The Beginner's Garden with Jill McSheehy · Jill McSheehy

428 - What to Plant in July: Vegetables, Herbs, and Flowers That Thrive in the Heat

·23 min·2 clips

Bush beans can mature in as little as 45 days in summer heat, giving you a fast harvest when you need it most.

This episode provides a mid-summer planting guide for gardeners feeling overwhelmed by the heat. Host Jill McSheehy, who runs the "Beginner's Garden" podcast and the Dream2Garden program, shares actionable advice for July planting. She tailors her recommendations to different climates while offering general principles for success. McSheehy's top vegetable recommendation for July is fast-growing bush beans, specifically naming the Jade, Provider, and Contender varieties. She suggests zucchini and summer squash as a second choice, advising the use of insect netting to protect against squash vine borers. The third recommendation is cucumbers, with Marketmore and Boston Pickling as popular options, though she notes varieties like Ashley and Diva offer better powdery mildew resistance. For warmer regions, she lists okra, southern peas like California Black Eye or Zipper Cream peas, and corn as viable July crops. She states gardeners can still plant tomato and pepper transplants, noting later plantings may avoid early-season diseases. A surprising insight is that some crops, like bush beans, can mature faster in summer heat—sometimes in 45 days instead of the typical 50-60. McSheehy observes that pest pressure from squash bugs and vine borers often decreases in late summer plantings. She explains the concept of the "summer dearth," a period when natural food sources for pollinators are scarce. The episode notes that corn planted in July may avoid strong spring winds, and that pepper plants often become more productive as they near the fall frost date. For herbs and flowers, basil is the primary herb recommendation due to its heat tolerance. Recommended flowers include marigolds for pest deterrence, zinnias for long-lasting blooms, and sunflowers for attracting bees and birds. McSheehy also praises Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia) as a brilliant orange, heat-loving pollinator favorite. She offers a caveat that nasturtiums struggle in peak heat but can be started for a fall display. Key July gardening tips include checking your first frost date to calculate remaining growing days and practicing succession planting to refresh garden spaces. McSheehy emphasizes soil health, suggesting adding compost before planting a new crop. For heat management, she advises heavy mulching, deep watering for established plants, and using shade cloth for new transplants. The tone is educational, encouraging, and conversational, directly addressing the listener's potential frustrations. McSheehy's style is practical and experience-based, blending specific variety recommendations with broader gardening principles. This episode is ideal for beginner or intermediate gardeners in the Northern Hemisphere seeking to maximize their summer garden yield. Listeners interested in specific crop varieties, pest management, and succession planting will find it particularly useful. Gardeners in very cool climates with short growing seasons or those solely focused on spring planting might find the advice less applicable.

As heard by us

A calm July planting guide that stays specific enough to be useful without pretending every garden works the same way.

The episode treats July planting as a workable window, not a last chance chore. It is strongest when it stays with frost free days, local timing, and the difference between starting from seed and setting out transplants.

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Need a mid-July planting plan for what you can still plant in July?

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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