Everything I Sow in July
July is a great time to restart the seeding station in your home. At this point, all the summer plants are already in the garden, so you have room to put time and effort into succession plantings, fall plantings, and perennials. What’s more, you don’t have to start the shoots indoors – you can use the seed trays outdoors in the sun. I set up a few trays in the driveway, in full sun, and make sure they have a bottom-water tray (this is a tray filled with water under the seed tray so the soil can always absorb as much water as it needs). I use tray domes (a clear plastic dome that sits on top of the seed tray to maintain humidity) sparingly due to the extreme heat outside. On very hot days, I remove the domes so that the seeds do not fry. As soon as there is even the slightest sign of germination, the domes come off forever.
Seeding succession
Most of the time at this time of year I get a little cocky and don’t take care of the planting sequence and then regret it. This year I’m starting Continuity Saturday, where each week I force myself to go out, evaluate what needs turnover, and make sure to plant some lettuces, radishes, beets, and kohlrabi.
Get ready for fall
Hopefully you have now ordered and received all your fall planting seeds and know what you need to plant. July is the time you will want to start these works so that they will be ready to use in the garden areas by late August/early September. Once your summer plants are removed, you will replace them in the fall. Think about your hearty winter vegetables (which are admittedly a little tough when it’s 100 degrees outside) – cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, root vegetables, etc.
Perennials
Take a moment to think about each prized perennial you liked at the nursery. Unless they’re vegetables, these plants can really wreak havoc on your finances. So grow them yourself, either from seeds or cuttings. If you can find someone with one of these perennials, you can usually take a healthy cutting, cut off the end, dip it in rooting powder, and plant the little guy in potting soil. You can also do this to duplicate your own plants. If not, grab some seeds and get to work. Instead of paying $30 for echinacea this summer, grow 10 of them for $5 from seeds. If you start now, you’ll have a plant the size of a four-inch pot by fall.