Which Vegetables to Plant In July

Are you wondering which vegetables to plant in July? If you missed the boat on starting a spring garden, is it too late to even consider trying to grow your own food?

Here’s some good news. It’s definitely not too late to start a garden, and there are plenty of vegetables you can plant in July and still make a great fall harvest!

Starting a garden, even later in the summer, is one of the best ways to become more self-reliant. If you take the extra step to preserve your harvest, a home garden can be an inexpensive way to build to your long-term food pantry and save money on groceries.

So, ready to get your hands in the dirt? Read on to learn how to identify your planting zone, and which vegetables are best to plant in July where you live.

Know Your Planting Zone and First Frost Dates

Before you head out to buy seeds, you need to know what planting zone you’re in. Knowing your zone can make the difference between success and failure when it comes to your garden.

The USDA Hardiness Zone map divides the United States into 13 distinct planting zones. These zones are based on the average minimum winter temperature.

Hardiness zones help you better understand which plants will thrive in your area. This is especially important when you’re planting perennials. For example, perennial herbs like rosemary, lavender, sage, and thyme will return each year in many warmer regions. However, these herbs often don’t survive the harsh winters of northern regions.

How to Find Your Planting Zone

To find your zone, locate your state on the USDA Hardiness Map below and note the color where you live. Then, click the right arrow, locate that color on the legend, and you’ll see your planting zone.

Hardiness zone map courtesy USDA.

How to Find Your Frost Dates

When planting annuals, it’s also essential to know your first fall frost date. When you know your first frost date, you can calculate how much growing season you have left and only plant crops that will mature before cold weather sets in.

For example, I live in zone 7, and our first frost date here is October 20. If I start planting on July 1, this means that I have around 110 days until my first frost. So, I want to choose plants that will mature in 110 days or less.

You can find the frost dates for your area at The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Vegetables to Plant In July

Kale is a great crop to plant in July — Tuscan kale in our garden.

Vegetables to Plant In July: Zones 2 and 3

Zones 2 and 3 have a short growing season, and your first frost date is fast approaching! However, there are still plenty of vegetables to plant in July that will mature before winter sets in for good. Just make sure you choose fast-maturing plant varieties.

Beets
Broccoli
Bush beans
Cabbage
Carrots
Cilantro
Endive
Kale
Kohlrabi
Parsley
Peas (zone 3)
Radishes
Rutabaga
Spinach
Summer squash
Swiss chard
Turnips

Vegetables to Plant in July: Zones 4 and 5

Zones 4 and 5 have a slightly longer growing season. However, the first frost date for some of these regions is October 1, so it’s time to hustle! Thankfully, there are plenty of delicious and healthy crops you can get in the ground and harvest before the leaves start to turn.

Arugula
Beets
Broccoli
Basil
Bush beans
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Cilantro
Kale
Leeks
Lettuce
Parsley
Peas
Radish
Rutabaga
Spinach
Swiss Chard
Turnips

Vegetables to Plant in July: Zones 6 and 7

Zones 6 and 7 typically see their first frost in mid to late October, so if you’re in these zones you might still have time to plant some warm-weather crops like squash. However, make sure you do the math! If you’re in zone 6 and it’s mid-July, you might be better off using your garden space to plant cool weather crops.

Arugula
Beets
Brussels sprouts
Broccoli
Bush beans
Carrots
Cilantro
Dill
Garlic
Kale
Lettuce
Leeks
Onions (for green onion tops, not bulbs)
Parsley
Peas
Potatoes (quick maturing varieties)
Radish
Rutabaga
Spinach
Turnips

Vegetables to Plant in July: Zones 8-10

If you live in zones 8 through 10, you have even more options as your first frost dates don’t come until mid to late November through December. This gives you almost another full growing season if you get plants or seeds in the ground by early or mid-July.

You’ll want to focus more on planting warm-weather crops, since your weather is likely still too warm for cool-weather crops like kale, spinach, or root vegetables. However, you can start your cool-weather crops indoors in late July and transplant once the temperatures cool down a bit.

Brussels sprouts
Cabbage (start indoors)
Cilantro
Corn
Cucumbers
Dill
Eggplant
Okra (zones 9 and 10)
Onion
Peas
Peppers
Squash
Swiss chard
Tomatoes

Zones 11-13

The only parts of the United States in these zones are Hawaii and Puerto Rico. And if you’re one of the lucky devils who live here, you can enjoy year-round gardening because frost dates just don’t exist. When looking into which vegetables to plant in July, focus on heat-loving plants and avoid cool-weather crops.

Bananas
Bell peppers
Cantaloupe
Corn
Cucumber
Figs
Limes
Mango
Papaya
Pineapple
Squash
Sweet potato
Tomatoes

Last Word

There are still plenty of vegetables to plant in July, no matter where you live. So, even if you weren’t able to start a spring garden, there is still time left to start growing your own food! Again, learning how to grow a garden is one of the very best things you can do to be more self-reliant and independent, and increase your family’s food security.

Here in Tennessee we’re in zone 7, which means I’m about to give my garden a fresh start and plant new crops of kale, radish, and beets. I’m harvesting our potatoes this week, and I’ll use those deep