What to do in the Kitchen Garden in July

*The following information is designed for a temperate southern hemisphere garden  – In particular it is designed for a Melbourne garden.  This is meant as a general guide, indicating the type of things I plant, sow and harvest.  If you have had success with doing things differently then I would love to hear from you and I can update these pages accordingly.*

The days are slowly getting longer, you and I might not notice it much but the plants do and I always think they look pleased.

I don’t tend to do a lot of planting in July -its not the best month for it and I’ve generally run out of room anyway.  July is my planning month – working out what should go where for spring and summer planting, and by default where next winters crops will go.

Seeds to Sow:

These are the seeds you could consider sowing in July:

Beetroot *, Carrots*, Cabbage, Chervil, Garlic, Lettuce, Mustard Greens, Onions, Peas, Potatoes,  Radish, Rocket, Shallots, Silverbeet*, Spinach, Spring Onions

Tomato and Strawberry seeds can be sown undercover.

*Towards the end of the month

Seedlings to plant out:

Broccoli*, Cabbage*, Cauliflower*, Leeks, Lettuce, Parsley, Silver Beet, Spinach, Strawberries, Watercress

*Dependent on variety

Garden maintenance to perform:

• Order seed for winter-spring sowing – especially if you plan to sow tomatoes etc under cover in July/August.
• Protect any tender perennial plants that may not like the cold.
• Tidy up before the Spring growth spurt.
• Prune Tamarillo.
• Plan for spring and summer planting.

Seasonal Plants Harvesting now:

Broccoli, Cauliflower, Capsicum(last few), Citrus, Chillies (last few), Tamarillos, Watercress

The following plants should be able to be harvested all year round if planted in succession throughout their growing seasons:

Broccoli (but it is very susceptible to pests during the warmer months), Beetroot, Carrots, Celery, Chervil, Dill, Lettuce, Mint, Parsley, Radish, Sage, Silver Beet, Spring Onion, Thyme