Here are the Best Seeds to Start in July for a healthy harvest of vegetables, herbs, and flowers in the upcoming season.
If you are wondering about what could be the Best Seeds to Start in July, then you have landed at the right page! Find out the best herbs, flowers, and vegetables you should plant below.
Check out our article on the best seeds to sow for food in less than a month here
Best Seeds to Start in July
Vegetables
1. Kale
Botanical Name: Brassica oleracea acephala
USDA Zones: 3-9
Planting kale in July is a smart way to get an excellent harvest in fall and winter. This leafy, cool-season vegetable can handle direct sun so long as they are given plenty of water and rich soil.
Learn how to grow kale here
2. Peas
Botanical Name: Pisum sativum
USDA Zones: 5-11
Peas are also one of those plants that can be sown in July. The trick is to ensure you don’t wait too long to harvest, else, the shoots will get all bitter and firm. Once the pea plants reach 6-inches tall, snip off the upper growth, including a set of leaves.
3. Cabbage
Botanical Name: Brassica oleracea
USDA Zones: 2-10 (Depends on the Variety)
This green, leafy vegetable needs high temperatures to bolt and form harvest, which is why it’s a good choice for growing in July. Cabbage seeds germinate successfully in rich soil.
Here’s all you need to know about growing cabbage
4. Beet
Botanical Name: Beta vulgaris
USDA Zones: 2-11
Beet is essentially a root crop with all edible parts, right from root to leaves. Grow it in moist soil and mulch regularly to keep dehydrating at bay. It is one of the Best Seeds to Start in July!
Learn how to grow beets here
5. Lettuce
Botanical Name: Lactuca sativa
USDA Zones: 2-11
You can sow summer varieties of lettuce in July. As a shallow-root plant, lettuce requires plenty of organic matter and proper drainage to stay happy. For a continuous harvest, sow seeds every two to three weeks all through the season.
Check out our article on growing lettuce here
6. Beans
USDA Zones: 5-10
Green beans are quick to grow and flower in the warm, humid climate of July. Ideally, you should try a constant 7-day sowing of different cultivars in the first week itself.
Just don’t plant them on cool and dry soil, else they will end up rotting.
Here are the best types of beans you can grow
7. Broccoli
Botanical Name: Brassica oleracea var. italica
USDA Zones: 3-11
Growing broccoli is also very rewarding, as it gives you a steady supply of harvest well beyond the growing season. You can plant it in the fall or a few weeks before the frost to get crops in winter, but it’s easier to grow in July/August.
Learn how to grow Broccoli here
8. Carrots
Botanical Name: Daucus carota subsp. sativus
USDA Zones: 3-10
This colorful, crunchy vegetable performs best in moist soil and sun- the two characteristics of July weather. They need loose soil too, and as long as you add in a liberal dose of compost and some fish emulsion, they don’t need anything else to grow!
Here’s all you need to know about growing carrots
9. Corn
Botanical Name: Zea mays
USDA Zones: 5-11
Apart from its picky requirements, corn is a delight to grow, especially because it’s a fast grower and can be cooked within a few minutes after pulling off from the stalk!
Learn how to grow Corn here
10. Cucumbers
Botanical Name: Cucumis sativus
USDA Zones: 3-11
Cucumber is one of the best vegetables you can directly plant in the garden in July to get an abundant harvest before the first flush of frost. Ideally, you should sow the seeds about 1-2 inches deep in dry soil and space them about 10-inches apart.
Here’s all you need to know about growing Cucumbers
11. Arugula
Botanical Name: Eruca vesicaria ssp. sativa
USDA Zones: 3-11
With a strong peppery flavor and a firm texture, arugula is a nice alternative to basil. Sow the seeds in tilled, loamy soil and cut the leaves once the plants grow a few inches tall.
Have a look at the best Arugula companion plants here
12. Radish
Botanical Name: Raphanus sativus
USDA Zones: 8-11
Radish doesn’t demand a lot of patience and care to develop its full potential. Just sprinkle a few seeds on fairly rich garden soil, and make sure to thin out the seedlings so that the roots can grow freely without constraint.
Learn how to grow radish here
13. Zucchini
Botanical Name: Cucurbita pepo
USDA Zones: 3-9
You can sow them directly in your garden after the dangers of frost have passed. The two main requirements to keep these plants happy and productive are to provide them with lots of water and regular fertilizing.
Check out our article on growing Zucchini here
14. Winter Squash
Botanical Name: Cucurbita maxima
USDA Zones: 3-9
A powerhouse of vital nutrients, winter squash is best planted outdoors when the soil is warm and wet. They just need full sun to perform well. Neutral pH boosts leafy growth.
15. Turnip
Botanical Name: Brassica rapa subsp. rapa
USDA Zones: 2-9
You can grow turnip in any weather and any soil quality, but it’s specifically perfect for July because it produces harvest well into the first week of December. It is one of the Best Seeds to Start in July!
Learn how to grow Turnips here
16. Swiss Chard
Botanical Name: Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris
USDA Zones: 6-10
Chard or silverbeet is super easy to grow and tastes just as good as it looks. These plants need to be well-watered and harvested regularly, as it prolongs their life span.
Check out our article on growing Swiss Chard here
Ornamental Plants
17. Coleus
Botanical Name: Coleus scutellarioides
USDA Zones: 9-12, *grown as an annual everywhere
This colorful ornamental plant can brighten any dark corner of your home. Grow it from seeds by pressing them gently in the soil and do not cover. Place the pot on a well-lit windowsill.
Here are the best Coleus varieties you can grow
18. Lavender
Botanical Name: Lavandula angustifolia
USDA Zones: 5-9
You can grow lavender from seeds in a light soil mix, mainly in vermiculite, as it drains fast. Check more details here.
19. Moss Rose
Botanical Name: Portulaca grandiflora
USDA Zones: 2-11
This is a semi-succulent known for its potential to store water in its fleshy stems and leaves. With oblong to cylindrical-shaped bright green-colored leaves, this plant is very easy to care for.
20. Zinnia
Botanical Name: Zinnia elegans
USDA Zones: 3-10
It is inexpensive to grow beautiful Zinnias, especially when you grow them from seeds. Sow the seeds directly into the garden or pot.
21. Marigold
Botanical Name: Tagetes
USDA Zones: 3-11
These no-fuss annual flowering plants are a favorite of most gardeners as they can bring sunshine to your garden and brighten up your home. To grow fully, they need full sunlight and well-draining soil so you can watch them flower from late spring to autumn.
Learn how to grow Marigolds here
22. Forget Me Not
Botanical Name: Myosotis arvensis
USDA Zones: 5-9
Forget-me-not grows fairly easy from seeds. The light blue flowers look really well with the green foliage of the plant. It is one of the Best Seeds to Start in July!
23. Foxglove
Botanical Name: Digitalis
USDA Zones: 4-10
Flowers of Foxglove are clusters of tubular blooms in shades of lavender, yellow, red, purple, pink, and white. Foxgloves thrive well in full sunlight to partial shade.
Check out these stunning flowers that look like birds!
24. Cosmos
Botanical Name: Cosmos bipinnatus
USDA Zones: 2-11
This freely flowering annual plant is easy to grow from seeds after the danger of frost has passed. It reaches full maturity in two months. Its flowers attract bees, butterflies, birds to the garden.
Herbs
25. Basil
Botanical Name: Ocimum basilicum
USDA Zones: 4-11
Basil is extremely tolerant of temperatures, but the reason why it’s chosen for July gardening is that it favors a combination of full sun and regular watering. Don’t forget to pinch the tops off as soon as the plants grow up to 6-inches tall.
Learn how to grow Basil here
26. Cilantro
Botanical Name: Coriandrum sativum
USDA Zones: 2-11
This cool-season herb likes temperate weather and performs best in partial shade. It can handle direct sun as long as you keep the soil moist. Succession planting is the key to prolong harvest and benefit from its vigor.
Check out our article on growing Cilantro here
27. Parsley
Botanical Name: Petroselinum crispum
USDA Zone: 3-9
Parsley is a hardy, low-maintenance herb and doesn’t require extra maintenance besides uniform watering, rich soil, and a monthly dosage of fertilizer.
Learn how to grow Parsley here
28. Oregano
Botanical Name: Origanum vulgare
USDA Zones: 5-10
It grows up to 1-3 feet in height and is also a close relative to other herbs including thyme, mint, sage, basil, and lavender. The leaves are used both fresh and dry in cooking. It is also used as a medicine.
Here’s all you need to know about growing Oregano
29. Red Shiso
Botanical Name: Perilla frutescens var
USDA Zones: 5-11
Red Shisho is a staple in Japanese diets that have been used for centuries. This Asian herb is dark red-purple in color and grows quite easily from seeds.
30. Dill
Botanical Name: Anethum graveolens
USDA Zones: 2-11
Despite its fragile appearance, dill is a fairly hard plant that doesn’t depend on additional fertilizers and regular watering to develop healthy foliage. Just make sure it adds in extra water while planting the seeds, and remove the weeds to avoid competition.
Learn how to grow Dill here
31. Peppermint
Botanical Name: Mentha × Piperita
USDA Zones: 3-11
It is a hybrid variety of mint that is a cross between watermint and spearmint. Peppermint can be found to be growing naturally in Europe and North America.
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