America’s Gardener

Learn what to plant in July with Homesteaders of America Vegetable Garden Growing Guides!

It is HOT outside! As we are battling weeds & bugs in the garden and, hopefully, bringing in the harvest it’s hard to even think about fall. But, as hard as it may be to believe, it’s time to start thinking about your fall garden! Even if you won’t be planting one for another month or so, be sure to have your fall garden seeds on ordered now. Fall gardens look very different for everyone, depending on where you live in the country. In the south it looks more like a summer garden for most of us, while in the north it is very heavy on the greens.

What to Plant in July: Vegetable Garden Growing Guide

How to Use the Growing Guides

In the Growing Guides, you will learn what to plant each month according to when your last frost date. 

• Look up your last frost date by zip code if you don’t know it already.
• Choose the Growing Guide for this month
• Find which month your last frost date is in
• Follow the seed starting suggestions on the graphic
• If you’d like more specific information, consider getting our Seed Starting Calculator!

The Growing Guides will be targeted for the continental United States, which also includes some of the warmer areas of our country such as southern extremes Texas and Florida. Their growing season is vastly different from folks living in the northernmost states.

Be sure to follow us on social media, read our newsletter, or check back on the blog for updates throughout the year! 

Last Frost Date in January

Since your daytime temperatures will begin moderating in about 3 months, you can keep starting many types of seeds indoors that you will transplant into the garden this fall.

Last Frost Date in February

Believe it or not, it’s time to start thinking about your fall garden! Though your fall garden is going to look a lot different than someone who is growing in a region where their last frost date is in April or May. Your fall garden is more like a second shot at a summer garden. Lucky you!

Last Frost Date in March

Things are heating up! There are a still some heat-loving plants you can start growing in your garden!

Last Frost Date in April

Late start getting your garden in? It happens to the even the best gardeners. Don’t despair! There are still many plants you can still get into your garden before it’s too late. Just be sure to check the days to maturity. You may not have time for longer growing varieties before your first frost hits.

Last Frost Date in May

What to get the most yield from your vegetable garden? Get another succession of cool season crops such as radishes or heat-tolerant lettuce going! If you have the space consider succession planting other quick crops such as beans and summer squash.

As you start bringing in the harvest have your cover crop seeds ready to scatter if you won’t be succession planting. Bare soil easily erodes, losing organic matter and nutrients. The roots of your cover crops will hold soil in place, increase the organic matter, nutrients, and soil life in your garden.

If you will be planting again in a couple months grow a quick cover crop that will appreciate the cooler spring weather. If the space will be left unplanted consider a cover crop that will stand up to your summer heat.

Last Frost Date in June

While most of your garden is in and the growing season is well underway, you can maximize your growing efforts through succession planting! Early crops or quick growing ones will be ready to go into the ground again so you can make good use of your garden space and harvest even more.

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