13 Seeds You Should Wait to Start Until Late Spring

Are you looking for seeds to start in late spring? From summer harvests to avoiding frosts, there are several reasons why late spring is perfect for planting. In this article, horticulture expert Matt Dursum covers the seeds you should wait to start until late spring.

Close up of garden peas with vibrant green pods hanging from stems along with white flowers.

Contents

Depending on where you live and its climate, late spring can be a wonderful time to start planting. In many regions, it’s when the threat of frost passes. It’s also when the sun shines brighter. 

Many species, such as corn and sunflowers, evolved to germinate in late spring, after the last frost. Other species can germinate in the cold but will mature in summer if you plant them in late spring. 

As the cold weather subsides and the leaf buds turn to leaves, it’s time to get in your garden and start planting. Below are 13 seeds you should wait to start until late spring.

Sweet Corn

Painted Hill Sweet Corn Seeds

Our Rating

Painted Hill Sweet Corn Seeds

Sunflower

Goldy Honey Bear Sunflower Seeds

Our Rating

Goldy Honey Bear Sunflower Seeds

Dill

Mammoth Dill

Our Rating

Mammoth Dill

Sweet Corn

Golden kernels glisten in sunlight on an open sweet corn, still clinging to its stalk. Surrounding blur reveals a verdant sea of cornstalks and lush green leaves, embracing the warmth of the day.
Start corn seeds in late spring to get a summer-long harvest.
common-name common name Sweet Corn
botanical-name botanical name Zea mays
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun
height height 5-8’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 2-11

It’s hard to imagine a crop more associated with summer and America. Corn is one of the oldest crops in the Americas. It was domesticated from Mexico to the Southern Andes in South America over 6,000 years ago from a wild grass called teosinte. 

When the Europeans invaded the shores of North America, corn was one of the first foods they encountered. Within half a century, it spread throughout the world. Today, people worldwide use corn in iconic dishes but nowhere is more committed to it than the Americas. 

Start corn seeds in late spring to get a summer-long harvest. Try directly sowing outdoors several weeks after the threat of the last frost. In 5 to 10 days, you should have your first seedlings appear. Corn needs about 1 inch of water every week. 

Sunflower

A tall stem supports a large, round flower head with yellow petals and a dark brown center, surrounded by broad, rough-textured green leaves.
These eye-catching flowers produce edible seeds and flower petals that will add a touch of color to your salads.
common-name common name Sunflower
botanical-name botanical name Helianthus annuus
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun
height height 2-12’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 2-11

There are around 100 species in the Helianthus genus, what we call sunflowers. The ones we love today for their big, delicious seeds and bright yellow blooms is Helianthus annuus. These popular flowering plants are native to the Americas. They produce edible seeds and flower pedals that will add a touch of color to your salads. 

Sunflowers are composed of thousands of tiny flowers known as florets. They grow on a single stalk that can reach up to 12 feet, and sometimes more. They prefer full sun and are relatively easy to care for if they get enough sun, nutrients, and water. 

Sow your sunflowers directly on the soil in late spring, one to two weeks after the last frost. Combine three seeds every two feet and plant a quarter to a half inch deep. You should get tiny stalks in two weeks and by summer, your entire garden will be filled with attractive blooms reminiscent of a Van Gogh painting. 

Dill

A single green stem adorned with clusters of petite, yellow dill flowers, their delicate petals unfurling gracefully. In the background, lush leaves form a blurred tapestry, enhancing the vibrancy of the botanical composition.
Start seeds outdoors and enjoy their leaves as a fresh ingredient for recipes.
common-name common name Dill
botanical-name botanical name Anethum graveolens
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun
height height 18-60”
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 2-11

Dill is one of the best herbs you can grow in a summer garden. It’s native to the Mediterranean and is one of the oldest culinary herbs in the world. There are records of the ancient Babylonians and Egyptians using it as a medicinal herb over 3,000 years ago. 

Dill grows best sowed outdoors one to two weeks after the last frost. It thrives in slightly acidic soil that’s well-draining and full of nutrients. In 65 to 75 days it will mature in your garden. Once it’s ready, harvest its leaves as a fresh ingredient for salads and soups, or dry them out for your spice jars. 

One of the best parts about dill is that it attracts helpful pollinators. After its flowers fade away, you can let it go to seed and reseed itself. Try growing dill around summer vegetables such as cucumber, asparagus, and cabbage. 

Zucchini

This plant's sprawling vines are adorned with broad, serrated leaves and produce vibrant green, ribbed fruits.
Plant in late spring to enjoy a bountiful harvest.
common-name common name Zucchini
botanical-name botanical name Cucurbita pepo
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun
height height 6-10’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 3-10

Zucchini is a summer treat that I love growing. As much as I love growing rare and novelty edible plants, it’s hard not to love the tasty green squash and flowers zucchini provides. Besides being easy to grow and delicious, it’s one of the oldest vegetables on earth. There’s evidence that early societies in South America grew the crop domestically as long as 10,000 years ago

Plant zucchini seeds in late spring. It prefers well-drained, slightly acidic soil with tons of organic nutrients. The highly productive vine grows best in full sun with a consistent watering schedule. Once the plant matures, you’ll have trouble keeping up with harvests. 

Try harvesting its young vines to make homemade squash vine soup. Add the flowers to soups and stir-fries or deep fry them tempura style. If you have an abundance of zucchini squash left over, it’s time to make everyone’s favorite zucchini bread! 

Pinto Beans

pinto beans and opened red pods against a white background.
Start these edible beans in spring near your squash and corn.
common-name common name Pinto Beans
botanical-name botanical name Phaseolus vulgaris (Pinto Group)
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun
height height 2-6’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 2-11

Pinto beans are one of the best crops to grow in a summer garden. Plant them near your squash and corn several weeks after the last frost. They thrive in warm soil, so late spring is usually the best time to get them in the soil.

Plant them in well-drained soil where previous bean plants haven’t grown. This will limit their exposure to pests and diseases in the soil. They require moist soil for up to two weeks as they germinate. Grow them on a trellis or fence or let them climb other tall plants in your garden.  

These edible beans are native to South America and are one of the oldest food crops in the world. To eat them, you have to cook the beans for several hours until they’re soft. Beans contain toxins that have to be removed by cooking. 

Marigold Flowers

Bright orange and yellow flowers, featuring densely packed petals and a somewhat frilled appearance, are supported by a bushy plant with finely divided, dark green foliage.
Marigolds are full of vivid red, yellow, and brass hues.
common-name common name Marigold Flowers
botanical-name botanical name Tagetes erecta
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun
height height Up to 1’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 3-11

Marigolds are fantastic summer bloomers, full of vivid red, yellow, and brass hues. They contain the chemicals pyrethrum and limonene, which help rid your garden of harmful pests such as root-knot nematodes in their second season. What’s even more impressive is they attract helpful pollinators at the same time. 

These colorful flowers are native to Central America. In Mexico, marigolds are an important flower of the annual Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, festival. The ancient Aztecs called them cempasúchil and used them in festivals and ceremonies. 

Plant these flowers in late spring around your edible garden. Make sure they get plenty of sun. Other than that, they are easy to take care of. They can handle long droughts and will bloom all summer long. 

Garden Peas

Slender, climbing stems bearing ovate green leaves and crisp green pods filled with sweet peas.
The entire plant is edible.
common-name common name Garden Peas
botanical-name botanical name Pisum sativum
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
height height 1-6’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 2-11

Garden peas are a must for summer gardens because of their edible pods, edible flowers, and edible greens. Basically, the entire plant is edible. For foodie gardeners like me, it’s hard to get enough of these summer garden staples. 

There are hundreds of varieties and cultivars to choose from. There are snap peas, snow peas, English peas, and other common varieties worth mixing up in your garden. Each one has its own flower color, pod shape, and flavor. 

Although peas are a cool-season crop as well, you can enjoy them through summer if you plant them in late spring. Sow them deep into well-drained soil that’s full of nutrients. They can handle full sun or partial shade, making them suitable for gardens near forests and tall trees. 

Lettuce

Compact heads of Buttercrunch lettuce with rich green, crinkled leaves growing close together in soil.
These edible leafy greens come in all sorts of sizes, shapes, colors, and flavors.
common-name common name Lettuce
botanical-name botanical name Lactuca sativa
sun-requirements sun requirements Partial shade
height height 4-12”
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 2-11

Lettuce comes in hundreds of varieties and cultivars. It’s the base ingredient in salads from around the world, making it a must in your spring and summer garden. These plants grow fast, so planting them in late spring will give you bountiful harvests leading into summer. 

These edible leafy greens come in all sorts of sizes, shapes, colors, and flavors. As diverse as they are, they share a common trait: they’re easy to grow

Plant them in well-drained soil rich in organic material. They love growing with the help of earthworm compost and other organic fertilizers. Keep the soil moist and consider using mulch to keep the moisture in the soil. 

Flowering Cosmos

A cluster of white, lavender, and deep red cosmos flowers in full bloom, adding vibrant hues to the garden. Behind them, the delicate and feathery leaves of the cosmos create a soft and lush backdrop for the colorful blossoms.
They have colorful blooms that appear in white, purple, red, and even chocolate colors! 
common-name common name Flowering Cosmos
botanical-name botanical name Cosmos bipinnatus
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun
height height 8” – 6’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 2-11

Flowering cosmos are stunning flowers that grow in poor soils. They are perfect for growing around your garden beds and even around driveways. They have colorful blooms that appear in white, purple, red, and even chocolate colors! 

Native to Mexico, botanical collectors brought cosmos flowers to Europe in the 18th century. From there, the flowers grew in popularity, eventually reaching gardens around the world. The first cosmos came to the US via Mexico in the late 19th century. 

After the last frost, sow your seeds directly into the soil and rake them. Give them a good watering and keep the soil partially moist until they germinate. Once they are established in your soil and mature, they can tolerate a moderate drought. 

Gladiolus

The buds are slender and elongated with a smooth, green surface, unfurling into tall spikes of tubular flowers with a broad, flared shape and soft pink colors arranged in overlapping tiers.
Their flowers look like Victorian frilled cuffs and their leaves like long sharp swords.
common-name common name Gladiolus
botanical-name botanical name Gladiolus spp.
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
height height 3-6’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 7-10

Gladiolus are magical summer bloomers with bright flowers and wispy foliage. Their flowers look like Victorian frilled cuffs and their leaves like long sharp swords. There are around 300 species and even more cultivars to choose from. 

These magical summer flowers grow from corms which should go in the ground after the last frost. Once they mature, they can grow up to 6 feet and tower over your other plants. Grow them along with other flowers for perfectly balanced flower beds. 

Plant them in well-drained soil once the temperatures start to warm up in late spring. They need full sun and plenty of water throughout the summer growing season. Add compost throughout the year moderately to encourage big, beautiful blooms and healthy foliage. 

Dahlias 

A small composition of yellow flowers outdoors
They produce a rayed pattern of flowers around the center.
common-name common name Dahlias 
botanical-name botanical name Dahlia pinnata
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
height height 1-4’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 8-11

Dahlias produce heavy blooms with multiple colors and styles. You can plant tons of varieties together in late spring to create a forest of flowers in the summer. They attract some of your garden’s most loved pollinators including hummingbirds and bees. 

These stunning flowers are native to the Americas, from Mexico to South America. French colonizers brought them to Europe in the 18th century and people couldn’t get enough of them. 

Dahlias will last through summer and early fall. They produce a rayed pattern of flowers around the center. The tall stems can grow as high as 6 feet in some varieties. They need consistent watering, warm temperatures, and nutrient-rich soil to flourish in your garden. 

YouTube video

Canna Lilies 

A field of Canna plants, boasting brightly colored flowers in red on tall spikes with paddle-shaped leaves.
They have majestic blooms that grow on massive stalks that can become the tallest flowers in your garden.
common-name common name Canna Lilies 
botanical-name botanical name Canna spp
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
height height 2-8’
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 6-10

Canna lilies are not true lilies but part of the Cannaceae family of plants. They’re native to the Americas where they’ve been cultivated for thousands of years. They have majestic blooms that grow on massive stalks that can become the tallest flowers in your garden. Healthy plants have dramatic green foliage that grows full and bushy. 

Besides their blooms, canna lilies attract tons of beneficial pollinators to your garden. There are many cultivars to choose from. They come in a diverse range of colors, from white, red, orange, and dark red to black. 

Plant them in late spring after the threat of frost is gone. They thrive in areas with full sun or partial shade. They love plenty of water and mulch around their stems. Besides lots of water, they need well-drained soil high in organic matter and plenty of compost. 

Begonias

A close-up of Begonias planted in a decorative pot, displaying a colorful mix of yellow, pink, and red flowers with green leaves, set against a background of steel bars.
They have magical flowers, with multiple sizes and colors, with big blooms and radiant foliage.
common-name common name Begonias
botanical-name botanical name Begonia spp
sun-requirements sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
height height Variety dependent
hardiness-zones hardiness zones 10-11

Begonias are tropical flowers that you can grow as annuals. They are native to the wet and humid forests of Central and South America but have become popular garden flowers around the world. They have magical flowers, with multiple sizes and colors, with big blooms and radiant foliage. With around 2,000 species and plenty of varieties and cultivars, these flowers are perfect if you love variety in your summer garden. 

These tender perennials can’t tolerate cold temperatures. Plant them in late spring, long after the last frost has ended. Start them indoors several weeks before the last frost and transplant them outside once they’re ready. Don’t forget to harden them off before getting them in the ground. 

Although some species can thrive in full sun, most prefer partial shade. All species prefer light soil with tons of organic material. Keep the soil evenly moist and avoid over-saturating. Once they mature, you’ll enjoy healthy flowers through the summer and into the fall.

Share This Post
seeds in moist paper towel

Seeds

​​9 Seed Cold Stratification Mistakes: What NOT To Do

Several native annuals and perennials need to be sown directly into the soil in fall and winter. This process is called cold stratification, and it requires timing and preparation. In this article, gardening expert Matt Dursum shows you common seed cold stratification mistakes and how to avoid them.

Close-up of an upright stem covered with a cluster of small, compact, cabbage-shaped sprouts, dusted with snow in the garden, one of the easy seeds for winter sowing.

Seeds

No-Fail Winter Sowing: 15 Easy Seeds to Try

Save space indoors and winter sow seeds outside! All you need to start are cold-tolerant seeds, old containers, and potting soil. Seasoned grower Jerad Bryant shares the 15 easiest plants to winter sow for the first time.

A woman sitting at a desk with potted plants around her, talking on the phone while using a tablet.

Seeds

11 Factors to Consider: Choosing Where to Buy Quality Seed Supplies

If you’re gearing up for spring, you’re probably wondering where to buy seed supplies. There are several things to keep in mind to get the right seeds and tools you need for planting. In this article, horticulture expert Matt Dursum shows you the factors to consider when shopping for garden seed supplies.

Close-up of a woman's hands sowing seeds in a peat seed starter tray to start seeds early for an early harvest.

Seeds

11 Benefits of Starting Seeds Early

Do you want to reap the benefits of your growing season and get a head start on your garden? In this article, gardening expert Matt Dursum shows you the benefits of starting seeds early.