Zone 7 - What to Plant in October

Zone 7 - What to Plant in October

Zone 7 growers still have time to plant some cool season vegetables before your first typical frost in mid-November. The earlier you start in October the better. Try direct sowing some kale, spinach, radish and other second season vegetables. Below is a list of items that can be planted in zone 7 in October.

Rouge D'Hiver Lettuce is a beautifully multicolored French heirloom romaine. This variety's green leaves are tinted with medium-red color at the tip. Rouge D'Hiver is not just beautiful, but it is also very tasty and very easy to grow. This lettuce is a home favorite for resisting heat and cold stress if well watered. This variety has been recently resurrected.

Carmona Red is a favorite among many market growers! This lettuce variety produces big, bright red heads with lime green hearts. The Carmona Red has a nice silky texture and is very disease resistance.

The Gourmet Mesclun Blend is a colorful mixture of our favorite gourmet leaves! This blend offers a pleasing mix of colors and types of lettuce that are delicious together in a salad. The Gourmet Mesclun Blend is also great for baby leaf production.

The Red Sails Lettuce is a full rosette type that produces radiant bronze-red, ruffled and deeply lobed leaves that have a mild bitter-free flavor that pairs very well in salads. This slow-bolting lettuce is ready to cut early and holds its quality very well. Red Sails has six times the vitamin A and three times the vitamin C as other supermarket lettuces. This variety thrives in cool weather, but can also grow well in the spring, summer or fall.

The Tom Thumb Lettuce is a tennis ball sized Bibb type with a great flavor! This slightly savory, bright green lettuce produces small compact heads that have slightly crumpled leaves with a sweet, delicate flavor. One head will make a salad for two! Tom Thumb will grow beautifully in small pots, window boxes, hanging baskets and planted under trees. This variety is the oldest American lettuce still grown, dating back to 1830's! This rare find is a good one!

Great Lakes 118 lettuce is a classic butterhead variety that has gained popularity among gardeners since its introduction in the mid-20th century. Known for its compact, dense heads and vibrant green, slightly crinkled leaves, this lettuce offers a pleasing texture and rich, buttery flavor. The taste is mildly sweet and crisp, making it ideal for salads and sandwiches. Harvesting typically occurs around 60-75 days after planting, when the heads are firm and fully developed; gardeners can either cut the entire head or pick individual leaves as needed. Great Lakes 118 thrives in cooler temperatures and well-drained soil, making it a favorite choice for spring and fall planting, and it’s particularly valued for its ability to withstand heat and maintain flavor.

Sugar Sprint Pea will sprint into the production of delicious peas! This fast maturing, heavy producing pea plant is one of the earliest maturing peas available. This pea variety produces 3" stringless snap peas over a long period. Sugar Sprint is heat tolerant and resistant to powdery mildew.

Rudolf Radish produces smooth, cherry-red, perfectly round roots with a crisp bite and classic, bold radish flavor. This vigorous, high-yielding variety is one of the easiest to grow and performs reliably in both spring and fall plantings. Roots size up quickly and uniformly, making them ideal for early harvest as cute mini radishes—or left to mature for full size without sacrificing texture or taste. A dependable choice for consistent shape, color, and crunch.

The Early Scarlet Globe is an early forcing radish that is perfect for home and market growers! This variety is a great bunching radish that produces 1" globes with bright red skin and a white flesh. The Early Scarlet Globe is great for both spring and fall planting!

Lakeside smooth leaf spinach with dark green leaves. It has a round to oval leaf shape with an upright plant habit that makes it easy to harvest. It is a very versatile variety it can be used for baby leaf, bunch or clip.

The Vivian lettuce is a tightly bunched romaine with broad dark green crisp leaves. Its leaves are 12-16 in. long and 4-6 in. across. Vivian is bolt resistant and suitable for commercial and home growers. Its erect dark green leaves are great for baby leaf production.

Green Ice is a crispy loose-leaf lettuce that does well in hot weather! This variety produces an abundance of crunchy loose leaves. Green Ice's leaves are curled with deep green color. This lettuce is ready in just 45 days, it is among the earliest, yet will last well into summer thanks to its superior heat tolerance. Green Ice is one loose-leaf that just won't bolt!