Hey everyone! I'm new to vegetable gardening; I've only dabbled with herbs before. I've just moved into a new home, and I'm super excited to start a garden. I live in Zone 7A and I'm wondering if it's too late to start planting this season. I've seen mixed info online. I'd like to grow tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash, and kale. I'm also considering buying some herb starters, but I'm hesitant to spend a lot of money if I can start from seeds instead. Plus, I haven't prepped my garden bed or soil yet, which might delay things. Any tips or advice would be really appreciated!
3 Answers
Based on my experience in a similar zone, now is prime time to directly sow seeds for zucchini, cucumbers, beans, winter squash, melons, and corn. You can still plant greens like bok choy, mustard, spinach, kale, and even carrots. Unfortunately, it might be a bit late for tomatoes and peppers, so you might want to look at starter plants for those. If you prep your garden bed now, you can also plan for a fall garden in August or September. Good luck!
Cucumbers and kale sprout quickly from seed, so you can still plant them now and be ready to harvest by mid-June! They’ll keep producing all summer, too. It's the perfect time to get started with those.
Okay, awesome! Thank you!
It's definitely not too late! You're right on time for a lot of crops and still early for others. If you're up for it, I recommend buying some starter plants from your local nursery to get moving. And if you're interested, fall gardening really shines in our zone too—things like lettuce, broccoli, and kale do great in cooler months. We even plant our garlic on Halloween—just a fun tip to keep the vampires away!
That makes total sense — thank you! When do you usually start planting for fall?
Thank you!! That's super helpful.