What to plant in late summer

Cabbage

ulleo via pixabay

Cauliflower was certainly the hero veggie last year as a replacement for all things carb - from cauli-mash, rice, rosties to wraps. This year, you should keep your eye on the humble cabbage; a win from both a health and diet variety perspective. Think easy and light chicken cabbage wraps, Asian slaws or pickled cabbage dishes for fresh meals and easy side dishes.

Savoy Cabbage, an Italian heirloom that dates back to the 1800s is a varietal that should be sown in late summer, in full sun when soil temperatures are between 5 and 18 degrees. The seeds will germinate in around two weeks and you can harvest around 8-15 weeks later. A friendly kind of veggie, you can grow bean, beets, celery and onions in the same bed. Avoid greedy climbing beans, strawberries or eggplant – they don’t always play as nicely in the veggie playground.

Micro-greens

Micro-Greens, Rainbow Blend

So much more than decor or a pretty touch, there is method to the madness of the micro-greens craze. RAW’s Rainbow Blend of micro-greens is a concoction of flavours from beetroot, Asian cabbage, and kohlrabi to Italian broccoli and radish. Still in time for light summer salads, micro-greens are easy to grow. Sow thickly in trays and place on windowsills for best results. Sow every 5-10 days and snip with scissors when 2-4cm high.

Spinach

Zeynel Cebeci via Wikimedia Commons

And now for the game-changer. Strawberry Spinach should be sown in full sun 10cm apart. A throwback to North America, Strawberry Spinach grows tiny, delicate leaves that can be cooked like spinach or tossed in a salad. Keep an eye out for the red pulpy fruit in late summer. This variety's berries grow at the base of each stem, and a plant in full fruit is quite a sight. Wait until seeds are a dark burgundy before enjoying their unique flavour. As if this plant wasn't already the best thing to happen to your garden, you can get a continuous crop of spinach by making successive plantings every 10 days.