Still plenty of potential for growth
Tips on what to plant in late June and early July – and how to help things along
Don’t think all your seed sowing needs to be done in spring, because there’s plenty of growing to do in early summer as well. You can still sow tender crops such as runner beans and French beans outdoors in June and early July, while fast-growing salads can be grown successionally, provided you are there to water and pick them young.
Here are some of the veg you can still be growing during the longer, warmer days, plus some top tips to help things along…
1. Catch crops
There may be plenty of space on your patch after you’ve harvested spring veg, or while slower-growing edibles aren’t pushing you for space, which you can use to plant fast-growing catch crops such as radishes and salad leaves, to fill the gaps between rows.
2. Tender types
Veg which won’t tolerate frost include French and climbing beans, which can be sown outside now (although sooner rather than later), along with shelling peas.
You’ve left it a bit late to sow tomatoes, aubergines, peppers and chillies, so buy a few and plant them in growbags, containers or a sheltered border.
Some tomatoes can be planted outside in July after sowing inside in June, and will start cropping after another six weeks, accordingtoseedcompanyBurpee (burpeeeurope.com).
Sweetcorn can still be sown outside in June if the soil temperature is above 10C (50F).
3. Quick crops
If you love hot and peppery additionstoyoursalads,sowradishes successionallyuptoAugust.Some varietieswillbereadytoharvestin three to four weeks.
Sow thinly in rows and thin the seedlings to 2.5cm (1in) apart, keeping them well watered and the area well weeded, and pick them when you need them. But don’t leave them too long.
Salad leaves, including rocket and cut-and-come-again varieties, are ideal to sow successionally every two or three weeks, to pick young as you need them.
4. Regular favourites
You can still sow carrots outside now, but beware of carrot fly when thinning existing seedlings, says the RHS.
Beetroot can also be sown outdoors through to July, while spring onions sown through to July should give a fast return.
Other crops which can be sown outside in June include perpetual spinach, pak choi, baby leeks such as ‘King Richard’ and kale.
5. Planning ahead
If you love spring-hearting cabbage, sow seeds in July and August in an outdoor seedbed, then thin out the seedlings and transplant the rest to their final place in September and earlyOctober.