What to plant in summer: a UK guide

By Sophie Sparkes · Updated September 2026 · 5 min read

Think you've missed the boat because it's already summer? Not at all. June, July and August are still prime time to sow plenty of fast crops and fill any gaps, and successional sowing now keeps your harvest going right into autumn. Here's what to plant.

Short answer: it is not too late. June, July and August are still prime sowing months in the UK. Beetroot, carrots, salad leaves, spring onions, radishes, French and runner beans and quick turnips can all go in now, and warm soil means they germinate fast.

Vegetables to sow in summer

Warm soil means seeds germinate fast. These crops are happy sown direct outdoors through the summer months:

• Beetroot: quick, reliable, and you can eat the leaves too.
• Carrots: keep sowing for tender roots into autumn.
• French & runner beans: early summer sowings still have time to crop.
• Courgettes: a June sowing will catch up fast in the heat.
• Spring onions & radishes: ready in weeks; sow little and often.
• Turnips & kohlrabi: fast brassicas for late summer.
• Peas: a summer sowing gives an autumn pick.

Salads & leaves all summer

Salad is the ultimate summer crop: fast, cut-and-come-again, and perfect for filling gaps. Sow a short row every couple of weeks for a constant supply:

• Lettuce (choose heat-tolerant varieties to avoid bolting)
• Rocket, mizuna and other quick leaves
• Spinach and chard
• Herbs like coriander, dill and basil

Flowers to plant in summer

It's not too late for colour and pollinators either:

• Biennials like foxgloves, wallflowers and sweet williams. Sow now to flower next year.
• Fast annuals such as calendula and nasturtium for late-summer blooms.
• Autumn bulbs: get planning; you'll be planting daffodils and crocus from September.

Plant out & keep going

Summer isn't only for sowing. Plant out any tender crops still in pots (tomatoes, courgettes, squash), keep harvesting beans and courgettes regularly so they keep producing, and feed fruiting plants weekly. The single biggest summer job is watering: containers can need it daily in hot weather. See our watering guide to get it right.

Want the full year? Our month-by-month UK planting calendar covers every season.

Summer planting questions

Is it too late to plant vegetables in summer?

No, and this is the most common summer worry. Warm soil is an advantage, not a problem: seeds germinate in days rather than weeks. What has passed is the window for crops needing a long warm run from scratch, so buy courgette and tomato plants rather than sowing them, and sow the fast crops directly.

What can I plant in July in the UK?

Beetroot, carrots, spring onions, radishes, turnips and kohlrabi all sow well in July, along with salad leaves and quick herbs. A July sowing of peas gives an autumn pick. It is also the last comfortable moment for French beans if you want a crop before the weather turns.

What vegetables grow fastest in summer?

Radishes are the quickest, at roughly four weeks from sowing. Cut-and-come-again salad leaves follow at three to four weeks, and they regrow for several more cuts. Spring onions and baby turnips are not far behind. These are the crops to reach for when you want something to eat from a bed that has just come free.

Why do my salads and spinach bolt in summer?

Heat and dryness. When a plant senses stress it switches from making leaves to making seed, which is what bolting is, and the leaves turn bitter. Sow into light afternoon shade, keep the soil consistently damp rather than letting it swing between dry and soaked, and choose varieties sold as heat-tolerant or slow to bolt.

What should I sow in summer for an autumn and winter harvest?

This is the real summer opportunity. Sow spring cabbage, winter-hardy lettuces, chard, perpetual spinach and oriental greens now and they establish while it is warm, then crop through autumn and into winter. Late summer is also when you get overwintering onion sets and garlic planned.