What can I still plant?

[susieq100]

This is my first proper year gardening and I have invested in some raised beds. They are all full at the moment and everything is growing fabulously - so exciting. I have one bed full of early potatoes and with luck (she said with every appendage crossed) we will be eating those in 2/3 weeks and I will have some space to put other stuff. I have started off some cauli's in the conservatory - I haven't got a greenhouse, but the conservatory is just a posh one with furniture isn't it? What else do I still have time to start off? Is it too late for leeks? I've got 8 dwarf French bean plants - it's only me that really likes them. Could I go for a 2nd planting of them? Advice and ideas please. My mange tout are about 8 inches high, would it be too late to start some more of those off in modules?

I am so enthused reading all of the posts on here. It's the next best thing to being out there furtling!

[Waffler]

Your beans and mange-tout would be fine for another sowing - they can be directly sown outside now (unless perhaps if you're way up north, but I think most places risk of frost has all but passed). You could do sugar-snap peas and runner beans for a variation.
Sweetcorn, squash, carrots, beetroot, turnips, kale, spinach, some cabbage varieties.
And of course your salad crops: lettuce, rocket, radishes, spring onions... have I missed anything?
I think you may be too late for leeks (but I'm happy to be wrong! ) but you should still be able to pick up modules of plants from the garden centre, and also for things like toms and peppers, which it's probably too late to grow from seed, but in my mind, an essential part of summer!

See! There's loads still to be doing - you'd best get started! (as should I!)

[chickenjane]

This is my first proper year gardening and I have invested in some raised beds.
S
I've gone for the raised beds too. extra cost but last time ried to grow veg here the heavy soil & the slugs just turned destroyed averything.

What type have you gone for? Plastic or wood. Bought or constructed to order?
How pleasde are you with them?



They are all full at the moment and everything is growing fabulously - so exciting. I have one bed full of early potatoes and with luck (she said with every appendage crossed) we will be eating those in 2/3 weeks and I will have some space to put other stuff. I have started off some cauli's in the conservatory - I haven't got a greenhouse, but the conservatory is just a posh one with furniture isn't it?

That's no problem,the furniture will have to go.What else do I still have time to start off?
Much more than you' initially think,espeially as May has been so wet.

where do I start/
Salad..wel that goe with out saying.
Roots; carrots main crop or little 'sprinter' types.not sure about p'snips but my guess is you'd still be able to get a reasnable crop. salsify, celeriac, all ok. also Florence fennel.
Tender. sweet corn, beans, even courgettes. you won't be harvesting a early as the neighbours but they'll still 'do'.Probably too late for the culinary squashes from seed as they need as long a growing season as poss,but on the other hand I did see a nice butternut squash plant in local G'dn centre theother day.
Where am i..oh yes winter brassicas. Swede, winter cauli, purple sprouting, calabrese can all still be sown, ditto quick hearting summer cabbage. too early for spring cabbage. Erm...
Oh spinach, or what I much prefer= Swiss chard is still on. again you won't have you 1st pickiing for a while but theres a lot of late summer autumn & winter tocome. Can I just put in a lpug for swiss chard here. It looks fab, tasted nicer than spinach,doesn't bolt or go bitter in dry spells,you can use & cook the ribs seperately of with the leaf & (esp in raised beds) will ontinue to grow & be croppable riht through the winter into next spring.I don't even have share in chard seed company!

Is it too late for leeks?
Aw I forgot leeks. M guess is probably not.You'd be bestoff getting a quicker growing variety, & when you plant them out be extr extra good about h watering as it'll be high summer, plus you won't be getting full sized plants so could probably decrease your planting distances a good deal. But hey smaller leeks are nicer anywa.

I've got 8 dwarf French bean plants - it's only me that really likes them. Could I go for a 2nd planting of them? Advice and ideas please. My mange tout are about 8 inches high, would it be too late to start some more of those off in modules?

re french beans. many people do a later summer planting to get an early autumn crop anyway. Me I always go for climbing french. Yeilds much higher in a limited space & ? longer cropping season.I am so enthused reading all of the posts on here. It's the next best thing to being out there furtling!

Sounds to me asif you' probably should be out furtling right now.....or shifting the family & furniture out of the conservatory!

Your beans and mange-tout would be fine for another sowing - they can be directly sown outside now (unless perhaps if you're way up north, but I think most places risk of frost has all but passed). You could do sugar-snap peas and runner beans for a variation.
Sweetcorn, squash, carrots, beetroot, turnips, kale, spinach, some cabbage varieties.
And of course your salad crops: lettuce, rocket, radishes, spring onions... have I missed anything?
I think you may be too late for leeks (but I'm happy to be wrong! ) but you should still be able to pick up modules of plants from the garden centre, and also for things like toms and peppers, which it's probably too late to grow from seed, but in my mind, an essential part of summer!

See! There's loads still to be doing - you'd best get started! (as should I!)

well remembered waffler...get lil plants from gdn centre & you've made up for any tardiness in sowing.I got some lettuce earlier in the year & worked out that it was no more expensive than staring from seedby the time i'd added in the cost of potting etc.thay were incredibly cheap & healthy.

[Waffler]

My local garden centre has it's monthly 10% days at the end of next week - I'm sure I shall end up 'topping up' my supplies!

[Alice]

Hello Susie, you could plant all the things Waffler suggested and you could still do some peas. I don't think you're too late for leeks - hope not as I've just planted a second lot. You can have them as baby leeks .
I'm growing in raised beds this year too and find them just wonderful. Happy gardening.

[susieq100]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Have not responded before as we had Tinternet problems, you don't realise how much you use it until it's not there!

Chickenjane
I bought the plastic ones from a firm called Linkabord because I only have a little suburban garden. My eldest son visited and asked incredulously, "what the *** are they - coffins?" Slugs have just found their way in but I am really pleased with the results thus far. We've been eating salady stuff for 3-4 weeks.
I have 2 beds that are only 1 board high and 1 big deep one that is 2 boards high. Just trying things out really.

[Snadger]

Within the last couple of weeks I have sown over a dozen types of brassicas to see me up to, and through the winter. Four kales,(Tuscan Black, Russian Red, Curly and A N Other), three winter cabbage,PSB and various broccoli! I still have spring cabbage and All year round cauli's to sow.
All of the above could still be sown now. I sow them in 8" pots and transplant as and when space becomes available