Nicole's Quick Take: What you can plant in July depends entirely on your climate — hot climate gardeners should focus on heat-lovers like Armenian cucumbers and yard long beans, mild climate gardeners can start fall crops like kale and Napa cabbage, and cool climate gardeners still have time to get a full harvest of beans, cucumbers, and zucchini.

By Nicole Johnsey Burke: Founder of Gardenary and Author of Kitchen Garden Revival

Here's What to Plant in July in the Garden

July is the month most gardeners assume they've missed their window. You haven't.

I've gardened through July in Houston heat, Chicago summers, and now Nashville — and what I've learned is that July gardening is less about the calendar and more about your climate.

Hot, mild, or cool, there are plants that will thrive in your garden right now. Here's exactly what to plant this month, wherever you are.

Herbs

The best herb to plant this month is basil, which tolerates the heat. You can grow all types of basil, including Thai basil and purple basil, which push through triple-digit temps a bit better than sweet basil. I love to throw some basil leaves into my summer salads.

If you'd like to grow perennial herbs (lavender, oregano, sage, thyme, mint, lemon balm, and rosemary) in your garden, hold off on planting them until the weather cools down a bit. If you plant them in the fall, they should still have time to get established before the winter.

Leafy Greens

I know you probably don't think you can grow greens in the summer, but trust me, you can. Mizuna is one of them. This heat-tolerant brassica (related to mustard greens and arugula) will do best if grown under the shade of taller plants. Mizuna has a bit of the peppery flavor of arugula, and it looks beautiful in the garden.

You can also sow seeds for arugula and mustard greens this month. Keep in mind you'll get the best flavor if you replant these greens every 45 days or so.

Roots

If you haven't already planted potatoes (tubers), wait for temps to drop a bit. Potatoes actually make a great fall crop in warmer climates. You could still do sweet potatoes, which are grown from slips and love the summer heat. Sweet potatoes are a wise choice if you have upcoming summer travel plans.

Fruit

You can still plant cucumbers in the month of July, as long as you grow the right type. Armenian cucumbers, also called yard long cucumbers, can handle hot temps. If you try to grow pickling cucumbers or English cucumbers, your plants are going to struggle in this heat. Armenian cucumbers are technically melons but taste just like cukes. Sow the seeds now, and you'll have fruit to pick in about 65 days. I know, too good to be true, right?

Another plant you may not have grown before is the yard long bean, aka asparagus bean. These handle heat much better than regular bush or pole beans. And they can really grow a yard long. Seriously, bring out your yardstick and prepare to be shocked! I had so much fun growing these up a teepee-type trellis with my kids over hot Houston summers. I'd chop the beans up into smaller pieces and make a yummy stir fry. If you don't have trellis space, consider cowpeas instead.

You can plant tomatoes this month, but it'll need to be indoors. If you start seeds now, you'll have plants to move out to the garden in August. You may have learned the hard way (like I did) that you can't really grow tomatoes in the middle of summer in a hot climate. But on the bright side, you get to grow tomatoes twice: once in the spring and again in the fall. If you don't want to start tomato seeds indoors, plan on buying some tomato starts from your local nursery next month.

Flowers

There are so many flowers that don't mind high temperatures, and cosmos are one of them. Sow seeds in your garden now, keep them watered for the first two weeks, and then these things will basically take care of themselves. They can keep growing even when it's hot and dry, and the bees and butterflies love them.

You can also plant zinnias, marigolds, strawflowers, and coreopsis at the same time.

Herbs

You can plant basil and any perennial herbs (chives, oregano, sage, thyme, mint, lemon balm, rosemary, and lavender) you want to add to your vegetable garden. I recommend buying these herbs as healthy plants from your local nursery. That way, you can take your first harvests ASAP.

Leafy Greens

If your temps are mostly going to be around 84°F (29.4°C), you can grow romaine lettuce and red leaf lettuce, which tend to tolerate warm weather better than other lettuce varieties. Other great summer greens include arugula, mizuna, and mustard greens.

For delicious fall greens, start now. Start kale seeds indoors or direct sow them under the shade of taller plants in the garden. Your plants will really take off as soon as fall weather arrives. Another great green to start now is Napa cabbage. You can cut the outer leaves while it's growing for salads. Once you have a whole head, it's stir fry and fried rice time. If you start seeds indoors now, you'll have seedlings to move out once it's cooler.

Other greens to consider starting indoors include Swiss chard and collard greens.

Roots

You can plant potatoes (tubers) this month, though I recommend sticking with early varieties so you'll get your harvest sooner. Order seed potatoes online or buy organic potatoes from your farmers' market, and chit them so they're ready to plant ASAP.

Fruit

Summer squash and zucchini are ready to harvest in about 60 days, so July is the perfect time to plant them to get a second flush of summer fruit. I like to plant squash right along the edge of my raised bed. You can either train it over the side or tie it to a small trellis so it doesn't take up too much space.

My personal rule is no bare soil in the garden over the summer months, and bush beans help me maintain that rule. If you've got empty space in your garden (I know you have some!), plant some bush beans right now. These plants take up so little space, but in about 60 days, you'll be harvesting bushels of beans that taste so much better than the ones at the grocery store. And they're so good for you.

Flowers

Marigolds pop up and bloom in just 50 to 60 days, so if you plant them now, you'll have the most gorgeous flowers all fall long. When I moved to Nashville, I didn't get my garden started till the weekend of July 4th. I sprinkled marigold seeds leftover from the year before, and I had beautiful blooms in fall colors for months. Plant marigold seeds now, and you'll thank me in October.

Marigolds are known to deter certain pests and attract beneficial insects — plant them alongside tomatoes, beans, and squash for a healthier garden. Grow these flowers alongside your tomatoes, beans, and summer squash for a healthy and productive garden.

You can also plant zinnias, cosmos, salvia, and more. 

Herbs

You can plant perennial herbs (chives, oregano, sage, thyme, mint, lemon balm, rosemary, and lavender) this month. I recommend buying these herbs as healthy plants from your local nursery so you can begin harvesting immediately. Once they're established, take double harvests: half to enjoy now and half to dry for winter.

Leafy Greens

Arugula is a great green for this month. It can handle hotter temps if you're experiencing a heat wave, especially if you grow it underneath some taller plants or give it shade. You'll have greens for late July, August, and September, all the way into the fall.

Fruit

As you pull radishes and lettuce from your garden, stick in some soaked bush bean seeds. Plant beans anywhere you have empty spots in your garden, and you'll have a ton of beans in about 60 to 65 days.

If you have trellis space, plant some cucumbers. You can grow pickling or slicing cucumbers, which only need about 60 days to give you a delicious harvest.

Squash and zucchini are also great options. Plant these on the edge of your raised beds or in an in-ground garden space. These plants grow really fast, so you'll have a harvest in 60 to 70 days. You know how they say, "Teach a woman to garden and you feed the whole neighborhood zucchini"? Yeah, you're gonna be that girl if you sow seeds at the beginning of July.

Flowers

If you plant zinnias by seed now, you'll still get a gorgeous flower harvest before fall. Bees and butterflies love zinnias, and it's a great cut flower to get started with. They're great to put on the outside of your raised-bed garden for beauty and pest control. You could also plant some marigolds.

What Are the Best Flowers to Plant in July?

You can plant zinnias, calendula, strawflowers, nasturtiums, and marigolds over the summer.

If you're in a hotter climate, cosmos, petunias, and begonias planted now will continue to thrive through your hot season.

Find Resources for Your July Garden

No matter what you plant, give your seeds and seedlings a really good watering, then keep them moist in the first 7 to 10 days after sowing to prevent them from drying out.

Here are some resources to help you grow a productive and beautiful garden this summer:

• Learn how to plant your garden the Gardenary way to keep your soil covered in high temps.
• Grab our garden planners to help you make the most of every season in the garden.
• Get started setting up your garden with my book, Kitchen Garden Revival.

Here's to a wonderful summer in the garden!

July Planting FAQ

Can I start a vegetable garden in July?

Yes — July is not too late to start a garden, but the key is matching your plants to your climate. Hot climate gardeners should focus on heat-tolerant crops like Armenian cucumbers and yard-long beans. Mild and cool climate gardeners still have a full growing season ahead and can plant fast-maturing crops that will be ready to harvest well before frost.

What can I plant in July for a fall garden?

Mild climate gardeners should start kale, Napa cabbage, Swiss chard, and collard greens in July — either indoors or under the shade of taller plants — so seedlings are ready to transplant when temperatures drop in early fall.

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