Our unusual spring continues to bring us cool fronts that keep
garden plants a little off balance. Although this cooler weather has
been great for us, some summer vegetables need the heat to really
preform well. I wouldn’t be too concerned because the long hot days of
summer will soon be firmly upon us. It won’t be long before vegetables
like beans, tomatoes and squash start showing signs of heat stress.
As we move into the true heat of summer most of the area
gardeners that are “faint of heart” or “lack the pioneering
spirit” move into the comfort of an air conditioned home. There are
only a few of us that know the “joy” of gardening in the south in
the summers. There are several choice vegetables that are only just now
coming into their prime growing season.

An old favorite in the south are southern peas or cowpeas which
includes blackeyes, purple hulls, creams and crowders. This heat loving
vegetable is native to central Africa where it thrives under hot, humid
conditions. Try to avoid planting southern peas until late in the
spring. You can continue to plant them throughout the summer. This
heat loving vegetable resents cool soil so starting too early in the
season can cause stunted growth or even seedling death.
Cowpeas are legumes (pea family), which have the ability to fix
nitrogen from the air via soil borne bacteria into nodules on their
roots, greatly enhancing the fertility of soil they grow in. This makes
them an excellent crop to grow in the summer even if you don’t eat
them. They can fix as much as 60 to 80 pounds of nitrogen per acre in a
single season.

For those of you who like southern peas you get a double treat,
the harvest of peas for the table while improving your soil. There are
numerous varieties on the market and they all seem to do well here,
listed are a few of the better choices: blackeyes - California Blackeye,
crowder - Black Crowder, Mississippi Silver, purple hull - Knuckle
purple hull, Texas Pinkeye, and cream - Cream 8, Mississippi Cream;
Lady and Elite.

Southern peas should be planted in a fertile garden soil after
the soil has warmed to 70̊ F. Space the peas to about four to six
inches apart and watch them grow. If you plan to use them just for
improving your soil till them under when they start to bloom. If you
plan to feast on the harvest, wait until the pods are well filled and
begin to yellow or dry up.

Another good one for our hot weather is okra. With the growing
popularity of Cajun cuisine okras popularity has grown. This cotton
relative originates from Africa or Asia and was believed to be grown in
Virginia as early as 1781.

Okra, like cowpeas resents cool soil and should not be planted
before the end of April, but it can be planted all summer. The seeds
have a hard seed coat. Some gardeners have difficulty getting the seed
to germinate. Try soaking the seeds overnight to enhance germination
and remember to keep the garden soil moist until the seedlings are up.
There are two types of okra, the ridged type like Clemson Spineless,
Lee, Cajun Delight and dwarf varieties Lee, or Baby Bubba and the smooth
types like Emerald and Louisiana Green Velvet.

Okra should be harvested every other day when the pods are young
and tender. Pods over four inches long will be tough. Okra secretes a
sap that can irritate the skin. A long sleeve shirt and even gloves
should be worn to reduce the irritation.

Eggplant is another vegetable that doesn’t start to prosper
until the mercury rises into the 80's and 90's. It is probably native
to India and has been in cultivation since the fifth century. Don’t
bother planting plants out in the garden until mid April and this year
May. But they can be planted well into the summer.
Eggplant fruit comes in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors.
They are very productive. One plant will usually provide a family with
more fruit than they can use.

The plants should be planted in a sunny, well drained, fertile
soil. The plants get large and should be stalked to prevent them from
falling over. Varieties such as Dusky, Ping Tung Long, Louisiana Long
Green, Ichiban, Purple Rain and Megal are all well adapted to
Montgomery County.

The fruit should be harvested when it is still immature, large
and the skin is glossy. When the skin goes dull it is over mature and
will be bitter.

Summer gardening is not for everyone, but can be very
productive, and if a pot of gumbo, eggplant Parmesan, blackeyes and
cornbread sound good to you, you are set for a summer of fun.

Don’t forget to send your garden questions to Plant Answers at
9020 FM 1484, Conroe TX 77303 or e-mail me at t-leroy@tamu.edu .
Educational programs of Texas Cooperative Extension are open to
all citizens without regard to race, color, sex, disability, age or
national origin.