It’s Not Too Late to Plant Those Summer Fruits and Vegetables
The end of June means “summer” everywhere across America, and for most of us, summer gardens are already in full swing. In fact, most farmers have moved on to planting seeds for fall and winter gardens. But if for some reason you haven’t managed to bury everything in the ground yet (and such reasons often besiege me), it’s not too late. There are many more crops you can plant now to get a decent summer harvest. Typically, you’ll skip summer crops like peas, strawberries, bok choy and spinach – it’s too hot for them. Instead, focus on buying really large, established varieties and planting them in sequence.
Tomatoes, peppers and eggplants
Luckily, it’s not too late to bury those crown jewels, but that time is fast approaching. Peppers in particular take a long time to bear fruit, so buy only well-established, good-sized plants, such as those in gallon-size pots. While tomatoes don’t need that much time, I’d still focus on the first gallon-sized batches and make sure to plant them deep on a cloudy day or at sunset so they have a little time to recover before the bright sun beats down on them. . If you can protect them from the sun in the shade the first day, even better. Eggplants, which tend to bear fruit later in the summer, can be purchased in four-inch pots.
Lettuce, radishes, green onions, beets and kohlrabi
They are successional crops, so they can be planted throughout the summer as the crop can be harvested quickly (in less than sixty days). When planting lettuce, look for packages labeled “bolt-resistant” or “heat-resistant.” Also consider shadier locations for lettuce.
Carrot
It is not too late to plant carrots, but it will be difficult to germinate them, since this requires constant moisture. It might be worth starting at a garden center so you can have a harvest in the fall. If you harvest the shoots, be sure to separate them by hand before planting them a few inches apart.
Beans, pumpkin, squash, melon and cucumbers
Don’t be fooled, this is actually the perfect time to plant all those vegetables. Beans can still be direct seeded (sown directly in the garden), but pumpkins, squashes, melons and cucumbers should be purchased first.
Corn
This is the last call for corn, and if you are going to plant it, the shopping begins. Even though corn is easy to germinate (and grows quickly), you are missing out on the driveway. The long-standing adage “knee-high by the Fourth of July” persists because if the corn doesn’t grow that much by early July, it simply won’t grow tall and husky enough by the time it needs to form cobs, resulting in tiny, underdeveloped corn cobs.
Flowers
It’s a great idea to think about late season flowers. You can still grow seeds from zinnias, sunflowers and other sturdy, tall flowers. There is still time to plant cosmos and start salvia this summer. This is a great time to buy perennials from the garden center and plant them.
Focus on the fall
It’s a difficult transition, but soon you’ll be planting fall crops like broccoli and cauliflower again, and maybe fall peas. So even if you missed summer, look ahead instead and plant seeds in trays outside for late summer planting.