What to Grow through Very Hot Summers

What to Grow through Very Hot Summers

Cactus, lol. I planted watermelon and honeydews in my raised bed. Replanted more squash,zucchini after my SVB encounter and bush cucumbers. Not that I know what I'm doing.

It is all trial and error, honestly!  What works this year may not work next year!  Keep on truckin'! 

Oh, and keep notes: weather, successes and failures.....really important!

Cowpeas.  Within the last week I planted Lady Cowpeas, White Acre Cowpeas, and Pinkeye Purple Hull Cowpeas.  Last night I ate the last of the Lady Cowpeas we grew last year, cooked and froze.

Armenian cucumbers. Mine made it all the way through the summer last year.

Armenian and Muncher cucumbers. Watermelons and cantaloupes. Corn, sorghum and okra. Tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, and eggplants. Sweet potatoes, squash, New Zealand spinach and Amaranth.

Check out the local Farmer Markets for successful varieties in your area. Use shade cloth and mulch. Most of the hot areas are in the south, spanning across the country, and up the Pacific States in inland areas. So, most varieties will be need to be short day, exposed to intensive overhead sun. Exception are the inland areas of the Pacific which cover short to medium to long day varieties.

sanderson wrote:Armenian and Muncher cucumbers.  Watermelons and cantaloupes.  Corn, sorghum and okra.  Tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, and eggplants.  Sweet potatoes, squash, New Zealand spinach and Amaranth.

Check out the local Farmer Markets for successful varieties in your area.  Use shade cloth and mulch.  Most of the hot areas are in the south, spanning across the country, and up the Pacific States in inland areas.  So, most varieties will be need to be short day, exposed to intensive overhead sun.  Exception are the inland areas of the Pacific which cover short to medium to long day varieties.

I lost all of my tomatoes, peppers, melons, lemon cukes, squash, & zucchini to the heat last year, but of all things, my curly dwarf kale survived and fed us all winter. Go figure.

How are they doing this summer?

Kale, chard, carrots, & asparagus beans are doing fine in the Salad Bar. Peppers and tomatoes are doing okay in the BTE, which is mostly shaded by the redwoods and always a few degrees cooler for the same reason. I accidentally did something right by putting the more sensitive plants closer to the big trees and the corn, asparagus, & artichokes in the hotter, sunnier area. So far, so good. I also have tepary beans and limas out there still doing well. The squashes and melons are in the middle and still doing well, too. We've already had a zucchini and a small cuke from that area. Fingers crossed all those wood chips will insulate everything from the excessive heat.

Here in the Dallas area it's beginning to get hot. 

I just finished picking the last of the spring lettuce. Cukes are doing well in the shade.  Green beans and pole beans are both producing nicely. I'll get another picking or two from them.  I haven't pulled the onions, garlic and shallots yet.  Tomatoes are about finished.  They have more flowers but won't sett fruit in the heat.

For the summer I have Egg Plant, Red Malabar spinach, New Zealand spinach, Salad Burnett, Swiss Chard, melons, squash, sweet potatoes, okra and herbs.  A few Blackberries.  Peaches, Goji berries and apples are maturing. The Pomegranates and Passion Fruit haven't started to fruit yet.

In another week I'll plant the fall tomatoes and start other fall crops like peppers and winter squash.

Gloria, Our summer temps are similar. Right now we are in a 100-109*F heat wave. No tomatoes are setting fruit in this heat, but they will take off again and produce well into the fall. Are your tomato plants in good shape other than no fruit right now? I'm thinking that you should let them just continue instead of starting all over. ?? What say other Texans??

Hi Sanderson,

It's very common here to rip out spring tomatoes and replace with new ones for fall. - The plants are more vigorous so you get better production, less blight, and the plants are less "leggy" going into cooler weather so easier to protect.

I generally pick tomatoes through Christmas.  Last year we had tomatoes all winter and cantaloupes until January.

I think every climate is different, and every year presents it's own challenges.  In the eight years I've been doing this, I think I've seen eight different weather patterns!!!

I've tried keeping spring tomatoes for fall, I've overwintered tomatoes, I've cut them back and let them re-sprout from the root and I've re-planted for the fall.  Of all those options, re-planting for the fall has been most successful.  I'm looking for production so I'd rather spend a few dollars for seed than loose the opportunity to have a good fall crop. 

GloriaG wrote:I've tried keeping spring tomatoes for fall, I've overwintered tomatoes, I've cut them back and let them re-sprout from the root and I've re-planted for the fall.  Of all those options, re-planting for the fall has been most successful.  I'm looking for production so I'd rather spend a few dollars for seed than loose the opportunity to have a good fall crop. 

I've done all of these too, with no success. I think I'll try your idea of just starting over for fall and see how that works.

GloriaG wrote:I just finished picking the last of the spring lettuce. 

I brought my lettuce inside last week. It's in a southern window with plenty of light but no sun. So far it's doing okay. If this heat wave ever leaves, I'll start taking the lettuce out in the morning for some real sun (if the temps ever drop below 90 again  )

Yes I'll have to agree with Gloria my tomato plants are purty beat up so I will start with new come fall but for tomatoes that have done well for me I take suckers and just stick them in wet mix and let them grow in the shade till it's time to plant, I have three growing so far.

Gloria, Thank you for the explanation. You know what works best for you.

Newbeone, The sucker idea for fall tomatoes sounds good.

newbeone wrote: for tomatoes that have done well for me I take suckers and just stick them in wet mix and let them grow in the shade till it's time to plant, I have three growing so far.

I do that, too.  'Cept I stick them in the MM in the SFG. They do very well, even up north here.

We pretty much rest our garden boxes during the heat of summer and start again in fall.  Bout all we can grow in the heat is most any kind of pepper from bell to cayenne and jalapeno.  The only veggie that does good all summer is yard long beans.  They continue growing even when its too stinking hot to pick them cept very early or after dark.  I had to come back and edit cause I forgot to mention okra it loves the heat and will bare till the frost gets it sometimes long into the winter

Cajun Cappy wrote:The only veggie that does good all summer is yard long beans.  They continue growing even when its too stinking hot to pick them cept very early or after dark. 

My asparagus beans (similar to yard long) are weathering the heat very well so far. Fingers crossed. They're one of our faves. We'd be thrilled if they'd produce through the summer.

Bean update: asparagus beans are thriving and producing, even in 113 degree heat. Wax beans are hanging in there. Purple beans are starting to fail. It could be that the purple beans are just old and finished however, so I may give them another chance, but asparagus beans are the clear winner. 

My eggplants are in a protected area of the BTE, but I'm still amazed that they not only survived this heat, but one of them actually produced a blossom in our 109-113 degree heat. 

Pretty eggplant plant! How do the asparagus beans taste compared to KY Wonder of Blue Lakes?

sanderson wrote:Pretty eggplant plant!  How do the asparagus beans taste compared to KY Wonder of Blue Lakes?

My KY Wonder failed. These are thriving. I will try the others again, but these are delicious and hardy.

My Lima beans are thriving, even after 9 days of record-breaking heat. They are still young and not producing blossoms yet, but it's still very encouraging. (These are in my BTE and partially protected from the sun, but they're still doing better than other legumes in that same area.)

Came here for Okra, saw it in several posts, was not disappointed. Since I'm in (alwayshot)FL I'm pretty sure it'll produce for years and become a tree  . Also winners in the heat are my cherry tomatoes and cukes. Not to mention my perennial avocados and mangos  

I'll have to try the asparagus beans as my Kentucky wonder aren't looking so hot! Have had a lot of pests and disease though.