| I am planning a patio garden. I'd like to grow the following vegetables and fruits, organically and on a shoestring budget: Boston lettuce, broccoli, canteloupe, carrots, green beans, peas, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes, and watermelon. Va. Beach has hot weather from about now to October, and brief droughts alternating with drownpours (the latter esp. in hurricane season). Despite the harsh weather, I hope to grow prolific, pest and disease resistant, extra sweet and tasty varieties of the fruits and veggies listed. Additionally, I want to plant so my harvest will be gradual, and spaced evenly over the growing season (esp. melons)! Can you take all these factors and advise some named specific varieties of seeds to start off with, and planting instructions for a gradual (melon!) harvest? Thank you for your insight. M. Allison |
| off the trellis. Good catalogs to peruse are Burpee (http://www.burpee.com), Shepherd's (http://www.shepherdseeds.com), and Park's (http://www.parkseed.com). I hope this gets you started! Spinach needs cool temperatures in order to perform well, and not to "bolt" (go to seed). You can grow spinach in the cooler times of year, but for the summer, you can try Malabar or New Zealand spinach. These heat-loving greens aren't actually spinach, though they resemble it in flavor and texture. Also, choose lettuces labeled "heat-tolerant." To stretch your harvest of beans, carrots, and lettuce, sow seed at 2-week intervals throughout the summer. Though carrtos and lettuce prefer cooler temperatures in order to germinate, once growing, they'll do fine. If you choose a quick-maturing melon, such as 'Minnesota Midget', you can also make plantings about a month apart to stretch the harvest. Enjoy! off the trellis. Good catalogs to peruse are Burpee (http://www.burpee.com), Shepherd's (http://www.shepherdseeds.com), and Park's (http://www.parkseed.com). I hope this gets you started! Spinach needs cool temperatures in order to perform well, and not to "bolt" (go to seed). You can grow spinach in the cooler times of year, but for the summer, you can try Malabar or New Zealand spinach. These heat-loving greens aren't actually spinach, though they resemble it in flavor and texture. Also, choose lettuces labeled "heat-tolerant." To stretch your harvest of beans, carrots, and lettuce, sow seed at 2-week intervals throughout the summer. Though carrtos and lettuce prefer cooler temperatures in order to germinate, once growing, they'll do fine. If you choose a quick-maturing melon, such as 'Minnesota Midget', you can also make plantings about a month apart to stretch the harvest. Enjoy! |
