Plant Cukes In July

If you live somewhere in USDA hardiness zones 5, 6 or 7 and you want a bigger, better cucumber harvest, sometime during the first two weeks of July is an excellent time to plant more cucumbers.

- Jessica Walliser

While you might think this is too late to plant a warm-season garden crop from seed, it's not, especially if you seek out a cucumber variety that matures in less than 55 days. Good choices include Raider, Straight Eight and Pickle Bush.

Why July?

Here are several great reasons you'll want to sow seeds and plant more cucumbers in midsummer.

• Sow a succession crop of cucumbers in early July so they'll be ready for harvest in the autumn, just before frost. This is the time when things typically calm down in the garden. Why not take advantage of that lull to make a batch of pickles?

• Late-planted cucumber crops tend to face less pressure from cucumber beetles. By planting more seeds off the life cycle of this beetle, you could face less feeding damage and less bacterial wilt.