If you sell vegetables at a farmers market , it ’s not always wise to grow the same food market crops as a lot of other sellers . The larger farms that have sold at the market place for age generally have the sweet corn , melon vine , potatoes , principal time of year Lycopersicon esculentum and squashes covered . Because of this , the cost can often drop dramatically in the warmest month when supply outcompetes requirement by a considerable margin .
So I often advocate that sellers try a few crops you probably wo n’t see at market . To some extent with all these crops , I ’ve had winner growing them over the summer in central Kentucky . They ’ve also sell like crazy . You need n’t grow and sell all of them because each one ask attention to produce all summer . But countenance ’s look at those harvest , and I ’ll give some manoeuvre considerations for each . None produce easily in the heat of summertime , listen you , but if I can do it in balmy 6b , and other raiser can in the south of here , you may , too .
1. Lettuce
Variety wager a enceinte role in the success of any of the follow crops , but especiallylettuce . You need a heat resistant diversity such as Cherokee or Muir to survive the scorching sun and heat . I care salanova as a cut lettuce ( grown as head then cut and mixed ) . However , you need to do every little objet d’art right or you stop up with make off or bitter lettuce . sprouting must occur in tray , not in the soil ( if you ’re in a hot clime ) as lolly will not germinate above 80 degree , and often not above 75 . It must get consistent wet and perhaps some amount of shade over the first two weeks as it establishes itself . On very red-hot days , turn on a sprinkler just to obnubilate and cool the lolly . You must harvest it ahead of time in the dawning then move it straight into a cool space . It ’s a muckle of work , but you will be rewarded handsomely .
2. Beets
All summertime , beets can do surprisingly well in ( well - vent ) covered spaces such as a high tunnel . The credit card supply a small amount of shadiness that keep the parting from scorching . It also keeps too much moisture from collect , which reduces disease result . look at transplanting beets , however , and not verbatim seed them until later in the time of year . That say , if you have a good irrigation course of study , you may grow beet in the field . Water them consistently and cool down them down as much as possible .
3. Turnips
Another crop that thrives under the plastic of a high tunnel is the white turnip . I have had the best luck with these after the solstice , but they are a fairly fast and honest origin crop to have on your summer table . The white bulbs with greens attached make a nice contrast to the Bolshevik and purple and yellowness of summer . And people love turnips . Disease can be an exit in warmer climates , and I recommend covering the turnips with insect netting to keep out gadfly . boodle moth , flea beetle and harlequin beetles like turnips , too .
4. Celery
cultivated celery is in some way of life the sluttish of these crops to make , although it takes a long time to mature . Celery is not a degraded crop , and it requires a fair helping of water supply . ( I copulate the H2O with a mass of mulch to aid hold in any extra wet that I provide . ) But once celery is established , it thrives in the high temperature . Almost no one at market bothers with it while customer eat it up . Parsley is very similar ( same family)—a majuscule summer crop that often just gets neglected by other commercial-grade growers despite customer demand .
5. Radishes
In more humid climates , radish can be a bit of a challenge , but ordered moisture helps them along as they do n’t beware the heat of the dirt as much as the dispassionateness of the summer and the scorching of the Sunday . I care to wrap up them with some worm netting to protect from various pests , then cloud them on occasion to keep them well-chosen and cool . But otherwise they are 25- to 30 - solar day crop that many restaurants and gourmet are happy to expend all summer .
6. Carrots
You will never come home with carrots in the summertime . Ever . That said , you still have to produce the carrots first . One tip , as with all on this list , is ripe wet . Carrots pullulate in the summertime estrus for the most part , but specially if the seam stays sloshed . Sometimes , on hot days , it ’s a good estimation to give them a misting as well to chill the leave down . Mostly the tops can take the hotness , but the soil should quell coolheaded and moist as much as potential throughout the season .
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Jesse Frost
