You can try doing the lettuce in the shade, or use a salad box which is portable and you can move it around the yard (do a google search using the words "Salad Box") however, with the heat at 93, salad will have a very hard time germinating. I have lettuce left over from spring seeding but it's about over. I need to pick the rest and never have any in July/August. Then I start again in Sept. and usually have it all winter. Start your spinach again in sept.
For summer you can try Malabar Spinach, and you can try some greens that are described as growing in warmer climates such as Thailand. However these are not that common but Baker Creek does sell some of the seeds.

GGG

thanks for the feedback, GGG.

i got sprouts today! i'm going to try rigging up some rowcovers to cover just those rows in front. will be harder to water from my usual perch, but at the cost of some greens :)

we've still got a ton of arugula, enough to probably last a couple more months, and the bibb lettuce is still putting out. i was just hoping to supplement with something else b/c salad is one of those things we eat w/every meal!

i'll hope back in and share results!

Still time enough left for sqaushes, peppers, and beans to give you lots more SH. In this heat they'll germinate in about three to five days and take off like rockets from seed.

I have been using Hyacinth Bean Vines to cover an ugly tie wall at one property and they are already over a foot tall and grabbing the trellis material in just two weeks from planting seeds directly into red clay.

It's broken soft red clay from back filling so don't fret folks. Clay is an underrated growing medium for the weeds we cultivate.

I'm just starting some malabar vining spinach, but it's supposedly very drought tolerant. We shall see!!

Diana

Diana, it is very drought tolerant but I find I need to cook that one!

Satt. your arrugula will probably go to seed before you eat it all, so go ahead and seed out more. If you keep seeding, it should keep coming and be tender. Are you nice young man with pretty wife and cute small son?

FL

No ma'am, no kids yet :) My neighbor Sarah actually fits what you've described, though. My wife and I will probably start trying later this year, but as of yet, our only kid is our beloved pup, a rottie/beagle/shepherd mix we rescued walking around EAV ~7 years ago. If you ever saw me, I have shaved head, goatee, enormous black blob of a tattoo on my left leg (long story, would love to remove/replace it), kinda hard to miss if I'm wearing shorts (as I often do around this time of year).

FYI, the mesclun mix i started is doing really well! We're about a week in at this point, and have several sprouts of something that have a two distinctly plump/round starter leaves (not sure what yet, there is so much variety in mesclun mix!!!)

GGG,

Thanks for letting me know about cooking the malabar spinach. That could work nicely if I get a good yeild because I could lightly blanche and freeze it. It the texture too tough for salads?

By the way, my gardens are coming along nicely. I know you must have a million things going on with the work that needs to be done at your house, but please let me know if you like to take a break and come visit sometime. I'd love to meet a local garden buddy in person!

Diana

Diana, they are keeping me so darned busy at work, and then my design business is zipping right along that I've never gotten any time off since I emailed you. I'd love to meet you and see your garden!

Satellite, with your description it sounds like you should be over here living in East Atlanta!! Sarah has a little boy of 4? These are people I probably know. That is good the Mesculin is going well for you. At these temps they germinate so unevenly unless you can give some shade at times. I'm amazed we are still eating garden lettuce. I'm eating it right now as a matter of fact. And some Cherokee purple that bugs didn't get. Yum. Come in and say hey at work if you get the chance. I'm there every night except Fri & Sat (except this week, this week I'm working 7 days) but weekends are band practice nights!

GGG

Will do! If the Sarah's kid is a boy and his name is Logan, then yep, that's her! She's my super-cool neighbor :) Actually, I probably have the best neighbors anyone could ask for, on all four sides, for several houses!

Yes. I know Sarah and her hubby. They are friends of friends - he's been really getting into gardening. Logan is a sweety pie.

FL

What about turnips? will they do ok with the heat? I just planted a whole tray (like 40 seeds) of crook neck squash, they popped up (all of them) what seemed like overnight. I'm looking forward to getting them going. My current plants are doing ok, pretty leaves and lots of flowers but just a few squash at a time so far. Thought I had lost them all, due to the SVB, but I got out there and sliced open the stems where I saw the junk they leave behind and did a little labotomy on that booger, burried the stems and they seemed not to have missed a beat....on they go, staying alive.... good squash!!!!! bad bugs!!! I think there is a different species of bugs for every plant in my garden!!!

GGG - I totally understand busy! Just drop me a line when you have a little more free time!

I told my fiance that you are a vegetarian like us and he was excited about the possiblity of meeting like minded people in the area too! Not that meat eaters are bad, but it certainly makes it easier to plan a dinner party!

Hope to hear from you,
Diana