Home Gardening

Some veggies like the heat
The Coast Gardener Newspaper and Web Column - July 27, 2002

It's nice to visit my parents during harvest time. It doesn't take much produce for a single guy to stock up! Come on, that's not the only reason I visit my folks!

The tomatoes in my parent's garden have just about played out for the summer. The two rows of "Celebrity" cultivars put on a bumper crop, but the high temperatures combined with increased insect pressure helped them meet their match. When temperatures climb above 92 degrees or so, many tomato cultivars quit setting fruit.

Have you ever noticed tomato tissue just underneath the skin sometimes remains white when the hottest days of summer arrive? This occurs when temperatures are too hot and potassium levels in the plant are too low. Watering more will not help, because it's too humid. The plant cannot transpire enough water to keep it cool.

This heat is also too much for my dad's "Charleston Gray" watermelons. This old standby is one of the best. They certainly grew quite well this year. One melon was 46 pounds and very sweet. The blistering sun, however, is causing their quality to diminish rapidly. It's time to clear the patch of the remaining melons.

There are some vegetables, however, that are in their prime during this heat. Okra and eggplant thrive in this weather. In fact, this heat and humidity is harder on us trying to harvest a fresh mess that it is on the plants!

While many gardeners feel the urge to harvest okra and eggplant daily, it's not necessary to keep the plants in production. They will continue to set fruit until the weather cools in the fall. However, if you are looking for the best quality, you should harvest everyday. The most flavorful and tender okra pods are no more than four inches long. Leave pods that you miss for seeds next year. Let them dry on the stalk and shell out the seeds at the end of the season.

How many gardeners out there suffer from the dreaded okra leaf itch? Using a pair of rubber gloves that extends to the elbow is a good idea if a long sleeve shirt is just too much to bear in the July garden.

Harvest eggplant daily for quality as well. Fruit that gets too large has tough skin, large seeds and very puffy flesh that absorbs grease like a sponge.

If you don't have a garden of your own, visit a farmer's market or a roadside stand. You'll be glad you did.

These archived gardening columns were written by Chance McDavid, former Harrison County Extension Agent.