What to sow in summer in the UK
There's a quiet myth that summer is for sitting back — that the sowing's all done by June and now you just water and wait. It isn't. The garden that keeps giving into autumn and right through winter is the one that's still being sown all through July and August, a short row at a time, into every gap as it opens up.
Summer arrives at different times across the country, so let your own weather lead — enter your postcode for sowing dates tuned to where you are.
Quick crops — sow now, eat in weeks
The fast, generous crops that fill any gap and keep the kitchen going. Sow little and often through the summer and you'll never have a bare bed or an empty salad bowl.
Sow a short row every couple of weeks for a steady supply. In high summer, sow in the cool of evening and give a little shade — they sulk in fierce heat.
Fast, peppery and best from a summer sowing for autumn picking. Watch for flea beetle in the heat — fleece keeps them off.
Roots in about four weeks, perfect for filling any gap. Keep them watered or they turn woody and hot.
Still time for a sowing that crops in autumn — sow now and you'll be pulling tender roots well into the cold.
Quick, undemanding and happy to be tucked into any spare corner through summer.
A June or early-July sowing of a fast variety gives sweet autumn carrots — and often dodges the worst of carrot fly.
Last chance — warm-season crops for early summer
If it's still early summer, there's time for one more sowing of the tender, sun-loving crops — and a fresh plant started now often crops more cleanly into autumn than the tired spring ones. Get these in while the soil is warm.
There's still time in early summer for a quick crop before the first frosts — dwarf types are fastest. Direct sow into warm soil.
An early-summer sowing catches up fast in the warmth and crops into autumn. Keep them well watered to set pods.
A surprising one — a fresh plant sown in early summer crops cleanly into autumn, often with less mildew than the spring plants.
Sow a quick variety in early summer for a tender autumn picking, when the spring peas are long finished.
Sow now for autumn & winter
This is the clever bit, and the easiest one to let slip by. The veg that carries us through the cold — kale, sprouting broccoli, spring cabbage, chard — all needs sowing in summer to be big enough to stand the winter. Sow it now and you'll be picking fresh greens long after the summer crops are a memory.
Sow now for plants that stand right through winter — the hardiest, most generous leaf on the whole veg patch.
Sow in early summer for spears next spring, in the hungry gap when there's little else to pick. Worth the long wait.
A mid- to late-summer sowing gives small, sweet cabbages and spring greens to cut early next year.
Tough, beautiful and forgiving — sow now for autumn leaves that often stand right through a mild winter.
A quick autumn root from a summer sowing; the young leaves are good eating too.
Sow from late summer for autumn picking and a crop that overwinters into spring.
Sowing well in the heat
- Sow in the cool— early morning or evening, not the baking middle of the day, so seeds and seedlings aren't shocked by the heat.
- Give a little shade— tender lettuce and leaves germinate poorly in fierce heat. Start them in modules in a cooler spot, or shade the row with mesh.
- Fill every gap— the moment a crop comes out, something quick should go straight back in. Bare summer soil is a wasted month.
- Keep records— jot down what you sowed and when. It's the only way to learn your garden's real timings, and my plot makes it easy.
Common questions
What can I sow in summer in the UK?
Plenty — quick crops like salad leaves, rocket, radishes, beetroot and spring onions for late-summer and autumn eating; last-chance warm crops like French beans and courgettes in early summer; and the winter staples (kale, purple sprouting broccoli, spring cabbage, chard) that must be sown now to crop through the cold.
Is it too late to sow vegetables in July?
Far from it. July is prime time for successional salads and quick roots, and the ideal month to sow kale, sprouting broccoli and spring cabbage for winter and spring. Just watch the water — summer-sown seeds dry out fast, so sow into moist soil and keep it damp until they're up.
How do I stop summer-sown seeds drying out?
Water the bottom of the drill before you sow, sow into the moisture, cover and water gently again. Sow in the cool of evening, shade tender seedlings from midday sun, and lay a sheet of fleece over the row to hold moisture in until germination.