Gardening in Mississippi and the South: May, June, and July With
all the recent flooding of farmlands in Mississippi, some are
predicting skyrocketing food prices and food riots by late
August or early September. I suggest you head this possibility
off and start your own garden if you haven’t already done so.
Your family’s survival may depend on it. In the Vegetable Garden
- Cover unplanted vegetable beds with clear plastic to sterilize
soil and kill weed seeds and disease. - Renew old beds with
fresh compost, fertilize and lime if necessary. - Sow tomato,
eggplant, cabbage, collards, and rutabaga seeds indoors for a
fall crop. - Make summer plantings of hot weather vegetables
like okra, black-eyed peas, lima beans, watermelons, and sweet
potatoes. Also replant beans, corn, carrot, cucumber, radishes,
peppers, squash, zucchini, pumpkins, kale, Swiss chard, chicory,
and Florence fennel. - Tie climbing beans to supports as soon as
they are large enough. - Weed and water regularly. Keep a large
water barrel near