For April, May or June blooms, plant seed directly outdoors August-October. For June, July, August and/or September blooms, plant your seed outdoors March-June. Seedlings normally tolerate a light frost.
While you can plant a late planting to the first frost date, it's always best to allow as much growing time as possible. If you missed the spring planting, then calculate which vegetables you can grow now and still have a harvest before the first frost.
In truth, each season is different and garden planting dates have been even harder to peg down than the traditional wisdom would lead one to believe! I want to emphasize that it's not too late to plant a great garden, even in June and July.
Starting too soon can result in a weak, lanky plant, while starting too late can give you one that is just not ready for the outside world—both will struggle to survive!
By late summer, flowers begin to burn out as they complete their life cycle and go to seed. But you can extend the parade of color in your garden by planting in June for fresh life in September. The trick to summer planting is to sow directly into the ground, containers, or raised beds.
Radishes, turnips, beets and carrots can all be started from seeds in August. Chinese cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and brussel sprouts can be transplanted in August and still have enough time to produce a good harvest.
August is an ideal time to plant seeds for a second gardening season that can be as productive as your major early spring plantings. Late summer is perfect for a delicious fall vegetable and herb harvest.
The hardiest of flowers can be planted as soon as the soil in your garden can be worked, even if it's several weeks before the last frost of the season. For half-hardy flowers, hold off until a couple weeks before the final frost, and for tender flowers, plant when there's no chance of frost for the rest of the season.
When to Plant Marigolds. Young French and signet marigolds can be planted from spring through midsummer, but the tall African marigolds are best planted right away in the spring (after danger of frost has passed) because they are slower to mature and produce flowers.
Perennial and biennial wildflowers need a full season to establish themselves in your garden or meadow before they bloom. By planting in June, you'll be giving these seeds an entire season to get settled before winter sets in, ensuring strong plants that will burst with color the following spring.
July is a great time to add quick-blooming wildflowers like Alyssum, Red Poppy, Zinnia, and Cosmos to your garden. These wildflowers grow and bloom in just weeks, giving them plenty of time to create an end-of-season show in your garden if planted in July.
Average last frost date (May 20th): Direct sow or transplant zinnias outdoors. 3 weeks later (June 10th): Direct sow seeds or transplant zinnia seedlings. 3 weeks later (July 1st): Direct sow seeds or transplant zinnia seedlings.
Planting in midsummer is all about thinking ahead for a great fall harvest. Season gardeners understand the importance of starting early and always planning ahead. Planting takes time and patience in all aspects of gardening. You can't just throw some seeds in the ground and expect something to be there next week.
For many garden plants in fact, a soil temperature below 50°F can be a problem. With temperatures in the 40s, seeds will readily absorb water, but not start to grow. This creates an opportunity for disease and rot, which can result in damping-off or poor growth.
There are two ideal times of the year to overseed your lawn – fall and spring. Fall is the best choice. The soil is still warm which means the seed will germinate faster. Also, weed growth tapers off after summer, so your new grass won't have to compete for sunshine, water, and nutrients.
Generally, seeds have to be planted four to six weeks prior to the cold season. The ideal period to sow seeds is typically between late March and late May. Let the plant have enough time to sprout and grow, so it can be moved to a new location.
Being a hardy annual, pot marigold (Calendula officinalis) can be sown direct into the soil outside in March, April, or May for summer flowers the same year. Alternatively, they can be sown direct into the soil outside in August or September for flowers the following year.
Yes! You can still get a harvest from seeds planted in July as long as the plant's required days to maturity will happen before your region's first expected frost date. You can also give yourself a head start by purchasing young transplants from a nursery rather than starting your vegetables or herbs from seed.
Young French and signet marigolds can be planted from spring to midsummer, but tall African marigolds should be planted as soon as the danger of frost has passed in the spring. This is because they take longer to mature and bloom.
Marigold companion planting enhances the growth of basil, broccoli, cabbage, cucumbers, eggplant, gourds, kale, potatoes, squash and tomatoes. Marigold also makes a good companion plant to melons because it deters beetles. Beans and cabbage are listed as bad companion plants for marigolds.
Seeds generally are planted at a depth of two times the diameter or width of the seed. As an example, consider a seed that is 1/8 inch thick. This seed would be planted approximately 1/4 inch deep. Place tiny seeds on the surface of the soil and cover them lightly with vermiculite or soil.
Seeds of such flowers as pansies, cineraria, dianthus, delphiniums, violas, nemesia, Iceland poppies, primroses, snapdragons, stock, and calendulas, planted in August, can give a great number or transplants with which to fill beds in October.
It's not too late to plant in your garden! In much of the country, summer still is full steam ahead in August. In other regions, the hint of cooler evenings mean the growing season is beginning to slow down. But regardless of where you live, there's plenty of time left in the season left for growing things!
It's never too late. It just matters what you put into that garden. It's too late to grow tomatoes in your Chicago garden in September because you'll be getting cold weather soon, but you could still grow carrots, radishes, and lettuce plants.