Getting Your Fall Garden Ready

Did you know July is the perfect time to start your fall vegetable garden? If you’re an avid gardener, you may have some space freed up from your early-spent spring crops such as lettuce, potatoes, and radishes. If you haven’t planted anything at all this year, it’s not too late.

Since Harpers Mill is in hardiness zone 7, some of the best vegetables to plant in July include arugula, beets, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, kale, and peas. These vegetables have the best chance at surviving the summer and giving you a bountiful harvest in the fall.

The challenge of starting a garden in July is the hot, dry weather. To avoid some of this, you will want to plant your seeds indoors until they become seedlings. When deciding to transplant your seedlings, it is best to do it in the afternoon when the sun is less strong, or wait for a cloudy or rainy day. Be sure to keep your transplanted crops consistently watered and do not allow your bed to dry out. Mulching your vegetable garden will also help tremendously. If you mulch your pants with straw or shredded leaves, it will hold soil moisture and reduce transplant stress.