If you missed putting in a vegetable garden this spring, don’t worry. There is still time to plant a number of delicious veggies this month. The key is choosing vegetable plants which can produce a harvestable crop before the first frost in the fall.

Planting by the Numbers

On average, residents in the Bedford area experience their first fall frost during the last ten days of October. Even though the actual first frost date varies from year to year, gardeners can estimated the number of days remaining in the growing season by counting backwards from October 21.

Based upon these statistics, vegetable seeds sown during July will have between 82 to 113 days of frost-free weather in which to grow and mature. To determine if a vegetable plant can produce a crop within this time frame, check the “days to maturity” information found on most seed packets.

Scrumptious Vegetables to Plant in July

Still not sure what to grow? Try these seven garden favorites which can be planted anytime this month:

  • Carrots – Homegrown carrots have a sweet, earthy flavor. Direct sow the seeds in loose, rock-free soil. To prevent forked or cracked carrots, keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy. Most varieties mature within 55 to 75 days.
  • Cucumbers – In as few as fifty days you can be topping your favorite salad with crunchy  garden fresh cucumbers. July-sown cucumbers are less likely to be plagued by insects, but vines require deep watering in dry weather to prevent bitter tasting cukes. 
  • Green beans – As one of easiest garden veggies to grow, green beans planted in July will be ready for harvest in September. For a bumper crop, plant beans in a sunny location and ensure the plants receive two inches of water per week.
  • Okra – Grown as an annual in Ohio, okra can produce a crop of edible pods in about 2 months. Plants can be started indoors or the seeds can be sown directly in the garden. Harvest two to three inch pods every few days to keep okra plants producing until frost.
  • Sweet corn – This summertime favorite can take 64 to 90 days to grow harvestable ears. When planting this crop in July, choose an early maturing variety to enjoy garden grown sweet corn in late September. Corn is a heavy feeder and may require high nitrogen fertilizer.
  • Winter squash – These cucurbits can remain on the vine until the first frost. Exposure to light frost can make the fruit sweeter, but may reduce storage life. For a prolific harvest, select types of winter squash with short maturity dates.
  • Zucchini – Plant a handful of these squash seeds now and you’ll be harvesting six to eight inch zucchini in little as 45 to 55 days. To keep fruit production high, harvest young zucchini every few days.