Read by Matilda Longbottom
Dear Gardeners,
Welcome to the July 2025 issue of Food Gardening Magazine!
July means one thing: it’s time to master the ancient art of not killing your plants with kindness–or neglect. This month, I’m knee-deep in what I call “watering season,” and I’ve learned more about H2O timing than I ever thought possible.
Here’s what three decades of gardening has taught me about summer watering: your grandmother was right, science backs her up, and most of us are still doing it wrong. That old “water in the morning or evening” advice isn’t just garden folklore–it’s plant physiology 101. When you water during the heat of midday, you’re essentially creating a botanical steam room that stresses your plants and wastes precious water to evaporation.
I’ve been experimenting with different watering schedules this season, and the results are fascinating. My 6 AM watering routine has become as sacred as morning coffee. The plants are actively transpiring, ready to uptake water efficiently, and I get to enjoy the garden in those perfect, cool morning moments before the day turns into a furnace.
But here’s where it gets interesting: deep, infrequent watering trumps daily sprinkles every single time. I learned this the hard way when my shallow-watered tomatoes developed roots that stayed near the surface, making them drought-stressed drama queens. Now I water thoroughly twice a week, and my plants have developed the kind of deep root systems that laugh at heat waves.
The real game-changer has been understanding soil moisture retention. Adding compost isn’t just about nutrients–it’s about creating soil structure that holds water like a sponge while still draining well. My beds amended with compost need significantly less water than the clay sections I haven’t gotten to yet. Now, let’s get to what’s in this month’s issue!
Fresh Takes
July is when your garden shifts into high gear, and success depends entirely on reading your local climate’s summer personality. Some zones are ready for aggressive succession planting, while others are in full survival mode:
What to Plant in July in USDA Zones 4–6: Your golden window for fall crop succession and cool-weather planning. While everyone else is complaining about the heat, you’re the strategic genius planting Brussels sprouts in July.
What to Plant in July in USDA Zones 7–8: The sweet spot for balancing heat-tolerant varieties with autumn garden prep. Think of it as gardening’s version of having your cake and eating it too.
What to Plant in July in USDA Zones 9–10: Welcome to advanced-level summer gardening, where timing is everything and shade cloth becomes your best friend.
Plant Close-Ups
This month’s features are all about working smarter, not harder, in the peak growing season. From managing summer abundance to discovering the plants hiding in plain sight, these deep dives will elevate your gardening game:
How to Master Succession Planting and Avoid Zucchini Glut: The strategic timing techniques that separate garden masters from those frantically googling “what to do with 47 zucchini” at 2 AM.
3 Best Lavender Varieties for Culinary Use: Because not all lavender is created equal, and the difference between “heavenly herb” and “soapy disaster” lies entirely in varietal selection.
Growing Sweet Corn in Small Spaces: Turns out corn is surprisingly adaptable to compact growing situations–no prairie required.
Identifying Mystery and Volunteer Onions in Your Garden: When your garden starts producing plants you definitely didn’t plant, and detective work becomes part of gardening.
Overwintering Bell Pepper Plants for a Head Start Next Season: The long-term strategy that transforms annual peppers into perennial powerhouses.
Get Your 2025 Herb Gardening Made Easy Special Issue
We’re absolutely thrilled to share our Herb Gardening Made Easy Special Issue–your comprehensive guide to turning your backyard into an aromatic wonderland that would make medieval apothecaries weep with envy. Whether you’re looking to expand beyond basic basil or finally figure out what to do with all that mint that’s staging a garden coup, this special issue has everything you need.
Featured Videos
This month’s video collection brings together practical garden wisdom with summer entertaining ideas that will transform your backyard into the neighborhood’s unofficial social headquarters:
Garden-to-Glass Cocktails: Transform your herb garden into a craft cocktail operation that rivals your favorite speakeasy–because basil mojitos are a legitimate use of garden space.
How to Create a Food Forest of Flowering Fruit Trees: The permaculture approach to fruit growing that makes regular orchards look quaint and under-ambitious.
How to Start Gardening with Grow Bags for Vegetables and Fruits: When you need more growing space but permanent raised beds aren’t in the cards.
How to Throw a Backyard Pizza Party from Your Garden: The natural evolution of homegrown vegetables and the universal human need for melted cheese.
10 Summer Garden Chores for a Happy Garden: The maintenance tasks that separate thriving gardens from mid-August disasters.
Summer Salads
July heat demands meals that require minimal stove time and maximum fresh produce celebration. These salads turn peak-season abundance into sophisticated dining without breaking a sweat:
Homemade Caesar Salad: Store-bought dressing is perfectly fine, but homemade Caesar is a revelation that transforms ordinary lettuce into restaurant-worthy luxury.
Ice Queen Lettuce Wedge Salad: The most dramatic way to serve lettuce, complete with enough toppings to qualify as a legitimate meal rather than rabbit food.
Roasted Beet, Peach, and Goat Cheese Salad: Sweet, earthy, and creamy–the sophisticated flavor combination that makes summer produce shine.
Asian Chicken Salad: Fresh, crunchy, and complex enough to prove that salads can be both healthy and completely satisfying.
Basil-Watermelon Salad: The unexpected pairing that sounds questionable until you try it, then becomes your new obsession for summer entertaining.
Let Your Garden Lead the Summer Symphony
Don’t forget to grab your Herb Gardening Made Easy Special Issue! Gold Members can explore our complete Gardening Kits collection for additional summer growing resources:
Download your favorites and transform your garden into the neighborhood’s unofficial agricultural research station (the kind that produces mojito ingredients instead of publishable papers)!
Whether you’re perfecting your watering technique like a botanical conductor, timing succession plantings with Swiss watch precision, or discovering that volunteer plants often outperform their carefully planned neighbors, July is about finding your rhythm in the peak growing season.
This is the month when morning garden walks become sacred rituals, when deep watering becomes a meditation practice, and when you realize that the best gardens are built on understanding rather than enthusiasm alone. The sun is fierce, the growth is explosive, and if you’re not learning something new about water management every week, you’re missing the deeper lessons your garden is trying to teach.
Happy growing!
Warm regards,
Christy Page
Editor & Publisher
