What to plant this week in Salt Lake City, UT
Salt Lake City gardeners are currently in a productive mid-season window where the risk of frost has passed, allowing you to focus on harvesting warm-weather crops like cucumbers and okra while sowing new zucchini seeds. With temperatures hovering near 5°F only during rare cold snaps in late winter, your current priority is maximizing yield from established plants before the November 15 first frost cuts the season short.
The next 7 days
Salt Lake City, UTGrowing in Salt Lake City right now
- Watch for soil drying out quickly due to our high elevation and afternoon sun; water deeply in the morning to keep roots cool while encouraging deep growth.
- Our unique valley air circulation helps prevent some fungal issues, but heavy clay pockets in certain neighborhoods may require extra organic matter before transplanting new varieties next month.
- As we approach late summer, mulch heavily around squash and melons to suppress weeds and retain moisture as the monsoon season winds down.
- Take advantage of this week's harvest list for bush beans and corn; do not wait until autumn when rapid cooling can drastically reduce pod size.
Sow this week
2 crops- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zucchini
Transplant this week
Nothing is due to go out this week.
Harvest soon
36 crops- Basil
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Cantaloupe
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- Edamame
- Fennel
- Flour Corn
- French Marigold
- Garden Verbena
- Garlic
- Gourd (Ornamental/Bottle)
- Honeydew Melon
- Lima Bean
- Loofah (Luffa)
- Malabar Spinach
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Pole Bean
- Pumpkin
- Roselle (Cranberry Hibiscus)
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Summer Savory
- Sunflower
- Sweet Corn
- Thai Basil
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Watermelon
- Winter Squash
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Seasonal tips
- Succession sow bush beans every two weeks to ensure a continuous harvest through late August.
- Thin seedlings early on okra and watermelon plants to allow remaining specimens room to spread their vines.
- Apply a light layer of compost around established summer squash and zucchini to feed heavy fruiting plants.
Pest & disease watch
- Aphids often target the new growth on sunflowers and cosmos during our warm, dry stretches, so inspect undersides of leaves weekly.
- Cucumber beetles are active now and will quickly damage developing melons; consider hand-picking them early in the morning when they are less mobile.
- Powdery mildew can develop on squash varieties if humidity spikes after a rainy night, so ensure good airflow between plants.
Watering this week
Water deeply in the early morning to keep soil moist without wetting foliage, especially when fruit sets in.
Harvest zucchini and summer squash every two days to prevent them from becoming tough and bitter.
Salt Lake City gardening questions
3Can I still plant basil seeds now in Salt Lake City?
No, basil is listed for harvest soon rather than sowing, meaning it has already been planted and is ready to pick. If you need more greenery, prune your existing plants heavily to encourage a second flush of growth before the frost.
When should I start planning for next year's garlic?
While you cannot plant garlic this week, the list indicates it is currently being harvested or is in late growth stages. For next year, plan to sow garlic cloves in mid-October after the average last frost date of March 28 has passed and soil cools.
My watermelons aren't ripening fast enough; what should I do?
Since watermelon is on the harvest soon list, check that fruit size and rind color indicate maturity for our specific climate. If they are still green, allow a few more days but protect them from birds which often target ripe melons in our open gardens.
Other cities in zone 7b
12See the full zone 7b guide → · Plan your Salt Lake City garden in SproutGuide →