Find out which veg you can sow and plant from summer onwards, with useful growing tips
'The first weeks after midsummer's day are the time for planting those members of the cabbage family that will be ready for eating through winter and next spring – and also leeks, those very hardy cousins of the onion that are so useful for late winter and early spring meals.'
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| Plant cabbages from the end of June
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Spring is usually the main time for sowing and planting vegetables but some things do well, and are even at their best, from a July start. They are great for following on once the earliest crops, such as November-sown broad beans, first early potatoes and midsummer cabbages have been cleared. Late starters are ideal for anyone who couldn't plant in spring, perhaps because they didn't have time to prepare a site for vegetable growing, or were tied up with a house or job move.
In 2006, the exceptionally hot and dry midsummer weather combined, in many areas, with a hosepipe ban to kill off a lot of spring planting. Small plants shrivelled and died and larger plants suffered badly. Late sowings (such as with my runner beans) can help in this case.
Veg to plant from late June to August
I start with savoys and winter cabbages, ideally planting at the end of June, but up until mid-July, then go on to cauliflowers and broccoli and have successfully planted sprouting broccoli a week into August.
Brassicas and leeks
The first weeks after midsummer's day are the time for planting those members of the cabbage family that will be ready for eating through winter and next spring and also leeks, those very hardy cousins of the onion that are so useful for late winter and early spring meals. I raise my own brassica plants from April and May sowings, and leeks from a March sowing, but you should be able to buy plants locally (allotment societies and gardening clubs often sell plants). You can also buy by mail order, although this can be much more expensive.
I do use a dibber for leek planting, although to save bending one friend advises using the handle of a hoe. The idea is to make a round hole 12-15cm (5-6in) deep and drop the leek plant in, then rather than replacing the soil, use a water can without its rose to fill the hole with water. I reduce the green leek leaves by half and also trim back the roots, but some say they root just as well without any trimming.
Loose-leaved lettuce
I never have much success sowing hearted lettuce after midsummer's day, but do very well with the loose leaf kinds, that can be used as baby leaves and then picked a few leaves at a time over many weeks. However, plants of my favourite 'Little Gem' cos should still produce good hearts if put out early in July and watered well.
Parsley
I start parsley in late winter in my windowsill propagator to be sure of new foliage to take over when old plants run up to flower in early summer. I sow again in July, in pots, to produce young plants to grow through winter in my big polytunnel or a cold frame.
Runner beans
I managed to keep my early runner beans going last year, but the best crop was produced from seed sown on 1 July in pots and transplanted into the open garden on 15 July. I started picking in mid-September and had an excellent harvest through the next few weeks. I sowed climbing beans in pots on 23 June and transplanted into my walk-in polytunnel on 3 July. Climbing and dwarf beans develop more rapidly than runners and as I wanted them to take the bean harvest later into autumn this was a mistake as they were ready to pick in late August. This year I shall delay sowing until the second half of July to postpone the first picking until late September. I sow beans in pots even in summer, because it is easier to water and care for them in their early days than if they are sown in the open ground and they transplant very readily.
Spring cabbages
So-called spring cabbages that are ready to eat from late April to early June should be sown at the end of July or beginning of August to give plants for transplanting in late September/early October. I sow seed in a shallow drill in the open and try to keep soil moist through the following weeks. At the same time you can sow a variety such as 'Advantage' for looseleaf spring greens.
Swiss chard
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| Swiss chard: spinach relative
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Swiss chard is a relative of spinach that I think is far superior for eating. It is often sown in spring, but because there are so many other summer vegetables, I never sow until July. This produces plants ready to harvest in early autumn, in milder spells through winter (if given a Viromesh cover) and then on into in spring when the choice of fresh produce is limited. If you prefer spinach, choose hardier varieties such as F1 hybrids 'Scenic' or 'Tornado' or perpetual spinach.
Turnips
When cold weather sets in I like to have some turnips for casseroles and hot-pots. 'Golden Ball' is an old variety my grandfather grew from a July sowing, but still excellent for its hardiness and keeping qualities.
What if you're away?
If, as so many families do, you head off for a summer break at the beginning of the school holidays, you may wonder if it is wise to put in late vegetables. The ideal solution is to team up with friends, relations or neighbours, asking them to water your garden in return for caring for their plants when they go on holiday. You can also tell them to help themselves to runner beans, courgettes and other veg that need regular harvesting. If that's not possible, most plants should survive for two or even three weeks if the ground around their roots is soaked and then covered with a blanket of lawn mowings, thick strips of cardboard, newspaper or other mulch to help keep the soil moist.
Plants growing in pots can be stood in big trays of water, their compost thoroughly soaked and an inch or so of gravel spread on top to help keep the moisture in.
Veg for late sowing and planting
Try the following veg for late sowing and planting – my favourite varieties are included for each:
* Beans (climbing and dwarf) – 'Cobra' and 'Hunter' as climbers, 'Delinel' and 'Purple Queen' as dwarfs.
* Beans (runner) – 'White Lady' and 'Red Rum'.
* Broccoli (sprouting) – purple 'Red Arrow' and 'Claret', or white 'White Eye' and 'Early White Sprouting'.
* Cabbage (Chinese) – needs good soil and ample moisture, adored by slugs. For the adventurous.
* Cabbage (spring) – pointed-headed 'Excel' and 'Pixie', or round 'Spring Hero'.
* Cabbage (savoy and winter) – try savoy 'Tarvoy' and 'Savoy King' and winter cabbages 'Robin' and 'Tundra'.
* Calabrese – 'Ironman' or 'Belstar'.
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| Sow for late baby carrots
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* Carrot – sow 'Early Nantes' or 'Amsterdam Forcing' in early July for late baby carrots.
* Cauliflower – 'Walcheren Winter', 'April' and 'Mayfair'.
* Chicory – makes big heads for autumn salad. An acquired taste. Sow 'Sugar Loaf' thinly (sometimes called 'Pain de Sucre').
* Courgette – sow or plant quick-growing 'Parthenon' in late June or early July for a late crop.
* Endive – usually starts well, but very vulnerable to first frosts. For the adventurous. May need blanching.
* Kale (curly) – very hardy winter greenstuff. An acquired taste. Put in plants of 'Redbor' or 'Starbor'.
* Kohl Rabi – a bit like a turnip/cabbage cross. An acquired taste. Sow white 'Lanro' or purple 'Kolibri'.
* Leeks – 'Bandit' and 'Apollo'.
* Lettuce (loose-leaved types) – 'Cancan', 'Lollo Rossa', 'Multy' and 'Salad Bowl'.
* Onion (salad) – sow 'White Lisbon' as early in July as you can manage.
* Pak choi – some people love it; I think it's like turnip-flavoured spinach. Sow and thin 'Joi Choi'.
* Parsley – grow either 'Favorit' or 'Moss-Curled 2'.
* Swiss chard and spinach – Swiss chard 'White Silver 2' is a favourite, as are the spinach varieties 'Scenic' and 'Tornado'.
* Radicchio – Italian salad with white-veined red hearts, best left to skilled growers.
* Raddish – sow every two to three weeks until mid August.
* Radish (winter) – Sow 'Mino Early' and 'Mantanghong' thinly as they make huge roots. For the adventurous.
* Turnip – try a few each of 'Golden Ball' and 'White Oasis'.
Useful supplier
Try Delfland Nurseries which offers savoys, calabrese, curly kale, white and purple sprouting broccoli and cauliflower in packs of five, or a selection pack of 10 of each, plus 10 plants free. Delivery dates are on the website. Delfland says it usually has enough plants to take orders a week to 10 days after the given delivery date. The firm also offers leeks in packs of 20 for June/July delivery.
denotes Subscriber-only content | Friday 25 July 2008 | Help | Glossary 
