What to Grow in July: Vegetables, Flowers & Gardening Jobs

July is a glorious month for gardeners across the UK, with longer days, vibrant colours, and abundant crops ready to pick. But while it may feel like peak growing season, there's still plenty to sow, plant out, and tend to in the garden. Whether you're nurturing vegetables, fruit, or flowers, gardening in July offers plenty of opportunities to extend the season and prepare for an abundant late summer and autumn.

Find out what to grow this month, how Hortiwool Garden Pads can support your summer gardening success, and which essential tasks will help keep your garden thriving through July. 

What to Sow in July

Although mid-summer might seem late for sowing, there’s still a surprising variety of crops you can start this month, especially quick-maturing or late-season varieties.

Vegetables to Sow Outdoors

• Carrots – Choose fast-growing varieties such as 'Adelaide' or 'Early Nantes' for an autumn harvest. Sow directly into well-prepared beds.

• Beetroot – A great choice for successional sowing. Sow directly in rows and water regularly.

• Lettuce & Salad Leaves – Keep a steady supply going with sowings of cut-and-come-again varieties. Try rocket, mizuna, and lamb’s lettuce.

• Spring Onions – These can be sown now for a crisp harvest in late summer or early autumn.

• Turnips – Quick-growing and tasty, turnips are ideal for July sowing, particularly in cooler areas.

Tip: To conserve moisture and suppress weeds around young seedlings, place Hortiwool Garden Pads around your sowing rows. Their natural wool fibres help regulate soil temperature and retain water during hot spells, perfect for delicate new growth.

Vegetables to Sow Indoors or in Modules

• Cabbages (spring varieties) – Sow indoors now to plant out in late summer for next year’s crop.

• Kale – Start kale indoors this month and transplant outdoors once large enough to handle.

Tip: Use Hortiwool Garden Pads beneath seed trays or pots to encourage strong root development and reduce water loss through evaporation.

What to Plant Out in July

If you’ve already been sowing indoors or have picked up young plants from the garden centre, now is the time to get them established in your beds or containers.

• Leeks – Transplant young leek seedlings into their final position, spacing them well apart for thick stems.

• Brassicas (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflowers) – If not already in the ground, get these planted this month.

• French beans – Continue planting out dwarf varieties for a late summer harvest.

• Courgettes and pumpkins – These still have time to flourish with regular feeding and plenty of sun.

Tip: Around transplanted vegetables, Hortiwool Garden Pads can be cut to fit and laid at the base of plants. They help deter slugs, suppress weeds, and keep the roots cool – especially important for shallow-rooted crops like courgettes.

Flowers to Sow in July

July is ideal for sowing biennials and hardy annuals that will bloom next year:

• Wallflowers

• Foxgloves

• Sweet Williams

• Forget-me-nots

Tip: Sow in seed trays or a nursery bed and transplant in autumn. Don’t forget, using Hortiwool Garden Pads in pots and trays improves drainage and provides a soft, protective base that reduces stress on seedlings.

For instant colour this summer, you can still sow:

• Poppies

• Cornflowers

• Calendula

These will provide late-season blooms and support pollinators well into autumn.

July Gardening Jobs for the Perfect Summer Garden

Beyond sowing and planting, gardening in July includes essential maintenance and forward planning. Here’s a list of key tasks to keep your garden looking great:

• Water wisely – Early mornings or late evenings are best. Use mulch (like Hortiwool Garden Pads) to lock in moisture.

• Deadhead flowers – Regularly remove faded blooms from annuals and perennials to encourage continuous flowering.

• Feed container plants – Weekly feeding supports flowering and fruiting during high-growth periods.

• Harvest regularly – Keep picking courgettes, beans, tomatoes, and salad leaves to encourage new growth.

• Prune wisteria – Cut back the long whippy shoots to tidy up and promote flowering next year.

• Cut back herbs – Trim sage, thyme, and oregano after flowering to keep them bushy and productive.

• Pest watch – Aphids, slugs, and cabbage white butterflies are active. Inspect regularly and use deterrents like wool pads around vulnerable plants.

Why Use Hortiwool Garden Pads in July?

With hot, dry spells becoming more common, moisture retention and soil health are crucial. Hortiwool Garden Pads are made from 100% British wool and are a fantastic sustainable alternative to plastic-based mulches. They help retain moisture, suppress weeds, deter pests, and slowly release nutrients into the soil – all of which are particularly valuable during summer gardening.

They’re easy to cut to size, fit around pots, or lay across your veg patch. Whether you're transplanting seedlings or protecting flower beds, these pads are a must-have tool for any eco-conscious gardener.

Learn more about using wool in the garden to improve soil health and sustainability.

July may be high summer, but there’s still so much to enjoy and do in the garden. From sowing late crops and flowers to protecting your plants and planning ahead for autumn, it’s a busy and rewarding time. Embrace gardening in July with a little help from nature – and from Hortiwool Garden Pads, your sustainable ally in every season.

Happy gardening!