Grow Your Own Winter Veg: What to Sow in June for Fresh Harvests All Season
June is a very exciting month in the garden. We’re enjoying the warmer weather, watching our crops grow, and even enjoying some of our first harvests. It’s easy to sit back and think our work is done, but June is also an incredibly important sowing month if you want to keep enjoying fresh produce into the winter.
Vegetables to Harvest Through Autumn and Winter
There are lots of tasty vegetables that can be harvested throughout winter, as well as sturdy root veg that can be stored to give you produce for longer. We’ve included a few of our favourites to help give you some inspiration. Get sowing now for a wonderful winter crop.
Winter Cabbage
Winter cabbage is an excellent vegetable to grow that packs a sweeter punch thanks to the cold weather converting starch into sugars.
Although they are often started indoors April-May, they can be direct sown in June for harvesting in October-March. Once the dense heart has formed, you can harvest as needed.
We love Winter Tundra F1 as it is frost hardy and quick maturing.
Broccoli
Broccoli is a fantastic overwinter crop that will provide fresh vegetables once a lot of other crops have stopped producing. Rudolph Extra Early is one of our favourites – a June sowing can crop from December through until March if grown properly. June is also the last month to get Calabrese varieties such as Sprouting Calabrese Green growing. These will perform better if directly sown in their final position as opposed to in a temporary seed bed as they don’t transplant well in warm weather. Sow now, and you can look forward to more broccoli in October.
Kale
Frozen Kale leaves are a common sight in the allotment as the flavour of many varieties actually improves after a frost. Most varieties of Kale will take 50-60 days to mature from sowing, so it’s important to time your summer planting so that the plants have reached maturity by the time the first frosts come. You can also plant kale later in the year to extend your kale cropping time.
We enjoy planting Red Russian as its colour also improves in the colder weather.
Potatoes
Whilst a lot of us will already have potatoes growing, late season seed potatoes can be planted in July. These will be ready to harvest in December, just in time to have fresh potatoes for your Christmas dinner!
Maris Peer are a great all-round salad potato that are delicious roasted whole. Check out our full range here.
Vegetables to Store Through Winter
There are lots of root vegetables in particular that will grow into the autumn and lend themselves to winter storage. This can be done by leaving them in situ, digging a trench and storing them underground, or lifting them into prepared boxes and leaving them undercover. When leaving your roots in the ground, cover them with a thick layer of mulch, straw, or cardboard as well as some horticultural fleece to keep them safe from frozen temperatures. If you live in a particularly waterlogged area or get very cold temperatures, lifting your roots is your safest bet. Here are a few of our top picks.
Beetroot
Beetroot that is sown from June onwards can be harvested in the autumn and stored for winter. While smaller beetroots tend to be sweeter, larger globes will store better. If you choose to lift them, make sure you do it carefully to avoid damage and twist off the leaves 2.5cm from the base.
A hard frost will damage your roots, but they can withstand temperatures to around -1°C. If there is a mild winter or they are well protected, beetroot plants can also offer very early spring greens. We love growing Detroit Dark Red for a bold pop of colour throughout the winter months.
Carrots
Late season carrots that are sown in June should be ready by October and are more than happy left in the ground under the right conditions. Carrots can withstand temperatures up to -6°C if they are properly mulched.
Autumn King is a staple variety for winter veg as it is reliable and produces good-sized roots that can be harvested well into winter. It will also store well if lifted.
Swede
Swedes are a winter staple for a reason. Colder temperatures give them a sweeter flavour, and they are naturally frost-resistant and low maintenance. They take 5-6 months to mature and can be left in the ground and harvested as needed, meaning that a June sowing can give you swedes from October through to March if you’re lucky.
We love to grow Best of All as it stands well in winter and gives tasty produce throughout the colder months.
Kohlrabi
These unusual looking vegetables are actually cool-season brassicas and are a very versatile vegetable with a nutty flavour and tender flesh that is often overlooked for the garden. June is your last chance to sow for an autumn to early winter harvest. Purple varieties will withstand colder temperatures better and take a little longer to mature. You should be able to harvest your kohlrabi until December, or until you notice the leaves turning yellow. Purple Vienna is a fantastic variety for winter cropping as its thicker purple skin will help protect against the damp and cold.
Other Varieties for Fresh Winter Vegetables
There are lots of leafy vegetables that you can continue sowing and growing well into winter if you plan your time and growing space accordingly – spinach, Swiss chard, and winter salad leaves are all fantastic. Read more about these and cultivation advice on the individual product pages for more information.
