Direct sowing eliminates all possibility of transplant shock and allows root systems to develop without disturbance. (Just don’t forget to thin your seedlings to keep them from competing for sun and space.)
If you buy most of your seedlings from a nursery (particularly if they’re sold in six-packs), make sure you’re not bringing home seedlings that have little chance of developing into healthy mature plants.
Check the plant descriptions for characteristics like “heat resistant,” “bolt resistant,” “slow bolt,” or “heat-tolerant,” especially if you live in a warmer climate or tend to have unpredictable weather in spring.
All vegetable crops—even those that can grow year-round—prefer growing in specific seasons and will have peak flavor and production in these seasons.
A 2-inch layer of organic mulch helps insulate plant roots and keep them cool in hot weather. This reduces the amount of heat stress a plant experiences when air and soil temperatures rise, and prolongs the harvest period.