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In my June and July garden, plants are really in their groove.
I’m harvesting buckets of strawberries and bunches of beets and carrots. The kale and peas are coming on strong, and I’ve been able to replenish my chamomile tea stores.
With so much going on out there, it can be hard to remember that just a few months ago, the pickings out there were slim.
But a little seed sowing now can help prevent that hunger gap next spring.
In this article, I’ll share what I sowing in seed trays every July & August to harvest after the first frosts through next June.
Here’s my late June/early July sowing plan:
There are three things to keep in mind when contemplating seeds to sow right now.
Some crops actually taste better after a frost.
Some crops have long days to maturity.
Sowing these seeds now gives them access to some of the summer daylight and direct sun, which helps them to be more resilient later on.
Carrots
Sweet and crisp; perfect for fresh eating and cooking.
Don’t give up on frost damaged plants: Plants like purple sprouting broccoli and fava beans might die back above the ground if you have a cold snap, but can come back in the spring if the root systems survive.
Let some of last year’s over-wintered plants go to seed: If you get the timing right, last year’s purple sprouting broccoli, beets, leeks, daikon radish, kale, etc., will be setting seed just around the time that you need to sow them. I aim the plant and its seedpods in to the next row, and then do any necessary thinning after germination.
Keep plants comfy: Mulch around plants to help the soil hold in heat, and cover with a frost blanket during the night and on colder days (i.e. 18 degrees and below).
Transplant into mobile containers: I like to direct sow plants like carrots in containers in July/August, and keep them in a shady spot. Then, as the weather cools, I can move them into a sunny zone in my garden or into the greenhouse. I also do this with early spring sown carrots, but in the opposite direction. I sow them in a container in the greenhouse, and then move it outside around June to let the carrots size up and mature in the shade.
Hot beds, row covers, and other coverings extend the harvest season
Ways to Raise Garden Temps in Winter:
Greenhouse season extension: Sometimes, a greenhouse alone isn’t enough to prevent frost damage on plants. This upcoming year I’m going to try something that I’ve seen Sean on Edible Acres do - he adds frost blanket over his plants that are in the greenhouse over the winter.
Compost generated heat: In the above video, you’ll see that Sean also utilizes processing compost to generate a bit of heat for his greenhouse. If you don’t have a greenhouse, this technique can still work with something like hot beds, which you can see Huw Richards work with here.
Garlic overwinters for July harvests
Other things to look at now:
Garlic: Even though you’ll likely be planting garlic in October/November, many companies have just opened up their pre-orders now. Some of my favorites are the aptly named Elephant Garlic and Georgian Fire Garlic, both of which always sell out early so I’m putting my orders in now! The Music variety is another classic that I grow each year.
Shallots: Growing my onions in the early spring means that there’s usually a gap between when my stored onions are done and the next batch is ready to harvest. Fall-sown shallots are hardy enough to over-winter, and are ready in late spring to fill that onion gap. Like garlic, folks usually pre-order shallot cloves now for autumn delivery dates.
Garden layout idea - what to sow in July for Hunger Gap Harvests
July planted layout idea for winter and spring harvests
August planted raised bed design for over-wintering vegetable crops
Sow something today for your fall/winter/next spring harvests
With my daily garden walks ending with a harvest basket full of food, it's hard to believe we were in that hunger gap just a few months back. But those harvest baskets can still have something in them in the winter and springtime — it just takes some planning and summer seed sowing.
Action Steps for You:
Get Planning: Adapt my sowing plan to your garden's quirks and see what surprises you can stir up.
Secure Your Bulbs: Garlic and Shallot pre-orders are opening up!
Experiment a Little: Whether it's trying out a mobile container garden or generating some compost heat, give something new a try and see what works.
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