What to plant this week in Baton Rouge, LA
Baton Rouge gardeners are well into the summer heat with your last frost firmly in the rearview since mid-February. This week marks a critical harvest window for heavy feeders like acorn squash, butternut squash, and cucumbers before the intense humidity sets in deep. With temperatures hovering near 90°F, focus on cooling crops like okra and malabar spinach while protecting tender herbs from afternoon scorch.
The next 7 days
Baton Rouge, LAGrowing in Baton Rouge right now
- Our heavy clay soils retain water poorly during our dry spells; water early morning to prevent fungal issues on squash leaves.
- The city's flat terrain offers little drainage protection for low-lying areas where watermelon and melons might sit in standing rain after tropical systems pass.
- Plant garlic now as a fall crop since your average first frost is late December, giving it time to bulb up before the chill hits.
- Mulch heavily around your zucchini and sweet corn beds to keep roots cool during our typical July heat waves.
Sow this week
2 crops- Daikon Radish
- Ornamental Allium
Transplant this week
Nothing is due to go out this week.
Harvest soon
44 crops- Acorn Squash
- Basil
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Butternut Squash
- Cantaloupe
- Celosia (Cockscomb)
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- Delicata Squash
- Edamame
- Fennel
- Flour Corn
- French Marigold
- Garden Verbena
- Garlic
- Gomphrena (Globe Amaranth)
- Gourd (Ornamental/Bottle)
- Honeydew Melon
- Lima Bean
- Loofah (Luffa)
- Malabar Spinach
- Morning Glory
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Pole Bean
- Pumpkin
- Purslane
- Roselle (Cranberry Hibiscus)
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Spaghetti Squash
- Summer Savory
- Sunflower
- Sweet Corn
- Thai Basil
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Watermelon
- Winter Squash
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Seasonal tips
- Succession sow fast-maturing crops like Daikon Radish or Ornamental Allium to extend your season's variety.
- Mulch around heavy feeders like Okra and Bush Beans to retain moisture as summer heat intensifies.
- Deadhead Zinnias and Cosmos regularly to encourage continuous blooming for pollinators.
Pest & disease watch
- Watch for southern corn leaf blight on your sweet corn and flour corn fields due to high humidity levels.
- Monitor okra and bush beans closely for stink bugs, which thrive in our summer warmth and can cause significant damage quickly.
- Spider mites often explode in populations during dry, hot stretches on French marigolds and garden verbena.
Watering this week
Water deeply in the early morning to reduce evaporation, especially during hot spells.
Harvest Edamame and Green Beans every two days to keep plants producing their best pods.
Baton Rouge gardening questions
3Can I still plant Daikon radish or Ornamental Allium outdoors this week?
Yes, both are listed as sowable now for our Zone 9a climate, but keep seeds shallow since our heavy clay soil compacts easily.
When should I harvest my winter squash varieties?
You can start harvesting Winter Squash and Delicata now while they are green, but wait for them to fully harden off before storing long-term.
How do I protect my basil from heat stress in Baton Rouge?
Provide afternoon shade cloth or move pots to a shaded porch, as our intense sun can scorch Thai Basil and Summer Savory quickly.
Other cities in zone 9a
9See the full zone 9a guide → · Plan your Baton Rouge garden in SproutGuide →