Imagine…
Always knowing when to
plant, prune, and harvest.
All you need is the right checklist.
What to Plant in July: The Best Flowers and Vegetables for Your Garden
It’s hard to believe that July is already here.
It means lots of weeding, watering, and plenty of breaks in the shade with a refreshing ice-cold drink (hint: these are best garnished with homegrown herbs).
And if you’re anything like me…
you’ve wondered what you can safely plant in July.
Well, I’ve done all the research and have got you covered with a list of some of the best plants to grow this month…
With a little planning, you can harvest armloads of vegetables and enjoy beautiful blooms for the rest of the season!
Keep reading for a list of the best plants to grow in July…
Make getting the right things done this month simple. Download my FREE July gardening checklist.
This post may contain affiliate links. So, I may get a small commission if you buy something after clicking through. I only link to products I would recommend to my best friend.
Vegetables to plant in July
- Set out broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower transplants for your fall garden. Protect them with shade cloth to reduce heat stress.
- Finish setting out transplants of Brussels sprouts for a fall and winter harvest.
- Avoid transplanting seedlings during the hottest part of the day.
Vegetable seeds to sow in July
This is the time to sow cool-season crops for your fall vegetable garden.
Plan ahead. Check your seed expiration dates to make sure they’re not too old, and you have enough. Order fresh packets a couple of weeks before you’re going to plant.
Running low on seeds? Check out this list of my favorite seed catalogs.
Calculate exact seed-starting dates from your first frost date.
- Direct sow seeds of root vegetables like carrots, beets, turnips, and winter radish for a fall harvest. It’s best to start turnips in warm soil for harvest in cool weather.
- Direct-sow snap, shelling, and snow peas for late summer and fall harvests.
- Finish direct sowing sprouting and spring broccoli by mid-month. (Broccoli seedlings don’t like being transplanted in excessively hot weather).
Succession planting is a great way to maximize your vegetable crops in the middle of summer.
- Succession plant green beans, leafy greens, carrots, and green onions as you harvest them.
- Succession sow herbs like chervil, dill, cilantro, and parsley.
- For your fall garden, sow seeds of collards, kale, pole beans, bush beans, and summer squash as earlier crops are harvested, and you have room.
- Succession plant heat-tolerant leafy greens, carrots, radishes, and green onions for fresh garden salads. Look for heat-tolerant varieties of lettuce.
Take the guesswork out of what to do in your garden this month. Get my FREE Smart Gardening Checklist for July.
Learn more about succession planting from the Morning Chores channel :
Vegetable seeds to start indoors in July
Start cool-season seeds indoors to grow as a fall crop. Transplant the seedlings into your garden in a few weeks. Now is a good time to start:
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Kale
- Spinach
Succession plant heat-tolerant leafy greens, carrots, radishes, and green onions for fresh garden salads this summer. Look for heat-tolerant varieties of lettuce.
Flowers to plant in July
- Keep planting of perennials, shrubs, and trees to a minimum, if possible. The hot weather and soil temperature can place a lot of stress on these plants. Even mature plants can suffer from heat stress when they’re transplanted.
- Transplant and divide with care. Provide extra water and shade new transplants with shade cloth until they’ve gotten past their transplant shock.
- Take cuttings of any semi-hardwood spring-flowering shrubs you want to propagate.
- Divide and reset oriental poppies (Papaver orientale) after tops have died down and new sprouts have started.
- Divide and transplant bearded iris. Keep the vigorous ends of the rhizomes and discard the old center portion. Cut the leaves back to about six inches.
- Start seeds for fall-blooming annuals, such as ornamental kale and cabbage. Keep them well-watered during dry spells.
- This is also a great time to plant quick-growing flowers. Some varieties that’ll bloom before the end of the season include Alyssum, Cosmos, and Zinnia.
Related: Snag a FREE yard work to-do list.
Frequently asked questions about planting in July
Can you still plant a garden in July?
July isn’t too late to plant vegetables and herbs. Many can be succession planted and harvested multiple times. Plant fast-maturing warm-season vegetables such as beans, cucumbers, Swiss chard, and summer squash and cool-season crops such as peas, kale, and cabbage to be harvested in the fall.
Is July too late to plant tomatoes?
Probably, but it depends on how long your growing season is. Most tomatoes mature in 70-90 days. Find your first frost date and subtract the days to maturity. This will tell you the last date you can plant tomatoes and expect a harvest. If you want to plant tomatoes, you’ll need to plant transplants, if you can find them at a local nursery.
Is it too late to plant cucumbers in July?
No. Cucumbers prefer warm soil temperatures for germination. You can sow cucumbers up to 6 weeks before your first frost date. And they’re a great crop to succession plant. Time your plantings 21 days apart.
Is July too late to plant flowers?
It’s not too late. But keep all new plantings well-watered, and provide shade for new transplants if possible (provide shade with shade cloth if needed) when temperatures soar into the triple-digits.
Can you plant potatoes in July?
Most gardeners probably shouldn’t plant potatoes after July 15th. But it depends on how long your growing season is. Most potatoes mature in 90-110 days. Find your first frost date and subtract the days to maturity. This will tell you the last date you can plant potatoes and expect a harvest.
Can you plant lettuce in July?
Yes, if you plant summer varieties. Most will resist turning bitter in hot weather. Keep the soil evenly moist until your lettuce seeds germinate and get established. You may also want to use shade cloth to keep your lettuce cooler and help prevent bolting and tip burn.
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More monthly gardening tips:
Your turn: what do you plant in July?
Did I miss any important July planting tasks?
Let me know in a comment below!
Hi, I’m Cheryl Spencer, a Certified Gardener.
Born with a plant addiction that has no known cure, I became a Certified Gardener to help ease the symptoms. Now I write articles and create gardening products that help you save time and money in your garden. I believe you can grow your dream garden and still have time to enjoy it. The good news? Anyone can do it. Start here »