In the UK, July is still a useful sowing month, especially for quick crops, autumn/winter vegetables, and biennial flowers. The RHS recommends direct sowing spring cabbage, turnips, Chinese cabbage, pak choi, tatsoi, mizuna, chicory, fennel, autumn/winter salads, and carrots in July; it also notes that French and runner beans are only a “last chance” option in the south of England. BBC Gardener’s World Magazine also highlights July as a good month for sowing quick-growing crops and biennials, with extra watering because soil can be dry.
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Vegetables to sow in July
Good choices for most UK gardens:
- Lettuce and salad leaves — sow little and often for late summer and autumn picking.
- Rocket, mizuna, mustard leaves, tatsoi and pak choi — quick-growing leafy crops.
- Radishes — fast and reliable if kept watered.
- Turnips — useful for autumn roots and greens.
- Carrots — July is generally the last sowing window for an autumn crop; protect from carrot fly if possible.
- Beetroot — still worth sowing early in July for baby beets or leaves.
- Spring cabbage — sow now for overwintering and spring harvests.
- Chinese cabbage — good for late-season cropping.
- Chicory and endive — for autumn salads.
- Florence fennel — often better sown after midsummer to reduce bolting.
- Spinach and chard — choose later-season varieties and keep moist.
- Kale and winter brassicas — sow or plant for autumn/winter crops.
Last-chance or location-dependent:
- French beans and runner beans — only really worth trying early July, especially in southern or sheltered UK gardens.
- Courgettes, squash and sweetcorn — better planted as young plants early in July rather than sown from seed now, because they may run out of season before cropping well. BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine notes July is the last month to plant out young courgettes, squashes and sweetcorn.
Flower seeds to sow in July
Biennials for flowers next spring/summer:
- Foxgloves
- Wallflowers
- Sweet Williams
- Canterbury bells
- Forget-me-nots
- Honesty
Fast annuals for late colour, especially if sown early July:
- Calendula
- Cornflowers
- Nigella
- Cosmos
- Nasturtiums
- Marigolds
- Zinnias
- Poppies
Perennials you can start from seed now:
- Aquilegia
- Delphiniums
- Lupins
Quick tips for July sowing
- Water before and after sowing, then keep seedbeds evenly moist.
- Sow in the evening during hot spells to reduce drying out.
- Use shade or fleece for lettuce and other salad crops if it’s very hot.
- Sow small batches every 2–3 weeks for salad leaves, radish and herbs.
- Start biennials in seed trays or modules, then plant them out in autumn.
Best easy wins for July: salad leaves, radish, pak choi, mizuna, turnips, spring cabbage, carrots, foxgloves, wallflowers and Sweet Williams.