Wondering what to plant in July in your vegetable garden? You still have options, even if summer is already in full swing.
July can be a great time to plant fast-growing vegetables, start fall garden crops, and fill in empty spaces where spring crops have already been harvested. What you can plant depends on your growing zone, your summer heat, and your average first frost date.
In cooler zones, July planting is often focused on quick crops and fall vegetables. In warmer zones, July is usually better for heat-loving crops like okra, peppers, eggplant, southern peas, sweet potatoes, and squash.
Below you’ll find a zone-by-zone list of vegetables and herbs you can plant in July, along with a few helpful tips for choosing seeds, transplants, and supplies that make summer planting easier.
A quick note before planting: Your USDA growing zone is a helpful starting point, but it does not tell the whole story. Growing zones are based on average winter low temperatures, not summer heat, rainfall, or exact frost dates. Before planting in July, check your seed packet for “days to maturity” and compare that with your average first frost date.
WHAT TO PLANT IN July ZONE 1
Zone 1 gardeners have a very short growing season, so July planting is all about fast-growing crops, cool-season vegetables, and getting a jump start on fall harvests. Before planting, check your average first frost date and choose quick-maturing varieties whenever possible.
In many Zone 1 gardens, July is a better time to plant leafy greens, radishes, and hardy fall crops than long-season summer vegetables. Some crops may do better from transplants instead of seed, especially cabbage, Chinese cabbage, kale, and kohlrabi.
Zone 1 July Planting List
Best choices to direct sow in July:
- Radishes – How to Grow Radishes in Your Backyard
- Leaf lettuce – How to Grow Lettuce in You Back Yard
- Peas, choose fast-maturing varieties
- Endive
- Rutabagas, if you have enough time before frost
Better from transplants or very early July seedings:
- Cabbage – How to Grow Cabbage
- Chinese cabbage
- Kale – How to Grow Kale at Home
- Kohlrabi
- Head lettuce
For Zone 1 gardens, season extenders can be especially helpful. A lightweight row cover, garden hoops, or seed starting trays can help protect young plants and give cool season crops a better start.
What to Plant in July in Zone 2
Zone 2 still has a short growing season, but July can be a good time to plant quick crops, leafy greens, and cool-season vegetables for a late summer or fall harvest.
The key is to pay close attention to your first frost date and the number of days to maturity on each seed packet. Fast crops like radishes, leaf lettuce, chard, carrots, and some snap beans may be direct-sown, while slower crops like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and celery usually do better from transplants.
Best choices to direct sow in July
- Snap beans, choose a fast-maturing bush variety
- Carrots, best planted by mid-July – How to Grow Carrots in Your Backyard
- Chard
- Endive
- Kale – How to Grow Kale at Home
- Kohlrabi
- Leaf lettuce – How to Grow Lettuce in You Back Yard
- Radishes – How to Grow Radishes in Your Backyard
- Rutabagas
Better from transplants in July
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Head lettuce
What to Plant in July in Zones 3 & 4
In Zones 3 and 4, July is a good time to plant fast-growing vegetables and cool-season crops for a late summer or fall harvest. Since frost can arrive earlier in these zones, choose quick-maturing varieties and plant earlier in the month when possible.
Some crops, like beans, beets, kale, lettuce, and radishes, can usually be direct-sown in July. Slower crops or heading crops may need to be planted early in the month or started from transplants.
Best choices to direct sow in July
- Snap beans, especially fast-maturing bush beans
- Beets – Growing Beets in Your Backyard
- Kale – How to Grow Kale at Home
- Kohlrabi
- Leaf lettuce
- Radishes – How to Grow Radishes in Your Backyard
- Spinach – How to Grow Spinach in Your Backyard
- Turnips – How to Grow Turnips Everything You Need to Know
Plant early in July or use transplants
- Chinese cabbage, best before mid-July
- Head lettuce – – How to Grow Lettuce in You Back Yard
In Zones 3 and 4, a fall vegetable seed collection, garden row cover, and reusable plant markers can be helpful for succession planting and keeping track of what was planted where.
What to Plant in July in Zones 5 & 6
In Zones 5 and 6, July is a transition month in the vegetable garden. You may still be able to plant a few fast-growing warm-season crops early in the month, but this is also the time to start thinking about your fall garden.
Beans, beets, carrots, radishes, lettuce, kale, chard, and other cool-season crops are often good choices for July planting. Warm-season crops like sweet corn and cucumbers are more time-sensitive and should be planted early in the month with quick-maturing varieties.
Best choices to direct sow in July
- Beans, especially bush beans
- Beets – Growing Beets in Your Backyard
- Carrots – How to Grow Carrots in Your Backyard
- Chard
- Kale – How to Grow Kale at Home
- Leaf lettuce – How to Grow Lettuce in You Back Yard
- Mustard greens
- Radishes – How to Grow Radishes in Your Backyard
- Rutabagas
- Spinach, later in the month or when weather begins to cool – How to Grow Spinach in Your Backyard
- Turnips – How to Grow Turnips Everything You Need to Know
Plant early in July, with quick-maturing varieties
- Sweet corn – Everything You Need to Know About Growing Corn in Your Backyard
- Cucumbers – How to Grow Cucumbers in Your Backyard
- Summer squash
Better from transplants in July
- Brussels sprouts, later in the month
- Broccoli
- Cabbage – How to Grow Cabbage
- Cauliflower
For Zones 5 and 6, a fall vegetable seed collection, soaker hose, mulch, and row cover can be especially helpful. July seedlings need steady moisture during hot weather, and row cover can help protect fall crops as cooler nights return.
What to Plant in July in Zone 7
In Zone 7, July is a bridge between summer planting and fall gardening. You may still have time for a few fast-growing warm-season crops, especially early in the month, but you can also begin planting cool-season vegetables for a fall harvest.
Because summer heat can be hard on young seedlings, keep the soil evenly moist and give tender crops a little afternoon protection if needed.
Best choices to direct sow in July
- Beans, especially bush beans
- Cucumbers, early July is best – How to Grow Cucumbers in Your Backyard
- Summer squash
- Southern peas
- Beets – Growing Beets in Your Backyard
- Carrots – How to Grow Carrots in Your Backyard
- Kale – How to Grow Kale at Home
- Mustard greens
- Radishes – How to Grow Radishes in Your Backyard
- Turnips
Plant early in July with quick-maturing varieties
- Sweet corn – Everything You Need to Know About Growing Corn in Your Backyard
- Pumpkins – Growing Pumpkins at Home
- Okra – How to Grow Okra in Your Backyard
Better from transplants in July
- Brussels sprouts
- Eggplant
- Peppers
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
What to Plant in July in Zone 8
Zone 8 gardeners usually have a longer growing season, but July heat can be intense. Focus on heat-loving vegetables, quick warm-season crops, and fall garden planning.
In many Zone 8 gardens, July is still a good time for crops like beans, okra, cucumbers, squash, southern peas, and pumpkins. Cool-season crops may do better later in the month or once temperatures begin to ease.
Best choices to direct sow in July
- Beans
- Cucumbers
- Okra – How to Grow Okra in Your Backyard
- Pumpkins – Growing Pumpkins at Home
- Southern peas
- Summer squash
- Sweet corn, choose quick-maturing varieties – – Everything You Need to Know About Growing Corn in Your Backyard
Better from transplants in July
- Eggplant – How to Grow Eggplant in Your Backyard
- Peppers – How to Grow Bell Peppers in Your Backyard
- Brussels sprouts, for fall harvest
- Tomatoes, only if using healthy transplants and you have enough season left – Growing Tomatoes At Home
Fall crops to start later in July or when temperatures begin cooling
- Beets – – Growing Beets in Your Backyard
- Carrots
- Kale
- Lettuce, with shade or later in the season
- Mustard greens
- Radishes
- Turnips
For warmer July gardens, shade cloth, a soaker hose, drip irrigation, and garden insect netting can make a big difference. Young seedlings dry out quickly in summer heat, and pests can be rough on tender fall crops.
What to Plant in July in Zones 9 & 10
If you garden in Zones 9 or 10, you already know July can be a tough month to plant. The heat can be hard on seeds, transplants, and gardeners too.
But don’t despair. There are still a few heat-loving crops that can handle July planting, especially if you provide steady water, mulch, and a little afternoon shade when needed.
In these hot zones, July is usually not the best time for cool-season crops like lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, or spinach. Focus on heat-loving vegetables now, then save many of your fall garden crops for later in summer or early fall.
Best heat-loving crops to plant in July
- Okra – How to Grow Okra in Your Backyard
- Southern peas, also called cowpeas or black-eyed peas
- Sweet potatoes, early July is best – Grow Sweet Potatoes How to Have Your Best Harvest Ever
- Malabar spinach
- Armenian cucumbers
- Yardlong beans or heat-tolerant pole beans
- Basil – Growing Basil Everything You Need To Know
- Roselle, if it grows well in your area
Better from transplants in July
- Eggplant – How to Grow Eggplant in Your Backyard
- Peppers – How to Grow Bell Peppers in Your Backyard
- Cherry tomatoes, only if using healthy transplants and providing shade
- Watermelon, transplants usually give better results – How to Grow Watermelon at Home
Possible, but only with the right conditions
- Summer squash, if you can protect young plants from heat and pests
- Cucumbers, choose heat-tolerant varieties and keep evenly watered
- Melons, if your season is long enough and plants are protected from stress
July planting in Zones 9 and 10 is much easier when you protect young plants from extreme heat. A shade cloth, soaker hose, drip irrigation kit, garden mulch, or soil moisture meter can help keep seedlings from drying out before they get established.
If your knees are dusty, your shirt is sweaty, and your seedlings are still standing by evening, I’d call that a July gardening win.
What to Plant in July
July may not feel like the easiest month to plant a garden, but there is still plenty you can grow. Whether you are filling empty spaces from your spring garden, starting a few quick crops for late summer, or planning ahead for a fall harvest, July can still be a productive month in the vegetable garden.
The key is to work with your climate, not against it. Check your growing zone, look at your average first frost date, choose quick-maturing varieties when needed, and give young plants a little extra care during hot or dry weather.
And remember, gardening is never perfect. Some seeds will take off, some plants may struggle, and some things may need to be tried again another season. That is all part of learning your garden and figuring out what grows best where you live.
If you are planting in July, I hope this list gives you a good place to start and a little encouragement to keep growing.
This post was originally written in 2017, but I have updated it for accuracy and new gardening tips.
