July: Sowing for Winter in Your Polytunnel
Growing your own food in a polytunnel is a year‑round commitment. It might feel strange to talk about winter crops in the middle of summer, but successful polytunnel gardening is all about planning. From the end of this month onwards, it’s time to start sowing for winter to keep your tunnel productive throughout the colder months.
If you planned your season well and got started early in spring, your polytunnel should be at its peak right now — lush, full, and producing an abundance of fresh food. Every inch of space is working for you, delivering salads, vegetables, and early summer crops for your table.
What You’ll Be Harvesting in July
July is a month of plenty. You’ll likely be harvesting:
Lettuce, spring onions, and leafy greens for summer salads
Peas, broad beans, and first early potatoes (many of which will be finishing now)
Courgettes and cucumbers
The first tomatoes, runner beans, or French beans
Early peppers, if planted early and helped along by warm weather
While timings vary year to year, July is always a generous month — but it’s also when gaps begin to appear as early crops come to an end.
Don’t Waste the Space — Plan for Winter
When gaps open up, resist the temptation to fill everything with cut‑and‑come‑again lettuce. Instead, think ahead to winter. Late July and August are the key months for sowing hardy crops that will feed you through the coldest part of the year and into the early spring “hungry gap”.
Before replanting, add compost or a high‑quality organic mulch to replenish soil fertility and prepare the ground for the next round of crops.
What to Sow Now for Winter
Start sowing hardy winter crops into seed trays or pots, so they’re ready to plant out as space becomes available. Ideal choices include:
Winter lettuce
Cabbages
Kale
Purple sprouting broccoli
Other hardy leafy greens
Planting these into gaps as you harvest ensures they have time to establish and reach a good size before winter arrives.
Make the Most of Your Polytunnel
A productive winter starts with good planning now. If you already have a polytunnel, use July wisely to set yourself up for year‑round harvests. And if you don’t have one yet, there’s still time to get a tunnel installed and grow fresh produce all winter long.