By Joanna Pappo, Village Vancouver assistant gardener
Did you know it’s not too late to plant seeds in your garden? In fact, there are plenty of delicious vegetables and herbs you can start planting right now for a fall and winter harvest.
Crops to plant now
Here are 15 things you can start planting directly from seed in July:
- Arugula
- Beets
- Kale
- Peas
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Scallions
- Pac choi
- Spinach
- Swiss chard
- Parsnips
- Cabbage
- Turnips
- Cress
- Lettuce
Herbs to plant now
Here are 5 herbs you can plant in July:
- Cilantro
- Dill
- Fennel
- Parsely
- Chives
Companion planting
Not sure how to plan your fall and winter garden? Try companion planting, where certain plants can benefit each other when grown together. Try planting these things together for healthier plants:
- Beet, bush beans and kale
- Broccoli, turnip and dill
- Carrot, parsley and chives
- Dill, cabbage and scallions
Don’t forget!
When gardening in the summer, don’t forget to:
- Check the soil and sun requirements for your crops, and match them to your garden. This resource for planning your garden allows you to map out how much sun your space gets throughout the day.
- When planting seeds, a good rule of thumb is to plant them about 2-3x as deep as the seeds are wide.
- Once seeds are planted, make sure to keep them watered.
- After seeds sprout up, don’t forget to mulch! Mulching around plants with bark, leaves, cardboard, grass cuttings or straw keeps the soil covered and moisture locked in for longer, making for happier plants.
- Stagger your planting. If you want more consistent harvests throughout the fall and winter, try staggering your seed sowing. Start a portion of your seeds now, and continue to sow more every two weeks as appropriate.
Need Seeds?
Village Vancouver Seed Libraries offer free seeds for gardening. Our next seed giveaways are:
- Wednesday, June 30 from 4:30-5:30pm at the new Bayswater Street Plaza (on Bayswater, just off of Broadway)
- Monday, July 5 from 5:30-6:30pm in front of the McBride Park Fieldhouse (on Waterloo, between 4th and 5th)
- Monday, July 19 from 5:30-6:30pm at Bayswater Plaza
- Thursday, July 22 from 5:15-6pm at the West End Community Centre (pre-registration required)
- Monday, July 26 from 5:30-6:30pm at the Bayswater Plaza
Have fun, and enjoy your new plants into the fall and winter!