Introduction:
July is traditionally the time to start harvesting onions and garlic so that they can dry in the warmer weather. It is also a fab time to start crops for christmas if you didn’t start anything in June. If you have any brassica plants that need to go out, you can put them in the bed where you have just pulled up the garlics.
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January / February / March / April / May / June
If you are new to growing your own food and want to have a go, why not start this year? Email us for a free PDF guide to help you! Laura will also help via social media or email – laura.beardsmore@tcv.org.uk
Seeds to Sow in July:
During July you can continue with successional sowing of seeds, and also start new seed for harvesting in December. You could also buy seed potatoes to grow your own spuds for christmas. July is the last month to start carrot, parsnip, swede & turnip so get them in!
Outdoors (direct sow):
Most food crops can now be direct sown outdoors where you want them to grow. Why not try:
- Corn salad (lambs lettuce/mache)
- Red veined sorrel
- Mustard leaf
- Rocket
- Radish
- Carrot
- Parsnip
- Spring onion
- Swede
- Pak choi
- Pea
- Kale
You could try growing these crops on a windowsill! Salad crops grow well in shallow trough planters – try corn salad, spinach, sorrel, rocket, mizuna, lettuce, mustard leaf, and pak choi. Radish also grow well in containers. Carrots and parsnip need long planters so that the roots have room to swell.
Flower seedlings – foxglove, nasturtium, calendula, tagetes, and clary sage
Flowers (direct sow):
- Calendula
- Nasturtium
- Tagetes
- Clary
July is also a great time to start flowers for next year – this include foxglove and hollyhocks.
Successional Sowing:
Keep sowing seeds of salad crops (leaves, spring onion, radish etc) as well as carrots, parsnip, turnip throughout the summer to ensure a continual harvest. Every three weeks is a good target, or maybe set the 1st of each month as seed sowing day?
Pick radish every four weeks and sow more seed in their space to get a continuous harvest during summer
Planting Out in July:
Any beans or peas left inside can be planted out into their growing position. Pumpkins, squash and courgette can also be planted out if you haven’t done so already.
Pumpkins need a lot of room!
Harvesting Food in July:
Most food is ready in July! Early sowings of seed should be harvestable now.
Pea, corn salad, courgette, squash, beetroot, chard, radish, carrot, beans, spring onion, salad leaves can all be harvested in July. Why not make a super side salad using some of the crops?
If you haven’t harvested your onions and garlic yet, July is the perfect time! Wait for the stems to yellow and fall over, gently lift the crop, and then leave them to dry for a few weeks – protection from animals and rain is a must.
Early new potatoes may also be ready in July, gently dig them up and use them as baby spuds.
Carrots, radish, and potatoes from my allotment – harvested in July
Seeds Sown in June:
Anything growing indoors should have grown enough with the temperatures to be planted out in July. Wait for the pumpkins and squashes to have three or four true leaves before planting them out. They will also benefit from a scoop of manure in their planting hole – you could also use blood, fish & bone.
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