Grow fast crops for summer feasts
2. Carrots 4. Mooli radish 8 Cima di rapa
Sow these quick-to-crop cultivars now for delicious, easy harvests before the end of summer
July can be your garden’s second spring. As early crops of broad beans, peas, garlic and lettuce are finished, precious gaps start to appear, signalling that it’s time for the next round of vegetables. Beetroot, carrots, cima di rapa and Swiss chard are just some crops you can be sowing now. Choose quick-maturing cultivars and you’ll be repaid with a wellstocked vegetable garden right through late summer and into autumn.
This time of year brings with it both big positives and a few drawbacks. The days and nights are mild and, with the long number of daylight hours, crops grow fast – but so too do the weeds! Regular hoeing and hand weeding are a must. Dry soil can create difficulties in germinating crops, or make plants prematurely run to seed, so it’s critical to add extra compost (which holds onto moisture) and water the bed deeply before you sow. Be prepared to water in prolonged dry spells.
Beetroot ‘Boltardy’
1. Beetroot
Easy-to-grow plants with a sweet, earthy taste. For reliability you can’t beat classic red ‘Boltardy’ plus one yellow, white or brightly ringed cultivar (see p76). Multisow in modules by mid-July and plant out as clusters of three or four seedlings at 30cm (12in) spacing and they’ll be ready in 12 weeks. ‘Boltardy’ £1.75/250 seeds, Suttons
Choose an early-forcing type such as ‘Nantes Frubund’ or ‘Amsterdam Forcing’. These allow for a quick crop now, ready in about eight weeks (maincrop cultivars take 12 weeks). Cover with a fine mesh to avoid carrot fly. ‘Nantes Frubund’ £2.99/500 seeds and ‘Amsterdam Forcing’ £2.69/1,500 seeds, both Thompson & Morgan
3. Turnip
Teeny white salad turnips such as
‘Tokyo Cross’ grow fast and are ready in as little as six weeks. They do well in modules, planting out clusters of four seedlings at 25cm (10in) distance. If cabbage root fly is a problem in your garden, cover sowings with a fine mesh to stop larvae spoiling the roots. ‘Tokyo Cross’ £2.40/500 seeds, Mr Fothergill’s
These long Chinese radishes are a great autumn staple. Sometimes called daikon they have pure-white crunchy roots that are delicious in stir fries or raw in salads. Sow direct, thin to 10-15cm (4-6in) and they’re ready after about eight weeks but keep growing while the weather’s mild. ‘Mooli’ £2.49/400 seeds, Suttons,
5. Pak choi
With their crisp ribs and curved green or purple leaves, these are glamorous plants. They thrive when sown after midsummer but it’s vital you control slugs and snails. Sow direct, thin seedlings to 30cm (12in) and they’ll be ready in six to eight weeks as long as you keep them growing smoothly. Stressed plants can run to flower. ‘Joi Choi’ £1.60/150 seeds, Kings Seeds
A fast-growing oriental green with crunchy stems and almost lettuce-like leaves. ‘Yuki’ has a tight barrel of leaves and reluctance to bolt, ready eight weeks after sowing. You must control slugs and snails, and they may need a fine mesh to stop flea beetle too. ‘Yuki’ £1.55/150 seeds, Kings Seeds
Lovers of Italian food will know about broccoli raab or turnip tops. Its leafy shoots with tiny broccolilike florettes are glorious on pasta or pizzas, with a sweet mustardy taste. Direct sow and be generous to ensure a decent harvest. Cultivars vary dramatically in time taken to crop. ‘Quarantina’ £1.49/1,000 seeds, Dobies
9. Spring onions
Keen cooks rely on a steady supply of spring onions, ready eight to 10 weeks after sowing. Direct sow in lines 15cm (6in) apart, thinning straight to the kitchen. Try ‘Lilia’ for pretty red bulbs £1.99/500 seeds, Marshalls
Seeds
or Japanese bunching onion ‘Ishikura’ for long slender foliage that doesn’t bulb £1.99/285 seeds, Suttons
10. Salad leaves 7. Rainbow chard
Use these brightly coloured stems in gratin or hummus, baby leaves in salads and larger leaves in stir-fries or stews. Sow direct, or use modules, planting out 30cm (12in) apart. ‘Rainbow Chard’ £1.65/125 seeds, Kings Seeds
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Keep sowing heading lettuces, endives and leaf mixtures such as ‘Fancy Summer Mix’, which includes golden purslane, landcress and orach. Then maximise flavour with regular sowings of coriander, chervil and dill to toss into everything from omelettes to curries. ‘Fancy Summer Mix’ £1.69/300 seeds, Thompson & Morgan