Everyone knows that spring is the main planting season. Once the first frost ends, the majority of vegetables are planted in your garden for harvest later on in the growing season. However, there are some vegetables that cannot tolerate frost, but manage to do well in hot summer temperatures. These vegetables can be planted mid-summer and will be ready for harvest in the fall along with many of your other crops. Consider saving some room in your garden for these vegetables.
Broccoli – Broccoli can survive a light frost, but they take between 50 and 75 days to fully mature and ripen. If they are planted at mid-summer, they will be ready for harvest in the fall. However, if you live in a cooler climate, you need to be very careful and plan your planting date wisely.
Brussels Sprouts –Brussels sprouts are extremely hardy, which is good because they take a long time to grow. They can survive temperatures of around 20 degrees F, and take about 90 days to fully grow. If you plant them at mid-summer, you can rest assured that a sudden cold snap will not harm your Brussels sprouts.
Cabbage – Cabbage is just as hardy as Brussels sprouts, and both plants can survive in very cold temperatures. Because cabbage takes awhile to fully ripen – between 50 and 90 days depending on the variety – it can be planted at mid-summer and harvested when ready. You will not have to worry about your cabbage plants dying in cool fall weather.
Garlic – Garlic is designed to stay in the ground over the winter, so if you plant it in mid-July, you’ll be harvesting it a year later. Basically, you have to be very patient when growing garlic, since it takes so long to be ready for harvest. The payoff is worth it however, as this vegetable is very useful in many different types of meals.
Green Onions – Green onions are a useful vegetable that take a while to mature (between 60 and 70 days), but will survive colder weather. This is ironic, because many people view green onions as smaller versions of regular onions. This could not be further from the truth, however, as green onions are actually called scallions and are related to a number of onion-like vegetables.
Mustard Greens – Mustard greens mature quickly, making them the perfect vegetables to plant in the middle of summer. They grow to maturity within 30 to 40 days, so if you plant them at the beginning of July, you’ll have a bunch of mustard greens on your hands by the end of the month. Of course, you could always wait and plant them at the beginning of August, which would put them more in line with the harvest dates of many other vegetables.
Radishes –Radishes are another vegetable that ripens very quickly. They can be planted throughout the summer, as they are ready for harvest in around 30 to 60 days depending on the type of radish and the desired size. Because radishes are extremely resistant to cold, they can even be planted later on in the growing season.
Pic by shelley_dave
The article focuses on these vegetables ability to withstand frost or cool weather. I am wondering about their tolerance to heat. In Texas, July and August mean 100 degree temperatures. September gets a little better, but it is not uncommon to see 80-90 degree days into October. How would these vegetables do if planted in warm soil in September? Our average freeze date tends to be in mid to late November, which would still give us a 70 plus day growing period if they could stand the early heat.
Hi, Robert!!
Thanks for the great comment. Hold tight. I have another article in the pipe to specifically answer your question. I believe you’ll be pleased.
Hi, Robert! I just posted a new article which covers your question. Please comment if you have more questions! http://beselfsufficient.net/hot-weather-loving-plants/
Thanks to both of you…Robert took the words right out of my mouth as I live North of Dallas…will look forward to your answering article.
Hey, Phil!! Try this article: http://beselfsufficient.net/hot-weather-loving-plants/