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Potted Produce--Fast!

By Marie Hofer, Gardening editor, HGTV.com
PHOTO

A golden zucchini ripens in a pot. Depending on the type of squash or zucchini you choose, you could enjoy a harvest in as few as 40 days from seed--even less if you can still find transplants at a local nursery.
It's not too late to plant summer veggies! In fact, seasoned gardeners often like to plant successive crops every four weeks or so just to stagger the harvest. And to make it even simpler, save yourself the hassle of digging in the hot sun and opt for a container veggie garden.

Here's how to do it:

  • Choose varieties that have a short growing cycle. Summer squash typically needs 45 to 50 days from seed to harvest, depending on variety (a few like Cougar and Enterprise mature in only 40 days); zucchini, 45-60, depending on variety; bush beans (57 to 58 days for Bush Kentucky Wonder and Blue Lake, respectively); cucumbers (as few as 50), cherry tomatoes (as few as 45 days, depending on variety). And to cut the time even farther, browse your local home-and-garden centers or nurseries for transplants, which can cut your time to harvest by up to two weeks.

  • 'Bright Lights' swiss chard can span the seasons--producing some leaves for August salads but also thriving through the fall, continuing to supply you with cooking greens.

  • If you decide to go with seed, sow indoors so you can more closely control moisture and heat. When the seedlings show at least two sets of true leaves, remove them gently from the seed flat and transplant to the final containers, says Stephanie Turner, horticulturist at Park Seed. "Give them a day or two in part shade to help them get used to the heat, then move them into the sun."

  • Provide a good potting soil, plus timely water and fertilizer, and before summer is gone, your veggie garden will be rewarding you with a feast.

    If you live in a colder climate with a short growing season, check with your local extension agent or trusted nursery for the best varieties and timing for a successful crop. Some crops like tomatoes and peppers are especially cold sensitive; when nighttime temperatures drop to 55 or below, they stop growing and begin to yellow.

    • Photo

    Thai Hot produces its abundant crop of peppers in just 40 days from seed. --photo courtesy of Park Seed
    Photo

    Tumbling Tom Yellow tomatoes ripen in 65 days from seed. New for 2007. -- photo courtesy of Park Seed
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