Heat Tolerant Vegetables For Tropical Climates

Since 2006, I’ve had the blessing to spend my time living in both Florida and Costa Rica.  In each location, I had gardens.  Tropical gardening is not much different than any other types of gardening. Plants still share the same basic needs—healthy soil, water, and nutrients.  When I first started, (coming from Illinois), it seemed that every standard supermarket veggie I tried to plant……..failed.  Then , after trial and error I found that it wasn’t my methods that were wrong, it was my ignorance of what crops to plant.  Seasonal rainfall, wet summers, and sandy soils make gardening in tropical areas a challenge.  Choosing the right crop and the right variety can make a difference. 

In tropical rainy summers, mold and fungus are a long-standing problem.  I’ve found this especially in the the southern parts of Florida and our gardens in Costa Rica.   Promoting crops that are resistant to diseases or fungi can have an impact.  Many tropical perennials have these protective traits as well as plants native to the area you live.  However, some crops are not suitable for tropical gardening at all.  I’ve tried to grow carrots, cabbage, beets and radishes and they simply cannot stand the summer heat in Florida.  We’ve also tried to grow horseradish in Costa Rica. Fail!  It grows like a weed in the Midwest US, but failed miserably in the Costa Rican heat.

But, don’t fret.  While you may not be able to grow some of the traditional temperate climate crops, your doors are open to a new world of tropical options.  And don’t forget the amazing benefit of being able to produce fresh vegetables year round.

Here are some of the best crops for hot tropical climates.