Midsummer is the perfect time to plant various vegetables and herbs for the fall harvest. Late June through the first of August is suitable for planting many of your favorite garden seeds, such as cucumbers, potatoes, and beans. It’s important to know the average frost day in your location to properly calculate when to plant these late veggies so that they’ll mature before the cold weather hits. Many plants can tolerate a fair amount of frost before being affected by the plummeting temperatures. Here are some of the best plants to add to your garden in July:
Carrots can be successfully planted in July and early August. One major advantage of late-summer sowing is that carrots are less affected by carrot flies, as the flies are less active during these months.
Planting kale from mid-July through mid-August can yield a plentiful harvest in the fall and winter. Kale is excellent for baby leaves that can be cooked or put into salads in the fall. Red Ursa is an especially hardy variety.
Plant new seed spuds in July and you can get your own supply of earthy, delicious potatoes in the upcoming months. It takes approximately 12 weeks for tubers to turn golf ball-sized. Seed potatoes planted in July or August will grow quickly, producing a crop by October.
Now that the soil is warm, begin planting both pole beans and bush beans. One of the most popular varieties of garden beans is snap beans, also referred to as string beans. Snap beans are available in both pole and bush types and come in a wide range of colors, including green, purple, yellow, and red-speckled.
Sow beets in June to have full-sized roots by fall. Depending on the variety, beets are generally ready to be picked when the roots are between the size of a golf ball and a tennis ball, or approximately 90 days after sowing. Freshly picked beets are tender and have a delicious, earthy taste.
Plant corn early in July at the latest, as it needs 65 to 100 frost-free days. To avoid the consequences of colder fall temperatures, choose more resilient corn varieties, such as “sugar snow,” “butter and sugar,” or “earlivee.”
Cooking radishes grow tennis ball-sized and larger and are commonly used in stews, soups and stir-fries. Sow from July to September and they’ll be ready for pulling in the late fall and winter.
Cucumbers grown on the vine or bush are fast-growing and can produce a multitude of cucumber fruits. Although vine cucumbers are by far the best-tasting, cucumbers grown on the vine offer many more varieties.
Parsley is a popular herb used in salads, soups, and sauces and acts as the perfect healthy garnish. In the summer, choose more heat-tolerant varieties such as Italian flat-leafed parsley, which does better in high temperatures than curly parsley
This cold-hardy selection should be sowed in late July for harvest in autumn. As many varieties of lettuce do better in cooler climates, opt to grow winter lettuce in the shade. Providing plenty of water is also essential for proper hydration.