The 5 Seeds to Plant Now for Late Summer Harvest
Just because it’s already summer doesn’t mean you can’t start planning for your fall and winter diet. These five delicious vegetables are ready to be sowed in July for a late summer harvest. So get your home gardening game face on and start sowing!
Sow These 5 Vegetable Seeds in July
1. Brussels Sprouts
Brassica oleracea family crops, such as cabbages, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts, should be planted in early spring, or mid- to late-summer for fall maturation. Brussels sprouts must fully mature in cool and lightly frosty weather. If they mature in hot or dry weather, they will turn out flimsy and bitter.
To start, sow seeds ½-inch deep. When seedlings are five to seven inches tall, space or thin them to about two feet apart. For transplants, place them deeper than they grew originally, with the lowest leaves just above the soil. Firm the ground around the plants, and water well.
2. Leaf Vegetables
Go hog-wild with sowing tough-leaf vegetables for autumn maturation! These include kale, Swiss chard, and Asian greens such as mizuna, mibuna, chop suey greens, Chinese broccoli, and mustard greens.
In the case of kale, seeds will mature in 55 to 75 days, while transplants will be ready for harvest in about 30 to 40 days. Plant in partial shade and grow them near beets, chard, and potatoes, but not next to beans, strawberries, or tomatoes. Water them well and dress the soil with compost every six to eight weeks.
3. Fennel
July is the best time to sow seeds of fennel for harvesting just before the first big frost. Herb fennel should be harvested as it is needed, cutting away some of the feathery foliage a bit at a time.
Soak fennel seeds a few days before sowing to allow germination. Once the seeds sprout, plant them 12 to 18 inches apart. It will take the plants about 90 days to flower. Choose a sunny location in the back of a well-drained bed. Foliage may grow to six feet tall.
4. Peas
July is the last opportunity to grow peas, as doing so will allow the pods to develop before frosts begin. When planting in July, choose a spot that is partly shaded to protect the peas from the heat of the sun. Sow pea seeds in moist, fertile, and well-drained soil.
5. Beetroot
It’s time to sow seeds of beetroot as well as those of carrots and turnips. The best beetroot grows in loose, fertile soil with plenty of well-rotted organic matter added. It is important to harvest the beetroots in the fall before the first freeze. Beetroot will grow one foot apart in well-drained garden soil.
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