Q: Are there any vegetables that I can grow this late in the season?

A: There are many different vegetables that can be planted in late summer and early fall providing unusually high temperatures don't persist. Warm weather can cause certain vegetable crops, such as head lettuce and spinach, to flower and set seed prematurely, which is called bolting.

Most vegetables can be started from seeds or transplants. Successive plantings of radishes, beans, and Chinese cabbage can be planted in late summer, beginning in August. Certain varieties of pak choi are heat tolerant and slower to bolt. Leaf lettuce and mustard greens can be planted in late summer and will mature during cooler weather. Turnips can be planted in late summer and will be ready to harvest in approximately two months. Heat-tolerant pea varieties, such as 'Wando' and 'Lincoln', can be planted in mid- to late summer.

Wait until early fall to plant spinach because plants easily bolt when grown in high temperatures, making it unusable.