Late Summer Planting: What You Can Still Grow Now

Late summer is not the end of the gardening season. In fact, it can be a great time to refresh tired displays, fill gaps in borders and sow or plant crops that will keep your garden going into autumn.

This week in our Monday Garden Guide, we are looking at what you can still grow now, including vegetables, herbs, perennials and simple ways to start preparing your garden for the next season.

Make the Most of Late Summer

By late summer, some plants may be past their best, while others are still full of colour. This is a good time to take a look around the garden and decide what needs refreshing.

Empty pots, gaps in borders and tired bedding displays can all be improved with new planting. With warm soil and careful watering, many container-grown plants can still settle in well.

Late-summer planting is all about keeping the garden productive, colourful and cared for as the seasons begin to change.

Avoid planting during very hot, dry weather if possible. Choose a cooler, overcast day or plant in the morning or evening, then water thoroughly afterwards.

Vegetables You Can Still Grow

There are still vegetables you can grow in late summer, especially quick crops and leafy greens.

Good options may include:

• Salad leaves
• Rocket
• Radishes
• Salad onions
• Chard
• Spinach
• Kale
• Pak choi
• Mustard leaves
• Mizuna
• Winter lettuces

Many leafy crops grow well in containers, raised beds and vegetable patches. Sow small amounts at regular intervals rather than everything at once. This can provide a steadier harvest and reduce waste.

Choose varieties suitable for late-summer or autumn sowing, as not every variety performs well at this time of year. Seed packets will give the most accurate sowing dates for each crop.

Some crops, such as kale and chard, may be quicker and more reliable if planted as young plants rather than started from seed late in the season.

Quick Crops for Containers

If you want fast results, choose crops that can be harvested young.

Cut-and-come-again salad leaves are especially useful because you can pick a few leaves at a time and allow the plants to continue growing. Rocket, mizuna and mustard leaves can also be picked young for salads.

Radishes are another quick crop, but they need consistent moisture to grow well. If they become too dry or grow slowly, the roots may turn woody or overly strong in flavour.

Containers are ideal for these late-summer crops because they can be placed close to the kitchen door and moved to a more sheltered position if needed.

The RHS notes that salad leaves can be sown outdoors from mid-spring until late summer, and small regular sowings can help provide repeated harvests.

Think Ahead to Autumn and Winter Crops

Late summer is also a good time to think about crops that will carry on into autumn and, in some cases, winter.

Suitable choices may include:

• Winter lettuces
• Spinach
• Chard
• Kale
• Spring cabbage
• Pak choi
• Oriental salad leaves
• Salad onions
• Hardy herbs

Some of these are best planted as young plants in late summer, especially if you want a stronger start before colder weather arrives.

Leafy crops often benefit from protection as the weather cools. Cloches, fleece or a cold frame can help protect young plants from heavy rain, cold nights and pests.

Refresh Herb Pots

Herbs can keep growing well into late summer with the right care. If your herb pots are looking tired, trim them back lightly, remove dead growth and refresh the surface of the compost where needed.

Parsley, chives, thyme, rosemary and mint can continue to be useful in the kitchen. Mint is best kept in its own pot because it spreads vigorously and can overwhelm other plants.

Mediterranean herbs such as rosemary and thyme prefer a sunny position and free-draining compost. Mint and parsley prefer more consistent moisture and can tolerate some light shade.

Late summer to early autumn is also a useful time to take cuttings from some herbs, including rosemary, sage, mint and thyme. Hardy herbs such as oregano, mint and thyme can also be divided after flowering in late summer, if needed.

Add Perennials for Longer-Lasting Colour

Perennials are a great choice for late-summer planting because they return year after year. Planting them now can help fill gaps and give borders a more established feel.

Late-flowering perennials can keep colour going into autumn, while other perennials can settle in now and return stronger next year.

Good late-summer choices may include:

• Rudbeckia
• Echinacea
• Helenium
• Sedum or hylotelephium
• Japanese anemones
• Asters
• Salvias
• Penstemons
• Hardy geraniums
• Ornamental grasses

Choose plants that suit your soil, light levels and available space. Check the label for height, spread, flowering time and hardiness.

Container-grown perennials can be planted in late summer, but they need watering while they establish. The RHS notes that autumn and spring are generally good planting times for many perennials, while summer planting requires more attention to watering.

Fill Gaps in Borders

Late summer is a good time to fill spaces that have appeared in borders.

Depending on the look you want, you could choose:

• Late-flowering perennials
• Small shrubs
• Ornamental grasses
• Hardy herbs
• Seasonal plants
• Spring-flowering bulbs later in autumn

Adding new plants now can make borders feel fuller and help prevent the garden from looking tired at the end of summer.

Before planting, remove weeds and loosen compacted soil. If the soil is poor, improve the wider planting area with well-rotted garden compost or soil conditioner rather than filling only the planting hole. This encourages roots to spread into the surrounding soil.

Give Pots and Containers a Boost

Containers often work hard during summer and may need attention by late summer.

Remove plants that have finished, trim back tired growth and clear away fallen leaves or dead flowers. Top up with fresh peat-free compost where needed and add new seasonal colour or foliage.

Good late-summer container options include:

• Cyclamen for autumn colour
• Heucheras for foliage
• Hardy grasses
• Compact perennials
• Herbs
• Late salad crops
• Small evergreen shrubs
• Pansies and violas later in the season

You can also move pots around to brighten areas that need a lift, such as patios, entrances and seating spaces.

Continue watering and feeding plants that are still actively growing and flowering. Follow product instructions carefully and avoid feeding plants that are severely dry or wilted.

Start Thinking About Spring Bulbs

Late summer is a good time to plan ahead for spring colour.

Spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils, crocus, hyacinths and alliums are usually planted in autumn. Tulips are often planted later, in mid to late autumn, as they can be less prone to some problems when planted into cooler soil.

Bulbs can be planted in borders, containers, raised beds and under deciduous shrubs. Planning now gives you time to choose colours, prepare pots and decide where early spring flowers would make the biggest impact.

Start Preparing for Autumn

Late summer is the ideal time to begin preparing the garden for autumn.

Useful jobs include:

• Clearing plants that have finished
• Removing weeds before they set seed
• Refreshing tired containers
• Checking plant supports
• Collecting seeds from suitable plants
• Planning spring bulb displays
• Looking after lawns as cooler weather returns
• Adding mulch where appropriate
• Tidying without removing all wildlife habitat

Avoid making the garden too tidy. Leaving some seed heads, hollow stems and sheltered areas can provide food and shelter for birds, insects and other wildlife later in the year.

Keep Watering New Plants

Even though the season is moving on, late summer can still be warm and dry. New plants need regular watering while they settle in.

Water thoroughly so moisture reaches the roots, rather than giving a quick splash. Early morning is generally the best time to water, with evening as the next-best option when needed.

Mulch can help the soil hold moisture and reduce weeds. Apply bark or mulch to moist, weed-free soil, ideally at least 5cm deep where space allows, and keep it away from plant stems and crowns. RHS guidance describes mulch as useful for retaining moisture, suppressing weeds and improving soil conditions.

Good aftercare is the key to successful late-summer planting.

Protect Young Plants from Pests and Weather

Late-summer seedlings can still be vulnerable to slugs, snails, birds, flea beetles and caterpillars.

Check young crops regularly and use suitable non-chemical protection where possible, such as netting, fleece, cloches or barriers. Make sure netting is securely fixed so birds and wildlife cannot become trapped.

During very hot weather, young seedlings may benefit from temporary light shade. As nights cool, cloches or fleece can help protect tender crops and extend the growing season.

Visit Carpenders Park Garden Centre for Late-Summer Planting

If you want to keep your garden growing, visit Carpenders Park Garden Centre for vegetable plants, herbs, perennials, shrubs, peat-free compost, bark, mulch, pots, plant feeds and gardening essentials.

Whether you are filling gaps, refreshing containers or growing something for later in the season, there is still plenty you can plant and enjoy now.

Coming Next Week

Next week in our Monday Garden Guide, we will be looking at quick ways to refresh your garden before the Bank Holiday weekend.