Veggies You Can Plant in Mid-Summer

There are several fast-growing summer vegetables and herbs that can still be planted in July and August.

Updated on March 12, 2026
Cucumbers are a classic summer vegetable. With consistent soil moisture and good fertility, just a few plants will produce enough for plenty of salads and homemade pickles. Growing cucumbers on a trellis provides good air circulation, to keep leaf spots at bay, and makes harvesting a snap.

Cucumbers

Cucumbers are one of the best vegetables to plant in summer. Just a few plants will produce enough cucumbers for plenty of salads and homemade pickles.

Photo by: Photo Courtesy of Dollar Photo Club 

Photo Courtesy of Dollar Photo Club 

Cucumbers are one of the best vegetables to plant in summer. Just a few plants will produce enough cucumbers for plenty of salads and homemade pickles.

A number of fast-growing summer veggies and herbs can still be planted in July and August. If you have an open spot in your garden due to a lost crop or the end of a spring harvest, there are a few fast growers that you can plant in the heat of the summer.

Many plants need to be re-sown through the season anyway, and still others will produce well into the fall even if you don’t get the seeds in the ground until summer. In fact, some vegetable plants do even better and grow more quickly when you wait until the ground is very warm and crawling with worms.

Here are some vegetables to plant in summer—before fall weather sets in.

Beans. Beans love warm, sunny days! Choose snap bush beans if your growing season is short – pole and dry beans take longer to mature. If you’ve already planted beans, consider putting in another crop.

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Cucumbers. Cukes grow fast, especially in the warm summer months. You might be amazed at how quickly they explode!

Yellow Cucumber Plant

Yellow Cucumber Plant

Squash. Many squashes don’t produce until fall anyway, making them a good choice for late spring or summer planting.

Heirloom Zucchini Squash

‘Black Beauty’ Zucchini

Zucchini flowers need pollinated to produce squash, so vines benefits from having flowers nearby to beckon bees. Good flower choices include Salvia coccinea, oregano, marigold, borage, dill and nasturtium. Other good zucchini companions: corn, garlic, radish, pea, spinach. Do not plant with potato.

Photo by: Julie Martens Forney

Julie Martens Forney

Carrots. Carrot seeds can be sown any time from spring through early autumn, as long as you get them in the ground by 10–12 weeks before the first fall frost.

Carrot 'Hercules'

Carrot 'Hercules'

Cone-shaped 'Hercules' carrots can be grown in heavy, shallow or rocky soils that would stunt or twist longer-rooted types. They mature early and are great for juicing. The color is medium orange.

Photo by: National Garden Bureau/Alf Christianson Seed Co./Sakata

National Garden Bureau/Alf Christianson Seed Co./Sakata

Herbs like basil, marjoram, chives and sage do well when planted in the late spring and summer, and can even thrive indoors throughout the winter.

Harvesting Basil from the Pizza Garden

This list is far from exhaustive. In fact, you might be amazed at what kind of seeds will grow and produce well even if you don’t get around to putting them in your garden until midsummer. Research your garden zone for more specific information about which seeds will do well when you’re ready to plant.

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