Mid-summer is the best time to plant some garden vegetables, because these crops do well in warm temperatures and tolerate drought. Here’s a list of the best garden vegetables to plant during mid-summer, and which ones can be harvested in the fall. You can also plant a few annuals, such as lettuce, to get more garden vegetables. If you’re interested in planting a perennial garden, this is the best time to do so.
If you want to grow a bumper crop of fresh vegetables, you should plant some of the following crops during mid-summer: cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, celery, winter squash, and turnips. Some of these crops can even be started indoors before the weather warms up enough to plant them outdoors.
Eggplant thrives in high temperatures
If you live in a warm climate, consider growing eggplant in your backyard. This plant likes a high temperature and requires at least six hours of sunlight a day. This plant also needs fertile soil that has a pH of 5.5-7.2. Eggplants are members of the Solanaceae family and will suffer when temperatures fall below 50degF. It’s also susceptible to frost, so keep this in mind when planting your new plant.
Okra
Okra is a southern staple vegetable that grows very well in warm weather. It is easy to grow and a great choice for hot summers. You can start planting it in early spring in zones 7 or lower. It produces seed pods within two months and grows to three to five feet tall. Each plant produces approximately twenty to thirty pods. There are many varieties of okra to choose from.
Okra tolerates drought
Okra is a staple of many southern dishes and is known for its tolerance of heat and drought. Unlike many other garden vegetables, which must receive copious amounts of water, okra does quite well without it. It will grow well if the temperature varies only slightly throughout the growing season, but it will be tough to harvest without adequate water. There are several varieties of okra, including Hill Country Heirloom Red, Gold Coast, Jing Orange, and Green Eyed Wonder.
Sweet potatoes thrive in high temperatures
Sweet potatoes can be cultivated throughout the year in many tropical areas. Once established, they are drought-tolerant, but still require weekly watering to thrive. If you’d like to avoid watering your sweet potato plants, you can use plastic mulch instead. The mulch will block any rain from coming through, so you’ll need to install drip irrigation and lay it beside the sweet potato plants. You’ll need about an inch of water per week to keep them healthy and productive. Once they’ve adapted to their climate, they will take 90 to 110 days to reach a decent size.
Radishes
Radishes are one of the fastest-growing vegetables. The radish plant matures within 30 days of planting. Plant them in cool soil during the fall and you’ll have them ready for harvest in about 30 more days. With over 200 different varieties, this vegetable will not only taste great but is also easy to grow and store.
Strawberries
Strawberry is one of the easiest small fruits to grow in a home garden. It needs well-drained soil, high in organic matter, and full sun to produce the highest yields. Strawberries should be planted a few feet away from other plants, such as tomatoes or cabbage, to reduce the chance of verticillium wilt. Strawberries need about one inch of water per week to thrive.