Agricultural Extension Service

The University of Tennessee

Vegetables
SP 291-P

Guide to Warm-Season
Garden Vegetables
David W. Sams, Professor
Plant and Soil Science

Some of these vegetable varieties and planting planting interval in West Tennessee. Plant later in Middle
dates are not the same as those grown by commercial and East Tennessee. Gardeners at high elevations may
growers. Commercial growers should be sure to consult need to plant near the very end of the recommended
the appropriate literature for commercial varieties and planting interval. Use the closer recommended row
planting dates. spacings only in compact gardens to be worked by hand.
Warm-season vegetables require warm soil and The recommended spacings between plants in rows
air temperatures if they are to germinate, grow and mature should not be reduced.
properly. They will not tolerate any frost and may be Remember that estimated days to first harvest,
severely damaged by prolonged temperatures as much as length of the harvest season and yields all are subject to
15 degrees above freezing. They are deep-rooted and considerable variation. The exact figures will depend on
generally quite resistant to drought. However, irrigation the varieties grown, the cultural procedure used, the
may increase yields. They are frequently grown for their weather and many other factors. More detailed gardening
fruit or seed and thus do not require excessive amounts of information is available in the other factsheets in this
nitrogen. Fruiting may, in fact, be delayed by excessive series, in PB 901, “Growing Vegetables in the Home
nitrogen fertilization. Gardens” and PB 1228, “Gardening for Nutrition.” These
Warm-season vegetables are generally planted may be obtained by Tennessee residents at no charge from
after danger of frost in the spring and grown during the local Extension offices.
heat of summer. Some will survive and produce into the The following table lists commonly grown warm-
fall, but most have a relatively long growing season and season vegetables, recommended varieties, spacings,
must be planted no later than early July. Plant warm- planting dates and harvest information.
season vegetables near the early end of the recommended
 Guide to Warm-season Garden Vegetables
Seed or Length Yields
plants Inches Inches Days to of per 100-
Planting per 100 between between first harvest foot
Vegetable Variety interval foot row rows plants harvest season row
Beans, Blue Lake, Top Crop, Apr.10 1/4 lb. 24 to 36 3 to 4 52 to 60 2 weeks 80 to
Bush Derby, Roma II, Half to June seed or 120 lbs.
Snap runners, Provider, 20 more
Tendergreen Improved
Beans, Pole Kentucky Wonder, Blue Apr.10 1/4 lb. 36 to 48 3 to 4 60 to 65 5 to 6 100 to
Lake, McCaslan to June seed weeks 150 lbs.
20
Beans, Fordhook 242, Henderson May or 1/2 lb. 24 to 36 3 to 4 65 to 75 3 weeks 20 to 30
Bush Bush, Dixie Butterpea June seed lbs.
Lima shelled

Beans, Pole King of the Garden, Sieva May or 1/2 lb. 36 to 48 3 to 4 80 to 90 4 weeks. 25 to 50
Lima June seed lbs.
Cantaloupe Burpee Hybrid, Gold Star, May 1/4 oz. 72 24 80 to 90 3 weeks 100+
Classic, Harper Hybrid, seed melons
Pulsar, Athena, Ambrosia
Corn, Silver Queen, (white), Apr. 1 1/4 36 8 to 12 80 to 95 7 to 10 90 to
Sweet Golden Queen, Kandy to lb.seed days 120 ears
Korn June 1
Corn, High How Sweet It Is, Apr.15 1/4 36 8 to 12 80 to 95 10 to 15 90 to
Sugar Honey 'n' Pearl, Incredible to June lb.seed days 120 ears
1
Cucumber, Country Fair, Calypso, May 1/4 oz. 72 12 50 to 55 3 to 6 115 to
Pickling Carolina, National Pickling seed weeks 250 lbs.
Cucumber, Sweet slice, Burpless. May or 1/4 oz. 72 12 50 to 65 3 to 6 115 to
Slicing Sweet success, Tasty Green June seed weeks 250 lbs.

Eggplant Black Beauty, Ichiban, May 50 plants 36 24 65 to 80 2 75 to

Dusky, Millionaire months 150 lbs.
or
more
Okra Clemson Spineless, Lee, May 5 1 ounce 36 6 to 12 50 to 60 7 to 9 50 to
Cajun Delight to seed weeks 100 lbs.
May 20
Peas, Field Mississippi Silver, Pink May or 1/4 lb. 36 4 65 to 80 3 to 5 30 to
Eye Purple Hull, Texas June seed weeks 40 lbs.
Creme 40, Whipoorwill,
Zipper, Dixielee
Pepper, California Wonder, Gypsy, May or 60 plants 36 18 to 24 55 to 80 2 to 3 50 to
Sweet Bell Boy, Golden Summer, June months 75 lbs.
Big Bertha, Sweet Banana
 Guide to Warm-season Garden Vegetables
Seed or Length Yields
plants Inches Inches Days to of per 100-
Planting per 100 between between first harvest foot
Vegetable Variety interval foot row rows plants harvest season row
Pepper, Hot Jalapeno, Cayenne, May or 60 plants 36 18 to 24 60 to 70 2 to 3 10 to
Habanero, Hungarian Wax June months 25 lbs.
Potato, Centennial, Jewel, Puerto May 100 slips 36 12 110 to 5 75 to
Sweet Rico, Beauregard 120 months 125 lbs.
stored
Pumpkins Autumn Gold, Sugar or May 1 oz. 120 to 48 100 to 4 40 to 50
Pie, Howden's, seed 144 120 months pumpkins
Jack 'O' Lantern, stored
Wizard, Spirit
Squash, Dixie, Early Summer, May or 1 oz. 48 to 60 12 to 24 40-50 6 weeks 100 to
Summer Crookneck, zucchini types, June seed 150 lbs.
Gold Bar
Squash, Cushaw, Pink Banana, May or 1 oz. 72 to 96 24 to 36 90-110 4 50 to
Winter butternut types, acorn types June seed months 200 lbs.
stored
Tomatoes Big Boy, Betterboy, Apr. 10 50 plants 48 24 70-80 8 weeks 200-300
Celebrity, Early Girl, to June or pounds
Sweet Million, (cherry) 10 more
Lemon Boy, Sweet Cluster,
Enchantment
Watermelon Jubilee, Crimson Sweet, May 1/4 oz. 120 to 48 80-90 3 weeks 20-25
Charleston Gray,Allsweet, seed 144 melons
Sweet Favorite

The following tips will be helpful in growing warm- Half-runner beans are highly susceptible to virus
season vegetables: diseases. Control insects to reduce the severity of this
While warm-season vegetables generally per- problem. Kentucky Wonder pole beans have low quality
form better during warm weather than during cool but are still very popular with home gardeners. It is also
weather, extreme heat can limit production. This is important to control cucumber beetles on cucumbers and
especially true of tomatoes, beans and peppers, which cantaloupe to reduce the incidence of bacterial wilt of these
tend to drop their flowers when temperatures above 90 crops. Specific control recommendations are found in PB
degrees are combined with high humidity. Large 595, “You Can Control Garden Insects.”
amounts of nitrogen will also cause flowers and small Squash, cucumbers, cantaloupes and other vine
fruit to drop. Do not apply ammonium nitrate crops require pollination by insects to bear fruit. Apply
sidedressings to tomatoes, peppers or okra until after insecticides late in the day to reduce the effect on honey
fruit begins to set. bees.
Beans and corn are sensitive to cool soils. Seed The Supersweet corns frequently must be isolated
tends to rot rather than germinate if soils are cool and wet. from other corns. This can be accomplished by spacing
Okra, peppers and eggplant require even warmer soils corn plantings 100 or more feet apart or by timing the
(about 70 degrees) to germinate quickly. Soaking seed plantings so they do not shed pollen at the same time. They
overnight may help, but do not soak seed more than 24 are especially difficult to get up when the soil temperature
hours before planting. is below 60 F.
 Dig sweet potatoes before cool, fall rains. Cure SP 291-A Growing Vegetable Transplants for
them at 85 degrees and 90 percent relative humidity, and Home Gardens
store them at 55F and 65 percent relative humidity. SP 291-B Growing Vegetables from Seed
Lime soils properly to reduce blossom-end-rot of SP 291-C Soil Preparation for Vegetable Gardens
tomatoes, peppers and watermelon. Mountain Supreme SP 291-D Care of the Vegetable Garden
tomato is somewhat resistant to early blight. SP 291-E Growing Sweetcorn in Home Gardens
The following Tennessee Agricultural Extension SP 291-G Fall Vegetable Gardens
Service publications also contain information useful to SP 291-I Weed Control in Home Gardens
home gardeners: SP 291-L Fresh Vegetable Storage for the Homeowner
SP 291-N Raised Bed Gardening
PB 595 You Can Control Garden Insects SP 291-O Guide to Spring-Planted, Cool-Season Garden
PB 819 Vegetable Transplant Production Vegetables
PB 901 Growing Vegetables in Home Gardens SP 291-Q Rhubarb in Home Gardens
PB 902 Growing Small Fruits in Home Gardens SP 291-R Growing Asparagus in Home Gardens
PB 1155 Honey Bees and Pesticides
PB 1215 Disease Control in the Home Vegetable Garden
PB 1228 Gardening for Nutrition
PB 1391 Organic Vegetable Gardening
SP 277-K Disease Resistance in Recommended
Vegetable Varieties

Precautionary Statement
To protect people and the environment, pesticides should be used safely. This is everyone’s responsibility, especially the
user. Read and follow label directions carefully before you buy, mix, apply, store, or dispose of a pesticide. According to laws
regulating pesticides, they must be used only as directed by the label. Persons who do not obey the law will be subject to penalties.

Disclaimer Statement
Pesticides recommended in this publication were registered for the prescribed uses when printed. Pesticides
registrations are continuously reviewed. Should registration of a recommended pesticide be canceled, it would no longer be
recommended by the University of Tennessee. Use of trade or brand names in this publication is for clarity and information; it
does not imply approval of the product to the exclusion of others which may be of similar, suitable composition, nor does it
guarantee or warrant the standard of the product.

SP291P-8.5M-4/01(Rev) E12-5215-00-031-01
The Agricultural Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race,
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COOPERATIVE EXTENSION WORK IN AGRICULTURE AND HOME ECONOMICS
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
and county governments cooperating in furtherance of Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914.
Agricultural Extension Service
Charles L. Norman, Dean