What are the best summer vegetables to grow?

[#1]

Some of the best vegetables to plant in spring are: buk choy, celery, silverbeet, beans, capsicums, cucumbers and eggplants. If you are impatient like me, I suggest buying seedlings and repotting them as they grow.

To give your vegetables the best possible start, I recommend using Yates premium potting mix along with Yates Thrive Veggie & Herb liquid plant food. Once your vegetables have established themselves you just need to keep them safe from insects and vermin.

One way to keep them safe is by putting them in a greenhouse, it provides temperature control and protection from the likes of insects and possums. If all goes well you should be able to start harvesting in several weeks time. - EricL

You'll find what you can plant at this time of year is very dependent on where you are based. It might also depend on whether you plan on growing your veggies in the garden or are using something like a raised garden bed or pots. 

While the transition from winter to spring can bring with it unstable weather, it is certainly the time to prepare your summer veggie patch. Start by planting basil, corn, climbing beans, zucchini and tomatoes. Keep in mind that if you are planting seeds, they will require warm soil to start growing.

For temperate climates, you can sow seeds for broccoli, beetroot, spring onion, carrot, lettuce, potato, silverbeet, tomatoes and peas to name a few. And almost all veggie seedlings can be planted in Spring.

For many people, spring and summer is all about tomatoes. There’s a huge variety available in sizes and colours ranging from red to black, yellow and striped. When they’re home grown, they taste delicious. Tomatoes grow well in pots, hanging baskets or in the ground.

Plant seed in pre-moistened soil and in about a week the seedlings should emerge. Fertilise every few weeks when the plants are growing. Tomatoes are also available as seedlings in punnets or single pots. Buying like this means a lot of the hard work is already done.  Plant in a sunny well-drained position. It’s preferable to select a patch that hasn’t grown tomatoes the previous season. Mix in organic compost before planting. Remember to keep plants well-watered and feed regularly. Stake larger growing varieties.

For first-time tomato growers, here's some advice on how to plant them.

There’s also nothing like growing your own greens so you can pick these fresh from the garden every day. Try planting lettuce, bok choi, rocket and basil seeds. -  Jason

[mich1972]

@EricL  I’m super excited about growing some summer vegetables !! Im going to grow heaps of Chilli’s as I want to dry them and also make sauce with them. Will be growing heaps of Basil as we enjoy cooking pasta. Zucchini and cucumbers and tomatoes too. 

[EricL]

Hi @mich1972

I'm preparing my soil mix as we speak, I've picked up so many tips, especially from this guide - How to choose the right soil for your plants by @Noelle. I've never considered that good quality mixed soil is vital for the long-term health of your plant. Please make sure to post an update once you've started your vegetable patch. 

Eric

[mich1972]

@EricL  Here in Perth we are on Bassendean Sands, just awful gutless sand that is hydrophobic and doesn’t have any nutrients. So we need to regularly add organic matter and nutrients to it and also wetting agent. I will share as I go along and I can’t wait to see what you are up to in your garden mate. 
For anyone who wants to learn more, definitely check out @Noelle 

[Remarka6le]

Would love to get an article relating to planning / preperation for the next La Nina event we'll be experiencing this coming Summer. That rainbomb we experienced earlier this year took our most of our ground vegetables, the only things that really thrived were our fruit trees. 

[EricL]

Hi @Remarka6le

I can only imagine what kind of weather we'll be getting this summer. I remember one summer we got hail and it pretty much destroyed my wife's little vegetable patch. It might come to a point where we'll need to grow everything off the ground in a raised garden bed and build a cover that's strong enough to withstand bucket loads of rain. 

Eric

[Akanksha]

What has everyone been growing this summer? How is your produce looking? Feel free to share below. 

I also heard on the news lately that Australia is currently going through a potato shortage. Anyone planted/planning on planting the humble potato? Any tips you'd like to share?

Akanksha 

[Jason]

Getting a good crop of zucchini at our place at the moment, and the eggplants are coming along nicely too. 

My jalapeños have been very slow this year. I think it was because it was such a cool and wet spring. I'm still hoping to get some popper action soon!

Jason

[mich1972]

That’s a great looking harvest of zucchini and eggplant @Jason  absolutely love it !!!!!!!!

[Jason]

Your tip of Sulphate of Potash was a good one @mich1972.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience (not to mention your passion) with the community.

Jason

[mich1972]

Thanks @Jason I swear by Sulphate of Potash, it’s a must have for your edibles.