By Kyleigh Bass, Horticulture Extension Agent
The official start of spring is March 20. For many, it is that time of year when daylight hours are increasing, bringing warmer days and nights, and it starts encouraging people to spend more time outside. The vegetable gardener is one such person. They start by collecting soil samples, to know the proper nutrients needed for desired crop, and monitor the weather for the optimum time to plant their vegetables. Below are examples of vegetables that can be grown during the spring and summer.
Plants Dates to plant How to plant Spacing Harvest
Snap Bean 3/15-5/15 plant seed 1/2inch deep 2-3inches 48-55 days
Sweet corn 3/1-5/15 plant seeds 1/2inch deep 10-12inches 69-92 days
Watermelons 3/15-6/30 plant seeds 1/2inch deep 36-60inches 90-110 days
Tomatoes 3/20-6/30 transplants 1 inch deep 18-24 inches 60-75 days
Celery 3/1-4/15 transplants 1 inch deep 18-24 inches 60-120days
Peas 4/15-7/31 plant seeds 1/2inch deep 4-6 inches 70-80 days
Hot Peppers 4/1-6/15 transplants 1 inch deep 12-18 inches 70-80 days
Bell Peppers 4/1-5/30 transplants 1 inch deep 12-18 inches 70-80 days
Pumpkin: 6/15-7/10 plant seeds 1⁄2 inch deep 36-60 inches 60-120 days
Squash: 4/1-8/31 transplants 1 inch deep 2-36 inches 50-90 days
You may be thinking: “I do not have room for a traditional in-ground garden.” A simple solution for limited space is a raised bed, window boxes, or simply in 5-gallon buckets. Many of the warm season crops listed, along with others not listed, do well in containerized gardening.
This is not a complete list of warm season vegetables. These are just the ones I enjoy growing. For more vegetables and varieties, please contact Kyleigh Bass, LSU Ag Center Horticulture Agent, at 318-251-5134 (Lincoln) or 318-263-7400 (Bienville).
Growing your vegetables is only part of the fun! The other part is taking those great fresh flavors and using them to create delicious meals and snacks to add to our diet. Here is a simple tomato cucumber salad recipe that really highlights those sweet, refreshing flavors in both the tomato and cucumber. Here’s the recipe:
Tomato Cucumber Salad Recipe
By Madi Horne, Nutrition and Community Health Agent
Ingredients
Salad
• 4 large tomatoes (washed and cubed)
• 1 large cucumber (washed and chopped)
• 1 cup red onion (washed and chopped)
• 1/3 cup parsley (washed and chopped)
Dressing
• 1⁄4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic (finely minced)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground pepper
Directions
1. Add all the cut salad ingredients into a mixing bowl.
2. In a small separate bowl, add the dressing ingredients and whisk with either a whisk or a fork.
3. Pour the dressing on to the salad and mix well.
4. Cover the salad and refrigerate for at least 30-60 minutes before serving to allow the ingredients to really integrate.
The lemon juice really brightens the whole dish and makes for a great dressing when mixed with the olive oil. This salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The fresh tomatoes really make this salad a perfect addition to many meals. Try it on your toast or a bed of greens or with a whole grain tortilla or just a spoon! Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from: myplate.gov.
If you have questions regarding this recipe, please contact Madi Horne, LSU Ag Center Nutrition
and Community Health Agent, at 318-251-5134 (Lincoln) or 318-263-7400 (Bienville).