I tested hundreds of varieties of vegetables to find the best crops to grow in a vegetable garden. I’ve searched for the most productive, disease resistant and heat tolerant crops with the best flavor that can survive my hot, humid, wet summers, and in this video, I share them with you! Here are my 5 BEST veggies EVER grown: the best tomato, cucumber, zucchini, sweet pepper and hot pepper.
Parthenocarpic Zucchini Test: https://youtu.be/z1xeYw9XEoQ?si=1nZV4I4hzo0d54Gq
Seeds for featured varieties can be purchased** here:
Brandy Boy Tomato: https://fxo.co/Iz0N
Merlin Cucumber: https://fxo.co/Iz4s
Sanabria Zucchini: https://www.jungseed.com/product/J03571/573
Dunja Zucchini: https://tomatogrowers.com/products/dunja-hybrid
Red Impact Sweet Pepper: https://tomatogrowers.com/products/red-impact-hybrid-pepper
Garden Salsa Hot Pepper: https://tomatogrowers.com/products/garden-salsa-hybrid
I use the following products* most often for my garden and fruit trees:
Grow Bags (Black): https://amzlink.to/az0UDaVzkSLWi
Grow Bags (Tan): https://amzlink.to/az02kBaExY5sL
4FT LED Grow Light (60W): https://amzlink.to/az0V6hbDTqDNP
Seedling Heat Mat: https://amzlink.to/az071jOYOileE
Seedling Heat Mat & Thermostat Kit: https://amzlink.to/az0w0n9cO7SRH
Shade Cloth: https://amzlink.to/az01boLJy9JNI
Insect Netting: https://amzlink.to/az0H5tKMYxP2O
Pruning Snips: https://amzlink.to/az0S6BULZGPmi
Weed Barrier: https://amzlink.to/az0FMvvMdjto9
4 Gal Battery Backpack Sprayer: https://amzlink.to/az0yoJL5NNxkB
Pyrethrin Concentrate: https://amzlink.to/az0hrxWNFMSK9
Spinosad Concentrate: https://amzlink.to/az0cWgLhAD56I
Insecticidal Soap: https://amzlink.to/az0LUTcwpDMqn
Surround WP Kaolin Clay: https://amzlink.to/az0QftMdlGkDR
Alaska Fish Fertilizer [5-1-1] (Gallon): https://amzlink.to/az0Jhw8liNoe3
True Organic All Purpose Fertilizer [5-4-5]: https://amzlink.to/az0lVAel6Wss7
Espoma PlantTone [5-3-3] (36lb): https://amzlink.to/az0gylQKIH3hO
Espoma PlantTone [5-3-3] (50lb): https://amzlink.to/az0dh0dYaye1l
Espoma Bone Meal (10lb): https://amzlink.to/az0KAuCOZcPgQ
True Organic Blood Meal (3lbs): https://amzlink.to/az0jNeCruTl6a
Azomite Trace Minerals (44lb): https://amzlink.to/az0qPn4i34Eol
Jack’s All Purpose [20-20-20] (1.5lb): https://amzlink.to/az0JG0Dv6Da0h
Jack’s All Purpose [20-20-20] (25lb): https://amzlink.to/az0F6FgxdhKjO
Jack’s Blossom Booster [10-30-20] (25lb): https://amzlink.to/az08lv7ZJFnUu
• Full Amazon Store: https://amzlink.to/az0yli4Cz0iXX
TABLE OF CONTENTS
0:00 Introduction
0:52 Variety Selection For Hot Summers
2:24 The Best Tomato Variety
6:26 The Best Cucumber Variety
11:58 The Best Zucchini Variety
15:45 The Best Sweet Pepper Variety
18:12 The Best Hot Pepper Variety
20:56 Final Thoughts And Garden Tips
22:56 Adventures With Dale
If you have any questions about how to grow a vegetable garden at home, how to grow fruit trees or the things I grow in my raised bed vegetable garden and edible landscaping food forest, please ask in the Comments below!
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https://www.themillennialgardener.com/
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https://shop.spreadshirt.com/themillennialgardener
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ABOUT MY GARDEN
Location: Southeastern NC, Brunswick County (Wilmington area)
Zone 8B, 34.1°N Latitude
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**Affiliate links earn commission at no cost to you.
© The Millennial Gardener
#gardening #garden #gardeningtips #vegetablegardening #vegetablegarden
33 Comments
Are you growing any of the varieties featured in this video? Let us know in the Comments! TIMESTAMPS here:
0:00 Introduction
0:52 Variety Selection For Hot Summers
2:24 The Best Tomato Variety
6:26 The Best Cucumber Variety
11:58 The Best Zucchini Variety
15:45 The Best Sweet Pepper Variety
18:12 The Best Hot Pepper Variety
20:56 Final Thoughts And Garden Tips
22:56 Adventures With Dale
What other seeds do you purchase from Burpee besides Brandy Boy , Merlin and Party Time?
Brandy Boy tomato produces well here in blight-ridden Michigan. Haven’t tried the rest, but I might check out the zucchini. Wilt disease always gets mine.
14:33 is there a reason for planting the zucchini off to the side like that? Is it just to make room for the drip irrigation? I have zucchini starts right now and just wondering if there is a benefit!
I appreciate all the research you have done to identify vegetables that do well in zone 8. Last year I did not consider plant resistance – I just ordered interesting plant varieties. My garden was a disease disaster. This year is going to be better. I am ordering the varieties you have recommended !
Thank you for being such a great resource!
In Florida cherry/grape tomatoes work best for me too many animals for big tomatoes in my opinion
I can't grow bell pepper to save my life but the hot ones love Florida
Cayenne have been the most prolific for me especially grown small
If you want bell pepper flavor with a kick, let the jalapeno ripen to red
Looks like an Italian long hot
i grow Katrina cucumbers from JSS. They are prolific producers!!
So true i live in zone 9B no matter what varies tomatoes i grow it thrived. I still have last year tomatoes in my freezer from 3 different varies 3 only plants more than i can eat. I think from now on i will only plant 2 Roma plants that is it. I don't want to freez it just doesn't taste good. I'm not tomatoes sauce fan.
I don’t see Merlin in the link of your seeds. Please let us know a reputable source for this. Thank you for all you do.
Happy Gotcha Day Dale! We love you! ❤
Per recommendation I tried the Garden Salsa pepper, and damn are they hot. Loving the Sport pepper, not too hot and good hot pepper flavor.
Thank you! I enjoyed this so much!
Definitely going to try Red Impact! I’ve never been able to grow a nice bell pepper with thick walls. Thank you!
You had me at "taste". Seriously, you helped me have the best tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers last summer. (I am in Maryland, we are a little dryer and colder) and… I think spicy equates to long life, my aunt is 103, never afraid of the heat. Thank you! (edit… this was the beast Adventures with Dale! ever… He's wonderful)
You should try cooking those zucchini flowers! They're eaten alot in Italy.
I just ordered Dunja Zucchini and Red Impact Pepper using your link to Tomato Growers! Will try to get Brandy Boy and Merlin from Burpee (available in local garden center?)
Thank you! Looking forward to trying!
Thank you for your variety knowledge 🙂
Best move ive made with zucchini is grow it vertically. Once its tall enough tue it to the inside of a tomato cage and keep tucking the branches inside the rings. Barring that, tie it up a t-post. Keep pruning older lower branches. Keeps it off the ground, airflow and allows for underplanting
Correct. I'm in CA zone 9b & my bell peppers are weak. Small & thin walled. Even CA specific varieties like yolo & CA Wonder. My hot peppers thrive. I normally grow banana varieties for sweet but I gotta try Red Impact!
My Brandy Boy seeds came in this week! Going to put them in within the next 2 weeks, inside! I love to flower garden too, so I am going to plant most of the ones I love in seed this year, inside. Prices are too high come spring. Anthony, you should be the Brandy Boy poster man!! 100% Thank you for keeping up and keeping on with all of us…PLEASE video of seed starting soon! 🌱 Dale eats so well!! Love this boy. 🐕
Seriously, try Sashimi from Johnny's. Parthenocarpic and gynoecious long Asian variety. Crisp, thin skin and delicious. Every flower set a cuc and had no issues with disease or cucumber beetles. I was picking 5 cucs a day from 5 plants.
Thanks MG for always providing us with the links. It makes it so much more convenient for us so we dont have to hunt them down. I thought i was done ordering seeds for 2026. I guess not.
how about eggplant, Italian boy? Thank you for info🥰
Hey, just want to say I grew Red Impact pepper last year and it takes a long time to mature in zone 7B (75-80 days) so start it a little earlier. Delicious pepper!
I have an idea for an experiment for you. Could you add activated carbon to some potted plants, regular charcoal (same particle size) to another set, and then of course, have a control group? You often mention that the rain washes all your nutrients away, but because of the chemical structure of charcoal and carbon, they are likely to hold on to nutrients. This is also good for the environment downstream of you
Sanabria all alone fighting for its life against a colony of baby centipedes 😂 @14:12 drop a few Helldivers nearby.
@themillennialgardener I know that your climate can be tough for peppers (they don't like wet feet) there is a variety called Super Shepard you should give a try. It's an Italian sweet pepper hybrid that makes a pretty good bell pepper sub. Better yet it is extremely productive and tolerates humidity fairly well.
I love how your excitement amped up when you said "gynecious parthenocarpic" 😮 that means i must grow Merlin.😅