Garden Diagnosis #13: What Can I Still Plant Right Now?

It's Not Too Late to Grow More This Season

Think the planting season is over?

Think again.

One of the biggest gardening myths is that once July ends, the growing season is winding down.

In reality, experienced gardeners know something different:

Late summer is the beginning of the fall gardening season.

While some spring crops are slowing down, many vegetables are just waiting for slightly cooler weather to thrive.

Whether you're gardening in Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Michigan, Minnesota, or Maine, there's still plenty of opportunity left—you simply need to plant the right crops at the right time.

30-Second Diagnosis

If you still have six to ten weeks before your first frost—or you live in a warm southern climate—you can likely grow another productive crop this season.

The key isn't planting everything.

It's planting crops that match the days you have left.

What's Actually Happening?

As summer begins to fade, two things happen:

Temperatures slowly become more favorable for many vegetables.

At the same time, the number of growing days before frost becomes more limited.

Successful late-season gardening is about balancing both.

That's why experienced gardeners don't simply ask:

"What can I plant?"

They ask:

"What can I successfully harvest before my growing season ends?"

What Can You Still Plant?

The answer depends on your location, but many gardeners still have excellent options.

🌱 Warm Southern Climates

Gardeners in the South often have time for:

  • Bush beans
  • Cucumbers
  • Summer squash
  • Zucchini
  • Fall tomatoes (transplants)
  • Peppers (transplants)
  • Broccoli
  • Cabbage
  • Kale
  • Collards
  • Lettuce
  • Spinach
  • Radishes
  • Carrots
  • Beets

🌱 Northern Climates

Gardeners farther north may focus on faster-maturing crops like:

  • Lettuce
  • Spinach
  • Kale
  • Radishes
  • Beets
  • Turnips
  • Bush beans (depending on frost dates)
  • Swiss chard

Always count backward from your average first frost date before planting.

Four Keys to a Successful Late-Season Garden

1. Start With Healthy Soil

Your garden has worked hard all summer.

Before planting again, remove old roots, weeds, and spent crops.

Refreshing the soil now gives new seedlings a much better chance of success.

2. Keep Soil Moisture Consistent

Late-summer heat can quickly dry the top few inches of soil.

New seedlings establish more successfully when soil moisture stays consistent during their first few weeks.

Mulch is one of the simplest ways to help moderate soil temperature and reduce evaporation.

3. Choose Fast-Maturing Varieties

A variety that matures in 50 days may succeed where one requiring 80 days never reaches harvest.

Read seed packets carefully.

Those few weeks matter.

4. Give Seedlings Their Best Start

Young plants are establishing roots during some of the hottest weather they'll ever experience.

Reducing transplant stress and supporting early root development often pays dividends later in the season.

If This Were Our Garden...

Here's exactly how we'd prepare for a late-season planting.

Step 1

Clean up spent crops and remove unhealthy foliage.

There's no reason for new plants to compete with declining ones.

Step 2

If available, we'd incorporate compost or other quality organic matter into the planting area.

Healthy soil biology begins with organic matter.

Step 3

We'd water the planting area thoroughly before planting.

Moist soil helps create a better environment for seed germination and transplant establishment.

Step 4

Then we'd apply Organic REV as a soil drench at 1-2 oz per gallon of water.

We like applying REV immediately after planting because beneficial soil biology begins working throughout the root zone while new roots are actively establishing.

Organic REV isn't a replacement for good soil preparation—it enhances it by supporting healthy root function, beneficial soil biology, nutrient uptake, and plant resilience.

🌱 PRO TIP: Soak seeds in a 50/50 mixture of Organic REV and water for about an hour (overnight also works well). The soak helps hydrate the seed while introducing beneficial biology to the environment the emerging root will immediately encounter.

▶️ Watch Jill McSheehy's seed soak trial to see the process and results for yourself.

Step 5

If planting transplants—or once seedlings have emerged—we'd introduce AMP at 1 oz per gallon to support vigorous early root and shoot development during one of the hottest parts of the growing season. AMP can be watered in or applied as a foliar spray.

Step 6

Finally, we'd mulch around new plants to help conserve moisture, moderate soil temperatures, and protect the root zone.

Simple steps.

Healthy soil.

Healthy roots.

That's how we'd begin a fall garden.

Bottom Line

Don't assume your gardening season is ending.

For many gardeners, it's simply entering a new chapter.

A little planning now can mean fresh lettuce, spinach, kale, carrots, beans, broccoli, and many other vegetables long after the summer garden begins to fade.

Healthy gardens don't happen by accident.

They begin with healthy soil, healthy roots, and planting at the right time.

The best part of your growing season may still be ahead.

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