Guest Contributor: Cassey Anderson, Horticulture Agent, Colorado State University Extension
July might seem to be a strange time of gardening season to discuss crops and plants, but it can be a great time to plan and plant your fall garden! If your cool season crops have all withered, gone to seed, or dried up now is the time to think about some low-effort crops that can keep you growing (and donating!) well into the fall.
July Is the Right Time to Plant These Low-Effort, High-Reward Crops
Bush beans – A shorter growing season means you can plant these mid-July and get a great season’s crop in before fall freezes. Bush beans produce 1-3 major flushes of flowers/fruit so they are great for harvesting to donate or to preserve for winter use. Planting in warm soil ensures they will germinate rapidly and grow well. Be sure to keep sufficient water on young seedings to give them a good start!
Peas – A popular cool season treat that often wraps up their season in June peas can be replanted mid-July for a fall harvest. If not, many peas have developed before a risk of frost the plants are still going to add some nitrogen to the soil, and the flowers and tendrils can be a tasty pea-flavored addition to any salad or even stir fry.
Kale – A stalwart winner of fall gardens everywhere, kale can be planted continuously through the growing season but will continue to grow long past almost any other crop as it is very cold tolerant. Be sure to provide sufficient water as droughty kale can become bitter and bringing water back to the crop will not restore the sweeter flavor.
Beets – Beets are an under-represented powerhouse of the summer garden. They germinate easily, grow quicky and, if you like them, are nutrient dense and satisfying. The leaves and the root are both edible and nutritious. Plant beets in succession, with 2-3 weeks in between each row, half row, or small section to ensure you have a continual harvest until you get a hard freeze (temperatures below 28F).
Radishes (if you can keep them wet enough!) – For the gardener who wants instant food gratification radishes may provide that! You can harvest radishes in as little as three weeks from the time of planting. Do note that they can be very thirsty and need good moisture to retain ideal flavors. A radish that becomes drought stressed will develop a substantial heat/kick that will not be reduced by adding more water later. So, if you don’t water regularly, this may be one to avoid!
Carrots – Carrots can last almost as long into the winter as kale, or even longer if mulched deeply, they can stay in ground into the fall and winter until soils freeze solid. Germination in the heat of summer may be the hardest aspect of mid-summer carrot success as they grow well once germinating. There are several approaches you can take to facilitate carrot germination. The key point is that you need to prevent the soil from drying into a crust, so watering lightly and frequently, putting a layer of damp sand over the planted seed row, or placing a burlap or other cloth over the surface just until the seedlings begin to emerge are all approaches that can lead to success.
Summer squash/zucchini – These can jump up and get growing really fast. If you struggle with powdery mildew and want young, sweet, squash then planting several succession sets of summer squash or zucchini can be a great way to go. You can directly sow seeds into the ground and expect harvests to begin 6-8 weeks later depending on variety. It’s often a good idea to plant 2-3 seeds and then thin the seedlings down to one plant.
Cucumbers – finally, for a heavy garden producer you can plant a second round of cucumbers, which can be especially useful if your cucumbers were set back by insect or disease damage earlier in the season. Plant cucumbers much like you would summer squash or zucchini and you should have some sweet and crunchy snacks in no time!
As always, reach out to your local Extension office for further information if you have any questions.
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