Many of us have had the opportunity to try new activities recently. We have had unusually cool and rainy weather during this Spring and early Summer. Soon we will feel the mid to late summer heat. For those who are new to gardening you might not know that some plants prefer cool weather and others love the heat. This applies to vegetable and fruit crops.
Cool loving plants include lettuces, kale, chard, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, radish, mustard and turnip greens. I plant these crops in cool places or create shade for them. I plant lettuces in a long narrow planter box which I can easily move to the shade when it gets hot.
Heat loving crops include strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, peas, beans, bell pepper, eggplant, squashes and corn. Plant these in the sun and water them frequently on hot days.
Grow more that you need and start a new activity… canning your crops! My favorite resource for canning food is the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving by Judi Kingry and Lauren Devine with 400 recipes and mouth-watering photos. Be sure to go to page 409 if you are new to canning. You will find complete instructions for beginners and a quick reminder for gardeners who haven’t canned in years.
If you already have an Instapot or other pressure cooker large enough for canning jars then you are a step ahead on the list of equipment requirements. Buy canning jars that fit your pressure cooker or buy a larger one if your pressure cooker is too small. Jars can be used again and again. Lids and rims must be new each time you are canning food. Damaged lids and rims will not seal properly and can cause food to spoil. It is best to collect several batches of food for your canning day. This way you can do them all in one canning session. This eliminates frequent set up and clean up time, etc.
If you are growing for canning then plant multiple plants of the same kind at the same time. They with usually ripen at the same time and thus you will have your big crop for your canning session. If you didn’t do that then it is best to freeze your extra small batch crops. Follow carefully the directions for freezing so you don’t have inedible food when you are ready to eat it! Many states have food canning and freezing information as an extension of the local university.
July is not too late to plant more vegetables and strawberries! Look for foods that have shorter days to harvest. For a quicker growing time I buy starters (plants that have already germinated and are a few inches high). This can save a month or more of germination time. I prefer nurseries to other places when I buy my plants because the staff are more knowledgeable about the plants and organic products for your garden. And they usually have more varieties for the best choices of plants and garden products.
You can grow plants almost year around in this mild climate. Plant summer squashes (zucchini, pattypan, crooked neck, straight neck) for eating now but also include winter squashes for enjoying in the late fall (sugar pumpkin, butternut, acorn, sweet dumpling, spaghetti, hubbard, delicata, buttercup).
Happy and Healthy Gardening!
