Succession planting is all about keeping your garden beds busy. There are two reasons you may be adding new plants to your garden this summer. You didn’t plant everything all once because you didn’t want a glut of vegetables. Think zuchinni! Or maybe ……..you had a planting that just didn’t do well. It happens to even experienced gardeners. With this heat wave we have been experiencing, I have had more than one failed plant. Instead of trying to wait out this heat, and waste time and energy on a plant that was struggling, I just pulled up the plant, amended the soil with compost, and planted another seed. Hopefully, this planting will start to mature as the temperature cools down a little.
Fast-Maturing Summer Vegetables:
These superstars of the summer garden are perfect for a second planting. Find your first frost date. Count backwards to see if you have enough time to plant these warm season vegetables.
- Bush beans (50-55 days): Compact and prolific, enjoy multiple plantings throughout the season.
- Summer squash (40-50 days): Choose from zucchini, yellow squash, or pattypan varieties for continuous summer squash bounty.
- Cucumbers (50-60 days): Train them on a trellis to save space and enjoy a continuous harvest of crisp cucumbers.
- Baby carrots (30-40 days): Perfect for quick salads or delightful straight from the soil, enjoy multiple sowings for a constant supply.
So even if summer snuck up on you or your early plantings faced some setbacks, it’s not too late to enjoy a late summer harvest! With quick-maturing vegetables you can transform your garden into a constant source of fresh produce right up until the first frost.
Happy Gardening!
Karen