Warm season vegetables are those that need a frost free air temperature and warm soil, so it is wise to wait until your spring weather has settled into a mild phase before planting. There are two sorts of warm weather vegetables – those that are sown directly into the ground, such as sweet corn and green beans; and those that are transplanted from small plants sown inside earlier in the year, or store bought plants. The transplanted vegetables include tomatoes, peppers and melons.
As all these vegetables are sown in mild weather it does give you a chance to prepare the bed well. Drainage and a good water supply as well as lots of nutrients are important for fast growth and a good yield. Till the ground well and incorporate compost or manure plus any other soil additives before you plant the vegetables. To increase the warming of the soil, make small hills or raised beds for your plants. Hilling up the ground will aid drainage and increase the surface area that is exposed to the direct rays of the sun. This will help drain any remnant soggy patches from slow melting winter snow, as well evaporate any surface water.
Planting late will also allow you to make supports for your vegetables. Tomatoes and pepper both benefit from cages or sturdy sticks to stop them falling over and damaging the fruit. Beans, if they are the runner variety will also need support for the long vines. Typically this will be a teepee type arrangement, or two rows of canes, about 3 feet apart and bent toward each other to make a ‘V’ shape. Upright wire fencing that is secured on both ends will also work for many tall or vining plants. Do not use flexible plastic fencing unless it is pulled taut. Young birds and other animals can get trapped and tangled in loose fencing. For protection of your crops, you should consider how to keep animals and birds off the fruit. This can also be done well in advance of planting and will give the impatient gardener something useful to do. Simple one inch wire fencing, that surround the garden will do a great deal toward keeping groundhogs and rabbits at bay, as well as some deer. Although deer can easily jump a three-foot fence, they will frequently not do so if there is not sufficient room to land comfortably. So in a small garden of just six or ten foot wide, the deer will use caution when jumping over a three-foot fence. If the garden is twenty feet across though, they will have no some qualms!
Protection from insect and other air borne problems, a simple net from the fabric department of your local store will do a lot toward nixing the invasion. The fabric is both cheap and effective, as well as being easy to buy in an emergency.
With a little preparation, you will have a great garden to plant your warm weather vegetables and you will give then plants an environment to support maximum yields.
