Beans, summer squash, short DTM winter squash like Acorn, cucumbers should still have time to produce if planted soon.

Not many starts available around here this time of year. I just sowed by broccoli and cauliflower last weekend indoors which will go out mid August. I'll start my lettuce starts in early August to plant out in late August.

Yes, it is time to start seeds for fall/winter crops. Any of the brassicas - cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts - should be started soon for late summer-early fall planting.

Whether or not there are still vegetable transplants available to buy is a local question only you can discover. Around here all are long gone. In more northern regions some may still be available but I would be careful about whether they are too old, too root bound, or too nutrient-deprived.

From seed - squash, and like Jack said - cauliflower, collards, broccoli, brussel sprouts, etc. could be started indoors now for later transplant. I'd wait on seeding beets until mid-late August. Field/southern peas could also be planted now.

Dave

One year vacationing 4th of July week in Maine just south of Acadia, I discovered the local nursery had wonderful vegetable starts. They catered to summer home owners who were just getting their gardens started. I also saw a farmers market vendor in Brunswick selling lettuce starts. If you are near a big summer home area, there might be a local nursery that has great vegetable starts.

Here (zone 6), I've still got kale and Swiss chard producing from my March planting. The next week I'll be starting carrots, beets, turnips, etc. Broccoli will be transplanted in a good week or two. My late DTM cabbages were sown back in May and have been in the ground close to 2 weeks now. I will probably hold off until the beginning of August to start leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, etc. I also hope to start some more yellow squash/zucchini, as well as cucumbers since my spring cucumbers were eaten by deer.

Of course, it probably largely depends on frost dates for your area. My planting is based off of an average first frost of Oct. 10.

Off topic- Lacey, what are Savoy cabbages?

Oh, savoy cabbages have ruffly leaves--though that's not explaining them very well. They're extremely cold hardy, more so than regular cabbages, and I've had them survive temps below 9 degrees when double row covered for winter. I can sometimes have them well into January. So delicious, sweet, and lovely to harvest a crop that time of year.

That sounds wonderful Lacey. I have a lot of old seed stored away, and happened to find a "savoy" cabbage in the mix. Maybe I will sow it today and give those a try. I love cabbage. I tried some Greyhound cabbage for overwintering last year, but most of it died. We had a mild fall and the ground didn't even freeze until late Dec., so it almost had a chance!! Some resprouted come spring, but just bolted

I recommend bush beans, especially the slender French fillet types or the broad, flat Roma. They grow fast, like hot weather and taste great. I just planted another batch. They are pretty much bullet-proof. The only issue for me is keeping the soil consistently moist this time of year.

Yep, a second crop will go in this week.

Hello again,

The clients and I will plant next week. Would anyone mind checking my work? Intercropping is still new to me. This spring, a LOT of space was wasted.

Suggestions welcome. Broccoli is not on the list because clients don't care for it.

The plots are 4 feet wide and 12 feet long.

Plots 1-2: Three rows of spinach; carrots between rows.

Plots 3-4: Butternut squash. Two plants per plot.

Plots 5-6: 2 rows of peas. (Can I get three rows in such a narrow plot size?)

Plots 7-8: 2 rows collards; beets between rows.

Plot 9: 2 rows bush beans (can I get three rows?)

Questions:

1. Dwarf sunflowers are fading. Should I pull them out and plant Mei Qing Pac Choi and 2 Marketmore cukes on either end?

2. Have never grown carrots successfully due to soil crusting. Okay to place sheets over plots to keep moisture in? If so, can I cover the spinach too?

3. Too late to plant Winter Luxury pie pumpkins? 105 days to maturity. I only have 75 days. Should I chance it, or plant something else?

4. Good idea to fertilize with 10-10-10 before planting? Did not have soil tests done this spring and things grew well, but perhaps fertilization is needed now.

Thank you!

Not sure on fertilizer, but here's my 2 cents.

YES, cover your cool weather plantings (like carrots) with sheets, or like I do, with cardboard and old chicken feed bags. I even use tarps sometimes. Not only does this hold in moisture, but it is also crucial to cooling the soil at this hot time of year, in my experience.

Pumpkins? I would not chance it. Say you have a warm fall, they could produce, but how much? Even if it's warmer, you have diminishing day length to deal with. Of course, it could be a great experiment :-)

If the Sunflowers are truly fading, then no sense in keeping them to hog nutrients and waste space.

I can't tell you how many rows in each plot without first knowing how large the plots are.

Good luck!

Plots are 4x12.

The plots are 4 feet wide and 12 feet long.

Plots 1-2: Three rows of spinach; carrots between rows.

I think you'll have harvesting issues. You won't be able to see the carrots between the spinach rows. Maybe two rows of spinach.

Plots 3-4: Butternut squash. Two plants per plot.

I read 100 days on one butternut variety. I don't think there's enough time. A summer squash perhaps?

Plots 5-6: 2 rows of peas. (Can I get three rows in such a narrow plot size?)

Between a trellis and 2 rows of peas you need at least a foot or so. No to a third row because of trellising but there is room for something short on either side.

Plots 7-8: 2 rows collards; beets between rows.

I haven't grown collards.

Plot 9: 2 rows bush beans (can I get three rows?)

There is room for three rows but the year I did three close rows, I thought picking the beans was difficult and middle row didn't seem to produce as much. I think this depends on person's reach and back bending to reach middle row.

I started off vegetable gardening using Square Foot Gardening as a guide to spacing. I don't agree with all of it but you can google some suggestions. Yes to adding more fertilizer. I would add composted manure too if you have it.

Spinach is a plant for cool weather, not summertime. You can sow spinach in my zone in mid September and get some before winter. It will also overwinter without protection and start up in late winter again. For spring spinach, sow in February.

I read that you could start spinach in the summer, slow bolting varieties. Maybe I was wrong.

No, you aren't wrong. Johnny's Seeds has several varieties to are slow to bolt such as Seaside which they say can be planted in spring and summer. There are other varieties for fall that you might choose to plant later but probably not right now. Depends on soil temperature where you are.

You can plant 3 rows of beans or peas in a 4' wide bed. Picking the middle row requires a little more effort and reach. I often plant 3 rows of bush beans in my 4x10 beds and then only harvest from the middle row once or twice and then leave the rest to mature and dry on the plant for seed.

Lacey, my garden, though full sun in spring and summer, is heavily shaded in fall. There's no way I could start spinach in mid Sept. and get a reasonable crop in the fall....Now I overwinter it by throwing seed down in Oct. It stays baby sized until spring, when it shoots up and gives me March harvests.

I think when to start spinach depends more on variety. I know many people who start spinach in August around here (with temps hovering in the 90's). It's hot then, but by the time the plants mature it's late Sept., the first chances of frost are floating around, and it's generally much cooler.

I certainly would wait to start spinach though. July is much too early, unless you like the flavor of flowering spinach!

I like Defrost's suggestions.

Thank you so much for all your wonderful responses this helps enormously. I can plant with confidence now.