Though gardening season is in full swing, by mid July many garden crops that were planted early will already be done producing for the season and be ready to be pulled up. When your spring broccoli, cabbage, and bean plants are spent and headed for the compost, and garlic, beets, and radishes have all been pulled it’s time to think about what can still be planted for summer harvest in all those empty garden spaces. While fruiting plants like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants will all be past their latest planting dates, there are still many garden crops that you can sow for a late summer harvest before putting cool weather crops such as lettuces, kale, spinach, late broccoli, and cabbages in.

Crops that like cooler weather, like peas, carrots, radishes, and beets, can be planted in late July for mid September (or later) harvest. Quick growing herbs such as basil, which loves the summer heat, and parsley, can be planted for summer harvest. Despite the notion that things such as zucchini and beans  must be planted as early as possible there is still time to sow a late crop of warm season vegetables. Summer crop staples such as bush beans, and summer squash can still be planted, just get your seeds in the ground soon and make sure you pick a variety that requires less time to mature. Varieties  such as Provider Bush Beans (50 days), Indy Gold Wax Beans (54 days), Patty Pan Summer Squash (48 days), Eight Ball Zucchini (40 days), or Spineless Beauty Zucchini (46 days) are all good choices among many more that are offered.

Johnny’s Selected Seeds has a great fall planting calculator that allows you to enter the last frost date for your region and then find out what the latest date for planting all kinds of vegetables is.