Vegetable Gardening Ideas for West Texas

The climates in most of west Texas are ideal for a wide variety of vegetables. Many of the vegetables you can plant are seasonal, but the weather in west Texas is such that you can actually replant a lot of the same vegetables in spring, summer and autumn so that you can enjoy them all year long.

Because of Texas' naturally warm climate, the "spring" planting season starts a little earlier than usual. You can plant spring vegetables as early as February, but you should aim for the middle of March for most areas in west Texas. Plant your spring vegetables after all danger of frost has passed. The best vegetables to plant during this season include pole beans, watermelon, cantaloupe, squash, zucchini, peas, potatoes, lettuce, eggplant, asparagus, peppers, tomatoes, corn, cucumbers and okra.

As you start harvesting the vegetables you planted during the spring, you can replant a great deal of them including peppers, potatoes, lettuce and tomatoes. You can also start planting other root vegetables like turnips, beets, parsnips, radishes and carrots as well as other potato varieties. Summer is also the season to plant leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, pumpkins and squash. Unlike spring and autumn, summer in Texas is incredibly hot and dry, so you need to water with greater frequency and you may want to consider getting shade covers for the more delicate plants.

Again, you can harvest the vegetables you planted in the previous season. You should begin planting autumn crops as early as August. Replant root vegetables like turnips, carrots and potatoes as these will all reach maturity before winter weather starts really settling in. You can also replant more leafy greens like kale and Swiss chard, as well as cabbage, broccoli and onions. Autumn is also the right season for tomato varieties like Surefire, Heatwave, Merced and Celebrity, which should all mature before frost sets in.