Not every vegetable likes to grow in the same soil, so do your research about each and every one of the veggies before you plant them to make sure they are in the soil that they like the most. Eggplant – Planting, Growing, and Harvesting. Hello You Designs, Many of the links to products on this site are affiliate links. There are many plants that prefer the cooler days. Many heirloom varieties are deep rooted and able to stand up to heat and drought. A member of the mallow family, it has beautiful hibiscus-like flowers that are self-pollinating so you don’t have to worry if it is too hot for the bees to do their job. BONUS: You’ll also receive our Almanac Companion newsletter! 10) Southern Peas / Blackeyed Peas / Cow Peas. Native to Ethiopia, it likes warm nights and soil temperatures in the 80’s. Sweet potatoes are another tropical plant popular in the South and they are becoming a favorite with northern gardeners too. Pick the pods while they are young and tender. Peppers are another tropical from the western hemisphere, native to Central and South America. Something meeting your conditions would suggest a stick or a rock. The hotter it gets the faster it grows as long as there is adequate moisture in the soil. They are native to southeast Asia and India where eggplant is the basis of many delicious recipes. Check out this list of Readers Favorites. Some Like It Hot! Which Vegetables Grow Best In Hot Weather? Eggplant is the best hot-weather producer of the solanaceous (tomato/potato family) crops. It is a climber, so plant it near a trellis or fence. Tomatoes If you are growing your vegetables from seeds, you will need to do some preparation before the hot summer sun kicks in. The plants like the heat as long as they have even moisture. See the Almanac’s free Growing Growing Guides for tips on how to grow all of these veggies! Which vegetables thrive in exceptionally hot weather? New Zealand spinach is another good summer green. Instead of planting in rows, plant in triangle shapes to get more out of limited space. Melons originated in Africa and southern Asia. Your email address will not be published. University of Florida recommends ‘Cal Wonder’, ‘Red Knight’, ‘Big Bertha’, ‘Sweet Banana’, and ‘Cubanelle’ for sweet peppers that can survive a heat wave as long as they are mulched well to keep soil moisture even. Peas, spinach, and lettuce will certainly not make the list but some vegetables actually need the heat to grow well and develop the best flavor. The spicy food makes you sweat by increasing your blood circulation and as the sweat evaporates, it cools you down. Most vegetables will grow faster and stronger when planted in raised beds, this way you can build up the soil. Too much water will dilute the sugars, making the melons bland. 1) Sweet Potatoes; 2) Hot Peppers; 3) Melons; 4) Okra; 5) Malabar Spinach ; 6) New Zealand Spinach; 7) Eggplant; 8) Yardlong beans; 9) Corn; 10) Southern Peas / Blackeyed Peas / Cow Peas; 11) Armenian Cucumbers ; 12) Tomatillos; For The Warm (not hot) Weather Summers. When looking for heat loving plants pay attention to the origin of the species. Eggplants love it when the soil warms up to 80 to 90 degrees and nights are above 70. The list below is great for those hot days of summer, but don’t forget the cooler days of spring and fall. Some Like It Hot! Newly planted vegetables need to be watered at the root generously and frequently to help the plant settle in the soil. Hot Weather Vegetables That Is. Cherry tomatoes ‘Sungold’ and ‘Jasper’ are recommended for long hot summers. Sweet Potatoes Life Is Just Ducky - Hot peppers seem to hold up better during prolonged heat than the sweet bells. Originally from Australia and New Zealand it is pretty much pest and disease free along with being heat and drought tolerant. Related to cowpeas—another bean that stands up to sweltering temperatures and high humidity—yard-long beans are best grown on a trellis or fence. Okra is a favorite in the deep South. The Chile Pepper Institute at New Mexico State University has developed some awesome varieties of hot peppers that thrive in hot dry locations. Protect them from flea beetles by monitoring for pinholes in the leaves accompanied by tiny black beetles, and treating with pyrethrin insecticide when more than a few are present. Squash and Zucchini, both summer and winter varieties, are best grown in hot weather environments. Top Veggies for Hot Weather. The entire family of squash varieties are warm weather vegetables and zucchini is no exception. Your email address will not be published. Go for climbing vegetable plants instead of choosing veggies that grow underground or outwards. Soaring temperatures reduce the number of blossom set, thus the amount of fruit produced. Look for hybrid varieties bred for the deep South. Get inspired by Robin Sweetser’s backyard gardening tips and tricks. Submitted by Alan on July 23, 2018 - 12:50pm, I need herbs, veggies and fruit that thrive in high heat with low humidity and that don't require consistent or evenly moist soil here in Phoenix AZ, Submitted by Wayne Wright on July 24, 2018 - 2:10am. She and her partner Tom have a small greenhouse business and also sell plants, cut flowers, and vegetables at their local Farmer’s Market. Family Food Garden is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Keep the plants evenly moist but don’t overwater especially when the fruits are ripening. Here is a list of our favorite summertime vegetables and a little bit about each one. For example, carrots, onions, and radishes are compatible crops. The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly. It is not related to spinach at all but makes a great substitute in summer whether eaten raw or cooked. Please read my disclosure if you have questions. I do make a small commission (at no extra cost to you) from these sales. Malabar spinach is an Asian green that grows best when soil temps are above 80 degrees and the air temperature is in the 90’s. They need 2 to 3 months of hot weather to develop their luscious sweetness. Zucchini loves the heat but the roots must be kept moist and cool. 10 Vegetables that love hot weather: Sweet Potatoes How to plant sweet potatoes: Sweet potatoes are grown from slips – small pieces of rooted sweet potato tubers grown from a sweet potato. Corn really drinks up the water to form those crunchy kernels so keep an eye on it. Good Hot Weather Vegetables Actually, tomatoes (along with beans, cucumbers and squash) need warm, but not too warm (70-80 F./21-26 C.) temperatures for optimal production. Privacy Policy & Disclosure. It not only tastes great but can help to cool you off on a hot day. So if you are sweltering in the heat eat a spicy meal and cool down. Pumpkin + Winter Squash Recipes (Sweet & Savory). Tomatoes may be native to the tropics of South America but prolonged periods of time with days over 95 degrees and nights over 85 coupled with dryness can cause blossoms to drop and plant growth to stop. Contrast them with the other main category of vegetables, the cool-season plants, such as cabbage, kale, lettuce and radishes. Hot Weather Vegetables That Is. Plant the seeds in flats inside your house for a month before you plan on moving them outside. Keep these plants in mind. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. Robin has been a contributor to The Old Farmer’s Almanac and the All-Seasons Garden Guide for many years. Give ‘Arkansas Traveler’, ‘Brandywine’, and ‘San Marzano’ a try. How you arrange your plants in the beds can make a massive difference in how much you yield. Have you ever heard of crop compatibility? When looking for heat loving plants pay attention to the origin of the species. Take advantage of hot weather to grow long season types like ‘Listada de Gandia’ or ‘Black Beauty’ or for shorter growing seasons choose an Asian variety such as ‘Ping Tung Long’ or ‘Thai Long Green’. If you live in a region where squash vine borers or squash bugs are an issue, avoid problems by starting your seeds indoors and waiting to transplant the seedlings outside until late June or … The University of Florida has introduced many for growers in hot climates. When cooked it tastes just like spinach. They are best eaten at about 12 to 15 inches long, before the beans fill out the pod. A plant that hails from a tropical or sub-tropical region will do better in the heat than one from a northern climate. Although zucchini is one of the easiest vegetables to grow the key to success with it is to plant it in a soil that retains moisture. Epic Tomatoes – Book Review – How To Grow The Best Tomatoes ». Check out 22 Best Cool Season Vegetables. Custom programming and server maintenance by. Choose from the globe shaped Mediterranean types or the elongated Asian ones. Don’t wait for them to get a 36 inches long before picking though. These are products that I've used or recommend based from homesteading experience. Which Vegetables Grow Best In Hot Weather? This is when you choose a group of vegetables that when they grow together they benefit one another.