What I planted this week end for the edible garden

Seedlings started in peat pots on the patio

Sunday, May 29, 2022 

I did another round of planting this week end.   I am late getting seeds started and transplant planted out, but there is plenty of time yet to get your summer garden growing and producing.  You can start a summer garden well into June and still have a productive harvest.  For some edibles, like squash, it is even better to wait a bit to plant to avoid pests.  

For summer harvests, I transplanted the tomato plants I started in mid April into the garden bed.  I planted eggplant and pepper seeds on the back deck in peat pots at the beginning of the month and squash, cucumber and okra seeds last week.  I directly planted bean seeds in their long term pot.  This week, I started perennial artichoke seeds for Colorado Red Star and Violetta varieties.  

At this time of year, most seedlings sprout in about 7 days due to the temperatures being warmer than in early spring outdoors.  After they sprout, I keep them in a sunny spot on the deck so they can get used to the summer sun and wind.  I wait until the seedlings have at least two sets of permanent leaves before I transplant into their permanent pots or garden bed spot.  Eggplant and pepper seedlings take longer to get going than the bigger seeds of squash, cucumber, beans and okra.  It looks like they will all be ready to transplant in another week.

Newly planted tomatoes and marigolds

I succession planted more greens this week end in peat pots.  This time of year, I plant the heat tolerant varieties to have greens that don't bolt and turn bitter in the heat of summer.  I am always trying new varieties to figure out which ones have the best taste, do the best in our garden, and can stay sweet during the dog days of summer.  I have a few that I now plant every summer and am just trying new ones for variety and best texture.

The ones that are doing well for summer salads are these heat tolerant lettuces-Red Sails, Royal Oakleaf, Butter King, Bronze Beauty, and New Red Fire.  For spinach like taste, Red Malabar and New Zealand spinach do very well in our hot summers.  Lettuce substitutes that are proven in our garden are Hilton Chinese cabbage, Chinese Multicolor Spinach amaranth, any color orach (lime green, rose, double purple), Perpetual Spinach chard, and Fordhook chard.

The new types I am trying are Giant Blue Feather Leaf lettuce, Yedikule lettuce, Waterleaf Bokoboko Spinach mustard, Chijimisai Greens, Chinese Giant Leaf Mustard, Komatsuma Tendergreen Mustard, Oyster Leaf (a perennial), Big Leaf Tong Ho, Golden Beauty Chinese cabbage, and Spiros F1 spinach.

One watch out for starting seeds of the cool weather lovers is that when the soil temperature gets too warm, germination comes to a crawl.  Lettuce seeds don't sprout hardly at all at soil temperatures 75 degrees or warmer.  As summer heats up, you may have to start your seeds in a cooler spot to get good germination.

For the tomatoes I planted out in the garden, I planted marigolds all around the perimeter of this garden bed.  I love color in the garden.  Every garden should be pretty and functional, even the ones filled with edibles.  Marigolds also attract pollinators and deter deer.

I started a few herbs, too.  Dill, a couple varieties of cilantro and 3 varieties of basil.  2 are for pesto and other dishes-African Nunum and Italian Sweet; the other Cardinal basil is for their beautiful maroon tops.  Cardinal basil is also very flavorful and can be used for cooking as well.

I have Cock's Combs seed started, too.  I planted the dwarf variety this year.  They are just fun to have in the garden.  I may plant more flower seeds after I get the latest round of seedlings planted.  I'll focus on perennial flowers to add into the garden.