It’s the ideal time to plant specific vegetables for an autumn crop (Image: Getty)
With the UK in the thick of summer, both air and soil temperatures across the country are high, making this time period a fantastic month for sowing seeds.
Gardeners’ World guidance explains: “The long, warm days with good light levels speed up the germination process, helping you to extend your season of cropping in the vegetable patch and boost stocks of perennials, biennials and indoor exotics in the ornamental garden and cuttings patch. Bear in mind, however, that the water table is lower at this time of year and so extra watering may be needed.”
Vegetables to plant now
According to Gardeners’ World experts, loads of different vegetable seeds can be sown at this time of year in the UK, including delicious and quick-growing crops like carrots, radishes, soybeans, French beans, and turnips.
It’s also the perfect time to plant out young plants grown from seed in previous months, and it may well be the last chance in the year for UK gardeners to plant young courgettes, sweetcorn and squashes, as acting now will give them the ‘best chance of cropping before the first of the autumn frosts’ as per the experts.
It’s the last opportunity to sow carrot seeds for an autumn harvest (Image: Getty)
Carrots
For carrots, this is pretty much the last time period to sow seeds for a robust autumn crop. Gardeners’ World advises sowing ‘directly and thinly’ into shallow drills of ‘well-prepared soil’ or ‘pots of soil-based compost’. The gardening specialists suggest avoiding thinning seedlings to prevent carrot fly. The best time to harvest carrots is from May to November.
Turnips
When it comes to turnips, Gardeners’ World guidance is simple: “Often forgotten, turnips can provide you with two harvests from one plant — the delicately sweet taproot can be eaten, as can the leaves or ‘greens’. Eat them soon after harvesting as turnips don’t store well. Sow directly in shallow drills, for a delicious winter crop.” May through to December is the best time to harvest turnips.
Radishes are quick to mature and easy to grow (Image: Getty)
Radishes
Another vegetable crop that’s best to harvest between May and December are radishes, and growing them couldn’t be easier. Radishes are quick to mature, almost pest-free and easy to grow, and the best part? They can be grown as ‘companion plants’ to a variety of other crops. Providing a fresh and peppery burst to salads, radishes are an excellent vegetable to grow now for the autumn months.
Dwarf French Beans
Dwarf French beans are yet another vegetable that can be sown now to allow the pods enough time to mature before the first hit of autumn frosts. Gardeners’ World recommends sowing dwarf cultivars in the ground or in pots and keeping them well-watered. Harvest season for dwarf French beans is between July and October.
Plant this vegetable now for a delicious autumn harvest (Image: Getty)
Winter Cabbage and Swiss Chard
Gardeners’ World also recommends planting out Winter Cabbage now for a healthy and mature autumn crop that’s safe from falling autumn temps and frost, and Swiss Chard for an autumn and early spring crop.
For winter cabbage, expert guidance states: “Plant 45cm apart, leaving 60cm between rows. Firm in gently and water well. You may need to use netting to protect your cabbages from cabbage white caterpillars and pigeons.”
To grow Swiss Chard: “Sow seed in a drill 1.5cm deep and 20cm apart. Cover the seed lightly with compost and water. Thin seedlings to 20cm apart to give the plants room to grow.”
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