July can feel like the garden is already full, but it is actually one of the best months to start a fresh wave of crops. Knowing what to plant in July is the difference between a garden that fades out by late August and one that keeps feeding you right up to frost. In most of the country you still have 90 to 100 growing days ahead of you, which is plenty of time for fast summer vegetables and the first round of fall crops. The trick is matching what you sow to the days you actually have left, and giving those seeds the moisture and shade they need to sprout in the heat.
Key Takeaways
What Can You Still Plant in July?
Quite a lot, as it turns out. In July you can direct-sow fast warm-season crops (bush beans, summer squash, cucumbers, and a final planting of sweet corn in warmer zones) and start the earliest cool-season fall crops (broccoli, cabbage, kale, carrots, beets, and turnips). The single most useful thing you can do before planting anything is look up your average first fall frost date, then subtract the days to maturity printed on the seed packet, plus a two-week cushion for the slower growth that comes with shorter fall days.
That math is what turns a hopeful planting into a harvest. A 55-day bush bean sown on July 6 will comfortably finish by early September almost anywhere. A 70-day broccoli started now will head up in the cooler weeks of fall, when it actually tastes best. If you are not sure of your frost date, the USDA maintains a searchable plant hardiness zone map that is the standard starting point for figuring out your growing window.
What to Plant in July by Zone
Your zone changes the list more than any other factor, so here is what to plant in July broken down by broad regions.
Cold Zones (3 to 5)
Your season is shortest, so lean on fast crops and cold-hardy fall vegetables. Direct-sow bush beans, summer squash, and cucumbers in the first week of July for a late-summer crop. For fall, start radishes, salad turnips, spinach, arugula, leaf lettuce, and quick-maturing carrots. Kale and collards sown now will sweeten after the first light frosts. Skip anything that needs more than about 70 days.
Middle Zones (6 to 7)
You have the most flexibility. Keep succession-sowing beans, cucumbers, and summer squash every two to three weeks for a steady supply. Start broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and kohlrabi for fall, either from seed early in the month or from transplants later. Carrots, beets, and Swiss chard all do well from a July sowing here.
Warm Zones (8 to 10)
Midsummer is genuinely hot for you, so July is often about holding steady and setting up fall. Sow heat-tolerant crops like okra, southern peas, and Malabar spinach now. Toward the end of the month, start seeds indoors or in a shaded spot for tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant that will go out for a big fall harvest once the worst heat breaks.
Fast Summer Crops to Direct-Sow Now
If you want something to eat in August, direct-sow the quick crops. Bush beans (50 to 60 days) are the most reliable, germinating fast in warm soil and producing before you know it. Summer squash and zucchini (45 to 55 days) will give you a whole second plant that sidesteps the squash bugs and powdery mildew that wear out your June plants. Cucumbers sown now often out-produce spring plantings because they hit their stride in the heat. In zones 7 and warmer, a final short-season sweet corn can still make it if you plant in the first days of July.
Because these seeds go into hot, often dry soil, water the row or hill both morning and evening until you see sprouts, then back off to a deep soak every couple of days.
Starting Fall Crops in Midsummer Heat
The hardest part of a July garden is convincing cool-season seeds to sprout when the soil is 85 degrees or warmer. Lettuce and spinach in particular go dormant in heat, a problem gardeners call thermal dormancy. Three tricks help: sow a little deeper than you would in spring so seeds sit in cooler, moister soil; lay a board or piece of burlap over the row to hold moisture until germination, checking daily; and start heat-sensitive crops in flats in a shaded spot, then transplant once they are up. Brassicas like broccoli and cabbage germinate fine in warm soil, so those you can sow directly with just steady water.
Getting good germination also comes down to seed quality, and if you saved your own, how you kept it. Our guide on how to store seeds so they actually germinate is worth a look before you tear open last year’s packets.
Keep the Momentum Going with Succession Planting
The whole point of a July garden is succession: as spring crops finish, something new goes into that space instead of leaving it bare. When you pull spent peas or bolted lettuce, refresh the bed with a scoop of compost and sow the next round the same afternoon. This keeps the soil working and the harvest coming. If you started your summer beds back in early summer, you can think of July as chapter two of the same story we began in our June planting guide.
Plan for a little afternoon shade over the most tender seedlings, keep the moisture steady, and by the time the first cool nights arrive you will have a garden that is just getting its second wind rather than winding down. While you are planting, do not miss when to harvest garlic. For the next window, see what to plant in September.
Frequently Asked Questions About What to Plant in July: A Zone-by-Zone Summer Planting Guide
Is it too late to plant a garden in July?
Not at all. In most regions you still have 90 to 100 frost-free days in July, which is enough for fast crops like bush beans and summer squash and for the first fall crops like broccoli, carrots, and kale. Check your first fall frost date and match crops to the days you have left.
What vegetables can I direct-sow in July?
Bush beans, summer squash, zucchini, cucumbers, carrots, beets, radishes, turnips, kale, and leaf lettuce can all be direct-sown in July in most zones. In warmer areas, add okra and southern peas. Cool-season greens do best if you shade the row and keep it moist until they sprout.
How do I get seeds to germinate in hot summer soil?
Sow slightly deeper than you would in spring, water the row morning and evening, and cover it with a board or burlap to hold moisture until seedlings emerge. For heat-sensitive crops like lettuce and spinach, start seeds in flats in a shaded spot and transplant them once they are up.
When should I start fall crops for a fall harvest?
Count backward from your first fall frost date using each crop’s days to maturity, then add about two weeks because plants grow slower as fall days shorten. In cold zones that usually means starting brassicas and root crops in early to mid July.
