Hello all!
Now that summer is almost here, you may want to break out that shovel and hoe from your gardening shed and get to work on this year’s garden. Before you start, you should consider what plants will actually grow well this summer, and maybe find out why they haven’t been doing well in the past.
First things first, you will need to plant species that like warm weather, and may even require it in order to grow well. Keep in mind, some plants can survive hot weather, but actually taste bitter or don’t grow well because of it. There are two “seasons” that vegetables are designated to: the “warm-season” and “cool-season”. Warm season vegetables will often die very easily if ever exposed to a frost.
Here are a few warm season vegetables:
1. Green Beans (or string beans)
Green beans (or string beans) come in two varieties: either a bush, which is self-supporting, or climbing varieties that will need a pole or trellis to vine to. You can harvest these 50 to 70 days after planting.
2. Corn
Make sure your corn variety does well in the summer heat. When planting, ensure to plant your corn seeds in parallel rows. You can harvest 60 to 100 days after planting.
3. Cucumbers
There are many different Cucumber varieties, including long green slicers, small varieties for pickling, and even mild-flavored lemon cucumbers, which are often yellow. You can harvest 50 to 100 days after planting; but make sure to pick them often to keep your plants growing more.
4. Melons
The most common melon planted in the summer is the Cantaloupe. They ripen the fastest which makes them the easiest melons to grow. You can harvest 70 to 115 days after planting.
5. Peppers
There are sweet peppers, which come in many different varieties and have a range of colors, shapes, and sizes. And then there are hot peppers, which also come in many different sizes, colors, and spiciness. You can harvest 60 to 95 days after planting.
6. Squash
There are two basic types of squash, one is a vine and the other is a bush. Zucchini, Crookneck, and Pattypan are examples of squash grown in the summer. You can harvest 50 to 60 days after planting.
7. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are notoriously easy to grow and grow in plenty. There are a huge amount of varieties, from the small cherry types, all the way to 2-pound giants. This fruit grows in all sorts of colors including red, yellow, orange, and sometimes pink. For the best results, put a stake by each plant or wire cylinders around them to support them as they grow.
