20 Things You Can Plant in July and Harvest in the Fall

If you thought you missed out on gardening this season, think again. Sure, there is an ideal window to sow vegetables if you want to harvest them before the fall, but there are plenty of veggies that you can still plant midsummer.

It's important to have an idea of when your first frost date is, so you can plan out which crops can get planted when. If you're in the North with a shorter growing season, you'll want to pay attention to the length of the growing cycle. Vegetables & herbs with shorter maturity dates are going to be your go-to crops.

You can also lengthen your growing season with the aid of cold frames.

20 Veggies to Plant Midsummer

1. Beets
2. Turnips
3. Radishes
4. Bush Beans
5. Peas
6. Broccoli
7. Cauliflower
8. Brussels Sprouts
9. Cabbage
10. Kohlrabi
11. Collards
12. Swiss Chard
13. Mustard Greens
14. Kale
15. Spinach
16. Leaf Lettuce (all varieties)
17. Green Onions
18. Garlic (even better—winter over and harvest next year)
19. Basil
20. Cilantro (or Parsley)

Root Veggies

Vegetable		Days to Maturity		Cold Hardiness
Beets		50-60		Survives high 20s
Turnips		50-60		Survives light frost
Radishes		30-60		Survives until ground is frozen

Legumes and (Other) Brassicas 

Vegetable		Days to Maturity		Cold Hardiness
Bush Beans		45-65		Killed by frost
Peas		70-80		Survives high 20s
Broccoli		50-70		Survives light frost
Cauliflower		60-80		Survives light frost
Brussels Sprouts		90-100		Survives down to 20 degrees
Cabbage		50-90		Survives down to 20 degrees
Kohlrabi		50-60		Survives light frost

I say "other" brassicas because turnips, kale, and mustard also fall under the brassica genus (although I've chosen to lump them into other categories.)

Leafy Greens

Vegetable		Days to Maturity		Cold Hardiness
Leaf Lettuce		40-60		Survives light frost
Collard Greens		40-65		Survives down to 20 degrees
Swiss Chard		40-60		Survives light frost
Mustard Greens		30-40		Survives light frost
Kale		40-65		Survives down to 20 degrees
Spinach		35-45		Survives light frost (can overwinter)

Leafy greens can be planted in succession starting anytime in the season. Things like Collards, Swiss Chard, Mustard Greens, Kale, and Spinach can be harvested while the plants are still young. Young leaves are more tender and often less bitter.

Cooler weather also adds to the taste. Some leafy greens, like lettuces, can get bitter or spicy if left to grow too long in the warmer weather. Cooler weather gives them a milder flavor.

Spinach, Mustard Greens, and Lettuce have the fastest growing time—between 30-60 days.

Herbs

Vegetable		Days to Maturity		Cold Hardiness
Green Onion		60-70		Survives high 20s
Garlic		Harvest the following July		Winters over in ground
Basil		30-60		Killed by frost
Cilantro		60-70		Survives light frost

Technically, garlic would be too young to harvest the first fall season. You can certainly dig up a few young bulbs and give them a try, but garlic is one of those plants that needs the cold winter months to mature. Plant it in the late summer to mid fall and forget about it until next July.