. Also pots of small lettuce and other salad plants. You may also find trays of French beans still for sale.
