It is so hot and rainy in the summer that it is hard on plants and people to be in the garden. There are plants that thrive in this climate that you can grow during the hot, humid summer months.
Okra
Easy to germinate and grow, there are many varieties of okra. Cook in soups or eat it raw. Just remember to pick it before it gets too big and tough. Plant heirloom varieties and save the seeds for next summer! Clemson spineless is an reliable heirloom okra.
Sweet Potatoes
An easy summer favorite, sweet potatoes do not need a lot of attention. They may take 3 or 4 months depending on the variety. Use lots of compost and fertilize lightly once or twice. Some good choices are Beauregard and Centennial which are vining types of sweet potato.
Spinach and Greens
There are many varieties of spinach vegetables that you can grow in the South Florida heat such as Malabar, sissoo, longevity and Okinawa spinach. Other heat tolerant greens include chaya, katuk, moringa and galanga. These plants need very little care during the hot, humid summer but will provide nutritious food for your summer enjoyment!
Summer Cover Crops
Sunn Hemp, black velvet beans and buckwheat are excellent crops to grow to improve your soil and add biomass to areas of your garden that will not be growing plants over the summer. Their benefits include fighting root knot nematodes, fixing nitrogen, and as they are cut and drop crops, they will add organic matter to improve your soil for the next season.
Rotary Community Garden and Food Forest of Coral Springs 