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Start these plants in July for a delicious fall harvest
With sunny days, consistent weather and warmer soil, July can be a great time to sow seeds and plant more starts. By picking the right vegetables and flowers for your climate, you can enjoy a bountiful harvest before fall frosts arrive or even well into winter. Plant quick-growing crops to enjoy within a few weeks, or plan ahead for harvests of your favorite fall and winter veggies. We’ll go over what to plant in July and the gardening tools you need for the job.
In this article: Edward Tools Garden Trowel, Raindrip Automatic Drip Irrigation Watering Kit and Picnic at Ascot Garden Tool Tote
What to plant in July
The best way to determine what to plant in July is to familiarize yourself with your United States Department of Agriculture’s hardiness zone. This number, based on an area’s average extreme minimum temperature, serves as a guide to help gardeners know which plants will thrive in their area. It’ll help you determine when to expect harvests from your home garden. If you’re not sure of your hardiness zone, or if you live in a microclimate that tends to make your garden challenging, ask a local nursery for advice.
What flowers can you plant in July?
Summer is peak bloom time for many flowers, but if you want fall color, July is also a great time to sow flower seeds for fall-blooming varieties.
- You can sow poppies in July for flowers in just a few weeks. They may even self-seed for more flowers next year if you leave them untouched.
- Other hardy annuals such as calendula and cornflower can also be started from seeds in July.
- Echinacea is a flowering perennial and pollinator favorite that can bloom through September if you plant starts now.
- Warmer climates can safely sow seeds for helianthus, or sunflowers, for fall blooming.
- Hollyhocks and delphinium are dramatically tall flowers that can be biennial or perennial depending on your zone. They won’t flower this year, but they’ll be ready to add color to your garden next summer.
- Some varieties of gladiolus, another garden showstopper, can be planted in July for fragrant flowers later in summer and fall.
What vegetables can you plant in July?
As for vegetables to plant in July, there are a variety of options. In cooler climates, you can easily grow multiple pickings of salad greens by sowing vegetable seeds throughout summer. It’s also not too late to start root vegetables from seed, while brassicas such as cabbage and broccoli can be grown from starts for fall and winter harvests. Cooler climates also allow for more herbs in your vegetable garden without the risk of bolting.
Warmer climates can continue to enjoy nightshades such as peppers and tomatoes — while tomatoes are often mistaken for vegetables, they’re actually fruit. Due to the confusion, however, they’re worth mentioning. Other nightshades include squash, sweet corn and lots of varieties of beans. If you have to deal with extreme heat in summer, consider installing shade cloths or planting in containers under trees or covered patios.
Gardeners in the Midwest, the Pacific Northwest and other regions with mild seasons can also take advantage of July weather for a second planting of root veggies such as carrots, turnips and beets. Cool and mild summers also allow for multiple pickings of greens such as arugula and lettuces. Try starting chard, bok choy or cabbage for nutrient-rich additions to your cooking all winter long.
Best flower seeds
NatureZ Edge 85,000 Mix of Annual and Perennial Bulk Flower Seeds
This bulk mix is designed to attract pollinators to your garden. The collection of 85,000 wildflower seeds features 35 annual and perennial varieties. This includes poppies, sunflowers, echinacea and cornflowers. The seeds are non-GMO, meaning they’re natural and haven’t been genetically altered.
Seed Needs 300+ Mammoth Grey Stripe Sunflower Seeds
This non-GMO collection includes over 300 Mammoth Grey Stripe sunflower seeds. They’ll grow big and tall in your garden and attract hummingbirds, bees and butterflies.
Sweet Yards 3,000 Calendula “Pacific Beauty Mix” Wildflower Seeds
This “Pacific Beauty” mix includes a blend of yellow, orange and gold calendula seeds. You get 3,000 seeds in this non-GMO mix.
The Lucky Stars 350+ Hollyhock Flower Seeds
With this non-GMO mix, you can grow a vibrant display of hollyhocks. It contains over 350 seeds including red, pink, yellow, purple, white, and bicolor varieties.
Best vegetable seeds
Open Seed Vault 15,000 Non-GMO Heirloom Vegetable Seeds
This comprehensive mix contains 32 vegetable and fruit varieties, many of which can be grown in July. This includes beans, beets, peppers, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, lettuce, kale, tomatoes, turnips and squash. The non-GMO mix contains 15,000 seeds.
Gardeners Basics 23,000 Salad Greens Heirloom Vegetable Seeds
This non-GMO seed mix lets you grow your own salad greens at home. The collection includes 23,000 seeds for 10 varieties of lettuce.
Burpee Best 10 Non-GMO Planting Tomato Seeds
You can enjoy fresh, juicy tomatoes at home with this non-GMO seed mix. It contains 10 of the most popular varieties of tomatoes.
Gardeners Basics Pepper Seeds for Planting Eight Variety Pack
Whether you enjoy hot peppers for an extra kick or you prefer them sweet, this non-GMO mix offers the best of both worlds. The mix includes jalapeno, habanero, bell, cayenne, Hungarian hot wax, anaheim, serrano and cubanelle pepper varieties.
Best gardening tools
A sturdy trowel such as this one makes it easy to start digging a garden. It’s made from heavy-duty carbon steel and offers a comfortable, ergonomic rubber grip. The blade is engraved with depth markers for easy and consistent planting.
Available in four sizes, these genuine leather work gloves protect hands from scrapes, cuts and punctures. The cowhide and the elastic wristband feel comfortable yet sturdy enough for tough chores.
Raindrip Automatic Drip Irrigation Watering Kit
In many parts of the country, summer often means drought conditions, so help your new plants survive with a drip irrigation system. This one comes with enough tubing and accessories to water up to 20 plants, in-ground or in containers.
Rugged and flexible, this sturdy hose resists kinks and easily coils up. Its anodized aluminum fittings and UV- and mold-resistant outer cover make it impressively long-lasting.
Sit or kneel on this kneeler bench for gardening without the aches and pains. It features thick padding and extra-large, weather-resistant tool pockets.
Picnic at Ascot Garden Tool Tote
This sturdy tote is made from 600-denier polycanvas and features several side pockets for easy access to tools. It also comes with three stainless steel hand tools to get your garden started.
Greenes Fence Premium Cedar Elevated Garden Bed
Untreated cedar is a time-tested material for long-lasting and plant-safe gardening. This traditional raised garden bed offers easier access to plants, and it comes with a fabric liner for mess-free drainage.
Compost is often essential for healthy soil and bountiful crops. This roomy, 43-gallon composter features durable materials and dual chambers that let compost develop on one side while you add fresh organic material to the other.
Fiskars Ergo Scratch Tool Garden Weeder
Help your vegetables obtain the nutrients they need by keeping the garden clear of weeds. This ergonomic hand tool cuts through roots and levers weeds out of the soil.
Worth checking out
- Effortlessly haul bags of soil, tools and more around the yard with the Garden Star Dual-Wheel Garden Cart.
- The heavy-duty, reinforced Briggs and Stratton Garden Hose can withstand any weather conditions.
- For turning and preparing large areas of soil, try the lightweight, fiberglass Truper Tru Pro Spading Fork.
- If you’d rather not risk inclement weather, consider the AeroGarden Harvest Hydroponic Indoor Garden.
Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.
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