Potatoes

Yes, you can still plant seed potatoes now! If you want a lovely crop of new potatoes on Christmas Day, plant them in pots or bags so you can bring them under cover before the first frost.

Beetroot

Beetroots can be planted as late as July. Beetroots are packed with flavour and antioxidants and are easy to grow, making them a popular home vegetable.

Beetroots can be grown both in the ground and in containers. Seeds can be planted directly into pots, giving you control over the size of the plant. It is also possible to plant 4 -5 beetroot plants in one pot.

The seeds should always be sown directly into the container in which they will be grown. Put the pods in warm water and soak them for a few minutes. You should leave them in there for 2-3 hours. The pods will open up as a result.

With your index finger, make a hole 2.5 centimetres (one inch) deep in the soil or compost and plant two pods in each, ensuring they will get as much sunlight as possible.

Spinach

You can direct sow perpetual spinach for autumn harvest, and it thrives in well-worked soil with good drainage and a high organic content so mix in some good quality compost.

Make rows of 2-inch-deep holes in the transplanting area. Plant seedlings to two to three inches apart.   The leaves should be large enough to harvest in four to six weeks and then pick, wash and wrap in a plastic bag where it should be kept in the fridge for up to three days.

Swiss Chard

One of the prettiest and most colourful plants to grow. Sow now and you can harvest the rainbow-stalked crops from late summer into winter and even spring.  Sow your Swiss chard seeds directly into the soil in rows about 45cm apart and by sowing now, typically provides leaves the following spring.

Fast growing herbs

Basil can be sown now, sow in pots to keep outside and bring indoors during the winter.

Fast-growing herbs are great to start growing now and have a quick turnaround time– herbs such as coriander, dill, parsley, chervil and lovage can be sewn directly into the ground or into containers.

Tips for July

Kitchen Garden

• Feed tomato plants fortnightly and pinch the outside shoots on cordon varieties to encourage fruiting.
• Pick runner beans, and courgettes regularly to encourage the plants to produce more.
• Harvest Carrots, beetroot, peas, chard, potatoes and early tomatoes
• Net fruit bushes to prevent bird damage.
• It’s cabbage white caterpillars/butterfly season so regularly check the undersides of leaves for eggs and remove if affected.
• Continuing to sow salad crops outside for successional crops.

Pests

• As the weather warms up, aphids will be out in force on crops like runner beans, peas
• Caterpillars will also be abundant on plants like brassicas and salad leaves so check to make sure they aren’t being eaten.

Our Britain Get Growing page has loads of helpful advice and tips on growing your own or visit your local British Garden Centre and speak to our friendly team.