Even during some of the hottest times of the summer, South Texas gardeners can keep busy. Lucky for us there’s still time to plant three great hot weather vegetables!
By mid-June tomatoes, squash, beans and sweet corn are nearly done, but our desire for gardening is not. So what’s a gardener to do in the garden patch?
Even during some of the hottest times of the summer, South Texas gardeners have lots to do in the garden, especially if you start early in the morning. So dust off your tools and put on your gardening gear — you’ve got a job to do.
Lucky for us there’s still time to plant three great hot weather vegetables: okra, peppers and eggplant.
Recommended Selections
- Okra – ‘Oscar’, ‘Emerald’, ‘Clemson Spineless’, ‘Cajun Delight’, ‘Dwarf Green’, ‘Lee’
- Peppers – ‘Long red’, ‘Thin Cayenne’, ‘Hungarian Wax’, jalapeño, ‘TAM’ mild jalapeño, ‘Hidalgo’ serrano
- Eggplant – ‘Florida Market’, ‘Black Beauty’, ’Classic’, ‘Black Magic’, ‘Ichiban’
 Growing Okra in farm garden at Los Angeles |
 Homegrown organic peppers |
 eggplants growing in the garden |
Cultivation
All three have similar cultivation requirements.
Planting
Turn the soil in the bed as deeply as possible. Incorporate 1-2 inches of well decomposed compost. Space the plants 18-24 inches apart and the rows 30 inches apart.
Watering
Water three times a week for the first two weeks to establish, then twice a week in the absence of rainfall. Try to limit water on the foliage, drip irrigation is a better alternative.
Fertilizing
Fertilize with ½-1 pound of synthetic fertilizer or 2-4 pounds of organic fertilizer.
Staking
Peppers and eggplant benefit from cages or staking.
Weed Control
½ – 1 inch layer of organic mulch. Do not over mulch. A little goes a long way.
There is still time for additions to the vegetable garden. Enjoy these hot weather vegetables right up to the first frost.
