Most veggies don’t grow well in summer, so many avoid planting until after the season. However, many crops thrive well in summer. These summer stars grow well and even blossom into the fall season. We’ve compiled the best five summer veggies and how to optimize their growth and ensure a fulfilling harvest.
Melons
Cantaloupe, watermelons, honeydews, and other melons grow well in summer. The heat doesn’t affect these natural desserts as long as you give them plenty of space to grow. If you don’t have enough space, you could plant smaller types.
Melons, especially watermelons, have high water content, so they’re always suitable for dessert. They grow relatively fast, so you can harvest and consume them in no time. If you prefer trellising, you could plant your melon against a trellis.
Sweet Potatoes
For sweet potatoes, the hotter the weather, the better the results. You might want to wait until the weather is scorching before planting these sweet roots. They also grow fast- you can expect your harvest after three months.
Planting sweet potatoes requires little effort. However, you’ll have to do some weeding after a while. Also, as the vines begin to spread out, they’ll need a bit of watering. This helps soften the soil, allowing them to grow bigger.
Cucumbers
No list of summer crops would be complete without cucumbers. These vegetables are helpful for salads, homemade pickles; you could also eat them raw. With good soil moisture, they thrive well despite the heat and don’t take forever to grow.
Besides, cucumbers also taste very delicious. Plant your cucumbers on a trellis to ensure they grow well- it helps them get enough air. Also, trellising generally makes harvesting much more manageable and ensures leaf spots are far away.
Zucchini Squash
Don’t let the names deceive you; both summer and winter squash types grow well during summer. The gourd-like crops are suitable for the summer because that’s when they thrive the best. However, planting them in the garden may not be a good option.
To protect your squash from squash bugs, plant their seeds indoors first. Also, when you’ve transplanted them in the garden, you could cover their stems with soil to protect them from vine borers. They’ll begin to bloom in no time.
Asparagus Beans
Also called yard-long beans, asparagus beans are cowpeas with long and green/purple pods. They are good crops to plant as their nutty taste makes them a suitable replacement for spring spears. Their sweet flavor makes them popular.
Asparagus beans are usually grown on teepees. They are one of the best summer crops because they serve as covers for more minor crops. Since they are not affected by the heat, you could plant them to cover affected crops- it’s a win-win!