The goal: plants that can thrive and produce in the heat without constant attention.
Urban Harvest guides
Spring planting (PDF) https://bit.ly/2INIYjm
Summer planting http://urbanharvest.org/summer-planting-guide.
Best choices
Sweet potatoes
- When: May, when it’s warm but not blazing.
- How: Mound up the soil in the center your bed into a nice tall ridge. Plant rooted “slips” 12 inches apart near the top of the ridge. Keep moist until they start to take off. They will cover the bed and not require much maintenance.
- Harvest: In September, carefully dig around the crowns. Follow roots underground, as potatoes can set away from the crowns, too.
Small-seeded lima beans (Willow leaf white, Stewart Speckled are two good ones)
- When: April, after the chill is gone
- How: Provide a trellis for them to grow up, and plant seeds along the base of the trellis, about an inch deep and 2 inches apart. Keep moist until they are well started.
- Harvest: pick pods as they dry and turn brown. Once they start ripening, harvest is continuous until frost, but they will wait for you on the vines for a few days, so pick once or twice a week.
Okra (Burmese is our favorite variety)
- When: April, after the chill is gone
- How: Plant one or two seeds per hole. Space the holes 18 inches apart. Don’t grow more than a dozen plants; they will bury you in okra. Keep moist until they are well started. If both seeds come up from one hole, pinch off the smaller one.
- Harvest: they generally set one or two pods per day per plant. Try to keep them picked at less than 6 inches long. They keep well in the fridge, so after a few days, you will have plenty.
Southern peas (crowders, purple hulls, blackeyes, that sort of thing)
- When: April-May
- How: Sow 2 inches apart, ½ inch deep. Thin to 4 inches apart. Like sweet potatoes, once they are established, they cover the bed and don’t require a lot of attention.
- Harvest: Like limas, pick dried pods. They will hold on the plant for a few days, so pick once or twice a week. You can also pick the green pods for use as snaps, before the beans fill out. (We don’t.)
Long beans
- When: April-May
- How: Provide a trellis for them to grow up, and plant seeds along the base of the trellis, about ½ inch deep and 2 inches apart. Keep moist until they are well established.
- Harvest: pick when they are about a foot long, or as soon as you see any hint of beans swelling. They need to be young and solid; they get spongy as they mature.
Hot peppers
- When: April
- How: Start with transplants. Plants should be 16” apart. Keep watered throughout the season.
- Harvest: depending on the variety and your preference, pick them green or ripe. Keep them harvested: letting them get overripe tells the plant it has finished its job. You can generally pluck them by hand without breaking the plant. If they don’t come off easily, they’re probably still growing.
Eggplant
- When: May
- How: Pretty much like peppers
- Harvest: Use pruning shears; harvesting by hand is likely to damage the plant. You want to pick them young, when they are very glossy and shiny. When the skin starts to dull, they are past their prime. Keep them harvested to keep them producing.
Basil
- When: Any time
- How: Sow a few seeds together and cover lightly or start with transplants. Plants should be about 1 foot apart. As usual, water regularly until well established.
- Harvest: pick leaves as you need them. They don’t store well unless you make pesto out of them. It’s best to keep the flowers pinched off to keep them producing leaves, but it’s usually a losing battle.
Non-food
Luffa
- When: May-Jun
- How: Plant a few seeds below one end of a strong trellis. Plants will grow up and along the trellis.
- Harvest: pick when brown, dry, and rattly. More info at https://www.gardenamerica.com/store/information/science/tip/growluffa
Flowers
- When: Anytime
- How: Choose mildew-resistant zinnias or marigolds. ‘Tangarine Gem’ marigolds are a trap crop for root knot nematodes. Sprinkle seeds and cover lightly. Keep moist until established.
Other notes
Beans can benefit from inoculant at planting time, if you can get some.
Eggplant and peppers appreciate some extra fertilizer when they start to flower. Basil should get a primarily-nitrogen feeding now and then. The other plants listed here should be fine with the fertilizer added to the bed in spring.
This topic was presented at the April 17 WCG meeting.