Summer’s coming and hot weather is in the air. Who doesn’t dread that? However, if you are able to brave the heat and enjoy eating your favorite summer meals, there are plenty of vegetables that are extremely tasty, fresh, and healthy during hot weather. If you are a gardener, you know the importance of planting early in the year, and you also probably already have a few plants growing in your yard or garden that are doing well, whether they are in flower fruit, or vegetable varieties. Why not expand your vegetable garden and make it one of the best ways to beat the heat? This article will give you several suggestions for starting your garden in the fall, when the weather is expected to get cooler.
Some Favor Hot Weather Vegetables. One reason that some people do not dig their beds when it starts to get hot is because they mistakenly assume that they will get more fruits and vegetables out of the space that they cover. As a matter of fact, the opposite is true when temperatures start to rise. Here are the top picks of hot weather vegetables to plant when the temperature starts to rise.
Snap Beans If you have not started planting early summer vegetables, snap beans are a great choice to start off with. Although they are generally thought of as a summer crop, snap beans can actually handle a lot of heat and have a high yield of leaves and stems. The key to planting snap beans is to dig them up when they are still small, as they will be harder to pull than other vegetables. The easiest way to do this is to use a sharp spade or fork, but if you are short on time or simply prefer hand work, you can also dig them up early in the day and plant them in pots right after. Just be sure that you water the soil well before planting them.
Spinach This heat tolerant vegetable is one of the most popular picks for growing vegetables during the summer season. It really is easy to keep healthy spinach looking great all year round. You just need to ensure that you have good soil and provide adequate water. Many gardeners believe that a light sprinkling of baby spinach seeds during the warmer times of the growing season will help with growing the more persistent spinach seeds. Another way to encourage spinach growth is to give your plants some shade during the hotter parts of the season. Some spinach varieties do exceptionally well in containers that are taller than 8 inches.
Tomatoes are one of the best heat tolerant summer vegetables. They are also some of the most prolific gardeners out there, providing plenty of food for those who are always in a garden. The key to growing tomatoes successfully is to be consistent with feeding, as they are very sensitive to poor nutrition. You will also find that tomatoes do extremely well in containers. If you have a variety of colors or a particular variety that is doing very well in your garden, you may want to try transplanting some to different locations in your yard to add variety to your tomato planting efforts.
Sweet Potatoes One of the most popular choices for hot weather vegetables, sweet potatoes can withstand intense heat. They love the sun, but are also very tolerant of heavy watering. One of the sweet potato varieties that you will often see at farmer’s markets is the purple or blue sweet potato. They grow very well when planted in the same row as fire hydrants.
Squash There are three separate species of squash; the bulkier Brandywine is the most common type seen on your grocery store shelves. However, there are also the smaller, silver or red hybrid squash. Most hot weather vegetables like the larger varieties of squash, so it’s a good idea to plan your vegetable planting around these larger types. When it comes to planting squash, the number one tip is to set them up in rows rather than spreading them out.
Bell Peas is another excellent choice in hot weather vegetables, as long as you grow them inside the house. If you don’t, they are easily damaged by dry soil, so be sure to keep them hydrated with water. They are a perennial plant, and they produce small dark green beans. Many people choose to plant bell peas in the same group as their annual gardeners, because they are so easy to maintain.