Summer Garden Tour: What's Growing Right Now
Walking through the garden this morning at 7 AM, I could already feel the heat building for another scorching day in Zone 9a. The thermometer hit 103 degrees yesterday, and everything in the garden is either thriving in the heat or hanging on by sheer determination. This is the reality of summer gardening in hot climates where every plant tells a different survival story.
This mid-summer garden tour shows what's actually happening during peak heat, not the perfectly manicured Instagram version of gardening. Some crops are struggling, others are surprisingly resilient, and a few are absolutely loving conditions that would wilt most northern gardeners. If you're dealing with similar heat or wondering what a real working garden looks like during summer's worst, here's the honest assessment from someone whose tomatoes are definitely not thriving right now. Make sure to check out the free printable Gardening Quick Guide below.
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The Heat Survivors
Peppers are the undisputed champions of this heat wave. While everything else wilts by afternoon, the pepper plants are setting fruit like it's their job. The jalapeños, serranoes, and bell peppers seem to think 100-degree weather is perfect growing conditions, which makes sense given their tropical origins.
Okra is just hitting its stride now that temperatures are consistently brutal. This crop actually needs the heat to perform well, and the plants are finally tall enough to start producing the tender pods that make summer cooking worthwhile.
Basil and oregano are thriving in the sun and heat, though they require daily watering to keep from crispy. The intense sunlight is concentrating their essential oils, making them incredibly fragrant and flavorful for cooking and preservation.
The Strugglers
Tomatoes are having a rough time despite being the garden stars in milder weather. The plants are still producing, but the fruit is smaller, some flowers are dropping due to heat stress, and the plants look tired by mid-afternoon even with consistent watering. They're hanging on, but barely.
Cucumbers and squash are climbing high and staying productive, but only because they're getting shade during the hottest part of the day. The vines are robust, but the plants shut down completely during peak afternoon heat and only really perform in early morning and evening hours.
The Unexpected Champions
Zinnias and pollinator flowers are providing incredible color while supporting the bees and butterflies that somehow continue working even in this heat. These flowers are proving more heat-tolerant than many vegetables, creating bright spots in an otherwise stressed-looking garden.
Video Tour
Lessons from Heat Gardening
Summer gardening in extreme heat teaches patience and acceptance of what you cannot control. Some days are about survival rather than growth, and that's completely normal in climates where temperatures regularly exceed what most plants consider comfortable.
Watering becomes a strategic operation requiring early morning sessions before the sun hits and sometimes emergency afternoon interventions for the most stressed plants. Shade cloth, mulch, and deep watering techniques become essential tools rather than optional improvements.
Planning for Reality
The plants that thrive in this heat will form the backbone of next year's summer garden, while struggling crops might get relocated to shadier spots or replaced with more heat-tolerant varieties. Gardening successfully in extreme conditions means adapting expectations and plant selections to match what actually works rather than forcing what we wish would work.
This garden tour represents one moment in an ongoing experiment with growing food in challenging conditions. Some strategies succeed, others fail, but each season teaches valuable lessons about what's possible when working with climate realities rather than against them.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Gardening Quick Guide
One page for spacing, timing, water, feeding, pests, and harvest cues. Adjust to your climate zone and frost dates.
Sun: 6–8 hr+ for fruiting crops (tomatoes, peppers, squash). Leafy greens do fine with 4–6 hr.
Soil: rich, well-drained; most veggies prefer pH 6.0–7.0 (blueberries 4.5–5.5; potatoes 5.0–6.0).
Water: aim ~1″/week total. Water deep & infrequent. Mulch 2–3″ to hold moisture.
Feeding: side-dress heavy feeders at flowering; don’t overdo nitrogen on tomatoes/peppers.
Spacing & depth (common crops)
| Crop | Spacing (in-row × between rows) | Seed depth | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato (transplant) | 24–36″ × 36–48″ | — | Plant deep to first leaves; stake/cage/trellis. |
| Pepper (transplant) | 18–24″ × 24–36″ | — | Plant at same depth as pot; warm soil. |
| Cucumber | 12″ trellised or 24–36″ sprawled × 36–60″ | 1″ | Trellis for airflow & space. |
| Zucchini / Summer squash | 36″ × 36–48″ | 1″ | One plant per “hill.” |
| Winter squash / Pumpkin | 48–60″ × 60–72″ | 1″ | Big vines; give room. |
| Bush beans | 4–6″ × 18–24″ | 1″ | Succession every 2–3 weeks. |
| Pole beans | 6–8″ × 30–36″ | 1″ | Provide trellis. |
| Peas | 2″ × 18–24″ | 1″ | Cool soil; trellis helps. |
| Carrots | 2″ × 12–18″ | ¼″ | Keep surface moist; thin seedlings. |
| Radish | 2″ × 12″ | ½″ | Fast—succession every 1–2 weeks. |
| Beets | 3–4″ × 12–18″ | ½″ | Thin clusters to 1–2 plants. |
| Lettuce (leaf) | 8–10″ × 12–18″ | ¼″ | Partial shade in heat. |
| Kale | 12–18″ × 18–24″ | ½″ | Harvest outer leaves. |
| Onions (sets) | 4–6″ × 12″ | 1″ | Bulbing types need long day length. |
| Garlic (cloves) | 6″ × 12″ | 2″ | Plant in fall; mulch well. |
| Potatoes | 12″ × 30–36″ | 4″ | Hill as plants grow. |
| Basil | 12″ × 18″ | ¼″ | Pinch tops to bush out. |
Rule of thumb: seed depth ≈ 2–3× the seed’s diameter; keep tiny seeds shallow and consistently moist.
Seed starting & transplant timing
- Tomatoes: start indoors 6–8 wks before last frost; transplant after nights >50°F.
- Peppers: 8–10 wks before last frost; warm soil 65–70°F.
- Brassicas (kale, cabbage): start 4–6 wks before last frost; also great for fall.
- Cucumbers/Squash/Beans: direct-sow after last frost; soil ≥60°F.
- Peas: direct-sow 4–6 wks before last frost; soil ≥40°F.
- Carrots/Beets/Radish: direct-sow 2–4 wks before last frost.
- Lettuce: sow early spring & fall; bolt-prone in heat—provide shade.
- Fall crops: count back from first frost; choose faster-maturing varieties.
Water & feeding basics
~1″/week total (rain + irrigation). Morning is best. Deep soak the root zone 1–2×/week rather than frequent sprinkles.
1″ water ≈ 0.62 gal per sq ft.
Heavy feeders (tomatoes, peppers, squash, corn): compost at planting + side-dress at flowering/fruit set.
Light feeders (beans, peas): minimal N—too much = lots of leaves, few pods.
Companion & rotation
- Good pairs: tomato + basil; carrots + onions; cucumber + dill; lettuce under taller crops.
- Flowers for pollinators: calendula, marigold, alyssum, nasturtium.
- Avoid: beans/peas with onions/garlic (can stunt). Separate potatoes from tomatoes (shared diseases).
- Rotate: don’t plant the same family in the same spot two years in a row (nightshades, brassicas, alliums, cucurbits, legumes).
Pest & problem solver (IPM)
- Identify first (look under leaves). Remove by hand where possible.
- Use barriers: row cover for brassicas; collars for cutworms; netting for birds.
- Encourage allies: lady beetles, lacewings, birds. Avoid broad-spectrum sprays.
- Last resort: targeted products (e.g., insecticidal soap for aphids; Bt for caterpillars), following labels exactly.
- Aphids: blast with water, prune, encourage lady beetles.
- Powdery mildew: improve airflow, water mornings, remove worst leaves.
- Cabbage worms: row cover early; Bt if needed.
- Blossom-end rot (tomato): uneven watering; keep moisture steady.
Harvest cues
- Tomatoes: full color & slight give; vine-ripened flavor peaks.
- Cucumbers: glossy, firm; pick before seeds harden.
- Summer squash: 6–8″ long, tender skin.
- Beans: pods filled but not bulging.
- Garlic: 30–50% of leaves browned; cure in shade.
- Onions: tops fall over & necks soften; cure before storing.
- Potatoes: harvest “new” after flowering; storage when vines die back.
Frost & season extension
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