What makes Summer a difficult time to grow

In the middle of Summer the light is intense, it is often very hot and the days are long. Whilst this amount of light can mean plants grow faster and larger, it also means they can dry out, or be fried in the intense Summer sun. Couple this with a hot Summer wind and you have a recipe for disaster. 

How to get a harvest anyway

The trick to getting a harvest anyway is to plant the right crops. Beans, corn, pumpkin, tomato, capsicum, eggplant, zucchini, squash, cucumber and okra all love the heat. It can be trickier to grow greens in the heat of Summer, but there are some specialty greens like orach and Tokyo Bekana that laugh at heat. You can also grow lettuce and spinach if you plant it on a cool day, water it right away and protect it with shade cloth for the first few days after planting, and during intensely hot weather. 

Soil is key

It is also vital to have great soil, full of organic matter like compost, that can hold water well even during hot weather. Mulching around vegetables also helps keep the soil cool and moist. 

A final note on longevity 

Succession planting during Summer will help ensure a continuous supply of food. Plants can quickly exhaust themselves or succumb to pests and disease in hot weather. Having a second succession of zucchini, cucumbers or beans allows you to pull out the old crop once it starts looking ratty and get fresh new plants established. Of course pumpkins, eggplant and capsicum only need to be planted once per season, but don't forget to fertilise them every month or so to keep that new growth coming. 

Still to come

Next time I will talk about how to grow pumpkins and melons in a small space. 

This week's recipe links

Garden Fresh Corn Salad from Cookie & Kate. 

Easy Vegan Pesto from Minimalist Baker. 

Adam Liaw's Zucchini Slice from Good Food. 

Auburgine and Courgette Lasagne from Jamie Oliver. 

More info

To read more about what's happening on our local organic farm this week as we grow and care for veggies for our box delivery, check out this week's newsletter here.