Growing your own vegetables in Louisiana means dealing with heat, humidity, and sometimes unpredictable weather. But don’t worry! Many vegetables actually love these conditions and will reward you with bumper harvests.
Whether you have a big backyard garden or just a few containers on your porch, these plants will give you plenty of fresh food with minimal fuss.
1. Okra: The Southern Summer Superstar
Nothing says southern cooking like fresh okra, and Louisiana’s steamy summers make it thrive like nowhere else. The hotter and more humid it gets, the happier okra becomes!
Plant seeds after the last frost, and you’ll be harvesting tender pods within 60 days. For best flavor, pick pods when they’re 2-3 inches long. The plants grow tall and produce for months, giving you basketfuls of this versatile vegetable.
2. Sweet Potatoes: Underground Treasure
Sweet potatoes practically grow themselves in Louisiana soil. These root vegetables love the long, warm growing season and produce impressive harvests even when other plants wilt in the heat.
Start with slips (young sprouts) in spring after soil warms. The sprawling vines need space but require little attention as they grow. Come fall, each plant yields several pounds of nutritious tubers that store well for months after harvest.
3. Collard Greens: Year-Round Wonder
Collards laugh at Louisiana’s weather extremes when other greens surrender. These leafy champions produce nutritious greens nearly year-round, especially thriving in fall through spring.
Plant them once and harvest for months by picking outer leaves while leaving the center to keep growing. Their waxy leaves handle humidity better than most greens. Even summer’s heat won’t stop them completely, though they prefer cooler months for their sweetest flavor.
4. Bush Beans: Quick And Prolific
Ready for harvest in just 50-60 days, bush beans deliver impressive yields in small spaces. Their compact growth habit makes them perfect for Louisiana gardens where you want maximum production with minimum fuss.
Sow seeds directly in the garden after danger of frost passes. Multiple plantings every few weeks ensure continuous harvests throughout the growing season. The plants handle humidity well and produce until summer heat peaks, then can be planted again for fall.
5. Cherry Tomatoes: Heat-Loving Fruits
While larger tomatoes struggle in extreme humidity, cherry varieties keep producing through Louisiana summers. Their smaller fruits develop quickly, reducing disease problems that plague bigger tomatoes in humid conditions.
Look for heat-tolerant varieties like ‘Sweet Million’ or ‘Sun Gold.’ Plant in well-drained soil and provide support for the vines. The plants will reward you with hundreds of sweet, bite-sized tomatoes from early summer until fall frost.
6. Eggplant: Elegant And Productive
Eggplants adore Louisiana’s hot, humid conditions and reward gardeners with gorgeous fruits all summer long. Unlike their northern counterparts, eggplants grown in Louisiana often continue producing well into fall.
Choose compact varieties for container growing or traditional types for in-ground planting. The plants benefit from staking as they become heavy with fruit. Regular harvesting encourages more production, so pick fruits when they’re glossy and firm for the highest yields.
7. Southern Peas: Drought-Defying Legumes
Field peas, cowpeas, black-eyed peas – whatever you call them, these southern staples shine in Louisiana gardens. Remarkably heat and drought tolerant, they fix nitrogen in soil while producing protein-rich harvests.
Direct sow after soil warms in spring. The plants form attractive bushes or vines depending on variety. Harvest young for snap peas, slightly older for shelling, or fully mature for dried peas. Their ability to thrive when other vegetables struggle makes them summer garden heroes.
8. Hot Peppers: Spice Up Your Garden
Hot peppers practically explode with growth in Louisiana’s climate, often producing hundreds of fiery fruits per plant. Cayenne, jalapeño, and tabasco peppers all originated in humid climates similar to Louisiana’s.
Start seeds indoors or purchase transplants to get a jump on the season. Once established, pepper plants need minimal care beyond regular watering during dry spells. The fruits can be harvested green or allowed to ripen to red, yellow, or orange depending on variety.
9. Mirliton (Chayote): The Louisiana Squash
Mirlitons have been a Louisiana garden staple for generations, producing dozens of pear-shaped squash on vigorous vines. Once established, a single plant can yield 30-50 fruits in a season!
Plant whole fruits in spring after danger of frost. The vines need strong support as they can grow 20+ feet. Harvest begins in late summer and continues until frost. Unlike many vegetables, mirlitons actually improve with humidity, developing faster and producing more in Louisiana’s climate.
10. Mustard Greens: Fast-Growing Nutrition
Ready to harvest just 30-40 days after planting, mustard greens provide quick nutrition in Louisiana’s cooler seasons. Their spicy leaves add punch to salads and traditional southern cooking.
Sow seeds directly in garden beds in early spring or fall. Summer plantings often bolt quickly in the heat. The plants grow rapidly in Louisiana’s humidity, producing armloads of leafy greens. Harvest outer leaves as needed or cut entire plants at once.
11. Cucumbers: Refreshing Summer Crop
Vining cucumbers climb happily in Louisiana gardens, producing dozens of crisp fruits per plant when humidity is high. Their quick growth means harvests begin just weeks after planting.
Choose disease-resistant varieties to combat potential fungal issues in humid weather. Trellising keeps fruits clean and maximizes space. Regular harvesting is essential – pick cucumbers every few days when they’re 6-8 inches long to encourage plants to keep producing throughout the summer months.