5 Leafy Greens That Love Summer

It can be a little heartbreaking when a week of hot weather sends arugula and lettuces spiking for the sky. One day you’re clipping delicate salad greens, and the next day spiky stalks and flowers are swaying above bitter greens in the garden.

But not to worry – you don’t have to devote your summer garden entirely to the popular warm season varieties like tomatoes and squash, because there are some famously cold tolerant leafy green cultivars that can also stand up to even the sultry summers of the Southeast.  Here’s are a list of  leafy greens that are perfectly happy nursing a cup of hot cocoa or a cold glass of iced tea...

KALE (Brassica oleracea)
This non-heading member of the cabbage family famously produces even in harsh Russian winters, but is quite content in warm weather. Harvest the outer leaves a few at a time throughout the season, and water regularly to improve tenderness.  Space plants 12”-18” apart and rotate crops to avoid common soil borne diseases, and companion plant herbs to help control insect pests like the cabbage worm. Recommended cultivars: Red Russian, Hanover Spring, Blue Curled Scotch, Lacinato.

CHARD(Beta vulgaris cicla)
A relative of the beet that has been developed for its tender, nutrient packed leaves, Chard is often used as a heat tolerant substitute for spinach.  Space plants about 8” apart in rich soil amended with plenty of compost and an organic source of potash like green sand or wood ash. Suggested cultivars : Rainbow Chard, Ruby Red.

MALABAR SPINACH(Basella Alba)
Native to Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent, this heart loving perennial climber has no problem with the steamy summers in the Southeastern US. “What hot weather?”, it asks as this perennial climber methodically overtakes anything it can climb onto, producing thick,  heart shaped leaves that , while not technically spinach, are milder and loaded with Beta Carotene, iron and vitamin C.

COLLARD GREENS(Brassica Oleracea)
What this reliable, hearty garden producer lacks in aesthetic beauty, it makes up for in consistent yields of nutrient packed leaves in any season. Every bit as cold tolerant as it’s cousin kale, collards are even more content in the steamy days of summer.  Recommended cultivars: Georgia, Green Glaze, Champion

MUSTARD GREENS(Brassica Juncea)
Depending on the variety, the spicy flavor of mustard greens can vary from a fun dash of flavor to a salad mix to something more reminiscent of a chunk of wasabi, they  don’t mind hot summer weather one bit.  Recommended cultivars include Giant Southen Curled, Red Giant and Ruby Streaks