How does your kitchen garden grow? Get planting now for a summer harvest

It’s at this time of year, with the June solstice only just around the corner, that it can feel as if summer is slowly slipping through our fingers. But hold your horses. The good news is that’s there’s still plenty of time to sow a range of fast-growing herbs and vegetables in the kitchen garden or allotment to provide a host of delicious, home-grown crops for harvesting over the coming months. Here’s some inspiration on what to grow.

Lettuce

Fast-growing and hugely productive, lettuce is a mainstay of the kitchen garden. But for maximum productivity and versatility, go for a seed mix of multiple varieties to give a lovely medley of leaf colours, textures and flavours. Italy’s (Franchi) classic mix ‘Misticanza di Lattughe’, contains seed of 13 varieties and can be succession-sown every two to three weeks in small amounts from now until August (see greensofireland.ie ). Patch-sow seed thinly and very shallowly (one centimetre deep) into pre-watered, well-prepared, weed free, damp soil, or into a window box or large pot filled with a good-quality John Innes-based compost and water well. Protect emerging seedlings from slugs and thin them out to a spacing of 20-30cm. Treat as a cut-and-come again crop, regularly picking just the older, outer leaves and allowing the younger, inner leaves to develop.

Beetroot

Holy Kafka! Trump’s line about being martyred always seemed risible but I guess it works with some people

---

Ireland’s electric vehicle charging network: How is it faring?

---

Inside TV chef Clodagh McKenna’s new compact kitchen: why big isn’t always better

---

Can we finally say goodbye to shaming women for letting their hair go grey?

---

There’s nothing quite like home-grown beetroot harvested fresh from the garden or allotment. One of the tastiest, most productive varieties is Pablo, an F1 hybrid variety that can be successionally sown every fortnight from now up to mid-July to give a crop of baby beetroot perfect for a summer salad or roasting in the oven (greenvegetableseed.com). Either direct-sow the seed shallowly 1.5cm deep in narrow rows into well-prepared, weed-free, damp soil outdoors, or into modules filled with a good-quality seed compost to give young plants that can be transplanted into their final growing position later in the summer. Water well. Make sure to thin the freshly-germinated seedlings (space them at 10cm) and keep them well watered. Beetroot does best in a fertile, moist but free-draining soil in full sun, but avoid adding manure.

Orach/ mountain spinach (Atriplex hortensis)

I love using this tall, fast-growing member of the spinach family as a brilliant filler in summer and autumn bouquets once it has gone to seed, but its colourful, juicy leaves are also very tasty in a salad or stir-fry (irishseedsavers.ie). Direct-sow the seed shallowly and thinly over the coming weeks into weed-free, fertile, moisture-retentive but free-draining soil in a sunny spot in the garden or allotment and water well. Given the right conditions, orach will often self-seed itself generously around the garden or allotment.

Runner beans

One of those great crops for a small garden where growing space is tight, this hugely productive climbing bean also adds a decorative element to any garden with its tall stems of edible, colourful flowers. Sow the large seeds five centimetres deep and 25cm apart into the ground or into a large tub filled with a good-quality John Innes-based compost for a late summer/early autumn crop of its juicy beans or plant young transplants sourced from your local garden centre. Water well. Great varieties to look out for include Enorma and the heritage Painted Lady (brownenvelopeseeds.com). Runner beans like a rich, moisture-retentive but free-draining soil enriched with some slow-release organic fertiliser and a sunny, sheltered spot. Protect emerging seedlings and young plants from slugs, keep them well watered and provide sturdy support in the shape of bamboo canes and netting; in ideal conditions these plants can reach up to two metres tall over the course of just a few months.

Carrots

If you’ve ever eaten a home-grown carrot pulled fresh from the soil, then you’ll know it’s a completely superior creature to its shop-bought equivalent in terms of sweetness, aroma and crunch. One of the fastest cropping and most delicious varieties is Paris Market Atlas (seedaholic.com), whose compact, globe-shaped roots also make it a great candidate for container growing or for growing in shallow, stony soil. Sow seed thinly and shallowly (1.5cm) until the end of July, thinning young seedlings in the evening to a spacing of 5cm. Make sure to quickly, and carefully, bin these thinnings off-site, and to cover plants with horticultural fleece to protect plants against carrot fly.

Florence fennel

I never quite understood the charm of Florence fennel until I ate its fleshy, aromatic bulbs doused in butter, parmesan and a sprinkle of salt, wrapped in foil and gently roasted in an oven. Bliss. A fast-growing, heat-loving vegetable, at this time of year it’s best direct-sown in rows into a rich, moisture-retentive, weed-free soil in a sheltered but open position in full sun, sowing the seeds one centimetre apart and deep into pre-watered soil. Thin the seedlings out to 20cm apart, take precautions against slugs and keep the baby plants well watered. Earthing up the bulbs (technically the plants’ swollen stems) will also help them to stay juicy and tender. Florence fennel leaves are also edible and packed full of flavour; try using them in a salad or stir fry. Recommended varieties include Rondo and the bolt-resistant Zefa Fino (theorganiccentre.ie)

Coriander

Ever calculated how much you’ve spent on those small supermarket pots of coriander? If the thought makes you wince, then grow it yourself. Easily raised from seed direct-sown outdoors at this time of year into well-prepared, weed-free, moisture-retentive but free-draining soil in sun or light shade, it will also grow very well in a pot or window box. Coriander tends to bolt (go to seed) quickly so it’s best to succession-sow small amounts every three-four weeks from now until September and to choose a bolt-resistant, productive varieties such as Leisure (quickcrop.ie). Sow seed thinly and shallowly to a depth of 1.5cm, and water well. Thin individual seedlings to a spacing of 20cm. Treat the plants as cut-and-come again crops, harvesting a few leaves from each one to keep them productive for as long as possible.

Rainbow chard

I love this fast-growing leafy vegetable for its easy of cultivation, great productivity and pretty, jewel-coloured stems. At this time of year, you can direct-sow the seed in rows to a depth of 2cm into well-prepared, weed-free, moisture-retentive but free-draining, fertile soil in full sun or light shade. Water well. Thin the young seedlings (just as for beetroot, each individual seed will produce several seedlings) to leave the strongest at a spacing of 10cm apart for baby leaves, or 20cm for larger leaves. The classic variety is Bright Lights (Thompson & Morgan, see mrmiddleton.com ).

Baby turnips

Push aside any prejudices you might have against this versatile root vegetable. Harvested when they’re young, tender and no bigger than a golf ball, baby turnips are delicious and surprisingly versatile, making a wonderful addition to a salad or stir-fry. One of the best is Turnip Sweetbell (Unwins, johnstowngardencentre.ie ) which can be direct-sown in the garden or allotment or into a large container until the end of this month. Sow thinly and shallowly in rows to a depth of two centimetres and into well-prepared, weed-free, damp soil, then water well. Thin out the young seedlings to a spacing of 10cm apart.

Kohlrabi

There’s still plenty of time to sow seed of this fast-growing decorative member of the cabbage family, which is delicious used in stir-fries and salads. Direct sow the seed thinly and shallowly in rows to a depth of 1.5cm into well-prepared, weed-free, fertile, moisture-retentive soil in full sun, and water well. Thin the young seedlings to a spacing of 15cm. Kohlrabi is another vegetables that’s best succession sown at three-weekly intervals (do this until the end of July) and harvested when its fleshy, decorative, swollen stems are no bigger than a tennis ball for maximum flavour and juiciness. Seek out seed of the purple-skinned Azur Star (seedaholic.com). As for all brassicas, net or fleece the plants to protect against common pests.

This week in the garden

Polytunnels and glasshouses need regular watering and very good ventilation at this time of year to prevent plants becoming stressed or dehydrated. Where possible, use drip irrigation rather than overhead watering, to support plant health, and collect and carefully dispose of any dead, damaged or diseased plant material. Also keep a very careful eye out for pests and diseases (rust, red spider mite, thrips, aphids), which can quickly build up in these garden structures as a result of the very protected microclimates that they offer.

Some types of early summer-flowering, repeat-blooming perennials such as lupins, catmint (nepeta), delphiniums, geums and hardy geraniums are coming to the end of their first flush of flowers. To encourage these to reflower again this summer, cut their faded flower stems and foliage back hard and then give the plants a liquid seaweed feed.

Dates for your Diary

Saturday, June 25th: Tullynally Castle Plant Fair, Tullynally, County Westmeath, see tullynallycastle.ie

Sunday June 26th: Triermore Stud, Fordstown (near Athboy), Navan , Co Meath, Open Garden day in aid of the Red Cross Ukraine Appeal. Admission €8, contact admin@triermorestud.ie for details.