Seeds to Plant in the Summer

Growing Season

• A growing season is the length of time between the last frost and the first frost. Frost dates vary from region to region and from year to year. Almanacs, weather reports and local university extensions are resources through which gardeners find the exact frost dates for their area. Gardeners compare the length of their growing season against the length of time for a crop to reach maturity. Using this information gardeners establish a planting schedule. Since different crops mature at different rates not all seeds are sown at once.

Cool-season Vegetables

• Kale, cabbage, carrots, green onions and collard greens are some of the vegetables that perform well in cooler temperatures. Plant seeds soon after the last frost and you can expect an early summer kale and cabbage harvest within 45 to 65 days from sowing. Green onions and snap beans also ripen within two months. Gardeners reap two harvests from these vegetables -- one in early summer and the second in early fall, from seeds sown in mid-summer. Some crops are better able to withstand frost than others. Brussels sprouts, cabbage, collards and green onions keep growing even when temperatures plummet into the 20s, but spinach and leaf lettuce will not survive light frost. Count backwards from the last frost date to determine when to sow seed for your second crop of frost-sensitive cool-season vegetables.

Successive Crops

• Some vegetables are quick-growing making it possible for gardeners to plant successive crops that they harvest throughout the entire growing season. Radishes, for instance, germinate and mature within 30 days. By planting seeds every two weeks, throughout spring and summer, gardeners harvest radishes from spring through early fall. Mustard greens, leaf lettuce, basil and bush beans are also planted in mid-summer. Garlic planted in mid-summer successfully overwinters underground and is ready for a mid-July harvest the next year.

Ornamental Plants

• Gardeners interested in ornamental, rather than vegetable seeds, sow annual seeds in early spring for summer flowers. Most annuals die back with frost, but fast growing, cold hardy annuals like ornamental cabbage and kale are planted in mid-summer for fall color. Pansy seeds sown in mid-summer yield flowers in autumn. These hardy plants withstand light frosts and provide ornamental gardens with blooms after other flowers fade.