Hands planting autumn bulbs in rich dark garden soil

Start Thinking About Autumn Now: July Garden Tasks That Pay Off in Fall

Planting autumn bulbs in garden soil

It seems counterintuitive to think about autumn in the middle of summer. But the most beautiful autumn gardens are built in July and August — while summer is at its peak. Here are the tasks that, done now, will pay extraordinary dividends in three months' time.

Order Autumn Bulbs Now — Before Stock Runs Out

Tulips, daffodils, alliums, hyacinths, crocus, and fritillaria are planted in autumn (October-November) but sell out from the best suppliers by August. July is the ideal time to browse catalogs and order. The best Dutch and specialty suppliers offer varieties that disappear from stock quickly: double tulips, parrot tulips, heritage daffodils, giant alliums.

Order now, store bulbs in a cool, dry, dark place until planting time. The quality of spring display next year depends on choices made this July.

Start Autumn Brassicas from Seed

Broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, and winter cabbage need to be started from seed in July for harvest from October through February. Sow into seed trays or individual modules, keep in a cool, shaded spot (these are cool-season crops; they don't want summer heat during germination), and transplant to their final positions in August.

Kale and Brussels sprouts are the most cold-hardy and will produce through hard frosts. Broccoli and cauliflower need harvesting before the first hard freeze.

Sow Autumn Salad Crops

From mid-July, begin sowing the crops that will carry salad production through autumn:

  • Oriental leaves (mizuna, pak choi, mustard greens) — fast-growing, beautiful, and more flavorful in cool weather
  • Winter lettuces — varieties like 'Winter Density' and 'Arctic King' tolerate light frosts
  • Spinach — autumn-sown spinach overwinters to provide very early spring harvests
  • Rocket/arugula — sow every 3 weeks from July through September

Plant Autumn-Flowering Bulbs Now

While spring bulbs wait until autumn for planting, some summer and autumn flowering bulbs need planting now:

  • Colchicums — plant July-August for September-October bloom; extraordinary flowers appear almost magically from bare corms
  • Autumn crocus (Crocus speciosus) — plant now for October flowers in shades of violet and white
  • Cyclamen hederifolium — dry corms planted in August produce delicate flowers in September and beautiful marbled foliage all winter

Divide and Propagate Perennials

Summer is an excellent time to take cuttings from perennials and tender plants you want to overwinter or multiply:

  • Pelargoniums (geraniums): Take 3-4 inch stem cuttings, remove lower leaves, insert into gritty compost. They root readily in 3-4 weeks
  • Lavender: Take semi-ripe cuttings now for strong plants by spring
  • Rosemary and sage: Root stem cuttings to create free plants for gifts or garden expansion

Feed and Support Late-Summer Perennials

Plants that bloom in August-September (asters, sedums, rudbeckia, helenium) are building up to their flowering peak. Give them a potassium-rich feed now to support flower formation, and stake taller varieties before they flop — prevention is far easier than rescue after a storm.

July is the month that separates the gardeners who react to what happens from those who shape what happens next. Invest an hour this weekend in autumn planning — future you will be grateful.

Browse seed starter kits and garden tools at vyrgromm.com.

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