2026 World Cup enters final group stage with knockout round looming
Article excerpt
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has reached its decisive moment: the final round of group stage matches, where all teams in each group play simultaneously to determine who advances to the round of 32. The tournament has already generated its share of memorable moments, from a viral meme cycle around Brazil's Endrick and coach Carlo Ancelotti to Declan Rice managing neural hamstring pain while competing for England. Norway's seismic discovery stands out as one of the stranger footnotes: the University of Bergen's seismometer recorded slight vibrations each time the national team scored, a phenomenon that speaks to the intensity of fan celebrations in the Nordic nation. With eight third-place teams qualifying for knockout play alongside the group winners and runners-up, the math of advancement has become intricate, requiring fans and analysts to track scenarios across multiple groups simultaneously. The betting world has responded with an avalanche of predictions and prop picks, while sports media outlets are publishing bracket projections and matchup analyses for what comes next. One off-field moment surfaced when French TV host France Pierron apologized for dismissive comments about a player who left the tournament to attend his baby's birth, calling childbirth "a disgusting moment, excuse me, where the dad is useless" before walking back the remark.
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It may be midsummer, but your garden is just getting started. “There’s still so much time to sow so much,” says Petra Page-Mann, co-founder of Fruition Seeds. “As you’re pulling out spring peas and harvesting garlic to cure, say thank you [to your soil] with a fresh sprinkle of compost and sow beets for fall, lettuce for lunch, and another succession of dill for salad!”
Planting vegetables, herbs, and flowering plants in July is a great way to take advantage of the hot weather and summer sun that many plants crave. Not to mention, if you choose the right vegetable seeds to plant in July, you’ll be able to harvest late-season vegetables in fall for water bath canning or root cellaring.
Whether you’re growing plants from seed or transplanting seedlings, here’s what you should be putting in the ground in July, and how to navigate gardening in hot weather.
1. Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)
Photo: LESLIE BANKS via Adobe Stock
Beans are heat-tolerant plants that grow quickly in warm weather, so it makes sense that they’re one of the best plants to grow in July. Plus, if you plant beans at this time, you can often avoid bean pests like the Mexican bean beetle. Bush-type green beans are usually the best choices for container gardens, but pole beans also grow well in small spaces with trellises.
Best For: Vertical gardens, container gardens, vegetable gardens USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 11 (annual)
2. Beets (Beta vulgaris)
Photo: iStock
Beets take about 50 to 70 days to reach a harvestable size, which means if you plant these root vegetables in July, you can reap the tasty rewards in September. Because beets grow so quickly, these plants are excellent candidates for succession planting and beet seeds can be sown through summer’s end for a late autumn harvest. For bigger beet roots, amend the soil with homemade or bagged compost, water often, and follow proper spacing recommendations.
Best For: Container gardens, vegetable gardens USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 11 (annual)
Best Bagged Compost
Photo: Amazon
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Photo: Amazon
3. Zinnias (Zinnia elegans)
Photo: iStock
Dwarf zinnias are often interplanted in vegetable gardens to attract pollinators and beneficial insects that feed on garden pests. But if you love working with bold flower colors, you also can grow zinnias in flower bed borders or plant them in a cut flower garden to use in homemade bouquets. Although zinnias can be grown from seed, you’ll get flowers much earlier if you use nursery-started plants and keep them watered well after transplanting, cutting back a bit once they’re established.
Best For: Flower gardens, container gardens, cutting gardens, companion planting USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 11 (annual)
4. Summer Squash (Cucurbita pepo)
Photo: iStock
When most people think of July vegetables, they think of plants like summer squash, which are usually sown in late spring and harvested from mid- to late summer. However, in many areas, gardeners can plant a later crop of summer squash in early July and harvest the veggies before frost arrives. To get bigger yields, amend the soil with compost before sowing squash plants and then fertilize the plants about once a month with a quality garden fertilizer.
Best For: Vertical gardens, container gardens, vegetable gardens USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 10 (annual)
5. Carrots (Daucus carota subsp. sativus)
Photo: iStock
Cold-hardy carrots are one of the first crops of spring, but these fast-growing veggies can also be succession planted later in the season for an ongoing harvest. Late July to early August is the perfect time to plant carrot seeds for an autumn crop. Choose short carrot varieties (like Parisian) if you want to grow carrots in containers, or sow storage-type carrots, like Bolero, for root cellaring.
Best For: Container gardens, vegetable gardens USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 10 (annual)
6. Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus)
Photo: Africa Studio via Adobe Stock
Early July is generally “last call” for planting cucumber seeds because these tender plants need to be harvested before frost hits. Most gardeners will still have time to harvest cucumbers planted in July since most varieties begin fruiting 50 to 70 days after planting. To boost yields, fertilize cucumbers regularly and plant them near cucumber companion plants like dill and other flowering herbs to attract pollinators.
Best For: Vertical gardens, container gardens, vegetable gardens USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 11 (annual)
7. Dill (Anethum graveolens)
Photo: iStock
Dill grows so quickly that it can be harvested just 1 month after sowing, or as soon as plants produce at least 4 to 5 leaves. To reduce the chances of bolting, buy slow-bolt dill seeds and grow dill in light afternoon shade. Water the plants regularly with about 1 inch of water per week.
Best For: Container gardens, pollinator gardens, companion planting USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 11 (annual)
8. Lantana (Lantana camara)
Photo: iStock
Thanks to its heat tolerance, lantana can be planted in July as either an annual or perennial plant, depending on your growing zone. These profuse bloomers are top picks for container planting and their cascading flowers are especially well suited for window boxes and hanging baskets. Best of all, hummingbirds and other pollinators are sure to visit if you grow lantana.
Best For: Flower gardens, container gardens, pollinator gardens USDA Hardiness Zones: Perennial in zones 9 to 11, annual in cooler areas
Photo: iStock
9. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)
Many types of lettuce bolt in hot weather, but heat-tolerant lettuce varieties (like Black Seeded Simpson or Little Gem) can be planted in July and harvested just a few weeks later. If you’re growing lettuce in summer, look for varieties that are slow to bolt (like New Red Fire), keep plants in a partially shaded spot, and water often.
Best For: Container gardens, vegetable gardens USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 11 (annual)
10. Kale (Brassica oleracea)
Photo: iStock
While it’s common to grow kale in cold weather, kale seeds can be directly sown in gardens from mid-July to mid-August for an autumn harvest that’s just in time for fall soup season. Just keep in mind that aphids and other kale pests are more active during the summer months, so you might want to grow kale under row covers or as a companion plant to chives and other fragrant herbs.
Best For: Container gardens, vegetable gardens USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 11 (annual)
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