Right now UK soil ranges from 19°C in Northern Scotland to 33.3°C in London and the South East. That spread is why the same seed packet, sown on the same day, succeeds in one part of the country and rots in another.

Soil temperature by region, at seed depth

Region Soil at 6cm Air Crops you can sow today
London and the South East 33.3°C 29.2°C 45
The Midlands 33.1°C 28.1°C 45
North West England 32.4°C 27.1°C 45
South West England 32.2°C 30.9°C 45
South Wales 31.4°C 30.7°C 45
Northern Ireland 30.2°C 23°C 45
Yorkshire 29.6°C 25.5°C 45
East Anglia 26.7°C 22.7°C 45
North East England 26.2°C 18.7°C 45
Southern Scotland 21.5°C 17.9°C 45
Northern Scotland 19°C 16.6°C 45

Soil temperature at 6cm from Open-Meteo, updated hourly. Measured at seed depth, not at the surface: bare soil in full sun can read 10°C hotter at the surface than the seed sitting 6cm below it.

What you can sow anywhere in the UK today

45 crops are in their July sowing window and warm enough to germinate in every UK region, including the coldest — Northern Scotland, at 19°C.

See all 45 crops in the crop yearbook

Where soil temperature is still the limiting factor

Nowhere, today. Every crop in its July sowing window is warm enough to germinate across the whole country, from 19°C in Northern Scotland to 33.3°C in London and the South East. Soil temperature is the constraint in spring and autumn, when the difference between the South West and the north of Scotland can be several weeks of growing season. In the middle of summer it is not.

What limits you now is water, not warmth — a seed needs moisture at depth to germinate, and in a dry spell the top few centimetres go to dust while the soil below stays damp. Sow into moisture, water the drill before sowing rather than the surface after, and mulch.

What is the soil temperature in the UK right now?

At seed depth (6cm), UK soil temperature today ranges from 19°C in Northern Scotland to 33.3°C in London and the South East. This page is updated hourly from Open-Meteo. Soil temperature is what determines whether a seed germinates, and it can differ by several degrees across the country on the same day.

Why does soil temperature matter more than the calendar?

Seeds germinate on soil warmth, not on dates. A seed sown into soil below its germination threshold sits there, absorbs water, and rots rather than sprouting. That is why the same packet sown on the same day succeeds in Devon and fails in Aberdeenshire. Carrots need about 7°C, French beans about 12°C, and tomatoes about 15°C at seed depth.

How do I measure soil temperature in my own garden?

Push a soil thermometer in to about 5cm - seed depth - and read it in the morning, before the sun has warmed the surface. Take the reading in the bed you are about to sow, not on a path or a lawn. Bare soil in full sun can read 10°C hotter at the surface than 6cm down, which is where the seed actually sits, so a surface reading will tell you the ground is ready when it is not.