That may happen in other parts of the country where summers are cooler and growing seasons are shorter, but here, this is when spring vegetable gardening starts to shut down.

Once daytime temperatures are consistently above 95 degrees and nighttime temperatures stop dropping below 75, many vegetables are no longer able to produce fruit properly.

For crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash, pollen can become sterile when daytime highs exceed 95 degrees. That means flowers may form, but successful fertilization does not happen.

And if fruit does form, it is often smaller, misshapen, and doesn't taste very good.

To make things worse, heat-stressed plants become more vulnerable to pest and disease problems (hello, leaf-footed bugs).

It's not you, it's North Texas

People complain that gardening is impossible here, but once they learn to work with our climate instead of against it, everything changes.

In North Texas, we do not have one long vegetable season.

We have two separate vegetable seasons: spring and fall.

Right now, we are in the no-man's land of gardening. It can be frustrating, but there is very good news:

We get a second chance.

Fall is one of the most productive and rewarding vegetable seasons in North Texas, but only if you start planning now.

This is the month to start making decisions about what you want to grow, what needs to be started from seed indoors, what needs to be purchased as transplants later, and what garden beds need to be cleared and amended before planting.

Vegetables you can grow for fall if you start planning now:

Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Summer squash
Winter squash
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Hardy greens
Lettuce
Eggplant
Peppers
Pumpkins
Herbs
Root crops
And more

The key is knowing which crops to start now, what order to plant them in, and how to protect new transplants in the heat.

That is exactly what I will teach inside Best-Ever Fall Vegetable Garden, happening Saturday, July 18 at 10am live online.

This is one of our most popular classes because it gives North Texas gardeners a clear, practical plan for the season ahead.

We will cover:

What to plant for fall​
Including warm-season crops, cool-season crops, herbs, greens, and vegetables that can carry your garden into winter.

When to start seeds and transplants​
So you do not miss the planting window or start too early and lose plants to heat.

How to prepare beds after spring crops are finished​
Including what to remove, what to refresh, and how to get tired summer soil ready for another round of production.

How to protect young fall plants from heat​
Because fall gardening in North Texas usually begins while it still feels very much like summer.

How to avoid the most common fall garden mistakes​
Especially waiting too long, choosing the wrong varieties, and planting cool-season crops before they are ready for our conditions.

Best-Ever Fall Vegetable Garden is included with enrollment in The Dallas Garden School.​

​Enrollment also gives you access to our on-demand class library, live seasonal classes, and ongoing help throughout the gardening year, so you are not left guessing what to do next.

If your spring garden is fading and you are ready for a better, more productive fall season, this is the perfect time to join.

Enroll today and join us for Best-Ever Fall Vegetable Garden.

(Can't make it live? Replay, handouts, and instructor help available to all enrolled students.)

This could be you in October with your Halloween pumpkins ⬇️

P.S. This week's New York Times Cooking newsletter is all about recipes that use garden-fresh vegetables. If you don't have a subscription, don't worry, I've gifted you the article here. It may ask you to create an account, but it's free to set one up.