Question:

It’s July and I’ve just spent a couple of weeks clearing a new allotment site. I’ve got a couple of small beds ready to plant. Should I cover them or is it worth trying to grow something?

Answer:
Get on and plant something! If you don’t plant in it, then nature will!
There are tons of things you can be planting now! If you have a garden centre nearby you could go and get some plug plants to go out – if they’re selling it then it can be planted out now!
Seeds are cheap and you can get crops from lettuces, radishes, spring onions, salad leaves, spinach, beetroot and much more! Even peas can be planted now!

Don’t leave the soil empty – get growing! Once you see shoots coming up you’ll be so glad you did! Once you eat crops you’ve grown you’ll be hooked too!

If you don’t plant then what will you do with the space? Just cover it? It’s easier to let crops cover it – a densely sown patch of lettuce leaves or radishes will suppress weeds too and they’re edible! Consider a green manure if you’re still not convinced anything will grow in time.
It will though! July is a good time to be planting lots of things!