Zones 8-9 Fall/Wntr 2010 IS UNDERWAY - Part III

Yeah on the hijacking. But that IS a beautiful dog!

Now. Back to our regularly scheduled programming...

How're those Zone 8-9 Fall/Winter 2010 gardens coming along?

Planted yesterday - carrots, sugar snap peas, chard, beets, bok choi, lettuces, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, cilantro, dill and parsley... Whew! Have part of a 4' x 4' bed still to plant - decisions, decisions... This is my FAVORITE time of the year to garden;o)

Ran by the nursery at lunch and picked up a Thyme, an Oregano and a Golden Sage. My beautiful Tri-Color Sage bit the dust over the summer and the Thyme and Oregano were a couple of years old and getting woody. Best to replace every couple years if you can. Also have a nice Rosemary I bought at the Target closing sale, but think that will have to go in the ground. Too hard to keep it small in the SFG.

I live in the country and what I don't understand is the farms around here do so much better than my garden.

I have a raised irrigation canal on the east side of my place. The water from it seems alkaline and leaves a white residue so I water from my well.

My garden space is 20'x20'. I use 12' rows with paths at each end. My dirt is heavy black clay. Got my dad's old tiller running and have started tilling the garden. I have a wild patch where I get old mulch from under the trees and have been working 4-6" of this into the soil along with a little compost. It looks alot better.

Planted about 12 tomatoes last spring and got 2 funky tomatoes. Few blossoms, wouldn't set. Started using epsom salts and ironite and started to see more blosooms, then the drought came. Had two survivers in the garden plus the 4 I had in pots. I am layering the survivers in the garden to the next row and I'm getting bloosoms again. Used blossom set about 10 days ago and noticed the eggplant is putting on.

I think my main problem is alkaline soil and the only flowers that set is okra. Thought about using mir-acid but haven't found any here. I miss my pine needles. Wonder if salt cedar needles would help.

Probably why eveyone is going RB, but the tomatoes in pots have the same problem.

Dane

Interesting Dane - the farmers are probably using a ton of pesticides and fertilizers is my guess... Our soil is very alkaline -that is why I use raised beds. If I were you I'd egt a soil test done before I started addidng all kinds of amendments - that way you have an idea of what you are working with. There could be a lot of things going on from old contamination to just plain ragged soil. Compost and lots of organic matter never hurt anything and is the "cure" for a lot of soil ails.

Getting ready to plant peas, butternut squash, cabbage, beets - all in the ground or raised beds. I got the cinder blocks done (painted with roof insulation paint) and placed for the JoParrot garden. ;~)

The only day I can get the compost I like is Saturday and last Saturday I had to work so hope to do that this coming weekend. Then I can plant.

Oooohhh - can't wait to see your cinderblock garden;o)

Wow! a garden named for me!!! I am honored- I think anyone who tries it will love it- I like being able to use special slois, and control water in each.
DMTOM- I found that MG doesn't call it MirAcid any more- it just says "Azalea Camellia Food" or something like that- but it is the same acid formula. Anything that is labeled for acid loving plants will do fine.
I am busy pulling up tomatoes and whatever else looks weary- at this time of the year, I have aphids, slugs, and other pests feasting on my crops, and I am tired of fighting them. I just surrender and get busy with next years plans.

Come on by Kelly.....your cactus garden is growing leaps and bounds. Just added two pieces of Fairy Castle cactus to it. The little bowl I'm saving them in got totally hammered by the hail and rain. It was in a spot protected from the sun, but I didn't think about hail and rain. Silly me.

Jo, I really liked what you did with those blocks. The cabbage looks sooooo cool growing in one. In addition to the cabbage, I'm thinking of planting lots of garlic, onions, tansy and Mexican marigold. All are pest repellants and I hope to keep them [the pests] out by lining the border with the cinder blocks planted in Bugs-B-Gone companion plants. What do grasshoppers hate? I hate grasshoppers but just standing in my garden has no repellent effects unfortunately.

Do you folks think this is logical? Maybe the root system is what repels more than what comes out the top??? If so, will the root system be locked into the cinder block walls and not be useful after all?

MARY, i WISH i KNEW HOW INSECT REPELLENT PLANTS WORKED- i GET SO TIRED OF BATTLING SPIDERMITES ON POLE BEANS, APHIDS ON PEPPERS & EGGPLANT, SLUGS ON MY BOK CHOI, (forgive the caps- I just saw it!) and leaf miners on beet greens. I have used everything sold in stores and several homemade concoctions- Next year I am not growing beets or bok choi-I'll just buy them.

I spray a concoction of water, Murphy Oil soap, fish emulsion or liquid seaweed, and compost tea weekly. It really helps control spider mites, aphids, and a host of other pests. It will NOT take care of the cabbage worms, though. For that, I use Bt. For slugs, you can try crushed eggshells, beer baits, and beneficial nematodes.

McP - a lot of the companion plants work by the roots secreting something that repels the pest... Others act as "trap crops" to lure the pest away from the plants you don't want them on. Marigolds work the first way and things like Dill work the other way;o)

I had a bumper crop of toads this year. The only pest I've had to deal with were snails and mealy bugs. I think the epsom salts and soapy water have help.

Dane

Well, looks like we got about 120% germination on the beet seeds. So far we've transplanted to fill the prepared beds, and are working on lining the front walk and driveway. After that I guess we will leave them in people's cars at church...

REAL!

Send me your excess beet seedlings!!!!^^_^^

Linda

Did I mention I came from Az?

I've learned to do things according to the rain here. Planting is one. Three days before Hermine hit I planted chard, a red mix, lettice, beets and turnips. Three days later everything sprouted except the beets and some old seed I used.

The 14th It was raining, we planted corn, 3 days later it sprouted. The day it quit raining we planted beets, lettice, spinach and green beans, nothing has come up yet, even tho we sprinkle after the ground dried a bit.

Tomorrow I think I'll start cutting some PVC pipe. I like beets.

Dane

Perfect weather in south Texas, although it's a bit chilly this morning, it feels great!
dmtom, the farm is in Bayview. I'm harvesting the first spinach and leaf lettuce of the season, tomatoes have little green tomatoes, beans are getting ready to flower.

I cut one more 10' section of 1-1/2" PVC pipe last night. Goes quickly when you're watching TV. A word of warning if you're doing it by hand -- your hands get a tremendous workout, and will likely ache the next morning....

A couple tips for cutting by hand:
1. If you're a tool similiar to the one I use, tighten up only enough a light, first score around the pipe. It may seem like you need to really, really tighten at first, but DON'T. Using the hand tool will be much easier if you tighten only a little bit at a time. It may seem like you're making more circles around than you need to, but, trust me, slower is BETTER, and before you know it you'll have cut all the way through.

2. I used one of those rubber jar gripper squares to get a good grip on the pipe with one hand, and turn the tool with the other hand.

Hugs.

Everyone's out in the yard in all this beautiful weather, right? Don't worry, I'll be catching up to you soon, as I'll be moving into my house this week. Tenants out tomorrow!

Will start seeds tomorrow in a PVC tray! Got 30 tubes ready, and can use the small drawers I rummaged to serve as holding frames. I've planted seedlings out as late as Thanksgiving weekend, and still harvested a bounty, so not too worried.

(This picture is Dennis's PVC Seed Starting Tray System)

Holler!

Linda ^^_^^

This message was edited Oct 15, 2010 8:27 AM

Chilly this morn but suppose to get in the upper 80's.

Found 4 baby tomatoes yesterday, Lots of blossoms, finally!

Burning some old stumps and ripping out grass. Lots a fun today.

Later

Dane

Yes, I ditched work today and I am spending my time doing gardening stuff. I have lots of herbs to pot up: oregano and lots of basil that I rooted from cuttings.

I agree that the PVC seed-starting system is da bomb, but I am not sure I will try that method just yet since I have my hands full with WS'ing in milk/ plastic jugs and peat pellet trays.

Good luck all with the PVC system.

Hi all. Thought I'd drop in on this thread and give an update on my fall garden.

Tomatoes are on the vine finally. Even with CTV plaguing the plants, I have 50-some tomatoes that should ripen okay, just not expecting any more. We've eaten a handful of cherry tomatoes.

I planted 6 bush beans in a strip of soil next to my patio, and have started to pick a few beans every other day or so -- hope to get enough for one good meal, lol. I put all but one in tomato cages and the one that did not have support has not made a single bean, so that was a good lesson for me.

I took advice I got on this thread and started a bunch of lettuce and spinach in a plastic "under-the-bed" type storage box that was already cracked (instant drainage!). It is doing great, I'm picking lettuce leaves already. They looked crowded so I've transplanted a few plants into other assorted pots too.

The peppers are sulking, maybe they're done. All except a little jalapeno pepper plant that is still producing. As for the bell peppers, I learned that the red and yellow peppers take forever to actually turn color, and I found myself growing impatient seeing them sitting there all green and tempting me to pick them. Every day it was hard to not just pick the darn thing, I kept wondering when a garden pest was going to come and eat it, or if production was slowing due to my not picking regularly. In the end the pepper would start looking like it's getting a bit past its prime and I would end up picking it before it fully turned color anyway! So...I think I'm better off picking them green.

What else? I have 6 or so broccoli that are getting pretty big (leaves, I mean). We are definitely into fall with cool nights, but days are still getting to 80-83F, and I'm hoping they don't bolt.

I guess that's about it.
Lise

Had some young men over this weekend and got alot done.

Got another volunteer papaya. They are consider a melon and are not really trees. It has grown since spring, and it's a female and flowering.

Dane

Replanted the greens and green beans. The water well went out about 5pm so I've been busy trying to get water going again.

I guess there's not much going on out there. Found some precut PVC tubes and plan on trying papertowel tubes. Just need more time. How's others comming along?

Later

Dane

Beans are flowering, sugar snap peas are up (what the grackles didn't eat), broccoli is huge (leaves), new cucumbers are bearing, have green tomatoes finally, winter squash is taking over the front section of one garden, have new zucchini, yellow and scalloped squash, cilantro is about 2 inches tall, harvested radishes and butterhead lettuce this week.
I took photos of the garden, now must remember to bring in camera and load photos!
It has been crazy here this week. Daughter and SIL moved into farmhouse with grandbabies so they can help more with the farm. We picked grapefruit last evening!

I finally have squash (White Scallop) all my other attempts this year have been killed by bugs or mildew.

I've been trying to grow zucchini since I got here and all I get is blossom end rot and a 6' vine. I do good with okra.

Yes I think I need to pay a visit to Calalily's garden.

Wonder how Gymgirl's project is going?

Later

I don't think zucchini get BER it sounds like a pollination problem. You can always hand pollinate. I think zucchini is a bush squash so it wouldn't be 6' long?

Gymgirl seems to be dead in the water, although I scored a coup on the freeway yesterday evening.

Stopped a whole line of traffic on a ramp leading from one major freeway to another. Didn't plan this, but coming around the curve, there was this really nice piece of PVC pipe just laying there. We were already creeping, so I slowed to a stop, jumped out and grabbed it! Took about 10 seconds.

Unfortunately, it's a wider diameter than my little tool will handle, so I'll have to pull out the trusty hacksaw. Measured out last night and will get 4 pcs., 4-1/4" long. I think the pipe is 2.25 or 2.5 dia.

Will actually start seeds in the pipe tray this weekend.

Making decisions on whether to take up grass in my back yard and turn it into a farm. Big, big decision! I think after I put down the first raised bed, the scheme will probably evolve with yet more and more beds. I just want it to look beautiful and organized and not become a tangled mess. 'Cause I truly have loved my grass. But, like my hair, I can always grow more grass if I decide to give up the veggies.

I'll post pics of the pipe tray when I plant the seeds.

Thanks for thinking of me.

Linda

Mildew on zucchini will cause the blossom end of the fruit to rot. Sometimes that is the first symptom of mildew, even before it shows up on the leaves the fruit will have rotten ends. A copper-sulfur spray will correct the problem, also one part milk to 9 parts water sprayed often will keep mildew away, but won't stop it once it starts.

Anyone who wants to visit the farm is welcome, D-mail for directions.

Calalily,

Yes that is the problem. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I noticed white powdery stuff on the leaves later. This was before I started using epsom salts. So now my biweekly spray will be epsom salts, detergent, and milk.

I was thinking of going to the Island last Tuesday but we had too much going on. Found out while the well was getting fixed I have 3 weeks to clear a little more than the 1/4 acre I was planning.

On the mountain zucchini was easy to grow and did form a bush. It really surprised me when it went vine. Most farmers here take two or three cuttings then plow it under. My vine will continue to produce so I let it grow hoping I will get one.

Started cutting a few bananas this morn. If I leave them on the stalk, they don't turn ripe all at once.

Good score on the pipe Linda.

Dane

How far is South Padre from Houston, drive-wise?

Linda, I'm so laughing at you jumping out of your car to score a piece of PVC pipe! Way to go!

Blame Bubba_MoCity for telling me how he too agonizes over treasures he can't get to on the freeway. I saw my chance and took it!

I called him after I picked up the pipe to tell him what a BAD influence he was on me! And he told me about the time he went flying pass a HUGE box of copper pipe back in 72? (about $400 worth), but by the time he had doubled back, of course it was gone, baby, gone!

Carpe pipeum!

^^_^^

Linda it is about 330 miles or 51/2 hrs. In the fall is a good time to visit. Sand Castle days are this weekend. Last weekend was a biker rally. Spring time is usually crowded with spring breakers then there's Holy Week when our neighbors from the south visit.

http://www.spadre.com/

Not only that but Calalily's Garden and Rivers End Nursery are nearby.

Later

I have a HS friend who has a condo at SPI. He would move there if he didn't have a job in San Antonio!

The farm is a quarter mile north of River's End. I am friends with Kathy. I love to go to her nursery/farm. She has lots of weird fruit!! Dragon fruits are in now. They are delicious! I bought starfruit from her yesterday.

My winter garden update.

Picture attached of my entire garden to date. Cathy Cabbage.

Have promised the entire office a home cooked cabbage. Ya'll pray for this seedling, yah hear? (I do so love a challenge!)

Hugs!

You can always make cabbage stone soup. LOL

I cut some chard and bibb lettuce, first for the season. The eggplant is growing and one may be ready soon. Corn is starting to tassel.

Haven't seen any new seedlings yet.

Later

Cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli are doing great so far. Had to cheat this time with transplants, though.

Your cabbage will be all grown up in no-time, Linda. ; )

This message was edited Oct 23, 2010 10:58 AM

The husband cleared out the garden plot yesterday. Do we get credit for that? LOL I did get my garlic planted and the okra is still going strong.