What to sow in June (UK Growing Guide)

June can feel like a tipping point — spring crops are maturing, but summer is still full of opportunity. Whether you're filling gaps in beds or just getting started, there’s still time to sow a wide range of veg. This guide focuses on fast-maturing, heat-tolerant crops and key autumn staples that benefit from an early start.

Direct Sow Outdoors

These crops can go straight into beds, no fuss:

• Lettuce - loose-leaf varieties do well in partial shade

• Chard - colourful and heat-resilient

• Beetroot - quick-maturing types like Boltardy or Pablo

• Carrots - especially shorter types for containers or late crops

• French beans - dwarf or climbing, both fine from seed now

• Radish - sow in small batches every couple of weeks

• Turnips - fast growers for baby veg or salad leaves

• Spring onions - reliable and useful for summer salads

Sow Undercover or in Modules

Useful for transplanting later or extending harvest:

• Brassicas for autumn - kale, kohl rabi, purple sprouting broccoli

• Coriander & Parsley - prefer cooler roots, better under cover

• Lettuce (again) - protects from slug damage while young

• Winter cabbage - start now for late-season heads

• Calabrese - needs a head start for late summer cropping

Greenhouse or Tunnel Only (Warm Lovers)

Great for extra heat or polytunnel growers:

• Cucumbers - best sown in June if your first batch failed

• Courgettes - fast enough to sow now and still crop

• Sweetcorn - very last chance to start indoors in deep modules

• Basil - thrives in warmth, best in pots or containers

Final Notes

Succession sowing is your friend - small, regular batches of salad, radish, and beans will keep your garden productive well into autumn. And if you're using SeedSort, make sure to tag your sowings by location to track what went where as the season heats up.