7 Vegetable to Plant in the Summer Garden
Summer Planting Vegetables ...Is it too late?
I don’t know about you, but we had one strange spring start to our gardening season this year. Which has left me with some stunted plants and some pretty frustrating garden failures (poor cucumbers) but have no fear because summer planting is here!
Today I’m going to discuss some vegetables that can be started in your garden this summer, ways in which you can help those plants survive the summer heat and the best varieties to plant for your planting zone. So if you are late to the garden this summer or had some pretty significant failures (like me) get your adventure gardening hat ready and let's get planting!
What you plant and where to plant will be significantly dependent on your planting zone but often you can find varieties that will best suit your area and growing time.
Check HERE for your planting zone and let’s get started!
1.Leafy Greens
If you are looking to plant greens in the summer they will perform best in zones 4 and below but with some care and creative planting you can still grow greens throughout the summer in most zones. You should start greens in areas that receive some shade and be sure to keep them well watered. They can be planted under some bigger vegetable crops that can provide them a cooler area or try them in a pot on the patio in a cool, shady location. Greens have a tendency to bolt in hot weather so they do perform best in cooler weather.
Try some of these varieties that have a tendency to be slower to bolt and can keep you in the salad game all summer long:
‘Butterhead-Speckless’
‘Bronze Mignonette’
‘Capitaine’
‘Saint Ann’s Slow Bolt’
‘Marvel of Four Seasons’
2. Radishes
Radishes grow very quickly, about 30 days, and are an ideal veggie for succession planting. Like greens they do have a tendency to bolt and will also do best planted in the lower planting zones but can be enjoyed in higher zones with some care and consideration. Plant radishes in cooler areas of the garden that receive some shade, keep well-watered and watch for any signs of bolting-sending up long stems and flowering out. You will want to pull radishes before they send out seeds to ensure the best flavor and crunch. Radishes are great cut up and eaten fresh in salads or fermented for a crunchy salty snack.
Try these varieties to enjoy fresh, crunchy radishes all summer long:
‘Cherriette’
‘Cherry Belle’
‘Crimson Giant’
3. Carrots
Carrots are considered a cool weather crop but as long as you choose the right varieties and provide the right growing conditions they can be also grown throughout the summer. Carrots love well-drained, fertile soil that is watered deeply and regularly. You will want to plant carrots in a shady location so they do not get too dried out to grow. I like to grow my carrots underneath my established tomatoes as they do well as companion plants and my tomatoes can provide them with the shade they need. Plant carrots more shallow than you would in spring and fall, about ½-¼ inches deep should do.
Here is some heat-tolerate carrot varieties to try out:
‘Napoli’
‘Oxheart’
‘Adelaide’
‘Red-Cored Chantenay’
‘Dragon’
4. Cucumbers
Cucumbers perform best at zone 5 and above and really enjoy the warmer weather of summer. Starting cucumbers by direct sowing seed works best as they can sometimes struggle with being transplanted. They are heavy-feeders and will benefit from fertilization throughout the garden season. In the heat of summer you will want to make sure that newly planted seeds stay well-watered so they can germinate and once growing do best with some kind of support system such as a trellis. Most varieties of cucumbers will take about 55-65 days until harvest. You will want to plant the seeds in small mounds 2-3 inches deep with about 2-3 seeds per mound.
Check out these varieties for summer planting:
For Pickling Cucumbers:
‘Fresh Pickles”
‘Boston Pickling’
Slicing Cucumbers:
‘Straight Eight”
‘Ashley’
‘Longfellow’
5. Summer Squash
Squash is another sun-loving plant that can be started in summer in the warmer planting zones. It is very sensitive to any frost and will not produce if it gets too near the first frost date. Summer squash will need plenty of space and prefers well-drained soil and does best when watered near the root system to avoid issues such as powdery mildew. Planting in summer can actually help with some pests, such as the cucumber beetle, as their cycle slows down with the heat of summer.
Here are some summer squash varieties to try:
Yellow Squash:
‘Yellow Crookneck”
‘Zephyr’
‘Tempest’
Zucchini:
‘Dunja’
‘Green Machine”
‘Contender’
6. Green Beans
If you are looking to start some green beans in summer you will want to go with a shorter season variety. Bush beans rather than runner beans will give you a faster growing season so that you can get your crop in before the first frost date. Beans are sun-loving vegetables so they will take off during the heat of summer but you will need to make sure the soil stays moist to get the seeds to sprout. Beans perform well planted among heavy feeders such as corn and squash as they are what are called “nitrogen fixers”.
Here are some great bush bean varieties to try:
‘Contender’-(only 45 days to harvest)
‘Bush Kentucky Wonder’
‘Roma II’
‘Maxibel’
‘Dragon Tongue’
7. Sweet Corn
If you live in a longer growing season climate, like zone 7 or above you can actually get your sweet corn in the ground now and produce a harvest. You will want to be sure that you have enough space for sweet corn however and choose a variety that will be quicker to harvest. Corn is a very heavy feeder and requires enough space for cross-pollination. You will need at least 3 rows of sweet corn to get a harvest, well fertilized soil and will want to have consistent watering practices throughout the season.
Here are some shorter-season varieties of corn to try out:
‘Quickie”
‘Yukon Chief’
‘Early Sunglow’
‘Temptress’
‘Peaches and Cream’
A summer garden can be a lot of work but can provide you with the benefit of a great fall harvest. You will want to experiment with what will work best for your region and not be too disappointed about failures, after all summer can be unpredictable. This is a great time to stock up on seeds as many companies and stores have this year's supplies on discount.
If you want to get started with vegetable gardening but are not very excited about gardening in the heat of summer, now is a great time to consider planning out your fall garden. You can check out my youtube video on fall planting here.
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Happy Planting!
