Enough planning…let's get planting!

Burpee - Edible Gardening Team Members
Friday, May 27, 2016
 

This weekend marks the unofficial start to summer, which means it’s time to enjoy those warm-season vegetables! So enough planning ... let’s get planting! Here’s my tip list for getting the most from your plants all summer long.

Fertilize: Top dress your garden bed or container with granular fertilizer. Just spread a few handfuls over your planting area and use a rake or hand trowel to work it into the soil. Be sure to check the package for specific instructions.

Planting: Position tall plants and staked plants like grasses, tomatoes, cucumbers and pole beans on the north side of your garden so they won't shade shorter plants.

Plant your tomatoes deep...but nothing else! Tomatoes grow stronger and sturdier when planted deep. Dig a hole or trench and leave just the top 2 inches exposed. Here’s a quick video here. NOTE: Every other flower, vegetable and herb should be planted so that the root ball is level with the surrounding soil.

Water in: Give your new garden a gentle but thorough watering as soon as possible after planting so your plants won't wilt. Remember to try to water the soil and not the leaves.

These Burpee vegetables and herbs below are safe to plant now that danger of frost is passed. They like warm to hot temperatures and need several months (50 to 90 days) to mature (except herbs, which can be harvested as soon as they have mature leaves to pick). In the South, these warm-season crops do well in the Fall, Winter and Spring, but a frost will nip them back or kill them.

Bush & Pole Bean
Celery
Cucumber
Eggplant
Fennel
Herbs (Most herbs like warmer weather)
Melon
Onion
Pepper
Pumpkin
Spinach
Summer & Winter Squash
Strawberry
Swiss Chard
Tomato
Watermelon

 
 
Article originally appeared on BurpeeHomeGardens.com. See website for complete article licensing information.