cowpeas | Gardening in the Panhandle

Summer Veggies That Can Take The Heat

by Molly Jameson | May 15, 2025

Bright green basil plants growing densely in a sunlit garden bed.

Sweet summer basil thrives in the heat – regular harvesting encourages bushier growth and delays flowering. Photo by Molly Jameson.

As the weather heats up, many spring vegetables begin to bolt, wilt, or shut down entirely. But for gardeners willing to shift gears, summer presents an opportunity to grow a new cast of crops that thrive in high temperatures, intense sun, and even occasional drought. Whether you’re growing in raised beds, in-ground rows, or large containers, these heat-loving vegetables are well-suited to our long summer season in the Panhandle.

Here are some of the best summer veggies to keep your garden productive when the thermometer climbs:

Okra

Okra thrives in the summer heat, producing edible pods just days after flowering. Photo by Molly Jameson.

Okra is a true warm-season crop that thrives in the heat and even tolerates periods of drought. For better germination, soak seeds in water for several hours or overnight before planting. Sow seeds directly into the garden once soil temperatures are at least 65°F and the danger of frost has passed – typically from late March through July. Plant seeds 1 inch deep and 4 to 6 inches apart in rows spaced 3 feet apart. Once seedlings are several inches tall, thin them so the remaining plants are spaced 1.5 to 2 feet apart. Pick pods when they’re two to four inches long, usually within a few days of flowering, to avoid tough, fibrous texture. Regular harvesting encourages more production throughout the summer.

Okra varieties well suited for our area include ‘Clemson Spineless’ and ‘Emerald,’ both known for their productivity and tender pods.

Southern Peas

‘Zipper Cream’ southern peas are heat-tolerant and productive, with easy-to-shell pods and creamy, mild flavor. Photo by Molly Jameson.

Also known as cowpeas or field peas, southern peas are a staple crop across the South for good reason – they tolerate heat, sandy soil, and inconsistent rain. Sow seeds directly in June through August, spacing them about 2 to 4 inches apart in rows 18 to 30 inches apart, depending on the variety. Southern peas are nitrogen fixers, so they can improve soil fertility over time.

Popular southern pea varieties include ‘Pinkeye Purple Hull,’ ‘California Black-eyed,’ ‘Creel Crowder,’ and ‘Zipper Cream.’ These plants are also relatively pest- and disease-resistant, making them a great low-maintenance option.

Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are grown from slips – vine cuttings taken from sprouted tubers. These slips should be planted after the danger of frost has passed and soil temperatures are consistently above 65°F, typically April through June. Space slips about 12 to 18 inches apart in loose, well-drained soil. While mounding isn’t always necessary, creating raised ridges or planting in raised beds can help promote tuber development and improve drainage, especially in heavier or poorly drained soils. Sweet potatoes require a long growing season – around 90 to 120 days – but they produce abundantly and require minimal care once established. Their vines also form a dense ground cover that suppresses weeds and reduces soil erosion.

Two reliable sweet potato varieties for Florida gardens are ‘Centennial’ and ‘Beauregard,’ both known for their sweet flavor, high yields, and adaptability to southern growing conditions.

Malabar Spinach

Red-stemmed Malabar spinach thrives in summer heat, producing tender, edible leaves on vigorous climbing vines. Photo by Bowonpat, Adobe Stock.

Malabar spinach is not a true spinach, but it provides tender, edible leaves throughout the hot months when traditional greens fail. It grows as a climbing vine, so give it a trellis or support to climb. Sow seeds directly into the garden or transplant young seedlings from mid-April through early June. This plant enjoys both sun and partial shade, and its thick, glossy leaves can be harvested regularly for salads or to thicken soups and stews. Just like regular spinach, frequent picking promotes new growth.

Both red-stemmed and green-stemmed Malabar spinach types are available, with the red-stemmed variety more commonly grown for its ornamental appeal.

Basil
Basil is a heat-tolerant herb that loves full sun and thrives in the warmth of summer. It can be direct-seeded or transplanted once the weather settles into consistent warmth, typically March through May in North Florida. Space plants about 10 to 12 inches apart and harvest often to prevent flowering and promote bushier growth.

In addition to classic sweet basil, try Thai basil or lemon basil for unique flavors that hold up in hot dishes and drinks alike.

Peppers

Close-up of a ripe orange habanero pepper hanging from a plant.

Habanero plants yield intensely hot peppers with a distinct tropical flavor. Photo by Gerald Holmes, Strawberry Center, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Bugwood.org.

Peppers – especially hot varieties – are well-adapted to Florida summers, although they benefit from a bit of afternoon shade during the most intense heat. Start with healthy transplants in spring or early summer, spacing them 18 to 24 inches apart. Keep the soil consistently moist and apply mulch to help retain moisture.

For sweet pepper options, try ‘Corno di Toro’ or ‘Sweet Banana.’ For heat lovers, datils, jalapeños, and habaneros all perform well in warm conditions. Just note that some varieties may slow production during extreme heat, then pick up again as temperatures moderate.

Take a Break with a Cover Crop

If summer gardening starts to feel overwhelming, you don’t have to plant every square foot. Consider giving part of your garden a seasonal rest with a warm-season cover crop like cowpeas, velvet beans, buckwheat, or even sweet potatoes. These vigorous growers help suppress weeds, improve soil structure, and add organic matter – and in the case of legumes like cowpeas and velvet beans, they also fix nitrogen to benefit future crops. Sweet potatoes, while edible, can also serve double duty as a weed-smothering ground cover.

Wide view of a garden bed covered with dense, sprawling sweet potato vines.

Sweet potato vines form a dense summer ground cover that suppresses weeds and protects the soil. Photo by Janis Piotrowski.

For a lower-maintenance splash of color, consider heat-loving flowers like sunflowers, French marigolds, or zinnias – all of which attract pollinators and beneficial insects while brightening up your garden space.

Don’t let the summer heat bring your garden to a standstill! By choosing vegetables that are naturally adapted to our hot, humid conditions, you can keep your garden thriving and productive all season long.

Southern Field Peas, a Summer Delight

by Roy Carter | Jul 14, 2015

Southern Peas, Image Credit UF / IFAS gardening solutions

Cowpeas are one of the most important food legumes in the semiarid tropics covering Asia, Africa, Southern Europe, and Central and South America.

A drought-tolerant and warm-weather crop, cowpeas are well adapted to the drier regions of the tropics, where other food legumes do not perform well. It also has the useful ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen through it its root nodules, and it grows well in poor soils with more the 85 percent sand and with less than 0.2% organic matter and low levels phosphorus.

A farmer might call them cowpeas. A grocer might call them black-eyed peas. A restaurant waitress might call them field peas. But they are all talking about the same vegetable the southern pea. If you think you’re confused now, wait until you see some of the other names for this vegetable. My information was provided by Emeritus Extension Vegetable Specialist, Jim Stephens, of the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and Okaloosa county director Larry Williams.

A good part of the confusion over southern pea variety names is due to the fact that gardeners can easily save their own southern pea seeds. Over the years, true varietal identity gets lost. So, gardeners think up new local names for the Southern pea varieties that grow. As the seeds are spread around, what started out as a single variety may become known by several names. Added to this fact that there are so many recognizable southern pea varieties and it’s easy to see how confusion can result.

Some years ago, more than fifty southern pea varieties and strains were identified through scientific testing. Since then, plant breeders have added many more varieties to that old list.

Southern Pea Plant, image Credit UF / IFAS gardening solutions

Today, eleven southern pea classifications are recognized. By looking for the characteristics associated with each grouping, gardeners usually can come fairly close to identifying unknown seed stock. With the exception of the purple hull group, southern pea classification is based mostly on the color of the seed and seed eyes and the spacing of the seed in the pods.

Varieties are called Crowder’s if the seeds are spaced so closely that the seed color varies. The color can be general over the entire seed coat or it may be concentrated around the seed eye. Colorless varieties are called creams. The purple hull group includes varieties with some purple coloring on their pods, even though they may fit into other groups due to seed characteristics.

As I said, there are III Classification Groups – The Black-Eyes, The Black-Eye Crowder’s, The Colored-Eyes, The Colored-Eye Crowder’s, The Purple Hull group, The Black Crowder’s, The Brown Crowder’s, The Speckled Crowder’s, The Creams, The Cream Crowder’s, and The Field Forage Group. To make matters even more confusing Southern peas also can be classified according to plant growth habit. Pea plants may be bush, top pick, vining, or semi-vining types.

Southern peas recommended for North Florida includes Black-eye No. 5, Cream 8, Cream 12, Knuckle Hull, Magnolia, Pink Eye, Purple Hull, Texas Cream 40, White Acres, Top Pick Eye Purple Hull, Top Pick Cream 40, Sadandy and Zipper Cream.

Southern peas can be planted in our area in the spring, summer, or fall. For more information on how to grow Southern Peas, contact your local county extension office and see Publication SP 103, Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide.