The latest time to plant for most vegetables would be the second week in June with a short harvest time. If planting crops that mature within 50 days, you could plant those as late as the last week in June, but keep in mind the weather will be turning cooler, especially at night. Cool crops are best for late plantings.
If you didn't find time to plant a garden this spring, don't fret. It's not too late to plant a vegetable garden. Gardeners can plant vegetables in July and August for a fall harvest.
Mid-August to mid-October is an ideal time of year to plant new trees, though, that time frame can be stretched into November and December. To be 100% sure, measure soil temperature early in the morning for a few, consecutive days. If your soil is consistently 50° F or higher, you're good to plant.
' Waiting until fall can be an issue too. 'If you plant a garden late into the fall, the biggest risk is that the plant won't root into the surrounding soil before winter and will be subject to frost-heaving,' Lindsay explains, 'when the rootball slowly works its way out of the ground due to freeze-thaw cycles.
Generally speaking, spring-flowering bulbs should be planted in the fall (a few weeks before first frost), while summer-flowering bulbs should be planted in the spring (a few weeks after last frost).
Although each plant's needs may vary and some will be more winter-hardy than others, in general about a month before the last fall frost is sufficient in giving the plant enough time to establish itself and take root.
The latest time to plant for most vegetables would be the second week in June with a short harvest time. If planting crops that mature within 50 days, you could plant those as late as the last week in June, but keep in mind the weather will be turning cooler, especially at night. Cool crops are best for late plantings.
Mid- to late-August is often an excellent time to plant fall flowers, as long as the weather isn't still so hot that the plants will suffer heat stress. But don't wait too late to plant, or you'll have a very short window to enjoy your flowers. Check the growing requirements for each plant.
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.
You actually can plant many different edibles and ornamentals in July to squeeze out a second harvest or brighten up faded flower beds, containers and planter boxes.
From early fall through most of November is one of the best times of year to plant spring-blooming bulbs, cool-season annuals and vegetables, as well as many trees, shrubs, and perennials.
Some fast growing fall crops like lettuce and radishes can be planted into late September, but many desirable fall crops like broccoli and carrots need several months of prime-growing conditions to mature before frost and low light levels set in. When in doubt, plant your fall crops a little early.
In general, aim to finish your fall planting about 6 weeks before your first expected frost date (8 weeks for evergreens). In Zones 3 and 4, you would count back from the latter half of September.
Later sowings are also possible – up until late May with varieties like 'Veranda Red' – to yield a good crop in October. Larger fruited varieties are best sown in mid to late April to ensure a good crop of ripe fruit by mid-September.
Good choices are summertime kitchen garden staples like squash, beans, cucumbers and melons. Beans (Zones 3-10): You can plant both bush and pole beans now that the soil and air are warmed up as beans should not be started indoors. Try a continual 7-10 day sowing of different varieties.
You can also grow cool season veggies in the early spring and plant in the late summer for a fall harvest. You can plant seeds for radishes, lettuce, peas, spinach, green onions throughout the year! Yep, you can start many seeds throughout the spring/summer/fall season! So it's really never too late to start seeds.
Vegetables that can be planted in August include leafy greens such as lettuce, spinach, collards, kale and mustard.
Plants that thrive in fall weather include: carrots, beets, broccoli, Swiss chard, kale and all kinds of salad and Asian greens. Choose disease-resistant varieties that mature quickly. All can be direct-sown into the garden, though broccoli can also be started indoors under lights or in a greenhouse.
Some good candidates to plant now include hydrangeas, daylilies, lilies, sedums, ornamental grasses, peonies, and bearded iris. Just be sure you keep your new plants well watered if the weather is hot and dry. Mulching the beds also helps preserve soil moisture.
Chrysanthemums. Late summer or early fall is an excellent time to plant mums, one of the symbolic flowers of the season. Practically any time in September that strikes your fancy is a good bet, so long as it's at least six weeks before the year's first frost.
Late summer planting
Choose quick-maturing crops. Spinach, lettuce and greens, beets, carrots, peas, and beans can be sown now. Most seeds will readily germinate in the garden now because the soil holds heat well into autumn; warm soil (in the 70°s) is ideal for seed starting, as long as the weather is not too hot.
Planting a Late-Season Garden
But does that mean you've missed your gardening window for the year? Probably not! There are many crops you can plant well into summer (as late as mid-late August) and still harvest a sizable amount of food.
Grass seed, trees and vegetables can all be planted as summer days shorten. AMES, Iowa – Seeds germinate fast when the soil is already nice and warm, which makes late summer a good time to rejuvenate lawns and plant fall vegetable crops of spinach, lettuce, peas and kale. Or plant a new tree.