Late summer doesn’t always come to mind as planting time. Some crops like lettuce and spinach can be bitter and hard to grow in the heat of the summer. Late July and early August are great times to plant vegetables that grow quickly and mature better in cooler temperatures.  

After harvesting veggies like lettuces, radishes, peas and spinach you can easily grow more if you have the inclination for more fresh, garden-grown produce into fall. Before replanting an area remove any remaining plants and allow the area to rest for a couple of weeks.  Roots and debris from some plants can cause seeds to not germinate so it is best to wait.  Next, remove any weeds, loosen the soil, and add a balanced fertilizer or some compost to replace the nutrients the earlier crop used.  

Some plants like peas, salad greens, spinach, and herbs such as cilantro and basil grow in as few as 30-50 days and have plenty of time to grow before the first frost. Other vegetables like kale are frost tolerant and continue to grow well into October while being tender and sweet. 

Whatever you decide to try growing as a late crop be sure to check the seed packages for the number of days to maturity to ensure plants have enough time to grow.   The University of Minnesota Extension also has a handy planting chart that shows the types of vegetables best suited to late planting.

Photo Credit: University of Minnesota Extension (1)