What kinds of things can you plant in July and August? We want to plant some basil, is it too late in the year? I understand that you probably can't plant beans and squash and tomatos (can you?), but what can you plant in July and August, and when should you plant it?
Depends on where you live and if you start from seeds I guess. Peppers, for instance, take 80-90 days or so from seed. Do you have that long till first frost?
Carl
It's mid July, and average first frost is the end of September or first week of August. So we have about 10-12 weeks left. Not enough time for peppers, probably not enough time for tomatoes. I'm thinking of trying Okra one last time, maybe a few more squash, and then just plant winter stuff in the middle of August. Does this sound reasonable?
Around here, the weather doesn't warm up until July, and it cools off at the end of August. My eggplants are just now *finally* starting to take off. My peppers are growing very slowly. They look healthy, but are just not really doing much. My tomatoes are exploding. My pumpkins are doing this OMG look at me grow, 10 foot vines already! But this is my first garden in 10 years, and I really don't know what I'm doing LOL. I just throw seeds down and see what grows, and what doesn't :-)
Why would you want to plant tomatoes & peppers if you already have them growing? Here's a list of things you could plant in July, ***if*** you were gardening in Boston. This is from Crockett's Victory Garden. Obviously, you'll need to make adjustments because Boston has at least an extra month of growing season. But, this is a decent guideline. Anything with an asterisk is something that'll handle some cold weather, and so might be a better bet. And, for beans, stick with the bush variety at this point, not pole beans.
Plant: Beans Beets* Carrots* Chinese Cabbage* Collards* Cucumbers (bush variety, fast grower) Kale* Lettuce* will handle some frost, with protection at night Radishes* Rutabagas*
You might also get away with broccolli. Some are as tough as kale & collards, and will laugh at frost. Tastes MUCH better when it matures in cool weather. And, here are a few things NOT in the books' list, which I have good luck with at this time:
Spinach Swiss Chard Fennel
In August, you can plant peas, endive and spinach (again). You might also consider investing in a cold frame. It'll enable you to grow quite a few things right into October or November.
Thanks for all the good advice. Actually, I would not want to plant peppers and tomatoes, I have enough, I was just commenting on it being too late to plant them. I don't have warm fuzzies about the beans. My beans didn't start to grow good until late June when the weather warmed up. Around here, the weather can cool off and stay cool at the end of August. Also, I didn't see turnips or mustard on the list, I'm guessing you can plant them also? I thought that carrots and beets should be planted in August, when summer is almost over - goes to show how much I know :(
Beans want "warm feet" to grow well. Next spring, put some clear plastic over the row, wait a week, then punch holes in it and plant your seeds. They'll grow quicker that way.
Mustard will be slightly bitter in this heat, as will other greens, like arugula. If they mature in September, the chill will take care of that. But, there's a way to beat the bitterness during summer. Pick up a roll of 5' or
6' high fence wire, the kind with the green plastic coating (which makes the stuff last much longer than bare metal). Cut a piece as long as the row you want to cover, then bend it into a tunnel shape. Bend the ends closed, secure with wire ties, and you've got a cover that's rigid and easy to lift off. Cover the top or sides (depending on your sun exposure) with grey metal window screen, to cut down on the sun. Grown under a structure like this, most greens will be much less bitter when grown in summer, and go to flower more slowly.And, change your expectations, as far as greens. Notice that in supermarkets, a premium is charged for baby spinach. And, fancy restaurants use names like "field greens" for things you can grow, like swiss chard picked when the leaves are half the size of a slice of bread. You achieve two things by harvesting greens when they're small: They're not bitter, and they're not too big to fit under the aforementioned wire cages.
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