Grow your own Summer vegetables and experience a world of flavor and freshness that you can’t find anywhere else! Starting a Summer vegetable garden is an immensely rewarding experience. Eating a freshly harvested fruit, vegetable, or leaf will make you experience food in a whole new light.
When to Plant Summer Vegetables in the Pacific Northwest
Warm-season, Summer vegetables seeds or starts must be planted out when soil temperatures are at or above 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit and nighttime temperatures at 50 degrees or warmer. In the Willamette Valley, these conditions usually arrive in early or mid-May. Raised beds and large containers can warm up faster than in-ground soil, and so can different areas in your garden. Use a soil thermometer to check for ideal planting times and conditions!
You can get an early start on the Summer gardening season by starting plants by seed indoors, by growing plants in containers on protected areas like greenhouses or warm porches, and by using cloches to warm up the soil before planting begins!
How to Select & Care for Summer Vegetables
The Pacific Northwest is a fantastic region for growing fresh herbs, fruits, edible flowers, and of course, vegetables. The best way to grow something delicious and productive is to:
1. Start with something you know you like to eat. It’s that simple—try your hand at replicating some of your grocery store staples out in the garden and be amazed at the difference in flavor!
2. Give your vegetable garden as much sunlight as you possibly can. Whether growing in containers or the ground, try to select an area with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight, ideally with a Southern or Western exposure.
3. Care for the plant and the soil with good, organic amendments. Improve the quality of your soil with organic compost and manures when you plant, and feed your plants every 4 weeks with Organic Vegetable Food.
4. Water your garden early morning before the heat of the day and mulch your garden beds. Water is essential to the success of your plants, and by providing it before the heat sets in you’ll make sure they are primed to grow and mature without stress!
We have the best selection of vegetable seeds and vegetable starts at our Portland-area Garden Centers. Dennis’ 7 Dees sells reliable plants that are perfect for beginner gardeners, along with rare and interesting heirloom varieties that experienced gardeners will appreciate! Here is a quick guide to growing some of the best Summer vegetables.
If you’re looking for information about growing tomatoes, follow our tomato blog here!
Artichoke
The Best Artichoke Varieties: If you’ve never grown Artichoke, it might come as a surprise that the edible part of these perennial plants is actually the flower bud! We love heirloom variety Green Globe Artichoke for its firm, round buds and high production. As a bonus, Artichokes make beautiful, drought-tolerant, ornamental plants, thanks to their silvery foliage.
Seeds or Starts: Artichoke can be grown from seed in a single season, but for a jump start on production, purchase an Artichoke start, which is typically sold in a 1-gallon pot.
How to be Successful: Provide your Artichoke plant with lots of space and rich soil upon planting. Don’t overwater your plants, and situate your Artichoke in an area that receives a lot of hot sun. If you have a space next to a south-facing or west-facing wall, your Artichoke will be happy there with the added wind break and reflective heat from the wall.
Beans
The Best Bean Varieties: Beans are delicious when eaten fresh, and we love varieties like Blue Lake, Gold Rush, or Royal Burgundy for eating raw. Grow shelling beans like Jade, Adzuki, or Scarlet Emperor for drying. Pole beans and runner beans have a vining habit and grow tall, while bush beans are shorter and grow more densely.
Seeds or Starts: Beans are best when direct seeded into warm garden soil. Take care when transplanting starts as they don’t like to have their roots disturbed.
How to be Successful: Vining plants should be grown up a trellis or teepee, while bush beans can be planted in a row with no support or in a container and will grow to about knee-high. Plants are shallow rooted and need regular watering and mulching. Beans are ready for harvest about two weeks after bloom. Harvest beans every 3–5 days when ripe to keep the plants productive.
Carrots
The Best Carrot Varieties: Try round carrots like Parmex and Kuroda, or Nantes types for harder, heavier soils. Take a walk on the wild side with bright, interesting colors like Cosmic Purple or Rainbow and Carnival Blend.
Seeds or Starts: Directly sowing seeds is preferred to transplanting, whenever possible. Round varieties are easier to transplant from starts.
How to be Successful: Carrots grow best in deeply worked, loose soil with a pH of 6.0–7.0. Avoid split roots by watering regularly, and avoiding overfertilizing to prevent forked or misshapen carrots. Cover crowns with extra soil as they grow to discourage green shoulders. Water plants prior to harvesting for highest moisture content and cut tops off before storing to keep them fresh. Carrots can also be grown as a fall or winter crop.
Corn
The Best Corn Varieties: Sweet corn like Honey and Cream or Sweet Ambrosia are delicious raw or cooked, or try a variety with unique coloration like Martian Jewels or Natural Bright.
Seeds or Starts: Corn may be transplanted from starts, but is typically much better when direct seeded.
How to be Successful: Corn plants perform best in fertile, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0–7.0. It is critical to wait for soil to reach optimum temperature (70 degrees for best germination) and important to provide plenty of nitrogen during the early growing stage since corn is a heavy feeder. Be sure to water evenly and deeply. For proper wind pollination, plant individual corn varieties in square blocks of at least four rows rather than in a straight line.
Cucumbers
The Best Cucumber Varieties: Cucumbers are more diverse than you might appreciate, with Persian, Armenian, and Lemon Cucumbers varieties offering an alternative to standard green options like Marketmore and Burpless.
Seeds or Starts: Cucumbers grow best when direct seeded into the garden once soils are very warm. Be delicate when transplanting cucumber plants, and avoid cold or overly damp soils.
How to be Successful: Cucumbers like a well-drained soil with a pH of 5.5–7.0. Keep soil evenly moist, but not wet for germination, and be sure to provide consistent, even watering during early growth and fruit development. Trellis-growing, mulch, or raised beds can improve yields and keep fruit straight and pest free. Harvest regularly for best productivity.
Eggplant
The Best Eggplant Varieties: Black Beauty Eggplant is an excellent option for making dishes like Eggplant Parmesan, and we adore Japanese varieties like Finger Fruit or Long Purple for their versatility and smooth texture.
Seeds or Starts: Growing Eggplants from starts or transplants is best because they require a lot of heat and a long growing season.
How to be Successful: Plant eggplants in fertile, well-drained soil. Mulch and/or use row covers for extra warmth in Spring. Optimum growing conditions are when daytime temperatures are 80–90 degrees. Harvest when skin is smooth and shiny before fruits get too large for best flavor.
Lettuce & Kale
The Best Lettuce & Kale Varieties: For Summer vegetable gardens, be sure to select slow-bolt varieties of Lettuces to keep them from becoming bitter as they set seed in hotter temperatures. We love Buttercrunch lettuce for a tender green flavor and Mascara for dark-leaved drama. Kale varieties like Kosmic Kale and Nero Toscano are delicious and will last into Autumn.
Seeds or Starts: Lettuce and Kale are quick to germinate and can be direct sown but will need lots of water and mulch if sowing in May. Start seeds earlier to prolong harvest and reduce stress on plants. Purchase starts at any point from March onward for an easy addition to the garden.
How to be Successful: Provide Lettuce and Kale with rich soil and even and consistent Summer water. Leafy greens are best grown in partial shade conditions during the heat of the summer to avoid hot afternoon sun that may scorch the leaves and cause them to bolt or go to seed quickly. Grow seeds or starts in containers, small raised beds, or as underplantings around perennial flower borders – the options are endless! When harvesting select the outermost leaves on Kale and salad bowl lettuce or leafy greens. Harvest head lettuce when heads are tender and the size of a fist at least.
Melons & Watermelons
The Best Melon & Watermelon Varieties: Smaller fruiting varieties have a better chance of ripening early in the Pacific Northwest and therefore producing bigger yields. We like Sugar Baby Watermelon or the aromatic Charentais Cantaloupe.
Seeds or Starts: Melons can be planted from seed once soil is at least 65 degrees or can be transplanted from starts when available at the Garden Center.
How to be Successful: Melons prefer rich, well-drained soil and need warm soil to germinate and trhive. Watermelon is not as cold-tolerant as other melons and should be mulched and/or covered with a cloche for early spring warmth.
Peppers
The Best Pepper Varieties: Peppers are incredibly beautiful and vary greatly in size, shape, and spice. For fresh eating Bell Peppers we like sturdy varieties like King of the North, however a whole world opens up when you start to grow spicier peppers. Pimiento de Padron or Shishito Peppers make a delicious, flavorful Summer appetizer, or try your hand at Thai Bird Chiles and Habaneros.
Seeds or Starts: Transplants are usually better than direct seeding into the garden in our climate as pepper plants grow best in warm soils like those in raised beds or containers and grow slowly or be stunted in cool soils. Start your own peppers indoors from seed or purchase starts at the Garden Center.
How to be Successful: Peppers grow best in fertile, well-drained soil with a pH between 5.5 and 6.8. Plant with extra calcium (bone meal, lime) for better productivity. Fruit set occurs between temperatures of 65 and 85 degrees and you can pinch some flowers to allow ripening fruit to grow larger. Sweet bell peppers, mild sauté peppers, and spicy hot peppers all like similar growing conditions. All pepper fruits will appear green and then slowly ripen to yellow, orange, and red. Pepper heat increases when plants are slightly drought stressed, so when growing hot peppers let them go longer between waterings once fruit has set.
Squash & Pumpkins
The Best Varieties: Summer and Winter Squash are both best planted in mid-May—Winter Squash like Pumpkins, Butternut, and Acorn Squash takes longer to mature and can be stored from Fall into Winter. Summer Squash like Black Beauty Zucchini or Yellow Crookneck can be eaten raw when small, are delicious on the barbecue and are a versatile addition to almost any dish!
Seeds or Starts: Squash can be direct sown into raised beds or planted from transplants. Large seeds are quick to germinate and starts are easy to transplant.
How to be Successful: Squash prefers well-drained, fertile soil with soil temperatures at least 65 degrees or warmer. Be sure to plant bush varieties 3–4 feet apart and vining varieties 4–6 feet apart. Squash are monoecious (male and female flowers grow separately on the same plant) and need insect pollination to set fruit; plant bee-attracting flowers nearby for better pollinator traffic! Harvest Summer Squash every 3–4 days to keep productive and avoid over-sized fruit. Harvest Winter Squash when fully mature and firm; wash and dry until stems are brown to cure for storing.
Dennis’ 7 Dees has a diverse, interesting, and fuss-free selection of vegetables as both seeds and starts. New shipments of vegetables arrive at least once a week in the Spring and Summer, so come visit the Garden Center to see our full selection! Our staff can help guide you to the best vegetables for your garden and Summer kitchen.