How to Start a Vegetable Garden in Zone 7

If you’re new to gardening, welcome! It’s a fun and effective way to produce healthy food for your family and play a role in your community’s upkeep. Plus, studies show playing in the dirt and working in the sun improves our mental health and wellness.

Growers in Zone 7 have an extensive season with many benefits and downfalls. While the season starts earlier than for northern growers and lasts well into the fall, days are hot, dry, and sunny. I’ll focus on annual vegetables in this article, although herbs and flowers perform well in Zone 7, too! Let’s get into how to start a vegetable garden in this growing zone.

Pick Your Plot

Location is one of the most crucial aspects of starting a vegetable garden. Most annuals need full sun and rich, well-draining soil to thrive. Here are a few things to consider when selecting your plot:

• Will the spot receive full sun with some access to afternoon shade? Are there buildings or trees casting uneven shade and shadows? 
• Is it mostly level? 
• Can you remove all the grass and weeds before transplanting seedlings?
  • Consider using a silage tarp to cover the area or cardboard and compost to kill everything back, providing a weed-free area. 
• Prepare the area by loosening the soil with a broadfork or digging fork to allow compost and soil amendments to mix into the ground soil. Compost will help retain moisture.
• Is there water easily accessible? 

Pro tip: Dump your grass clippings, kitchen scraps, fall leaves, and decomposing sticks and logs to the bottom of tall raised beds to save money on potting mix and compost. As the green material breaks down, it’ll become new soil and add fertility. Top off the raised bed each year as the organic matter shrinks down. 

Test and Amend Your Soil

I farm in the “granite state” of New Hampshire, so our soil is naturally acidic. We test annually to ensure we properly maintain levels appropriate for growing vegetables. I have gardening friends who don’t soil test until there seems to be an issue, and while that might work for them, I highly recommend soil testing before starting a new garden. 

The results will give you an idea of what’s happening and what amendments to add for a thriving, productive garden. For beginners, soil amendments are different fertilizers we add to the soil to raise or lower pH, increase overall fertility, and add soil organic matter (SOM).

Local university and extension offices should have a testing lab available. The results include a complete analysis and recommendations on what to add. 

Adust the indicated recommendations from the test results by pounds per acre to the size of your garden plot. When starting anew, do a general application pre-season, and then you can fertilize each crop more specifically based on their needs. Ask your local extension office agent if there are things about soil in your area, like our acidity level, that you should pay close attention to each year. 

Prepare Garden Beds 

Many gardeners find it natural and fun to plant directly into garden soil. But as I have mentioned, some of us have poor fertility, rocky soil, or other limitations that make growing in raised beds more efficient.

Today’s market offers a wide range of garden beds to choose from if you decide your garden soil isn’t up to par. Raised beds provide height, various shapes, colors, and convenience and are aesthetically pleasing. Epic Gardening’s metal Birdies beds added a modern flair to my new home garden when I matched them to our charcoal gray siding. 

To grow in the ground, easily create straight garden beds with wooden stakes and a string line. Map out the space and take measurements, then pound a stake in the bed’s four corners. Tie a string to one, pull it tightly to the opposite end, then wrap it around the next stakes, continuing all the way around.

With a rake, shovel, and hoe, loosen the soil along the string line and create a path by piling soil onto the bed. Make beds wide enough to align with your spacing needs and paths wide enough to walk through comfortably and harvest.

A typical garden bed is 30 inches wide with 12 to 18-inch paths. Consistent sizing will make your life easier when quickly grabbing a piece of insect netting or row cover. 

Depending on how early you transplant seedlings, growers in Zone 7 shouldn’t need to cover to protect against frost too often, but it’s a good idea to have it handy. Your growing season lasts roughly from April to November. 

Select Your Veggies

For growers in northern regions like myself, the vegetables we choose to grow revolve around the length of time without cold or freezing temperatures. In contrast, growers in Zone 7 and above should base their decisions on the heat and humidity their crops are sure to face.

While winters are mild, summer heat can be long, hot, and harsh. Knowing the limits of your zone and choosing varieties that can tolerate your conditions is critical to an abundant season.

Easy-to-grow veggies for beginners, such as head lettuce, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and carrots, are an excellent place to start. However, when perusing seed catalogs, keep your eyes peeled for varieties indicating heat and humidity tolerance.

Many seed companies offer these characteristics as filters on their website for easy shopping. Growing crops recommended for cool climates in Zone 7 will not reap the results you want. Instead, look for bolt-resistant vegetables. 

We successfully grow dense, resilient romaine lettuce heads, even when summer temperatures are above average with high humidity. Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant love summer heat, but pay close attention to air circulation. Regular pruning, proper spacing, and garden cleanliness will help keep the air flowing through plants and reduce disease risk. 

Don’t be afraid to experiment with sowing different varieties at various parts of the season. Take notes on the results to help you plan future seasons. Play around with companion planting and adding flowers nearby to attract beneficial insects and pollinators. 

Make a Sowing Schedule

Creating or adjusting a sowing schedule in the winter is a fun way to extend the gardening season while warm and cozy indoors.

If a crop recommends starting seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks before that, count backward to see that would be between January 10 and 24 and add it to your spreadsheet. Then, you can sort your spreadsheet by the recommended start date and even your seeds by that date to make the spring easier. 

Use your sowing schedule as a living guide that ebbs and flows as the season unfolds. If the weather is unseasonably hot earlier on, adjust sowings, and if you have a cold, wet spring, you may need to push some transplanting out a week or so. 

If you’re a visual person, draw out a map of each garden or raised bed, complete with dimensions. Include spacing, sowing dates, and a color key. Use a pencil so you can adjust as needed. Place things together that make good companions and require similar soil fertility and water. 

Install Irrigation

I mentioned access to water as one of the most crucial things to consider when choosing your garden location. Having water nearby will make your job of watering much more enjoyable. Irrigation systems will make it even more efficient. 

Plant crops with similar needs near one another, including water needs. Doing so allows you to customize how you water each area and ensures your plants get what they need. While you may start small and only require a hose, spray nozzle, and watering can, more advanced options include drip irrigation for ground and raised bed gardens, the Garden Oya™, and soaker hoses. 

Your plants will give you signs if you’re under or overwatering, so be on the lookout for droopy leaves, yellowing, poor flower formation, and stunted growth. Overhead watering may not get the water at the root system, where it’s needed most, so while it’s okay in a pinch on hot days, deep watering will reduce the risk of fungal diseases and ensure plants get enough to drink.

When broadcasting wildflower seeds or cover crops, overhead watering is appropriate, but otherwise, I recommend sticking to the deep watering method, which suggests more infrequent but extended sessions. 

Drip irrigation is the most cost-effective and efficient deep watering method. It gets water straight to the root, which is crucial when transplanting in Zone 7 during the hot summer months. Raised bed systems are customizable and easy to change. Move them around as needed as you add more gardens and change the crops inside. 

Start Seeds

As our climate continues to shift and change, more gardeners are starting seeds indoors, which allows them to control the environment and give seeds the best chance at germinating and a successful start. The method you use to start seeds will depend on your setup, crop, and zone; each has its place in the gardening world. 

Direct-sown seeds will significantly benefit from consistently moist soil. Pro tip: Throw some row cover over the newly sown seeds and overhead water it daily to increase germination rates. This method works exceptionally well with radishes, turnips, spinach, and carrots. Use a shade cloth on hot days to prevent the soil from drying. 

Speaking of containers, air-pruning cell trays are an excellent investment. Their depth will help give seedlings extended nutrients, and the airflow keeps them strong and healthy. Epic Gardening’s trays fit snuggly into a 1020 tray, so moving them around is a breeze.

About a week before you plan to transplant seedlings, introduce them to the outdoors so they can acclimate to direct sun, wind, and cooler overnight temperatures. Do this slowly, and let their first few hours be on a cloudy day or afternoon shade to prevent stress. This process is “hardening off.” 

The quality of your garden will reflect the quality of seeds, soil, and supplies you purchased, so always get them from reputable and trusted sources. 

Direct Sow or Transplant 

After making beds, amending soil, and creating a sowing schedule, it’s time to get sowing. In USDA growing Zone 7, the last spring frost should occur around late March or early April. Gather seeds that your sowing schedule indicates you should be starting indoors or preparing to sow outdoors. 

Direct sowing can be done by hand or with a seeder. Adjust the settings as appropriate for each seed based on size, spacing requirements, and soil type. Water newly sown beds immediately and ensure seeds aren’t visible to birds or passing by critters. 

Protect

Even in Zone 7, you may have chilly nights that call for protection. Have row cover handy and cover cold-sensitive crops if temperatures are below 55°F (13°C). 

Shade cloth will be your friend during hot, sunny stretches and drought conditions. Drape 30 to 50% shade cloth over greens and brassicas to keep them from bolting. Water crops early in the morning so the water reaches the roots before evaporating from the soil surface. 

Mulching with straw, compost, or woodchips may keep the soil temperatures from fluctuating. It will also keep soil in place, reducing erosion and decreasing weed pressure. 

Insect netting will keep out pesky flea beetles, cucumber beetles, squash bugs, and moths in search of a place to lay their eggs. 

Control Weeds

Weeding can be a relaxing garden chore, but to allow more time to simply spend time out in your yard, enjoying the beauty you’ve created, control the weeds by preventing them from germinating in the first place. Get them when they’re young and before they drop seeds. 

Use silage tarps to prepare a stale seedbed before direct sowing. In addition to competing with your prized vegetables for resources, weeds can serve as hosts of unwanted pests and diseases. While weeds are commonly known simply as plants growing in the wrong place, have a plan to control them, so they can’t control you. 

Successively Plant

Planting quick-maturing crops in succession will give you a constant supply of greens like arugula and spinach and an extended season of summer squash, carrots, and cucumbers. Some diseases thrive in high heat and humidity, so plants could peter out quickly if you only have one succession. 

Be prepared with the next tray of seedlings and a place to put them. Rotate the crop type as needed to avoid the same pests all season. 

Take Photos and Data Records

I can’t stress the importance of taking photos and ample notes in gardening. The more years that pass, the less you’ll remember which year certain things happened.

In 2024, I tried to recall which year we had horrible and drawn-out cucumber beetle pressure and which year our tomatoes caught a case of the Septoria leaf spot. Thankfully, I have a photo file for each season that documents occurrences for easy reference. 

A phone is something many of us have nearby at all times, even while gardening. It’s good to unplug while getting your hands dirty, but take advantage of the camera and notes apps to help you track various garden happenings. Records will also help you properly rotate crops yearly, which is crucial for pest and disease control and general soil fertility.