Gasp! I'm struggling to fill my summer box . . .

OK, so I have a couple of 4x4s with my salad veggies (lettuces, cabbage, broccoli, carrots, radishes, onion, kohlrabi and snap peas). Two cuke squares will take a couple of radish spots next week. The other radish spots will get more radishes, carrots and maybe another dose of lettuces.

I just built my last 4x4 and put in a couple of bell peppers, three tomatoes and one brussel sprout. I also put two tomatoes in the salad veggies box.

So, of 16 squares, I\'ve got 6 filled. I\'m putting trellis on the East and North, so can fit 7 climbers. I\'ll put in one more tomato.

Will one brussel sprout give me enough to make it worthwhile or should I go with two? I\'m thinking I\'ll add one more tomato, two melons and maybe one more snap pea. That takes up my trellis space.

In my landscaping boxes, I\'ve got one of sweetcorn, I\'ll have four zucchini and I\'ve got an herb garden already.

So, what is left for my summer box? I\'ll have 6 squares left to plant. I don\'t need more squash (zucchini only for this family) and don\'t eat beans.Assuming I put in a jalapeno and another brussel sprout, that still leaves me with four empty squares!

I am in Zone 5A, Central Iowa.

What zone are you in or what region? It might help us with suggestions!

Thanks for noting that I missed my zone in the message. I just updated it to show 5A, Central Iowa. I really need to update my profile!

Maybe eggplant?

Strawberries? Although it might be too late for those since they're already setting fruit.

Okra!!!! (That is my solution to all or any empty boxes right now) Or blackeyed peas if you like them. I know one brussel sprout plant would not be enough for me. Do you have room on the trellis for melons? Can you even grow melons that far north? Perhaps a baby watermelon or cantaloupe? How about herbs? Oh, it I only had your problem -- all 184 of my squares are full or being taken over by squash.

We are in California and love to plant basil. The fresh basil leaves are wonderful with sliced tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Maybe a square of some seasonal herb that will eventually die out but will be a nice addition to those summer recipes?

Some herbs? Basil, rosemary, parsley all get used a bunch here.

A different type of tomato or pepper plant? I plant cherry tomatoes, sweet 100 tomatoes, roma tomatoes and a couple larger ones. I do two types of sweet bell peppers and a jalepeno pepper.

Pumpkins, watermelon, cantaloupe for the trellis?
A second planting of peas, sugar snap peas or pea pods?

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I do have strawberries in one of my raised beds, though they didn't come up so I'll have to replant.

Melons and peas will be on the trellis for sure, but this year I am keeping it to my 6 different tomato plants--no more for once!

I've got so many raised beds that sit at the base of my retaining wall that I've done a variant of SFG in for years without knowing it was SFG. I decided to plant those mostly with the perennials like strawberries, asparagus, raspberries and my herb garden (may expand that a little). I also added Sweet Corn and zucchini in those this year.

Eggplant is out! I lived in a vegetarian co-op for a year in College and ate eggplant almost every day in every possible dish. No more eggplant!

I'm heading off right now to the FFA Greenhouse for some plants. I'll let everyone know what I came up with! Thanks again for your suggestions. (I'm definitely picking up a couple more brussel sprouts and may try one okra, so that'll take a few more squares).

Well, I picked up several plants at the FFA Greenhouse. High school kids run the whole show--it is great and if anyone lives around Des Moines, I recommend it.

I ended up with:

• "red grape" tomato for my last tomato spot.
  
• cantaloupes for two squares
  
• pepperoncini peppers
  
• pumpkin--for a bag of soil I plan to try and plant it in next to the house.
  
• brussel sprouts for a couple of squares
  
• red lettuce (one plant to replace some die-offs)
  
• swiss chard (one plant to replace one that never came up)
  
• Thai Basil
  

I also bought several perennials for the front, including some flowering herbs.