What is the Best Vegetable Seed for a Southern At-Home Gardener?

Lettuce is a good cool weather crop for early season growers.

Cool Weather Crops

Head lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage are cool weather plants. Sow these seeds in the ground in spring because they will not thrive throughout a hot, southern summer. Start these seeds indoors and plant them them in your garden in early spring for harvest in early summer.

Hot Weather Crops

Southern gardeners can safely sow these seeds directly in the garden in late spring: okra, pepper, muskmelon, eggplant and cucumber. These plants will mature and thrive in the hot southern summer sun.

Bottom Line

Know your zone. The American South lies in the seven-to-nine hardiness zone range. Check the maps on the back of the seed packet, or the maps in the seed catalogue before making your purchase. Plan your planting time around your region's temperatures to reap a successful harvest.

References

• University of Missouri Extension: Starting Plants Indoors From Seed