What can I sow or plant in July and August?

[daninlondon]

Looking ahead a bit, but we’re planning our sowings for 2007, and I’m trying to find reliable winter crops that can fill the space left over by early peas, early potatoes, and things that die.

We’re in London, so it's likely to be dryish with late frost.

So far, I’ve only managed to come up with leeks. I love leeks, but does anyone have more imaginative ideas?

[daninlondon]

[Barnowl]

We've just had our first year so the advice is limited, but we planted some lettuces in September which are still going well and I suspect that if this year is like 2006, there are probably some brassicas you could put in quite late, but no doubt more experienced allotmenteers will come up with other ideas.

[Blue Bird]

Hi Daninlondon
thanks for asking that question I was going to ask the same thing so will watch with baited breath at some of the suggestions you get back  and wish you a productive planting year :)
BB

[Chantenay]

I usually put my leeks into the space left by the early potatoes. I sowed my last carrots in August and they are a lovely size right now. Spring cabbages would enjoy the nitrogen from the peas, you should also get some winter radish, fennel, baby turnips and salad leaves. Overwintering onions and garlic. A quick last sowing of leaf coriander will keep you going for months.
I also got a final crop of Kelvedon Wonder peas from a sowing on 25th July but I think that was more good luck than good management.

[supersprout]

In July and August, I'll be sowing:

Beetroot Bull's Blood, Burpees Goldren, Cylindra, Forono, Opolska, Pronto
Salsify Scorzobianca a Fiore Blu
Cauliflower All the Year Round
Scorzonera Giant Russian
Choy Sum, purple Flowering
Clover, crimson (Trifolium incarnetum) - green manure
Kale, Red Russian
Komatsuna (Mustard Spinach)
Phacelia (green manure)
Winter Radish 'Weiner Runder Kohlschwarz'
Broccoli Raab
Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli)
Dwarf Beans (for succession)
Spring Onion Guardsman F1
Carrot, Parmex and Paris Market
Courgette (last of succession)

and transplanting seedlings:

Leek Gigante d’Inverno 2 and Musselburgh
Leek Musselburgh
Garlic Chives
Dwarf Beans
Pole Beans
any remaining Winter squash seedlings

ty chantenay, you reminded me I'm going to try fennel again this year too  :)

[manicscousers]

I read that you can plant a crop of french beans in august so tried it where potatoes had been, they did well,  :)

[kt.]

July:
You should get a last chance to sow runner beans & successional veg & salad: beetroot, turnips, spinach & salad oions.

Also:
Sow spring cabbage, maincrop turnip, mustard greens, maincrop carrots, winter leeks, late brussel sprouts, sprouting broccoli & spring broccoli.

August:
You should get a last chance to sow strawberries, spring onions, lettuce, turnips, radishes,

Also:
Sow Spring cabbage, welsh onions for next spring, maincrop turnips, winter radish

[vee]

What a good thread. I was just going to ask what to put in after the potatoes come out. :D

[Curryandchips]

I did leeks on the ground over our earlies. The rest of our potatoes were then succeeded by garlic and winter onions.

Derek

[saddad]

Sugar Loaf Chichory can follow spuds esp if you start them at the start of the month so they transplant and any newly disturbed slugs don't graze them off... they soon loose interest in Chichory!
;D

[daninlondon]

Many thanks folks: this is all good. I'll certainly see if I can add some more beans, cauliflower and carrots to my plan, and I might have a stab at some late peas and Chinese cabbage.

I don't really eat cabbages, but I like the way they look in the winter. It seems like I can plant spring cabbages very late indeed. Are they easy to grow?

Dr "chemical" Hessayon thinks I can transplant savoy cabbages until the middle of August. Has anyone had any success starting winter cabbages very late? What are the best varieties?

[saddad]

We use Tundra as our best round Winter cabbage but January King is a good Savoy. Watch those Chinese cabbage... being softer the slugs will riddle them first!
;D

[supersprout]

I don't really eat cabbages, but I like the way they look in the winter. It seems like I can plant spring cabbages very late indeed. Are they easy to grow?

Hi Dan, if you search for 'couve tronchuda' on this site, you might find one you like - it's a primeval cabbage :o which doesn't heart up, looks wonderful in winter and means you can pick as few/many leaves as you want at a time :)