Did you get off to a late start on your garden this year? Don’t worry you can still plant in July! This list will focus on what to plant in July for those of you living in zones 3 & 4.
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Remember that this article is specifically for those of you who are living in zones 3 & 4. If you aren’t sure what your garden zone is you can follow this link to find out!
Not in zones 3 or 4? Check out our articles on zones 5 & 6, 7 & 8, or 9 & 10
I also filmed a video on Zones 3 and 4 July planting which you can watch below:
Today’s article will be divided up into each individual zone because things are a little bit different for zones 3 & 4 this month. If you’re in zone 4, feel free to scroll down to find the info for your area!
What to plant in July: Zone 3
If you live in Zone 3 you’re going to want to start turning your attention back to cool season crops. Your focus is going to mostly be on getting crops planted that you can harvest as the weather cools off in a month or two.
Warm Season Crops
Sorry folks, the only warm season crops you still might be able to get away with in July are green beans and cucumbers. The first thing you’ll want to do is check what the first frost date is in your area. If that date is still 60 days away then you should be okay for a small harvest of green beans and cucumbers. Make sure you choose bush varieties and a variety with a shorter maturity.
What to Plant in July: Cool Season Crops
One of the best things you can do in July in your garden is to start planting cool season crops for a fall harvest. Here are some ideas of crops you can get started this month!
Beets
Beets are so good for you! I love adding them to my salads! You can check out my tips for growing beets here: Growing Beets in Your Backyard Garden
Carrots
One of my favorite crops on this list of what to plant in July are carrots. Home-grown carrots taste 100 times better than the kind you get from the grocery store! The variety we grow is so sweet it’s like eating candy!
Turnips
Turnips are another great root crop you can get started this month!
Peas
Did you know that you can plant peas in July for a fall harvest? Yum! I’ve had a lot of success with growing snow peas in the fall. Keep in mind though, that in areas where you have hot summers and short falls, your peas won’t do quite as well in the fall as they do in the spring. You can expect ½ the harvest in the fall from the same number of plants in the spring. If you want to learn more about growing peas in the fall head over to this article: Growing Peas in the Fall
What to Plant in July: Brassica Family
If you live in Zone 3 you can plant anything in the Brassica family. When you’re planting these crops in July they should be planted from transplants. Here are a few ideas of some crops you can try out:
Leafy Greens
You can also plant leafy greens this month in zone 3 for a fall harvest! Any of these greens should be great for harvesting in the fall:
- Lettuce
- Spinach
- Arugula
- Swiss Chard
That’s all for zone 3! July is really your last chance to plant so get after it early!
What to Plant in July: Zone 4
If you live in zone 4 you still have a few more things that you can plant this month because the weather is a bit warmer than zone 3.
What to Plant in July: Warm Season Crops
Remember that you’ll want to figure out what the first frost date is in your area. You can use that date to calculate if you have enough time to plant crops before the weather gets too cold!
If you have 60 to 75 days until your first frost you can still plant the warm season crops on this list.
Cucumbers
Planting cucumbers in July will give you a small fall crop. It’s never a bad idea to try and plant some extra cucumbers!
Beans
You’ll want to focus on bush varieties when planting in July. They typically have a shorter maturity date (normally around 60-70 days) which is perfect for planting this time of year. You’ll probably want to get beans started in early July, depending on what the first frost date is in your area. If you want to learn more about planting beans you can check out my growing guide!
Summer Squash
A July planting of Zucchini, Crookneck, or Patty Pan squash should still give you a decent harvest in the fall. You can expect a smaller harvest in the fall than if you planted early in the year, but you should still be able to get plenty of yummy summer squash.
Short maturity varieties of sweet corn
There are still some varieties of sweet corn that you can get started in July. You’ll want to make sure that you find a shorter maturity variety (look for a variety that matures in 60 days).
What to Plant in July: Cool Season Crops
You can also get started on your fall plantings of cool-season crops in mid-July:
From Transplants:
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Kohlrabi
- Kale
From Seeds:
- Beets
- Carrots
- Turnips
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Spinach
- Swiss Chard
Anything else that I should add to this what to plant in July list? Any crops you’ve had success with? Leave a comment and let me know!
I’m going to try to get some cucumbers in this week. I’m not expecting to get a lot, so I will probably plant 8-10 plants and see what I can get.