July is a fantastic month for sowing seeds, as both soil and air temperatures are high. 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.
In the UK, plenty of flower and vegetable seeds can be sown in July, including biennials such as foxgloves, which should flower the following spring. Quick-growing crops like radish, French beans, soybeans and carrots can be sown now, too.
July is also a good month to plant out young plants grown from seed in previous months. It's the last month to plant out young courgettes, squashes and sweetcorn – plant these early in the month to give them the best chance of cropping before the first of the autumn frosts. Now is also the best time to plant out winter cabbages that were grown from seed in April and May, so they're mature in time for Christmas and beyond.
If you're wondering what bulbs to plant in July, now is a good month to plant colchicums (autumn flowering crocus) for flowers in September.
Although container grown fruit, shrubs and trees can be planted at any time of year, July is not the best month to do it as the weather can be hot and the soil dry. For any new shrub or tree that you do plant this month, take extra care to water regularly after planting, to ensure your shrub or fruit bush has the best chance of establishing well.
Vegetables to grow in July
Lettuce
When to harvest: May to November.
How to grow: lettuce and other salad leaves are a quick and easy crop – sow seed continually from March to September for fresh salad for the best part of a year. Sow seed in shallow drills or in pots. Thin seedlings to 30cm for hearting lettuces and simply harvest young leaves as and when for cut-and-come-again varieties.
- How to grow lettuce and salad leaves
- Buy lettuce seed from Suttons and Thompson & Morgan
Carrots
When to harvest: May to November.
How to grow: July is considered the last month to sow carrots for an autumn crop. Sow direct and thinly into shallow drills of well-prepared soil or in pots of soil-based compost. Try to avoid thinning seedlings to prevent carrot fly.
- How to grow carrots
- Buy carrot seed from Suttons and Thompson & Morgan
Turnips
When to harvest: May to December.
How to grow: 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 direct in shallow drills, for a delicious winter crop.
- How to grow turnips
- Buy turnip seeds from Suttons and Thompson & Morgan
Radishes
When to harvest: May to December.
How to grow: quick to mature, easy to grow and almost pest-free, radishes provide a peppery burst to salads. They can also be grown as companion plants to other crops.
- How to grow radishes
- Buy radish seeds from Suttons and Thompson and Morgan
Dwarf French beans
When to harvest: July to October.
How to grow: as with carrots, July is the last month to sow French beans, to allow the pods time to mature before the first frosts of autumn. Sow dwarf cultivars in the ground or in pots and keep well watered.
- How to grow French beans
- Buy French bean seeds from Suttons and Thompson & Morgan
Winter cabbage
When to harvest: November to February.
How to grow: now's the best time to plant out winter cabbages so they have plenty of time to mature before temperatures fall in autumn. 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.
- How to grow cabbages
- Buy winter cabbages from Suttons and Thompson & Morgan
Swiss chard
When to harvest: January to December.
How to grow: sow Swiss chard direct in July for autumn and early spring crops. Crops sown in July can overwinter outdoors, giving you an early harvest the following year. 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.
- How to grow Swiss chard
- Buy Swiss chard seeds from Suttons and Thompson & Morgan
Coriander
When to harvest: July to December.
How to grow: sow coriander outdoors until October in a bed or pot that is shaded from the midday sun. This will help prevent that plants from bolting due to hot weather and dry conditions. Sow seed on the surface of compost or in a shallow drill and cover lightly with compost. It's better to sow coriander direct as the plants don't transplant well due to a having a long tap root.
- How to grow coriander
- Buy coriander seeds from Suttons and Thompson & Morgan
Fruit to grow in July
Blueberries
When to harvest: July to September.
How to grow: the best time to plant blueberries is between autumn and spring but you can plant containerised blueberries at any time of year. Avoid planting in the ground when the weather is hot and dry. Blueberries need acidic soil, so it's often easiest to plant them in large containers of ericaceous compost. Keep the containers well watered if planting in summer.
- How to grow blueberries
- Buy blueberries from Crocus and Thompson & Morgan
Gooseberries
When to harvest: June to August.
How to grow: you can plant container grown fruit bushes at any time during the year, but avoid doing so during very hot weather or when the ground is frozen. Ideally, gooseberries should be planted between autumn and spring but if you do plant this month, water well after planting and regularly until the plant is established. Plant in a sheltered spot that gets sun or in dappled shade, with the top of the rootball level with the surrounding soil level.
- How to grow gooseberries
- Buy gooseberries from Crocus and Thompson & Morgan
Flowers to grow in July
Delphiniums
Flowers: June to September.
How to grow: July is the last month to sow these cottage garden stalwarts, for flowers the following summer. Many single-flowered delphiniums are excellent bee plants, too.
- How to grow delphiniums
- Buy delphiniums from Crocus and Thompson & Morgan
Strelitzia
Flowers: February to May.
How to grow: fancy sowing something a bit different? Strelitzias (bird of paradise) are vibrant perennial greenhouse or house plants, and can be sown throughout the summer months. The spectacular blooms make beautiful cut flowers, too.
- How to grow strelitzia (bird of paradise)
- Buy strelitzia seed from JustSeed and Chiltern Seeds
Forget-me-not
Flowers: April to June.
How to grow: forget-me-nots (Myosotis) can be sown from May to September, mimicking the natural process of seed dispersal and germination that follows their spring flowering. Scatter seed in gaps in the flower bed or in seed trays to plant out later.
- How to grow forget-me-not
- Buy forget-me-nots from Crocus and Mr Fothergill's
Pansies
Flowers: November to May.
How to grow: by sowing pansies now, you'll give them plenty of time to develop before planting them out in autumn, ahead of flowering. Sow early in the month for spring blooms.
- How to grow pansies
- Buy pansies from Suttons and Thompson & Morgan
Wallflowers
Flowers: March to May.
How to grow: sown in summer and planted out in autumn, wallflowers bloom from early spring. Sow in multi-celled trays or small pots now, for orange or yellow blooms early next year.
- How to grow wallflowers
- Buy wallflower seed from Suttons and Thompson & Morgan
Foxgloves
Flowers: June to July.
How to grow: sowing foxgloves in July will give them plenty of time to mature and flower the following summer. Scatter the fine seed on the surface of moist, peat-free seed compost and cover with a fine later of vermiculite. Other biennials for summer sowings include honesty (Lunaria annua), sweet rocket (Hesperis matrionalis) and stocks (Matthiola incana).
- How to grow foxgloves
- Buy foxglove seed from Crocus and Thompson & Morgan
Colchicums (autumn crocus)
Flowers: September to October.
How to grow: plant the bulbs in late July or August for flowers in the autumn. Plant the bulbs 8-10cm deep in the ground and 15cm apart, pointed end facing up, or in containers of peat-free multi-purpose compost 5-10cm apart.
- How to grow autumn crocus
- Buy colchicum bulbs from Crocus and Farmer Gracy
Dahlias
Flowers: July to October.
How to grow: while dahlias tubers should be planted indoors in the spring, this month you can plant garden ready, container grown dahlias. This is a more expensive way to add dahlias to the garden, but useful if you want to fill gaps in the border. Dahlias flower well into autumn, providing vibrant colour in borders. Dwarf varieties can also be planted in containers.
- How to grow dahlias
- Buy dahlias from Crocus and Thompson & Morgan
Shrubs and trees to grow in July
Hydrangeas
Flowers: July to September.
How to grow: plant hydrangeas in dappled shade, in moist, free-draining soil, or plant compact varieties in large containers. Buying a plant in flower now means you can add instant impact. Just remember to keep your hydrangea well watered through the summer.
- How to grow hydrangeas
- Buy hydrangeas from Crocus and Thompson & Morgan
Buddleia
Flowers: July to September.
How to grow: plant buddleias in a sunny position, in well-drained soil. These hardy shrubs are easy to look after and fast growing, providing a mass of flowers over a long period.
- How to grow buddleia
- Buy buddleia from Crocus and Thompson & Morgan