What to do, and which plants to put into your beds now.
The last week in June and the first part of July is a time of transition in most vegetable gardens. The lettuce that we planted in April or early May may be all harvested, or is starting to bolt. (Bolting is when the plant starts to go to flower. When this happens, pull your lettuce and eat it because it’s not going to grow much more and it’s more likely to become bitter.)
Early crops such as collard greens should also be harvested and eaten at this time, or cut into ribbons, sautéed, and frozen for future meals. If you planted peas you’re undoubtedly picking the pods and eating those; soon, the pea vines will start to yellow and finish their season as well.
Lettuce and collard greens that were planted in April should get harvested now.
If you planted garlic last fall, it will be ready to harvest in the next two weeks. On Cape Cod we harvest garlic the last week in June or the first week in July. You’ll know that your garlic is ready to dig when the greens on top start to yellow and brown.
Here is how the garlic looks in my garden on June 26th. It is starting to yellow and turn brown. You can see that one thing we’ve done is to plant chard seeds in a row in between the rows of garlic, so that in this area we already have a second crop growing for the fall.
Dig garlic by loosening the soil around the plants with a garden fork or shovel. Then pull the plants out, shaking off the dirt. Once you have the garlic pulled, you should bunch the heads with the stems still on, and hang them in a shed or garage to dry for about two weeks. After they have cured for a couple of weeks, you can cut off the wilted stems and roots, and store the heads as you see fit. Some people put these in the refrigerator, and others roast them and freeze the roasted garlic.
After your garlic or early spring vegetables are harvested, you’ll have space in your garden to plant crops for harvesting later in the fall. Here are some of the plants and seeds that are particularly successful for planting in early July.
Eggplant and Peppers
Although the small plants that remain in the garden center might look yellow and a bit pathetic, rest assured that if you put them in the ground soon, and give them a feed of a fertilizer such as Max Sea, you’ll be surprised at how the plants will respond with good growth. Since on Cape Cod the fall is long and warm, these plants will have plenty of time to grow and produce…but get them planted this weekend!
Although these look yellow from being in their small containers for a long time, if these eggplants and peppers are put into the ground this week and fertilized with Max Sea, they will recover and put on new growth quickly.
Plant Herbs!
There are many herbs that you can put into your garden now, whether you grow them from seeds or small plants. Here are just a few.
Parsley will grow and produce green leaves up until Thanksgiving if the plants are put in your garden now.
Grow some aromatherapy or garnishes for tea or cocktails! Lemon Verbena will take off if placed in your garden now, and the plant will become large and bushy by August.
Vegetables to Grow From Seed in Early July
There are many veggies that will sprout quickly now and mature to a harvestable size by September. Here are some that we routinely grow in our Sandwich garden, planting the seeds after the garlic has been pulled.
If you plant Tuscan Kale seeds now, you’ll be harvesting the lower, larger leaves well past New Year’s Day! This is one of the most frost-tolerant vegetables you can grow.
Carrots are very successful for fall crops. Sow the seeds now, and once the tiny foliage comes up and is about an inch or more tall, thin out the excess plants so that the carrots are spaced at least 3″ apart. I you don’t thin the plants, you won’t get thick carrot roots.
Beets germinate quickly and you’ll be able to harvest them by the end of the summer. Thin the young plants so that they are spaced 6 inches apart – if you don’t thin them, they won’t form the beet roots below.
All of the salad greens can be planted now. Lettuce of all types, arugula, and mustard are all favorites for a late-summer crop.
Annual Flowers
Don’t forget that annual flowers can also be planted in any open spaces in your vegetable beds. Whether you’re planting for the butterflies, bees or bouquets, annual plants can make a vegetable garden beautiful into the fall. These Salvia Black and Blue are hummingbird magnets. Their blue flowers will be lovely in your garden, and you’ll be able to watch the hummers as they come and go while you pick your vegetables.
This question is for C.L. Fornari. What fertilizer do you recommend for potatoes grown in the garden at this time? I added Planf-Tone when I planted the seed potatoes. Are the NPK numbers high enough for potatoes. Thank you.
Karla,
As you may have heard me say before, it’s smart to have a soil test done by UMASS soil lab once in awhile so that you know what your fertility actually is. I have not found that potatoes need lots of fertilization. We use Plant-tone in the spring and unless I see signs that the plants aren’t doing well, I don’t add more fertilizer.
This question is for C.L. Fornari. What fertilizer do you recommend for potatoes grown in the garden at this time? I added Planf-Tone when I planted the seed potatoes. Are the NPK numbers high enough for potatoes. Thank you.
Karla,
As you may have heard me say before, it’s smart to have a soil test done by UMASS soil lab once in awhile so that you know what your fertility actually is. I have not found that potatoes need lots of fertilization. We use Plant-tone in the spring and unless I see signs that the plants aren’t doing well, I don’t add more fertilizer.