July is a time for harvesting, and every visit to the garden now results in cucumbers, squash, or little sun gold tomatoes. During the hot summer heat, you may not be thinking about new plants. But July in the garden is not just about harvesting, it is still time to plant.
As you harvest some vegetables such as little green onions, or carrots you will have gaps you need to fill in. Or maybe, you had squash vine borers attack your squash and you lost a plant. You want to keep these areas of bare ground planted to prevent weeds and July is the perfect time to sow fast growing vegetables before your first frost.
What can you plant in the garden in July?
Well, that depends on the date of your first frost.
- First determine the day of your first frost of the season.
- Count back to your current date and write down the number of days.
- My average first frost is October 18th, but for the last few years it has come toward the end of October, around Halloween. As I write this, I have over 90 days to my first frost and PLENTY of time to plant a number of plants.
- Cucumbers, squash, and bush beans will mature in around 60 days. If you can find tomato plants at the nursery, there are a number of varieties that will mature in 60 to 70 days. When my green onions were gone, I planted bush beans in the same area. Be sure and check the seed packet for dates to maturity, and choose a variety that matures within the timeframe before your frost.
This method of continual planting through the season is called succession planting. Always have something ready to put in the garden space when one plant is harvested.
When you are creating a garden plan in the spring be sure you create one that includes succession planting. Nourish your soil with compost between plantings and mulch well. July temps are hot, and you will need to water newly planted seeds daily until they emerge, and then keep the soil moist.
I would love for you to join my Facebook Group “GrowingwithGardenchick“. Post your questions, share your knowledge, or be the first to know when a blog post is up!
Would you like to grow your own fresh vegetables but not sure where to start? I have created a digital workbook filled with 55 pages of information that will help you grow your best garden ever. I’ve even added my “Attracting Beneficial Insects to Your Garden” and my “Easy Steps to Composting” booklet. You can buy the bundle here, download, and have instant access to the information.
Happy gardening!
Karen