By John Monzingo | Assistant County Agent
The official start of spring was March 21. For many, it is that time of year when daylight hours are increasing, bringing warmer days and nights, and it starts encouraging people to spend more time outside. The vegetable gardener is one such person. They start by collecting soil samples, to know the proper nutrients needed for desired crop, and monitor the weather for the optimum time to plant their vegetables. Below are examples of vegetables that can be grown during the spring and summer:
| Plants | Dates to plant | How to plant | Spacing | Harvest |
| Snap Bean | 3/15-5/15 | plant seed 1/2 inch deep | 2-3 inches | 48-55 days |
| Sweet corn | 3/1-5/15 | plant seeds 1/2 inch deep | 10-12 inches | 69-92 days |
| Peas | 4/15-7/31 | plant seeds 1/2 inch deep | 4-6 inches | 70-80 days |
| Hot Peppers | 4/1-6/15 | transplants 1 inch deep | 12-18 inches | 70-80 days |
| Bell Peppers | 4/1-5/30 | transplants 1 inch deep | 12-18 inches | 70-80 days |
| Tomatoes | 3/20-6/30 | transplants 1 inch deep | 18-24 inches | 60-75 days |
| Watermelons | 3/15-6/30 | plant seeds 1/2 inch deep | 36-60 inches | 90-110 days |
| Pumpkin | 6/15-7/10 | plant seeds 1/2 inch deep | 36-60 inches | 60-120 days |
| Squash | 4/1-8/31 | transplants 1 inch deep | 2-36 inches | 50-90 days |
You may be thinking I do not have room for a traditional in-ground garden. A simple solution for limited space is a raised bed, window boxes, or simply in 5-gallon buckets. Many of the warm season crops listed, along with others not listed, do well in containerized gardening.
This is not a complete list of warm season vegetables. These are just the ones I enjoy growing. For more vegetables and varieties, please contact John Monzingo at 318-927-3110 or 318-371-1371.
It is the policy of the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service that no person shall be subject to discrimination on the grounds of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, or disability.