As we move further into July, and enjoy a very welcome heatwave, freshly harvested potatoes, broad beans, beetroot and carrots can make room for new crops to be planted, and there is plenty that you can plant now.
At this time of year, we like to get a few extras in the ground that will extend the season and give us a good crop as autumn moves in to replace the summer.
- Kale – planted out now, you can expect it to see you through to to the end of autumn quite happily.
- Beetroot – should be ready to harvest in early autumn if planted in July
- Lettuces and Leaves – they’ll grow quickly now and if treated as cut & come again they should give you lots of nice salads right through till late Autumn. Plant them in a slightly shaded spot though to prevent them from bolting in the summer heat.
- Chillies – plant now and harvest in late autumn. The chillies can be frozen whole to keep you going through the winter too.
- Cabbage – you should just have time to harvest cabbages in late autumn (or early winter) by planting them now…
- Purple Sprouting Broccoli – planted in July, you could hope to be harvesting some spears in November if the weather stays fairly warm. Failing that, it’ll grow nice and leafy and produce lots of spears in early spring next year…