Thursday was the summer solstice, and I haven’t planted anything yet. Am I a poor master gardener volunteer (in training)? Did life take over and I didn’t make time? Was I too distracted to notice the movement of the calendar?
In actuality, none of that matters because we’re not out of time to plant! That’s the good news!
Now, what can be planted in this warm/hot, humid, going-into-probable-drought-conditions time of year? According to the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences of The Ohio State University, the following vegetables can still be planted: beans (pole, bush, lima or wax), cucumbers, eggplants, okra, peppers, summer and/or winter squash, sweet corn and tomatoes.
CFAES recommends planting the following before July 15: muskmelons, pumpkins and sweet potatoes.
Planting in the summer means there will be a fall harvest prolonging the availability of fresh vegetables and cooking for you, your family and friends – if you choose to share the benefits of your late, unplanned vegetable planting.
Along with planting some vegetables, what about some flowers to complement them? Some suggestions include colorful marigolds, smiling sunflowers, bountiful zinnias or fragrant lavender.
Adding color can liven up the landscape and include some color that might have been forgotten.
Something else that can be planted with the vegetables are herbs.
Plant herbs that can be used with the vegetables once harvested, such as parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme (you sang that didn’t you?) and oregano. Most herbs are perennials, and you’ll have a head start going into next year! Bonus!
With the usual and expected temperatures and lack of rain, it’s important to consider the following when planting: locations and planting options.
When deciding where to plant the vegetables, flowers, and/or herbs, knowing the amount of sun they will endure is important.
Most vegetables seem to thrive in direct sunlight for more than six hours a day – reading the seed packet will give specific directions for this. If starting with plants, do your research online or utilize staff at the nurseries selling the plants. When in full sun, plants require a lot of water, like us, therefore, an easily accessible water source is important. Raised beds are beneficial and convenient if there is only a small space available or mobility is a concern – sometimes it’s nice to be able to sit and garden instead of kneeling and bending.
The Master Gardener tent at the Marietta Farmers Market has a mobile square foot garden trailer for demonstration on small container gardening – it will be back at the market June 22, 2024 – and is a great resource for ideas.
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Beverly Prigge is a master gardener volunteer in training with the OSU Extension Office and is interested in medicinal plants, herbal remedies and locally grown food produce.