FL summer gardening ideas - best tasting & productive vegetables/herbs

[Julie]

Share your ideas on what vegetables to plant over the summer that actually taste good & are productive.

Basil - all types.  Thai, Genovese are what I've tried.  I'm going to try lettuce leaf basil & red basil this summer.
Lemongrass
Mint
Pepper - Habanada & Cubanelle
Eggplant - ping tung long (does not set fruit in hottest part of summer but plant survives & produces after/before the ends of the regular growing season).  Tempted to try thai frog egg & chinese string from Baker Creek.
Green Papaya
Okra - tried it before and didn't like the taste/texture, but will try again this year with new recipes
Garlic Chives
Bottle Gourd - tried it last year and it only set one fruit.  Anyone know where to get seed that can produce better in the heat?

[Galatians522]

Almost everyone overcooks okra. Start by bringing your water to a boil. Next, add the okra and leave it in the hot water for 3 minutes--it will usually just start boiling again. At 3 minutes remove it from the heat and immediately drain the water. Butter and salt. I didn't really care for okra until I had it cooked that way.

[Galatians522]

For summer vegetables, I am planning to grow several things that have worked well for me in the past. Cranberry hibiscus is a great leaf vegetable when you need a couple leaves for a sandwich or tacos (anything where a little tartness won't be out of place). Sweet potatoes are another good one. They are one of the only tropical root crops that has a short enough cycle to actually harvest in the middle of summer. Leaves and vine tips are great in stir fry or as a cooked green. Cooking bananas and plantains come in summer, too. Bell peppers grow well in the SHADE durring summer. I am experimenting with a nematode resistant variety called Carolina Wonder from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. I am also looking to grow day neutral pigeon peas, day neutral winged beans, and chayote. I'm not sure if the peas and beans will set pods over the summer when the temps are high. As I recall, my eggplant continued to fruit over the summer, but I had them in about 50% shade. Chayote won't fruit until fall, but the vine tips are good (1# green vegetable in Papua New Guinea) and will grow all summer.

[Julie]

Almost everyone overcooks okra. Start by bringing your water to a boil. Next, add the okra and leave it in the hot water for 3 minutes--it will usually just start boiling again. At 3 minutes remove it from the heat and immediately drain the water. Butter and salt. I didn't really care for okra until I had it cooked that way.

Will try this.

[roblack]

Okra rocks! Will try your recipe Galatians. I like it fried too.

[Julie]

Almost everyone overcooks okra. Start by bringing your water to a boil. Next, add the okra and leave it in the hot water for 3 minutes--it will usually just start boiling again. At 3 minutes remove it from the heat and immediately drain the water. Butter and salt. I didn't really care for okra until I had it cooked that way.

Do you just put the entire okra in whole or are you cleaning out the interior?

[Eggo]

1I second sweet potatoes as a must. They can get invasive but if you have space they grow easily. All parts of the plants are edible raw or cooked.  They are not poisonous raw vs regular potatoes

I think people don't grow wingbeans enough. They're good cooked or raw. Galatians, Baker Creek sells a day neutral variety, I have yet to grow it.

Winter melon/Ash gourd. You'll need a trellis. But the mature gourd can be stored like a year without refrigeration. 

Luffa.  Mature ones can be made into sponges but young luffa can be stir fried or made into soup.  The texture is unique and very different from many gourds but it's very productive.

[Galatians522]

Almost everyone overcooks okra. Start by bringing your water to a boil. Next, add the okra and leave it in the hot water for 3 minutes--it will usually just start boiling again. At 3 minutes remove it from the heat and immediately drain the water. Butter and salt. I didn't really care for okra until I had it cooked that way.

Do you just put the entire okra in whole or are you cleaning out the interior?

You boil the pods whole with the stems on. Do not cut them in pieces--that contributes to slimyness. You'll notice that the color changes to bright green when its cooked.

[Galatians522]

I think people don't grow wingbeans enough. They're good cooked or raw. Galatians, Baker Creek sells a day neutral variety, I have yet to grow it.

That is the one I am growing. Its growing very slowly compared to the pole beans on the same trellis. We'll see how it does when summer gets here.

[1rainman]

Peanuts

[roblack]

Peanuts

Which peanuts do best?

Growing some here, forget the variety.

Green peanuts are the best to me, harvested when still a little soft. Makes the best boiled peanuts.

[turtle_hermit]

Seminole pumpkins are a really good summer plant to grow.
The vines are very productive and handle the summer weather like a charm.
Gourds are good for storage and last several months once picked, quite tasty as well.

[Rispa]

You can eat okra raw. It gives a different texture and flavor.

Black eye peas will also do well. As will many beans.

If you do sweet potatoes do them in pots or tall raised beds. If they spend all their energy spreading they don't produce big tubors. Their leaves are also the best green I've ever had. The one I grew at my previous house was a white skin white flesh one from the store.

Rat tail radish is good and productive.

[Rispa]

Peanuts

Which peanuts do best?

Growing some here, forget the variety.

Green peanuts are the best to me, harvested when still a little soft. Makes the best boiled peanuts.

I've never done peanuts, but the little yellow peanut flower definitely does well in Florida.

[Julie]

Peanuts

Also interested in what peanut variety to grow here during south florida summer

[Rispa]

For basil try African Blue Basil. It is an incredibly good pollinator attractor. Over winter you can bring cuttings inside to root in water. I also like the taste better than many other basil.

[FloridaManDan]

Peanuts

Which peanuts do best?

Growing some here, forget the variety.

Green peanuts are the best to me, harvested when still a little soft. Makes the best boiled peanuts.

Rob, I sent you a few Schronce's Deep Black peanuts, if thats what you are recalling. My Deep Black plants have been thriving, even being mostly neglected. I recently cleared them out for some extra space.

As far as other peanut varieties, I have had success with Fastigiata Pin Striped and Tennessee Red Valencia, not as much with Carwile's Virginia -- these varieties are all supposed to be well suited to the conditions of the southeast US. And they also produce lots of gorgeous flowers.

Might have some seeds leftover of these varieties.

[roblack]

Thanks Dan! I have 2 or 3 of those growing pretty well. Need to repot them. What time of year do you harvest? Fall?