What to sow and grow in July

Fill your garden with beautiful perennials
Image: Echinacea purpurea 'Primadonna Mixed' from Thompson & Morgan

July is the perfect growing month, long warm days stretch out late into the evening. With vegetable gardens full of produce and borders at their peak, you’ll be busy watering, monitoring for pests, and keeping on top of weeds. If you’re planning a holiday, invest in an irrigation system to look after fruit, flowers and veg while you’re away.

Here's a handy list of what to get going this month, or if you're looking for other gardening jobs to get started in July, read our helpful companion article today. Find stunning flowers and some delicious fruit and vegetables to grow this month:

Flowers to sow and grow

Foxgloves help bridge the gap between spring and summer
Image: Foxglove 'Pam's Split' from Thompson & Morgan

In the greenhouse / indoors

• July is the ideal time to sow spring-flowering perennial seeds for next year in trays filled with good quality compost. Try aquilegia x hybrida ‘McKana Giants Mixed’, bellis and delphinium hybridum ‘Magic Fountains Mixed’.
• Sow summer-flowering perennials such as scabious columbaria 'Pincushion Pink';, echinacea ‘Green Twister’ and hardy geranium ‘Reflections’.
• Prepare for winter containers by sowing viola hybrida ‘Rose Shades’ in the greenhouse.
• For flowers that bridge the gap between spring and summer, grow biennials such as forget-me-not, foxglove ‘Alba’, sweet William and beautifully scented wallflowers for flowering next year.

Direct sow outdoors

• Sprinkle forget-me-not (Myosotis syvatica) seeds outdoors from May to September to mimic the natural process that follows their spring flowering. Ideal for areas of dappled shade.

Plant outdoors

• Fill any gaps in your beds & borders with garden-ready scented annuals for fragrant displays over the course of the summer.
• Plant up a beds of foliage bedding to fill any gaps with texture and colour.

Herbs & vegetables to sow and grow



Plant kohlrabi now for a crop in approximately 8 weeks
Image: Kohlrabi 'Kolibri' F1 Hybrid from Thompson & Morgan

In the greenhouse / indoors

• Sow pickling cucumbers indoors by early July, to transplant outside later. Pick the fruits when small, expect to start harvesting in late summer.

Direct sow outdoors

• Sow basil ‘Classico’ in pots to keep on your patio now and to bring indoors for the winter.
• Make your last direct sowing of beetroot now in time for an autumn harvest.
• There is still time to direct sow fast-maturing carrots such as 'Nantes Frubund', 'Adelaide' and 'Amsterdam Forcing'.
• Sow fast-growing herbs such as coriander, dill, and parsley directly into the ground or into containers.
• Sow hardy corn salad directly into drills for crops throughout autumn and winter.
• Direct sow endive for a tasty autumn crop.
• Sow French beans and runner beans if space allows — this will extend your cropping season well into the autumn. Direct sow or start them off in small pots. Expect to start harvesting in late August.
• For something more unusual try kohlrabi — direct sow it now for a crop in approximately 8 weeks.
• Continue to direct sow lettuce ‘All The Year Round’ seeds every three weeks for a continuous supply.
• July is the perfect time to start your first direct sown crops of pak choi as they’re prone to bolting if grown before midsummer.
• Make your last sowing of peas outdoors now so that they develop before the frosts.
• Direct sow perpetual spinach for autumn and winter cropping.
• Add colour to stir-fries with raddichio. Seeds can be sown directly into the soil now.
• Make small direct sowings of radishes every few weeks to ensure a constant supply. Be sure to water frequently in hot weather and expect to start harvesting within a month.
• Direct sow salad leaves regularly throughout the summer. Pick the leaves when small and remove any spent plants. Expect to start harvesting in three weeks.
• Spring cabbages such as 'Durham Early' should be sown now in a well prepared seedbed for transplanting later.
• Continue to sow spring onions in drills outdoors for a quick crop to add to salads and stir fries.
• Add some colour to your plot by direct sowing Swiss chard 'Bright Lights'. This will over-winter to give a bumper crop in the spring.
• Direct sow turnips 1cm deep. Thin seedlings to 15cm apart and keep moist. Expect to start harvesting in 60 days.

Plant outdoors

• Plant out sprouting broccoli, spacing the plants 60cm (2ft) apart. Calabrese plants can be spaced closer together at 30cm (1ft) apart.
• Plant out winter cabbages, allowing about 45cm between plants as they get quite big!
• Plant out winter vegetables such as hardy cauliflowers, kale and leeks now.
• Plant out Brussels sprouts early this month.

Keep one step ahead — what to order this month



Get ready for August by ordering your Californian poppy seeds now.
Image: Californian poppy 'Sun Shades' from Thompson & Morgan



• Order poppy and Californian poppy seeds ready for August sowing.
• Order ground cover annuals, such as candytuft, for planting in autumn and overwintering.
• Order patio shrubs like hydrangeas, exorchorda, and lilacs for planting in autumn & overwintering.
• Browse the RHS Perfect for Pollinators Bedding collection for inspiration into creating your own wildlife meadow next spring/summer.
• Buy parsley, coriander and chervil seeds to sow next month and grow under glass for the winter.
• Make sure you have enough salad leaf seeds to keep you going through the rest of summer and autumn!