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What to Plant in July: Best Vegetables and Flowers
While you might think it’s too late for many garden favorites, July can actually be a great time to plant more in your garden! Whether you’re planting a fresh crop after the first has been harvested (also known as succession planting) or starting your garden for the first time this year, you can start more seeds or transplant all through July.
Many of these grow quickly and can tolerate freezing well into fall. Anyone in our northeastern zones (3-7) can take advantage of the following flowers and vegetables. Generally, those in the colder regions 3-5 will want to focus on finding fast-growing varieties, while those in zones 6 and 7 will be more focused on heat-tolerant varieties. Here’s a full list of what to plant in July!
General July Planting Tips
Check your local greenhouse! Chances are, they’ll have a few leftover vegetables, flowers, and even perennial plants that they’ll sell at a discount. As an added benefit, your plants will be a little further along than if you started them in the garden from seed.
Look carefully at your seed packet’s “days to maturity” section, as well as the expected first frost date for your area. For example, our first frost date in the Catskills is typically around September 25th. If we were to plant on July 15th, we’d need to pick plant varieties that mature in less than 72 days (September’s 25 + August’s 31+July’s 16). Always use the quickest “days to maturity” variety you can.
To imitate spring planting, you’ll need to water many of the following plants frequently and possibly mulch or shade them. Cold weather loving plants in particular can struggle to grow to productive size during the heat of July and August, so plant them into cool or shaded areas of the garden accordingly.
Vegetables to Plant in July
• Arugula, Collards, Lettuce, Spinach, and Swiss Chard – Leafy greens planted early in the spring tend to have bolted by July, making it an ideal time to pull them up, fertilize, and replant. While they tend not to be fond of hot weather, planting them in the shade and offering plenty of water can help. As a bonus, they will last well into fall.
• Beans – Green bush beans are fast growers that can handle being planted in July for a pre-fall crop.
• Beets and Carrots – Both root vegetables tend to grow in about two months and are frost hardy, so a July planting will still net you a good fall crop!
• Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, and Kale – These brassicas family members all love cooler weather, so you’ll need to offer them some shade and extra water when establishing them. The upside is that they’ll be frost hardy well into fall, so you’ll still get a good crop.
• Corn – While corn should typically be “knee-high by the Fourth of July,” some fast-growing varieties are still safe to seed in July, particularly in warmer zones.
• Cucumbers – You can plant cucumbers in July, since they generally take around two months to mature. Pick a variety on the faster growing side, like Carolina.
• Green Onions – While it’s too late for fully bulbed yellow onions, green onions can be successfully planted as late as July.
• Peas – Quick growing pea varieties can be planted into July, though you’ll likely get a smaller yield than an early spring planting. Little Marvel is a good option, with 63 days to maturity.
• Radishes – Radishes mature very quickly (typically around 30 days!) so a July planting in even the coldest regions can typically grow before a frost.
• Turnips – Like radishes, some fast-growing turnip varieties can mature within a month, making them perfect for July gardens.
• Yellow Squash and Zucchini – Fast-growing summer squash varieties can successfully grow in areas that won’t get a frost until October (generally zones 6 and 7). We like to grow Cocozelles, which mature in about 50 days. If you’re in a colder zone, consider planting the squashes in containers that can be moved indoors come fall.
Flowers to Plant in July
In addition, the following flowers can all be planted in July.
• Alyssum
• Cosmos
• Marigolds
• Nasturtiums
• Zinnias
Bonus: Herbs to Plant in July
There are also a few herbs you can grow in July to harvest before fall:
• Basil
• Borage
• Cilantro
• Parsley
Happy Planting!
Now that you know what to plant in July, get some seeds or transplants into your garden as soon as possible! The more time they have to grow and produce, the better. Let me know what varieties worked best for your zone in the comments below.
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