What to plant - for the rest of this year!

We Love Gardening!

We love gardening here at the Maiden Times blog (as you can tell from previous posts), and one of the many great things about North Carolina is the fact that you can get an easy three growing seasons in!

It is to late for the cool whether Spring season, but there is moore than enough time to plant some great Summer crops, and in early September it is time for the fall cool whether crops!

Plant What You Like To Eat - And More!

Of course, you will want to plant the veggies you like to eat, but I also like to plant vegetables that I have not had that great an appetite for - for this reason. If you grow the plant, and tend it, you will be much more likely to try a vegetable that you never cared for before. And having been through this a number of times, with many vegetables it is not the vegetable itself, but more likely the it was prepared - so keep an open mind!

Some of the best summertime plants for this area are listed below!

• Beans
• Cantaloupes
• Corn
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Okra
• Peppers
• Pumpkins
• Southern peas
• Squash
• Sweet potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Watermelons

And of course for tomatoes and peppers there are many different varieties. 

Artichokes can also be planted in the first year but will not produce any vegetables until the second year; if you like them plant each year because after the second year the plant will die off - that way you can have a rotation for these plants and get produce each year.

Cool Weather Crops

And, as fast as time goes, it is never to early to start thinking about what to plant for the third season - the cool fall season. It's best to begin planting these plants in early to mid September, that way when they start coming up the temperature will be cool enough (most years) for these plants to thrive. Some of my favorite veggies are cool weather veggies, and while some are very frost resistant, some will need to be harvested before the first heavy frost. Carrots and radishes can both live through frost events, and in fact they thrive - and without cold weather, carrots do not produce the sugars that give carrots their sweet flavor, The frost triggers sugar production so the plant does not die of frost.

• Beets
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Collards
• Kale
• Kohlrabi
• Lettuce
• Mustard
• Onions
• Peas
• Potatoes
• Radishes
• Rutabagas
• Spinach
• Swiss chard
• Turnips

Use containers or just dig a few little plots, and you can have some great fresh veggies this summer and into the winter months - eat healthy, and eat food you grow, it's a great way to really appreciate food and nature on a deeper level.

This blog post was sponsored by Maiden Tire & Wheel, your local tire store in Maiden!