What to Plant in July: A Monthly Planting Guide

The garden is buzzing with life in July! Even though the summer season is fully underway, I am still planting loads of things in the garden! 

Let’s talk about what to plant in July: the vegetables, flowers, and herbs that will still yield a good harvest by the end of the season, even if you start them from seed. Plus, I’m sharing the crops you can intercrop now for better success when it gets hot and humid. 

Setting the Stage for Success

We all know that seeds are critical to gardening success. Good-quality seeds have higher germination rates and produce stronger seedlings.

But sourcing high-quality seeds from a reputable seller is just as critical. No matter what time of year you are planting, the MIgardener team is always committed to providing heirloom seeds that are both productive and beautiful. That's how we set the stage for your gardening success!

What to Plant in July

It is just too hot for most of the fast-maturing cold weather crops, such as spinach, lettuce, and radishes, and there isn’t enough time left in the growing season for a long-maturing crop like peppers. So, what can we plant in July?

The seeds I am starting in early July are intermediate crops that only need about 45 days to mature, up to 60 days at most. Pro-Tip: If you are planting in hot July weather, then What to Plant in August is a must-read! In it, you’ll learn my essential tips for direct sowing seeds in hot weather!

These are the seeds I am starting in the garden now:

• Kale - Two varieties of kale specifically work for summer planting: Bare Necessities Kale and Red Russian Kale. They can handle some pretty hot weather and continue growing through fall and even into early winter.

• Beets - I am planting the Detroit Dark Red Beet and Formanova Beet. Formanova is a fantastic beet, great for pickling, and a little smaller than other beets, so you can grow more of them in a smaller area.

• Cucumbers - My two favorite varieties of slicing cucumbers are the Poinsett 76 Cucumber and the Tendergreen Cucumber. They mature quickly and produce well.

• Bunching Onions - There is always time to plant some bunching onions! Unlike bulbing onions, they can be sown almost any time: spring, summer, and fall.

• Kohlrabi - If you’ve never grown kohlrabi, you should definitely try it! This Brassica is very heat-tolerant and will grow in almost any weather condition.

• Okra - I am planting some okra in my in-ground garden because it likes the hot weather! It does take about 55-60 days to mature, but that should be enough time before the first frost happens in my area.

• Bush Beans - The Top-Notch Yellow Bush Bean and Gold Rush Wax Bean are super easy to grow and fast-maturing.

• Sweet Corn - Like most crops, succession planting can be used for corn! You can still plant sweet corn well into July, even where I live in Michigan, to allow for a fall harvest. Ambrosia Sweet Corn matures in 75 days, so get it in the ground now if you have enough days left in your growing season.

• Turnips - I absolutely have fallen in love with turnips! They aren’t a crop that a lot of people like to grow, and I don’t know why. MIgardener has some fantastic varieties like the Shogoin Turnip, Purple Top White Globe Turnip, and Golden Ball Turnip.

• Carrots - A lot of the time, people don’t think about root crops, and they are omitted from summer gardens. You may be surprised to learn that I am planting carrots in July!

Planting Carrots in July

If you’ve never grown carrots in the summertime, they can be a bit more challenging because they have germination issues when the soil gets too dry or too hot. Watch the video above to learn the simple tricks for getting carrots to germinate in July!

Here are the varieties of carrots I am planting now for a fall harvest:

• Oxheart Carrot - This stout culinary favorite is the best variety for heavy soil types, small space gardens, and long-term storage.

• Tendersweet Carrot - You can't pass on one of the sweetest carrots out there! It is the perfect carrot for canning, juicing, cooking, or baking.

• Rainbow Mix Carrot - This colorful mixture of five varieties of carrots, including Atomic Red, Bambino Orange, Cosmic Purple, Lunar White, and Solar Yellow, creates perfect bunches of carrots.

Pro-Tip: Germination rates will not be in your favor when planting carrots in July, even if you use the best seeds possible! Compensate by planting about 15% more carrot seeds than you would in the spring or fall.

Some of you asked about the tool I used in the video. It is an extended-reach hoe and cultivator made by Corona. They are not a sponsor, but I just wanted to share it with you because it helps me garden without much bending over.

Intercropping With Herbs in the Summer Garden

I am a big advocate of intercropping because it is so beneficial to the garden. The following list of herbs will be planted around my other garden crops for natural pest prevention:

• Basil - I am starting four different kinds of basil now, in addition to the basil that I planted in the spring: Cinnamon Basil, Blue Spice Basil, Thai Basil, and Licorice Basil. At the end of the season, I will harvest these and make a four basil herb blend.

• Dill - Dukat Dill and Mammoth Long Island Dill grow more foliage than any other dill. I plan to use them in our pickles this year.

• Cilantro - You’ve probably heard me say that cilantro doesn’t like growing in the heat, which is correct! I recommend planting it in early spring. I am planting Leisure Splits Cilantro now as a test to see if it will grow well when intercropped with taller crops (like okra and tomatoes) that will protect it from the hot sun.

Planting a Fall Crop of Tomatoes

Tomatoes are one of my favorite crops to grow in the fall garden! We started some tomatoes from seed about four weeks ago and are now transplanting them in July.

After a long growing season, tomato plants get tired and sometimes become diseased. Come August and September, I don’t want tired, stressed tomatoes; instead, I want plants that look incredible and yield an abundant fall harvest.

I already have tons of tomatoes growing in containers, raised beds, and on Florida weave trellises, but every year I plant determinate, fast-maturing tomato plant varieties (like the Ace 55 tomato and the Roma tomato) in July. These will grow, produce, and thrive far later in the year than the tomatoes I planted in spring.

Essential July Gardening Tasks

Remember to water! As the weather gets hot, you need to water consistently to keep your garden growing, and the right watering techniques can help prevent other issues.

Summer can get too hot even for some plants that love the sun, like tomatoes. This could cause your tomato plant flowers to start dropping. In extreme heat, consider protecting your plants. Shade cloth is a great tool for protecting plants from the sun's intensity and keeping them producing, even in the heat.

Pro-Tip: Pay attention to shade cloth strengths! In the south, you could most likely grow under a permanent 50% shade cloth with great success. In the north, you could grow under a 30% shade cloth, but no stronger. I don't recommend using 70% shade cloth permanently anywhere, or your plants will suffer from a lack of sunlight, but you could use 70% for a couple of days in an emergency heat wave.

If you don't already, start keeping a garden journal! That way, you can write down what you do in the garden, whether you liked it or not, and what results you got. Remember, a garden is temporary. From season to season, if you make a mistake, just write it down in your journal so you can learn from it and correct it next season.

I love to hear about your victories, both big and small. Please share them in the comments box below!