97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro.com have partnered with NC State Extension Master Gardener℠ volunteers of Orange County for “Playing in the Dirt,” a monthly column providing information and inspiration to gardeners of all skill levels! Check back on Chapelboro each month for a new subject – from our gardens to yours!
By Lynn Calder, Orange County Master Gardener℠ volunteer
Variety of warm season vegetables and herbs planted with pollinator flowers. Photo courtesy of NC State Extension.
Visit any garden center, grocery store or farmers’ market this time of year and you’ll be tempted with all kinds of herbs and vegetables to plant. Basil, mint, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, squash, melons and many others! In our area, it’s not too late to grow some of summer’s favorite herbs and vegetables and here are some tips and resources to get you started.
Growing Season
While most of North Carolina has three growing seasons, vegetables thrive best if planted at the right time. For example, leaf lettuces are considered cool season vegetables — they can tolerate some frost but not high heat and need to be planted in spring and fall. The warm season crops like tomatoes, peppers, squash and cucumbers should be planted after the last frost once the soils have warmed and they will grow until the first fall frost.
The NCSU publication Central North Carolina Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs explains these plants’ adaptation to climate (cool-season vs. warm-season) and provides recommended planting dates for a variety of seeds and transplants. Growth success will depend on the actual weather each year and plants established by the middle of each range will have the best results.
Spring-planted indeterminate tomato plant. Stake or cage early — they grow fast! Photo: Lynn Calder.
According to the chart, we have two to six weeks left to plant some warm-season annuals to enjoy this summer: lima and snap bean seeds, cucumber transplants, cantaloupe and watermelon, a few dark green leafy vegetables, summer squash, basil and tomatoes. Most leafy greens, eggplant and pepper transplants should be planted by mid-June. You may be able to extend the season by creating a microclimate for your plants, providing some shade during the hottest part of the summer.
Succession planting — staggering planting dates at one- to two-week intervals within the recommended dates — will provide more continuous fresh produce. Or plant varieties with different maturity dates. Plan for planting cool season vegetables at the appropriate time in fall after the summer’s production has been harvested.
Plant Selection
When selecting a plant, look for healthy green leaves and stems and check for pests and diseases. Avoid plants with roots growing out of the container’s drain holes, an indication they have been in there too long and are root-bound — bigger is not necessarily better.
Small Italian basil transplant. Photo: Lynn Calder.
Notice that available cultivars of vegetables (all those different tomato varieties!) have different characteristics such as maturity date, yield, size, taste, texture, color, disease resistance and geographical adaptation. The hundreds of varieties of tomatoes are commonly classified as determinate or indeterminate:
Determinate are bush-type, bear a full crop of fruit all at once and grow to a specific height (therefore better for container planting). Indeterminate are vine-like and continue to grow and produce fruit until frost, getting six feet tall or more.Sunlight
Give your plants the best chance by giving them enough sunlight. Most vegetables require full sun — at least six to eight hours each day. Leafy greens and root vegetables may get by with six hours but do better with eight; plants grown for their fruit, like tomatoes, squash and cucumbers, need at least eight hours of sunlight but will grow even better with ten. An advantage of container gardening is being able to place them in your sunniest spots.
Photo courtesy of University of Florida Extension.
Water
You’ll probably need to water your summer vegetables so try to locate them where water is easily accessible. On average, vegetables need at least one inch of water a week, which means soaking six inches deep every seven days by rain or irrigation. Easily track rain by placing a rain gauge in your garden. Soil should be kept consistently moist but not muddy. Watch out for containers that may dry out more quickly and need more frequent watering.
Water the soil slowly and deeply. To reduce fungal diseases, avoid wetting the foliage or splashing the underside of leaves. Morning is the best time so that any wet foliage dries out during the day; you can water in evening as long as you water only the soil and not the plant.
Planting for Success
Most vegetables, including tomatoes, may be planted in a garden bed, raised bed or in a container.
Generally, vegetables need fertile, well-drained soil, amended with organic material. If you have the space to plan and plant a designated vegetable garden bed, have your soil tested for amendment recommendations specifically for growing vegetables. To enlarge your growing space, add a decorative trellis to your bed or container for vertical growth of climbing or vine plants like cucumbers and beans. Also consider that many vegetables are beautiful in ornamental garden beds.
Large outdoor garden. Photo courtesy of NC State Extension.
If using a container, choose one that will support the plant’s root system at maturity and fill it with potting soil (purchased or home-made), not garden soil. If the container is large enough, you can include more than one vegetable with the same growing needs. For tips on container gardening, see this previous Playing in the Dirt article.
If you’re planting seeds, the packet will recommend depth and spacing and whether seeds should be started indoors for seedlings or sown outdoors in the ground. Follow instructions on plant tags for specific planting and spacing requirements of transplants or refer to the NC Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. Plant on a cloudy day or early evening to avoid immediate wilting.
Except for tomatoes, most transplants should be planted at the same depth they were in their container. Tomatoes will grow extra roots on buried stem. Therefore, for better root growth and plant health, remove the lower leaves and bury the lower portion of the stem leaving a few inches of stem and top three sets of leaves above the soil. For taller plants, you may set the plant in the ground in a trench at a downward angle so that the stem is almost sideways. New roots will grow downward along the buried stem.
Be sure to locate taller plants or trellis vines so they do not shade shorter plants. It’s also important to allow enough space between vegetable plants for adequate air circulation once fully grown. Humidity build-up around plants that are too close together encourages disease. Stake or enclose plants in cages as needed to keep them from falling over.
Mulching
Spread organic mulch around your vegetables, leaving space around the stem, to help conserve soil moisture, reduce weeds and erosion and prevent water splashing on foliage. Mulch around plants in containers too. Organic mulch will decompose naturally and can enrich the soil; it includes shredded leaves, pine bark mulch, compost, newspaper and wheat straw.
Pests and Disease Prevention
A healthy plant receiving adequate sun, water and air circulation is better able to ward off pests and disease. Keep the garden free of debris, leaf litter and weeds to inhibit the spread of disease. To preserve the environment and protect beneficial organisms, insects and wildlife, use chemical options as a last resort; practice IPM (integrated pest management) techniques to reduce and manage garden problems rather than aiming to eliminate them. See this page for links to information from NCSU about IPM for home gardeners, including an app — IPMLite — that provides sound, unbiased information for planting and caring for your landscape plants.
Planting companion flowering plants near your vegetables can provide beneficial insects to control pests and attract pollinators. Plan to rotate the location of your vegetable plants at least every three to four years to reduce insect and disease build-up in the soil. The resources below provide more information about planting for bountiful year-round vegetable production.
Take advantage of our warm summer and have fun gardening for great stuff to eat!
LEARN MORE:
Vegetables – NC State Vegetable Gardening Resources. NC State Extension. Vegetable Gardening: A Beginner’s Guide. NC State Extension. Central North Carolina planting calendar for annual vegetables, fruits and herbs. NC State Extension. North Carolina Extension Gardener Handbook, especially chapters on Vegetable Gardening, Organic Gardening, and Pest Management. For successful tomato gardening: Setting Your Tomatoes Up for Success. Durham County Cooperative Extension. Growing Tomatoes in the Home Garden. NC State Extension. Growing Tomatoes at Home. NC State Extension.More from the Master Gardener volunteers of Orange County:
Join us at farmers’ markets! We host booths at the Carrboro Farmers’ Market (8 a.m.-noon every Saturday through June 14; resuming Sept. 13) and at the Eno River Farmers’ Market in Hillsborough (third Saturday of month, 8 a.m.-noon, through October; next booth is on June 20). Visit our table at Sunshine Lavender Farms June Bloom Fest! June 14 and 15, 2025, 4104 Millstone Road, Hurdle Mills, NC. Have a plant or garden question? Email us at ocmgardeners@gmail.com or phone 919-245-2061 (leave message). Visit our website: TheOrangeGardener.org Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, The Garden Buzz. Follow us on Facebook: Our page is NC State Extension Master Gardener volunteers, Orange County.Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
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