There is no better time to consider the idea of planting vegetables than the summer. In the summer, there are typically longer days and warmer temperatures which will help your plant thrive and produce healthy harvests. You stand to gain plenty from planting your vegetables in summer, from enjoying freshly cut flavorful harvest to reducing your carbon footprint.
If you already have a list of vegetables to plant in summer, VEVOR has an impressive range of gardening tools and supplies to provide you with support as you begin your summer vegetable gardening journey.
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Why Plant Vegetables in Summer?
The amount of lovely sunlight and warmth we enjoy in summer is not only beneficial for sunbathing and enjoying musical concerts. Plants love summers too as the weather conditions it provides are optimal and accelerate growth. Planting a summer garden is a great idea because vegetables generally grow more rapidly and produce larger yields in the summer compared to other times of the year.
But that’s not the only reason why vegetable gardeners prefer summer planting. Vegetables also tend to be more flavourful, have high moisture content and are nutritious in the summer. This makes them a satisfying addition to your diet.
Benefits of Summer Gardening
We’ve briefly touched on why it’s important to take advantage of the summer planting season as a vegetable gardener. However, in this section, we will expand on the advantages.
Many vegetables and fruits ripen in the summer, making it part of why summer is considered the most beautiful time of the year. The same elements that combine to cause this pigmentation in summer garden vegetables and fruits also play a big part in improving the yield and nutrient content of summer harvest. Warm temperatures and the increase in sunlight are something that’s often missing in adequate proportion during other times of the year, so in the summer it gives your yield a whole different dimension in taste.
Best Summer Vegetables to Grow
What vegetables grow in summer? It is important to find the answers to this question before going ahead with your summer garden plant. These are some of the best veggies to grow in summer:
- Tomatoes
Tomatoes are almost a guaranteed summer vegetable, in that it has become a part of the summer landscape. You know you’re not looking at a summer garden if you walk past it and there are no tomatoes. Also, tomatoes offer a wide range of varieties to suit any gardener’s preference when choosing what to grow in the summer.
Perhaps the best thing about tomatoes is how they thrive easily in hot weather, and with the right care, they can produce a bountiful harvest. The right care in this case involves affording them full sunlight and adequate space to promote air circulation.
Most gardeners who plant tomatoes engage in mulching and regular watering. If you must avoid issues like blossom or rot cracking, you should strive to emulate them. For a successful summer garden, consider using VEVOR’s garden beds and trellises.
- Cucumbers
You can’t go wrong with cucumbers when planting a summer garden. Cucumbers grow quickly, and they can give you high yields, although it depends on how you take care of them. Regardless of the variety you want to plant, whether slicing, pickling, or burpees, cucumbers need attention and care to thrive.
To support their growth, trellis your cucumber plants and look out for common pests such as aphids and cucumber beetles. VEVOR’s trellises and garden beds can help make things easier for you on this journey.
- Peppers
What can you plant in the summer? Pepper! That summer dish is not complete without the burst of flavor from your garden-grown peppers. There are a number of varieties to choose from—mild bell peppers and jalapeños to the fiery hot types like habaneros. Like other summer vegetables, these heat-loving plants require consistent moisture and fertile soil for ample growth.
Pests and diseases can be a problem when planting peppers in your summer garden but you can adopt row covers or organic pest control methods to combat them. VEVOR has a wide range of irrigation systems products that can help maintain optimal soil moisture and boost your summer planting yield.
- Zucchini and Squash
You will find that most summer gardeners do plant Zucchini and squash. But you should know that this pair will not waste any time before they take over your garden. They are very prolific and require intent growth management.
To manage their growth, it is best to plant them in spacious areas and consider interplanting with other crops. Regular harvesting encourages continued production. VEVOR’s gardening tools can come through to help you with harvesting and maintaining these vigorous plants.
- Beans
Beans are high on the list of summer vegetables to grow. They are well-suited for summer planting, particularly bush and pole varieties. Warm weather in the summer translates to warm soil, which is beneficial to beans and can help summer gardeners produce a continuous harvest throughout the season.
You can utilize trellises to support and protect beans from common pests. VEVOR has the perfect range of gardening supplies that can ease the process of growing beans in the summer.
- Herbs and Leafy Greens
Herbs and leafy greens are included when people ask what veggies to grow in summer because they are just perfect for the season. Your summer garden would do your diet a world of good if it includes herbs like cilantro, and basil, as well as leafy greens such as spinach. That’s a lot of flavors for your meals, harvested continuously throughout the summer.
Plant your herbs and leafy greens in partial shades in order to prevent bolting. Also, water them consistently as herbs need sufficient moisture for growth. It’s best to cultivate leafy greens and herbs in small spaces and that’s where VEVOR’s efficient container gardening products come into play.
How to Prepare Your Garden for Summer Planting
Planting during summer can be fun to engage in once you figure out what to plant in the summer, but before you begin to plant vegetables, you need to prepare your garden the right way. Here are some of the processes to help you get it right.
Soil Preparation and Fertilization
Preparing the soil is very important for summer gardening. As soon as you’ve found the right early or late summer vegetables to plant, we could go as far as saying a healthy soil is the foundation for a healthy, high-yield garden. So how do you prepare your soil?
- First, clear off the weed and debris from the planting area.
- Next, conduct a soil test to know which nutrients are deficient, then amend accordingly.
- Enrich the soil with organic matter. Once you know what veggies grow in summer, find out which fertilizers match the needs of the vegetables you intend to plant. Apply accordingly. VEVOR’s composters can help you derive the right kind of compost for your summer planting.
Irrigation and Mulching
Moisture is as important to your summer vegetable planting as the weather is. Depending on the soil type, you need to set up a functional irrigation system that will deliver water directly to the plant root.
Mulching, on the other hand, is the process that helps you conserve soil moisture, repress weeds and regulate soil temperature. One of the irrigation types you should consider is drip irrigation and the VEVOR drip irrigation system can help you optimize water usage.
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Common Challenges in Summer Gardening and How to Overcome Them
Summer gardening can be fun once you know what to plant in the summer garden, but it is not without its challenges. These are some of the common challenges you could expect to face and tips on how to overcome them.
Dealing with Heat and Drought
Heat and drought in the summer could be clogs in the wheel for summer gardeners. High temperatures can stress plants and reduce potential yields. Just like you do when you go sunbathing, provide adequate shade to shield your vegetables from the sun.
Also, water your vegetables deeply and infrequently. Mulching is very important as well to conserve soil moisture and keep them in optimal condition. VEVOR’s shade clothes are perfect and can help you create a cooler microclimate for your garden.
Pest and Disease Management
One of the major challenges faced by summer gardeners is pest and disease management. You need to monitor your vegetables regularly for signs of pests and implement preventive measures as early as possible.
Another strategy to convert pests and diseases in your garden is to plant flowers and provide a habitat that encourages beneficial insects. Crop rotation could also do the magic.
When and How to Harvest Your Summer Vegetables
Knowing when and how to harvest your summer vegetables is another skill that will come in handy. Learn to look out for signs such as color changes, firmness, and even size to determine ripeness.
Also, employ the right harvesting technique once you’ve planted the best summer veggies to grow to avoid damage to the plant. Storage is important as well. If you don’t store your vegetables well after harvest, they will lose their freshness and quality.
Conclusion and Final Tips
The rewards you stand to gain from going through with your summer garden plans are far more beneficial than the challenges you will face on the journey. If you choose the right vegetables to plant in summer for the soil type you have and employ the right gardening techniques, you can expect a bountiful harvest of fresh, nutritious vegetables. Remember, VEVOR’s full range of gardening tools can totally change your gardening experience and ensure your summer vegetables thrive.
