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Gardening basics: What you should plant in your garden this summer

It's National Garden week, and if you are thinking about upping your garden game this summer, you're not alone.

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By
Maggie Brown
, WRAL Multiplatform producer
RALEIGH, N.C. — It's National Garden week, and if you're thinking about upping your garden game this summer, you're not alone.
During the coronavirus pandemic, as people were spending more time at home, there's been a surge in people wanting to learn how to garden. COVID-19 gardens have been popping up across the country and people are growing their own food in an attempt to become self-reliant.

But before you jump on the trend and try a little gardening for yourself, here's what you need to know.

Cucumbers are great to plant during the summer! After planting, expect to harvest the veggie after 55 to 65 days. Photo taken at Logan's Garden shop in downtown Raleigh.

Should I start gardening in the summer?

Summer in North Carolina is hot. Which is good news for some plants, but bad news for your soil.

Jeana Meyers, horticulturist with the North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension, said that planting seeds in the summer could be difficult. Much of the soil we have in central North Carolina is made of clay, which takes a lot of work to dig up when hardened.

"I typically recommend preparing a garden bed in late winter, early spring," Meyers said.

But if you are going to dig a bed, she said, it's best to wait until the ground is wet, or after a heavy rain came through.

What vegetables should I plant right now?

"There's plenty of time for tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, squash," she said.

Many vegetables — like cucumbers and okra — love growing in the heat, and should be planted in June.

Eggplant love the summer heat and are fun to grow. Photo taken at Logan's Garden shop.

If you don't have a lot of space for veggies, you could experiment with growing green beans on a trellis.

Basil is another bright plant that is easy to grow, doesn't take up too much space, and loves the heat. Make sure your basil is in a hot, sunny spot.

Basil is perfect for growing in the summer and loves the heat. Photo taken at Logan's Garden Shop in downtown Raleigh.

Meyers says it's too late to plant potatoes — but you can start growing sweet potatoes.

While its too late in the season to plant potatoes, its a perfect time to try growing sweet potatoes. Photo taken at Logan's Garden Shop in downtown Raleigh.

It's a bit too early to plant carrots. They should be put in the ground in late July and early August in the Triangle.

You could also start growing peppers right now, but don't expect to harvest them until it gets cooler outside.

Photo taken at Logan's Garden Shop in downtown Raleigh.

How do I know if I have good soil?

When preparing to plant your seeds, it is best to do a soil test, Meyers said.
Okra is a great crop to plant in the summer time, when it's hot and humid and the threat of frost has passed. Photo taken at Logan's Garden Shop in downtown Raleigh.
The test is free from April until Nov. 30 and can help you see what kind of fertilizers you should add to your soil.

It's recommended that you add plenty of mulch to your garden. In the Triangle, we see heat, droughts and rain throughout the summer. Mulch can protect your garden from all of it.

Photo taken at Logan's Garden Shop in downtown Raleigh.
What if I want to see something bloom NOW?

Impatient gardeners that want to see something bloom this summer can plant Zinnias and Marigolds.

If youre impatient, try planting marigolds now. They are fast bloomers, and so you'll see your hard work pay off quickly!

Those are pretty common flowers, so if you want to try something unique, Meyers recommends planting Mexican Sunflowers. They take up a lot of space — they can grow 4 to 6 feet tall in one season. The flowers look different from your typical sunflower patch and have thin orange or yellow leaves. Mexican Sunflowers will also attract butterflies!

Mexican Sunflowers, photo taken by sarangib on pixabay. (https://pixabay.com/photos/flower-mexican-sunflower-tithonia-1646386/)

Another easy fast-flowering plant is Cosmos. You can find them in yellow, pink or orange. These are annuals, meaning they won't come back for the next summer.

Meyers also recommends planting Guara, or Whirling Butterflies. Those flowers will die after the first frost, though.

The white and pink flower is a Whirling Butterfly. Photo taken by Hans Braxmeier from Pixabay. (https://pixabay.com/photos/flowers-plant-blue-lavender-white-1521658/)

Lantanas, which grow into big bush of flowers with sharp green leaves and delicate, bright-colored petals, are also good to plant during the summer. Some forms of the Lantana will die after the first frost.

"I love the 'Miss Huff' [Lantana], as it comes back, gets to be a large mound of flowers, and the butterflies love it," Meyers said.

'Miss Huff' Lantanas will attract lots of butterflies. You should plant these in the summer. Photo taken by Vicki DeLoach, posted on Flickr. (https://www.flickr.com/photos/vickisnature/12498498124/)

What can I plant that will bloom in the fall?

There's plenty of flowers that you should plant now that will die back at the first fall frost but will bloom again next year.

Aster is a classic, bright purple flower native to North Carolina that will reappear each year.

Meyers said her two favorite fall bloomers are Russian Sage and Pineapple Sage.

Russian sage is a flowering perinanial that can get up to 3 feet tall. Its foliage smells as lovely as it looks. Photo from Patrick Standish on flicker. (https://www.flickr.com/photos/patrickstandish/1129912103)

A beautiful and special vine that loves the summer heat is Moonflower. Meyers recommends combining the flower with Lab lab Bean, a vine that is an ornamental crop with purple flowers. In some areas of the world, Lab lab is grown as food. This vine can grow up a fence, mailbox or trellis.

The white flowers will compliment the lablab bean perfectly. This vine can grow up the sides of fences, mailboxes or a trellis. Photo from the NC State Cooperative Extension, posted by Steve Pettis. (https://henderson.ces.ncsu.edu/2020/09/garden-update-september-2020/?src=rss)

"Both are slow to start, but Luna moths love the large white flowers," she said.

The Moonflowers may take a while to get going, but once they do, they can grow big. The combination of the Moonflower with the Lab Lab Bean is majestic. Both of the vines reach their peak in September.

I have a question about my garden. Where can I get answers?

Meyers said you can reach out to NC Extension's Master Gardners program.

People can reach out by email at mgardener@wakegov.com or call the Master Gardners at 919-250-1084. You can send pictures to the Master Gardner's email and they will be able to help answer any questions about your plants.

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