Weekly Harvests
Botany, Sustainability, and Self-Sufficiency - oh my!
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If it’s July and you’re looking to start a vegetable garden - you’re in luck, because there are things you can still plant!
In fact, planting vegetables in July will help you to be more self-sufficient with a winter garden: July is a key month for fall and winter harvesting and growing vegetables for long-term storage.
Gardening and harvesting in the winter is really thinking about Christmas in July (in the northern hemisphere anyways).
You’ll get the most yield if you start sowing seeds for winter harvests in July (or even earlier in a lot of cases) when the days are longer, so plants can really soak up the sunshine goodness.
Even if you don’t have a greenhouse or any sort of season extenders, you can get some cold-hardy vegetables growing now, and also start some seeds for winter-keeping vegetables.
You might also want to consider incorporating some winter gardening techniques, such as using raised beds or cold frames, to extend your growing season and increase your yield. With a little planning and effort, you can have fresh produce even in the depths of winter.
Please note that this list for what to plant in July is based on a zone 7 growing zone. If you live in warmer zones, this list should still apply to you, if you’re in the northern hemisphere. If you’re in colder zones, you may want to have a few row covers handy to protect vegetables from frosts that could happen before they fully mature.
Bush beans are a great option for sowing in early July, as they are quick to mature and are good for freezing for winter eating.
My favorite quick maturing varieties to plant in July are:
55 days:
Black Valentine (Bush, Snap, Dry) - High Desert Seed + Gardens
55 days:
Velour French Filet Bean (Bush, Snap) - High Desert Seed + Gardens
60 days:
Provider Snap Bean - High Desert Seed + Gardens
Potatoes are a versatile vegetable that can be used for various dishes such as french fries, hash browns, and mashed potatoes. If you live in a mild climate, potatoes can be planted in July for a winter harvest.
German Butterball is my favorite variety with a maturity date of 85 days, making it possible to grow a crop if the frosts don't start until late October.
German Butterball, Seed Potatoes
Yukon Gold, 65 days:
Dark Red Norland, 65 days:
Potatoes can remain edible for several months after sprouting if you keep them in a cool and dark environment. However, it's essential to remove the sprouts and eyes before eating them, as they are toxic.
Leeks are a versatile vegetable that can be grown in any moderate climate. They have a delicious oniony flavor and a soft texture when cooked. While there are leek varieties that grow best in spring or summer, there are also varieties that can be grown throughout the winter, with a maturation time of over 120 days. This makes them a great option to plant in July, as they can be harvested during the winter months.
100 days:
Giant Musselburg - High Desert Seed + Gardens
store leeks long-term
Leeks can be stored in-ground with little damage if the winters are cool and mild. Alternatively, they can be stored in buckets of dirt in a root cellar, which is a great solution for areas with colder winter temperatures.
Carrots are a versatile and nutritious root vegetable that can be used in a variety of dishes. One of my favorite ways to incorporate them into my cooking is by grating them and adding them to muffins or cookies for a sweet and satisfying treat.
carrots to plant in July:
Scarlet Nantes - High Desert Seed + Gardens
Milan Nantes Carrot - High Desert Seed + Gardens
store carrots long-term
If you live in an area with mild winters, planting carrots in July can lead to a winter harvest. They can also be stored in the garden without heavy frosts, or if you have a cool pantry or root cellar, you can store them there for up to 6 months. Carrots can be stored in soil in a bucket or even in sawdust. A few light frosts can even make the carrots sweeter and more delicious.
Parsnips, with a heartier texture, are best roasted and take twice as long as carrots to mature. They become sweeter with a couple of frosts, and can still be planted in July to be eaten throughout the winter.
“fast” maturing 95 days:
100+ days:
store parsnips long-term
You can store parsnips in your root cellar for up to 6 months with the sawdust method, as long as the parsnips aren’t stacked more than 2 rows high (source). You can also leave them in the ground and harvest them as needed throughout the winter.
Rutabagas are root vegetables that have a slightly sweet and earthy flavor. They are often roasted or used in stews and soups. Rutabagas can be planted in July for a winter harvest and can be stored in a root cellar or the fridge for up to 6 months.
They take longer to mature than other vegetables, but are pretty hardy so frosts don’t bother them much.
90-100 days:
90-100 days:
Rutabaga, Navone Yellow Cabbage Turnip
store rutabaga long-term
Rutabagas can be stored in-place in the garden over winter if you’re in a mild climate. Mulching over the rutabagas helps to prevent freezing. Alternatively, rutabagas store quite well in a cellar or in the fridge, and can last for up to 6 months (source).
Turnips can be a delightful addition to your winter garden. They come in a range of colors and flavors, with some varieties being sweet and others being spicy. As with most root vegetables, they can be roasted to perfection.
Turnips are pretty fast to mature - they can go from seed to harvest in as little as 45 days for full sized varieties.
45-65 days:
Purple Top White Globe Turnip Seeds (Organic)
55 days:
30 days:
store turnips long-term
Turnips can be stored in-ground in their growing site, or can be stored in a root cellar for a couple of months. In a refrigerator, they can keep for up to 5 months (source).
Golden beets are a great alternative if you're not a fan of the earthy taste of regular beets. They have a sweet flavor and are delicious when roasted.
sow these beets in July:
how to store beets long-term
Beets can last for over a month in the fridge (I’ve had them last for 2 months before without any signs of aging). In a pantry, you can store them in saw dust, sand, or dirt for 3 months (source).
Cabbage is a versatile vegetable that can be used in many dishes, but it is also a great option for long-term storage. When fermented, cabbage can be turned into kimchi or sauerkraut, making it a king among preserved vegetables. Interestingly, cabbage heads can also last a long time in the fridge or root cellar.
65 days:
Golden Acre Cabbage Seeds (Organic)
65 days:
Napa Cabbage, Nozaki Early (Organic) - Adaptive Seeds
120-180 days (very winter hardy):
Cabbage, Winter King Savoy (Organic) - Adaptive Seeds
160-210 days (very winter hardy):
Cabbage, January King (Organic) - Adaptive Seeds
store cabbage without processing
Cabbage is a great vegetable for long-term storage, with a shelf life of around 2 months in the fridge and up to 9 months in a root cellar. The folks at Little Mountain Ranch have a great video on how they store cabbage in their root cellar, and they suggest either harvesting them with the root intact and storing them in the cellar like that, or storing the cabbage heads (with root balls) in buckets of sand or soil. These methods can help extend the life of your cabbage and keep it fresh for longer.
Brussels sprouts are a cold-hardy crop that can be grown in the winter garden. They take several months to mature and can be planted in July for a fall harvest - perfect for Thanksgiving dinner!
first maturing: 85-110 days:
Long Island Improved Brussels Sprouts Seeds
late maturing: 180-260 days:
Brussels Sprouts, Darkmar 21 (Organic) - Adaptive Seeds
Cauliflower is a versatile vegetable that can be used in many dishes: curries and stir-fries are my favorite, along with cream of cauliflower soup. The all-season variety can be planted in July for a winter harvest.
200+ days:
Cauliflower, Prestige (Organic) - Adaptive Seeds
270-290 days:
Cauliflower, 'All the Year Round'
Purple sprouting broccoli is a delicious and nutritious vegetable that can be grown in a winter garden. It has a unique and flavorful taste that is distinct from other types of broccoli. The purple color is a nice visual treat, too.
63 days:
Early Purple Sprouting, Broccoli Seeds
175-180 days:
Purple Sprouting Broccoli Seeds (Organic)
Chard is a leafy green vegetable that can be used in stir-fries salads. It is a cold-hardy crop that can be planted in July and harvested in the winter.
I love growing chard in different colors - it brightens up the garden and makes cooking with it more interesting!
Plant Chard in July and harvest in 28 days for baby greens - 55 days for full leaves
Five Color Silverbeet Chard Seeds (Organic)
cut and come again throughout autumn, will survive zone 7 winters under cover
Kale is a superfood that is packed with vitamins and minerals. It is a cold-hardy crop that can be planted in July for a winter harvest. Kale is rich in antioxidants and can be used in salads, soups, and even smoothies.
30-65 days, cut and come again
Dazzling Blue Lacinato Kale - Organic Seed - Adaptive Seeds
perennial kale!
'Homesteader's Kaleidoscopic Perennial' Kale Grex
tree kale!
Perennial Tree Kales/Collards/Broccoli | Planting Justice
Salad greens such as lettuce are quick to mature and can be harvested in the late summer and early autumn if sown in July. Some varieties of salad greens are more cold hardy than others.
bolt resistant salad greens that you can plant in July and harvest in August/September
Adaptive Seeds Summer Lettuce Mix (Organic) - Adaptive Seeds
cool season salad greens for autumn planting and harvesting:
Adaptive Seeds Cool Season Lettuce Mix (Organic) - Adaptive Seeds
Garlic is one of my favorite crops. Here in zone 7, we plant them in the autumn for an early summer harvest.
While you won’t be planting garlic in July, now is the perfect time to figure out where you’ll be planting them this fall, and to start ordering garlic seed for fall planting.
Once we plant garlic and mulch around them, they need no further tending until it’s time to pick the delicious garlic scapes in the summer. The rain and occasional snow over the autumn, winter, and spring is enough water for this crop, which is another benefit to growing garlic over winter.
I’ve had good results with storing garlic through late spring, with softneck varieties outlasting hardneck varieties. Of the softnecks, Silverskin, Artichoke, and Creoles have the longest storage life of over 1 year (source).
Since hardneck garlic types produce the tasty scape, I grow both kinds in my garden (usually Lorz Italian, Nootka Rose, and Sicilian Silver for softneck varieties and Shandong, Tzan, and Music for hardnecks).
I recommend Filaree Seed for garlic seeds - I buy garlic from them yearly and have always been really happy with the results.
how to cure garlic for storage
Do not clean garlic before curing. Braid softneck garlic tops together, or tie the tops of hard or softnecks together in bunches of 6-8, depending on size. Hang garlic in a dry cool place out of direct sunlight until the skin of the garlic starts to feel papery. Curing garlic takes around 2 weeks.
From there, trim the roots and tops if necessary and store or hang in the pantry in a dry place. Braided bunches of garlic make a beautiful + practical decoration in the kitchen, and the humid/warm environment of the kitchen shouldn’t damage them if you’re actively using them as you cook.
Eggs are a great source of protein and fat, and can be made into any meal from breakfast to dinners to snacks and baked goods.
While you can’t plant seeds for eggs (unless it’s eggplant of course), July is a great time to buy young chickens, or pullets, who will start laying early next spring. In some cases, you may be able to buy chickens that are old enough to start laying now.
Rhode Island Reds are a great variety that I’ve found lays throughout the winter.
farm-fresh eggs storage time
Unwashed, fresh-from-the-chicken eggs can last up to a month on the counter, which is pretty awesome. You can also store them in the fridge for three months (source).
Planting vegetables in July can help you achieve a self-sufficient winter garden. From bush beans to rutabagas, there are plenty of options for planting in July that will yield a bountiful harvest throughout the fall and winter months. Remember to consider your growing zone and choose vegetables that are suitable for your climate. With a little planning and effort, you can enjoy fresh produce even into the depths of winter.
