SUMMER VEGETABLES
TO GROW
RIGHT NOW
While it's too late in the U.S. to plant cool-season veggies for a summer harvest, you can sow these 12 crops this growing season for a fall harvest.
Heat lovers, such as tomatoes & beans, are ready for the garden right now. Vegetables need full sun, which is 6+ hours per day so find the sunniest spot in your garden and start planting.
1. ANNUAL HERBS
Even if you've never gardened, herbs are the perfect start. Annual herbs, which means they live one season, include basil, dill & cilantro.
MICHELLE PATRICK PHOTOGRAPHY LLC 2. PERENNIAL HERBS
Perennial herbs come back for many years – and most can take a bit of cold, so you'll be able to harvest late in the growing season.
ROSEMARIE WIRZ/GETTY IMAGES 3. TOMATOES
No garden is complete without tomatoes. And while it's too late to grow tomatoes from seed in most of the country, check your local nurseries for tomato plants.
SOLOLOS/GETTY IMAGES 4. BEANS
The great thing about beans is you can also succession plant, (put seeds in the ground every few weeks until mid to late July) so you can harvest for a longer period of time.
BARBARA RICH 5. CUCUMBERS
Cucumbers love hot weather, so now is the ideal time to grow them. Note: if your area gets early frosts, opt for transplants over seeds.
MERETHE SVARSTAD EEG/EYEEM 6. PEPPERS
Peppers thrive in hot weather, so there's still time to plant from transplants. Some types need a small tomato cage or stake to keep them upright as they grow.
URSULA SANDER/GETTY IMAGES 7. PUMPKINS
If you want pumpkins for fall, now's the time to plant. Most types take about 100 days to mature, so get them in the ground no later than mid to late July.
PHOTOALTO/JEROME GORIN 8. SUMMER SQUASH
Squashes like the heat, so you can plant them & harvest tons of squash before the first frost. They're fast growers, so you can still plant from seed in most of the U.S.
MARIO MARCO 9. KALE
This superfood is popular for its nutritious greens and it's so easy to grow! Plant seeds now for fall harvests.
PHOTO BY KATKAMI/GETTY IMAGES 10. SWISS CHARD
Plant seeds now for fall harvests. They mature in about 50-75 days, & you can start harvesting outside leaves when they get about 6 inches tall.
BARBARA RICH/GETTY IMAGES 11. SUNFLOWERS
What's cheerier in your garden than the happy faces of sunflowers? Tuck a few seeds in between other planting, and enjoy the seeds for yourself or to share with wildlife in the fall.
KHEA W LIT SUKH CHU/EYEEM/GETTY IMAGES 12. EGGPLANT
It's your last chance to get these gorgeous heat-loving veggies in the ground (or in containers) for the season. Stick with transplants now so the eggplants will have time to mature before the first frost.
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