Planting season isn’t over yet! Here’s what you can plant in July for zones 3-8.
The cool temps of spring are long past, and the cool crops of spring have bolted or been eaten weeks ago.
Chances are, you’ve got a few empty spots in your garden right now that’s just begging to be planted up!
Thankfully, no matter which zone you’re in, it’s not too late to plant!
Yes, even you in zone 3 can plant something now and reasonably expect to harvest it before your first frost.
If you don’t know your zone or have no idea what I even mean, here’s a post I wrote explaining more about gardening zones and that’ll help you find your own hardiness zone.
Here’s what you can plant in each zone right now.
Table of Zones
Zone 3 (Avg. First Frost Sept. 8-15)
Zone 3 has about 70-75 days left in their growing season at the beginning of July.
I know that’s not a lot, but the season isn’t over yet!
Focus on growing cool crops that will take your harvest into fall.
- kale
- carrots
- collards
- spinach (sprout seeds indoors if it’s too hot outside)
- broccoli
- beets
- arugula
- cilantro
- bok choi
- cabbage
- mache (corn salad)
- lettuce
- winter radish
- swiss chard
Give plants a boost of compost and liquid fertilizer to get them growing quickly. For more on fall gardening, read the tips in this post.
Or, you could plant cover crops to enrich your soil for next year.
If there are any perennials you’ve had your eye on, be sure to get them in the ground before your first frost. Keep them well-watered throughout the summer and they’ll hit the ground running next spring!
Zone 4 (Avg. First Frost Sept. 21-Sept 30)
Gardeners in Zone 4 have 80 to 90 days left in their growing season.
Focus on growing crops that you can harvest in the cool temps of fall. I’ve got plenty of tips for fall gardening in this post.
If it’s too hot outside, some of these cool-weather crops won’t sprout. Get them started indoors before hardening off and transplanting.
- kale
- carrots
- collards
- spinach
- broccoli
- beets
- arugula
- cilantro
- bok choi
- cabbage
- mache (corn salad)
- lettuce
- winter radish
- swiss chard
You may be able to grow some fast-maturing summer crops, such as bush beans and zucchini. Check the days to maturity for each type and choose the lowest. Ideally you’ll want the crops to reach maturity 21 days before your first frost.
Right now is also a great time to plant cover crops to enrich your soil for next year.
Lastly, if there are any perennials you’ve been wanting to plant, be sure to get them in the ground before your first frost. Keep them well-watered throughout the summer and they’ll hit the ground running next spring!
Zone 5 (Avg. First Frost Oct. 1-15)
Gardeners in Zone 5 have around 90-100 days left in their growing season.
You should be able to plant both fast-maturing summer crops and late season cool-weather crops depending on when you’re reading this.
Do a quick count of how many days you have until your first frost to be sure. If you have less than 80 days, focus on cool-weather crops.
These crops will love maturing in the cool temps of fall.
- kale
- carrots
- collards
- spinach (sow indoors for better germination)
- broccoli
- beets
- arugula
- cilantro
- bok choi
- cabbage
- lettuce
- winter radish
- swiss chard
If you have more than 80 days left of summer, you’ll be able to grow fast-maturing summer crops. Choose plants with the lowest days to maturity and get these in the ground right away.
- bush beans
- summer squash/zucchini
- cucumbers
- okra
- basil
- zinnias
- cosmos
- calendula
- sunflowers (single-stem)
- amaranth
Don’t forget to refresh your soil with compost before planting a second wave of crops.
Zone 6 (Avg. First Frost Oct. 15-30)
Gardeners in Zone 6 have 100-120 days left in their growing season.
You have plenty of time to plant a second wave of summer crops. Don’t forget to refresh your soil before planting new successions.
- bush beans
- summer squash/zucchini
- cucumbers
- okra
- basil
- zinnias
- cosmos
- calendula
- sunflowers (single-stem)
- amaranth
By the end of July, you’ll want to start growing fall crops, especially those that take a little while to get going like broccoli.
- kale
- carrots
- collards
- broccoli
- beets
- cilantro
- cabbage
- lettuce
- winter radish
- swiss chard
For more on fall gardening, read the tips in this post.
Zone 7 (Avg. First Frost Oct. 30-Nov. 15)
Gardeners in Zone 7 have 120-135 days left in their growing season.
You have plenty of time to grow another round of your favorite summer garden plants.
- bush beans
- summer squash/zucchini
- cucumbers
- okra
- basil
- zinnias
- cosmos
- calendula
- sunflowers
- amaranth
- cherry tomatoes (started plants)
- hot peppers (started plants)
By the end of July, you’ll want to start planning your fall garden. Have a look at this post to start prepping for your fall garden.
Zone 8 (Avg. First Frost Nov. 7-Nov. 28)
Gardeners in Zone 8 have 125-150 days left in their growing season. That’s longer than the whole growing season in zone 3!
You have plenty of time to grow another round of your favorite summer garden plants.
Think about what isn’t growing well in your garden right now and what you wish you had more of.
Focus on planting these right now if you can. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
- bush beans
- summer squash/zucchini
- cucumbers
- okra
- corn
- pumpkins
- basil
- zinnias
- cosmos
- calendula
- sunflowers
- amaranth
- tomatoes (started plants)
- peppers (started plants)
- eggplant (started plants)
Before planting a second round, make sure to refresh your soil with good quality compost.
Resist feeling done with the gardening season! It’s easy to get burnt out around this time of the year. For you, gardening is a marathon not a sprint because of how long your growing season is.
Take a look at my 5-minute garden habits post to help you get motivated to garden again.
Finish Strong, Gardeners!
Whether you have 70 days or 150 days left in your season, make every day count. Savor every homegrown tomato, revel in a mess of beans, and enjoy the gifts your garden brings you.
This season only comes once a year, after all!