The last practical date to sow cucumbers is July 20. Cucumbers are normally planted in “hills.” Plant 4 to 5 seeds per hill at a depth of 1 inch. Later, remove all but 2 or 3 plants per hill when seedlings have 1 or 2 true leaves. Hills of cucumbers should be spaced 3 to 5 feet apart within the row.
Cucumbers, Squash, and Zucchini Are Great Plants to Direct Sow in July. It might be too hot or too late to grow tomatoes, but you still have time to plant cucumbers, squash, and zucchini in the month of July. These plants finish in just 55 to 65 days.
Is it too late to plant cucumbers? Depending on your local climate, June or July is the latest possible date you can plant cucumbers in order for them to be able to yield any fruit. When planted in warmer weather, the plants will establish much more quickly than when planted in the spring.
If your summer is flying by and you haven't gotten to everything on your to do list, it is not too late to plant seeds. July is actually an optimal time as the ground is warm and the daytime and nightime temperatures are warm so your seeds will germinate faster and your plants will grow very well.
Cucumbers (Zones 3-9):
Starting vine or bush cucumbers in August will lead to a delicious fall harvest. Vine cucumbers can be the best tasting but need far more space than bush varieties.
Mid-July to the end of August is the ideal time to plant. When choosing your fall tomatoes, make sure you know if you're selecting a Determinate or Indeterminate type. Determinate plants tend to grow to a manageable height and produce most of their fruit at one time.
Vegetables that are late to mature in cooler climates do fine down south when sown in July. Lucky gardeners in this general region can plant nightshades, like peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant, and pick their ripe fruit from the vine into early winter.
And July is time enough to plant some late potatoes, beans and summer squash. For potatoes, one big advantage of planting late in the season is that your crops will probably miss attacks by the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata), which is usually most active in the spring.
Summer squash and zucchini thrive in the summer heat. They're quick to mature and are ready to harvest in between 48 and 68 days. Some of the varieties we recommend include Black Beauty Zucchini (48 days), Early Prolific Straightneck Summer Squash (48 days), Benning's Green Tint Summer Squash (52 days).
Below 63°F, cucumbers do not grow.
Two or three plants will fit in a five-gallon bucket or grow one cucumber in a 10-inch-wide container. Mix soil with equal parts of compost, potting soil, perlite and peat moss.
Cucumbers don't mind humidity or moderate heat, so no worries there. To fight the excessive heat, plant in an area that is shaded for the hottest part of the day. The eastern edge of the shade from a tree works very well. Second best would be 30% shade cloth.
It's not too late to plant beans, Goodspeed says. Beans planted in early July generally start producing in mid August and continue until frost. Planting late helps beans avoid the Mexican bean beetle, which generally only attacks early beans. a good organic-rich soil and being watered deeply and infrequently.
Cucumbers are heat-sensitive and do best in temperatures between 60-90°F (16-32°C). They can tolerate some heat but will become stressed if temperatures exceed 95°F (35°C). Cucumbers can also be damaged by frost and temperatures below 50°F (10°C).
Most potato varieties need 80 to 110-degree days for them to develop full size potatoes and we don't get that many days in the spring between freezing and scorching hot in the valley.
What month do you plant potatoes? Plant your chitted seed potatoes in March, or later in the year. Typically, potatoes are planted in March for harvesting throughout the summer and autumn months. But they can also be planted in August or September so that you can enjoy new potatoes around Christmas.
Potato – Bush beans, celery, corn, garlic, marigolds, onions, and peas all do well planted near potatoes. Avoid planting potatoes near asparagus, Brassicas, carrots, cucumber, kohlrabi, melons, parsnips, rutabaga, squash, sunflower, and turnips.
Here are several great reasons you'll want to sow seeds and plant more cucumbers in midsummer. Sowing a succession crop of cucumbers in early July means they'll be ready for harvest in the autumn, just before frost. This is the time when things typically calm down in the garden.
Pepper plants may still grow outside of the ideal temperature range. They can go as low as 15°C (60°F) and as high as 32°C (90°F). Going over or under this range may result in blossom drop – a common issue pepper growers work hard to avoid.
Crops in the brassica family – cabbage, broccoli, collard greens – and also other greens such as chard, escarole and radicchio can be planted in the next few weeks for a great late fall harvest. July is the time to start these seedlings so they are ready to transplant out in 4-6 weeks.
If transplanted no later than the third week of July, you should do well growing late season tomatoes. Fruiting will begin in mid-September.
When to Plant Zucchini. Zucchini is a warm-season crop that cannot tolerate frost or freezing temperatures, so its best to plant your zucchini in the early summer, when temperatures are at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit or more.