How to Grow Tropical Vegetables
Many people give up on their gardens in the summer, especially in areas with very hot temperatures, where gardens suffer excessive dryness and rot from excess humidity or simply shrivel up from the glare of the sun. Plants like cauliflower and most types of tomatoes and lettuce thrive only in temperate areas, but this does not mean warm-climate dwellers should give up on growing vegetables. There are many common vegetables that thrive in the heat of mid-summer, soaking up the sun and humidity. Planting these vegetables is a simple matter of preparation and timing. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Mature compost
- Shovel
- Trowel
- Potting soil
- Water
- Tropical vegetable seeds
- Plant containers
- Tiller
- Pencil
- Rake
Instructions
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Choose the tropical vegetables to plant. Many of the plants that wilt or rot in the heat can be replaced with their tropical cousins. For example, replace broccoli with Asian broccoli and lettuce with spinach. Check the "References" section for more substitutions.
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Plan your garden. Have a space for vegetables that should be sown in the spring, one for fall plants that need a cold season and prepare greenhouse trays or indoor containers for those that should be started in mid-winter and transplanted in the spring.
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Sow your seeds at the appropriate times. Many tropical vegetables benefit from being started indoors in the winter so that they have strong roots that will endure transplant in the spring. Asparagus, lettuce, carrots, endive and leeks should all be sown indoors any time from November to January. Climbing beans and beets should be sown in the fall outdoors, so they have a cold season for germination. Sowing Guides in the References section has a more complete list of sowing times.
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Prepare gardening soil in the fall, regardless of when your seeds should be sown. This gives the soil time to mix and settle, making spring planting and transplanting much easier. Push the tiller blades into the soil about six inches deep and turn the tiller on. Push the tiller slowly up and down the areas to be planted, until the soil is fine and loose. Drop shovels-full of mature compost ever three feet or so. Use a rake to mix the soil with the compost using short, smooth strokes.
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Transplant your tropical vegetables after the weather becomes consistently warm. If nighttime temperatures are still dipping below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, it is too soon to plant. Daytime temperatures should consistently reach at least 75 degrees Fahrenheit with nighttime temperatures hitting 60 degrees Fahrenheit and higher. Most tropical veggies do best in temperatures between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Add compost to the seedlings' holes before planting. The veggies should not need additional fertilizer.
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Water your tropical vegetables generously. The soil should never be allowed to dry out completely. Water them until the soil is very damp right after planting and then mulch around them with compost. The compost will help hold in moisture and add nutrients to the soil. Check the soil every two or three days for dryness. In temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, check the soil every other day and mulch every third time you water.
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Do not overplant. Especially if you are growing vegetables for home use, you only need two or three vine plants, like beans, gourds or cherry tomatoes and about a square foot of leafy or root plants. Growing only what you need will conserve space and prevent waste.
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Tips & Warnings
Plant your favorite vegetables in containers and grow them in a greenhouse or indoors to have fresh vegetables all year long.
