10+ edibles you can start from seed in July

'Peppermint' Swiss chard growing in a field in Salinas, California in this file photo from the NGB Plant Nerd trip in 2017.

Look for spaces that open up in your garden this month to sow more edibles.

Known as succession sowing, it is a good way to make use of available, open space in the garden throughout the season. As one crop finishes producing, you can plant another crop in its place.

A great example of this in July is garlic. Once the lower leaves on the garlic stalk begin to brown, you can dig up the whole plant for harvesting. Be careful not to dig too close to the garlic bulb — you do not want to risk slicing it with the shovel's blade. I let the soil around the roots dry and then I shake it off before hanging and storing them in a cool, dry place to cure. 

Herbs are also great candidates for succession sowing. In this case, the herbs are not necessarily pulled out of your garden when they finish, but are sowed at two to three week intervals to ensure a steady harvest throughout the season. You'll want to sow dill and cilantro at closer intervals since the heat can make them bolt faster.

Garlic bulbs after harvesting.

Bush beans

Try growing these vegetables and herbs from seed 

Here's what you can plant now:

• Beans
• Chard
• Cucumbers
• Beets
• Heat-tolerant lettuce varieties
• Basil
• Cilantro 
• Dill 
• Corn — but time is ticking on this one!
• Summer squash
• Broccoli — start indoors under lights
• Kale — cover with a floating row cover to keep the cabbage whites off.
• Carrots

P.S. Don't forget the flowers

Get the following seeds in the ground before August for late-fall blooms and cut flowers:

• Zinnias 
• Sunflowers
• Calendula
• Cosmos

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Originally published 7/18/20. Updated 7/5/23.