Garden Plants You Can Direct Seed in July and August

Warm season crops can be planted many times throughout the summer months. Many gardeners stop with the first planting. I plant several waves of zucchini or summer squash, for example, in my gardens starting in May. I usually plant the last seeds in the middle of August. The strategy is to plant through the disease and pest cycles that show up yearly in our gardens, damaging or killing the warm loving crops. While I get great production from my May planted zucchini, very often the vine borer gets them. By planting again in early June and July, I out grow the life cycle of the vine bore and the later planted crops thrive.

July Planting of Beans, Cucumbers, and Basil

I do the same with cucumbers but for a different reason. Mature large cucumber plants tend to slow and really get beat up by the July heat here in Maryland. These are usually the plants I planted in May. By sowing cucumbers seeds again in mid June and July, I get thriving new plants that continue to produce well into August. Each garden will vary on how you might space the planting of warm crops over the summer. I recommend using this list below and staggering some of the plants over the warm months. Take notes and adjust the planting times the following year. It's not realistic to think a May planted cucumber or zucchini seed will survive and continue producing into late August or September. If you are able to do that, I am impressed. 

Dated July Planted Cowpeas

There are many seeds that can be direct sown throughout the summer. I am focusing on the more commonly grown and known summer crops.

1. Watermelon
2. Cantaloupe
3. Determinate Tomatoes
4. Lima Beans (Bush & Pole)
5. Green Beans (Bush & Pole)
6. Basil
7. Cucumbers
8. Corn
9. Summer Squash & Zucchini
10. Bunching Onions
11. Cowpeas
12. Pumpkins

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For July and August direct seeding, you typically want 70-90 days before your first frost. Summer crops germinate faster and grow more quickly for obvious reasons. The days to maturity on seed packets don't take this into account. Cucumbers and zucchini can be producing in as little as 40 days, if not sooner. You can also look for bush type plants that tend to stay compact and mature more quickly, if you have earlier frost dates in your area. 

The keys to successful direct seeding can be found in my video. You want to water your seeds and seedlings just about every day for 7-10 days as the summer sun can be brutal on soil. You can also use a shade cloth to reduce the temperature of your garden beds. I highly recommend planting some of the above seeds not only in May, but several time over the summer months. You will greatly increase your harvests and you will find plants rolling into September taste even sweeter as the chill of Autumn rolls in.

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Gary (The Rusted Garden)

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