There's Still Time to Plant Your Own Backyard Veggies

Gardening in July?

You still have time to enjoy your own homegrown backyard vegetables if you plant the quick-maturing varieties. So get your garden or containers ready and look for these easy growing vegetables before the cool weather hits.

According to the Penn State Cooperative Extension, the time for planting warm-season crops like tomatoes and sweet corn has passed but there are many varieties of quick maturing plants you can still plant.

Here's a quick guide for planting in July; 

Bush type green beans – maturing in 50-55 days. 'Provider' or 'Bush Kentucky Wonder' or 'Tenderpod' would work well. 

Bush type wax beans – 'Gold Rush' or 'Indy Gold' mature quickly. 

Cucumbers – 'Raider' or 'Bush Champion' varieties, including 'All Season Burpless,' Tasy Jade, and 'Sweet Success.' 

Summer Squash – zucchini, patty pan and yellow squash mature quickly. 

Cool-season crops like broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi, radishes, beets, carrots, turnips, lettuce and spinach can be planted in early July through early August with a fall harvest. Choose varieties that mature in under 55 days.

When to Harvest:

Headquartered in Warminster at Street Road and Park Avenue, W.Atlee Burpee & Company recommends picking carrots and beets when their green foliage is full and their 'shoulders' begin to show above the soil. Green beans and summer squash should be harvested when they have a good color but are still small.

As stated on Burpee's website, www.burpee.com, most vegetables are the most tender when they are small.

And while looking into some fun bean facts , it's revealed that in the late 1800's bean breeder, (yes, there is such a thing as a bean breeder) Calvin Keeney, from New York, was called the "Father of the Stringless Bean" after he bred Burpees Stringless Bean Pod.

Bush beans are small bushy plants that grow close to the ground and need no support. See Burpees' website for information and videos on planting specific vegetables.

And there are different varieties of netting you can purchase or make to keep animals from eating in your garden. Or you could just plant extra for them!

Happy gardening and send us some photos of your homegrown veggies - we'd love to see what you've been planting!