I thought I was burned out on gardening so sat about cleaning up the veggy garden and made the mistake of going into the farmers co-op and lo and behold they had some fall plants just begging for a home ..Of course that snowballed into a full fledged garden war now I have some mustard, shogoin turnips,kohlrabbi,chinese cabbage,Kale,cabbage and whatevere else strikes me ,,,,When does a nice past time become an obbsession??? What do Y'all grow for fall gardens?
Fall Garden
I just put in 3 tomatoes. I want to try winter gardening LOL. Thinking spinach and leaf lettuce might grow most of the late fall and into early spring...especially if I make a row cover for the few weeks of real cold here. There are worse things to be obsessed over.
Cheryl
I have fall tomatos blooming here. Started a dozen and I hope to move four of them into the GH later and keep thru winter if possible. Planning cooler weather crops later ~ Radishes, mustard, chard, lettuce.
Hard to imagine I care to fall garden after this past summer with all those hot, humid 100° + days.
I am glad to be gardening now that temps are better. I don't have a green house but should still get some tomatoes before its too cold.
C
I had an Armadillo get under my chicken wire fence, that has kept the rabbits out so far.
It plowed up a few seedlings but mainly just made a mess. Tonight the dog is sleeping outside!
Armadillos!?! Are you raising them too? LOL
What kind of seedlings did you have started? For resale or your own garden spot this season?
Last year we had a large Armadillo that was making a mess so I caught him in my live trap and relocated him to the nearby Forest Service complex ..Poetic justice I say LOL
I just had some cukes and squash seeds direct seeded. I just think its funny that I never had trouble until I stuck a couple seeds in the ground, went out a couple days later and it looked like a bulldozer had gone through. It really didn't damage that much, it could have been so much worse. It mostly just rooted around the soft dirt under the tomato plants.
No Podster I'm not raising Armadillos at least not on purpose, and these seedlings were mine if they were for resale they would have been in pots on the porch away from the dillo. LOL
I found were it was getting under the fence so I hope it doesn't happen again.
Easiest way to trap them if you find where they are gettin in just put the live trap in the hole in the fence,what I understand about them is they are searching for earthworms
Grits-so far so good. Its welcome to live here just not in my veggie garden.
I had trouble with armadillos in the garden until I went to Tractor Supply and got a electric fence made especially for the garden. It works great. Only problem is the yard is a disaster now.
I'm trying tomatoes, jalapenos, cucumbers for now (transplants)-will direct seed lettuce, chard, radishes and beets when it gets a little cooler-it's still in the high 90's here. As always in zone 9, plant 2-3 times the number of plants you want to actually have. Something will take care of the extras for you (LOL). Be it weather or critters or bugs, gardening here is a gamble! Every season is a new learning experience. Does anyone else have any zone 9 experience? I'm in Live Oak County, just north of the San Patricio Co. line (Mathis, Tx.)
I've found this useful, gives germination tempetures.
http://www.cmg.colostate.edu/gardennotes/720.pdf
I planted my second crop of tomatoes at the end of june. Rigt now they are huge and lots of flowers. After the cool night of last week lots of little green tomatoes are developing. So I hope I am having tomatoes. This is my second year for the secon crop of tomatoes. Last year I planted them too late and there was so much rain in october I didn't harvest any tomatoes at all ... so I hope it will be worth to grow a second crop of tomatoes ... otherwise I could have planted already my fall garden.
My eggplants and peppers are doinbg great. Lot's of production at this time of the year.
I have already in the ground broccoli and brussel sprouts and garlic.
My lettuce has started to germinate already ... but I may have lost some yesterday with Hermine !! so I seeded some more today.
Inside I am growing kohlrabi, spinach, swiss chard.
Looking forward to have some room to plant fava beans. I love them.
In the picture my huge tomatoes plants
A update on the fall garden we finally got a hard freeze I think most of the fall crops would have survived except that we had 2 " of rain so everything was fully saturated and most is either dead or dying with the exception of the Kale which seems to really like the cold ,planted my Garlic during the last cold spell and then it warmed up and the garlic all sprouted kinda figure it is a goner but will need to wait before I replant...
In this zone, I have a bed of garlic that stays in ground year around. It dies down for summer and sprouts in Oct/Nov. We were so dry this summer that mine is just sprouting now. It will shake off freezing temps, ice and snow. Yours should be just fine.
I do believe the 26° terminated the fall tomatoes. I did enjoy them while they lasted.
thanks Pod so far the garlic looks okay but our really cold is still ahead,i have a few hills that are established but what I want is a full bed of recurring Garlic ,i know of an old home place way back in the mountains with an old rock house and a yard that is completely covered with Garlic and that is what I want just on a smaller scale.It is a wonderfull old place that is for sale only reason I haven't made an offer is this would constitute grounds for divorse LOL
That sounds like heaven! This area has become too developed for me. I've been threatening to find a mountaintop where I can keep everyone at bay. LOL
Can you get a start of that garlic patch for your own patch? It may well be an heirloom garlic that is suited to your area. Vintage garlic from this area was what was shared with me.
Do you know what zone you are in?
lol A lawn of garlic...
But yeah, definitely do whatever is within your morals as far as collecting specimens from that abandoned homesite. There's probably some other well-adapted varieties of plants that will show in the spring.
Now,now... I didn't suggest theft. LOL
If it takes asking, by all means, even the realtor is fair game...
If not, get out the nightvision optics or a flashlite ducttaped to the digging fork. Whatever it takes. 8 )
Still got tomato, eggplant and pepper plants they survived the freeze, with just a little burn.
They are producing like crazy, better then ever. This is the first time they have lasted until Dec. I think the new garden location, which is more protected is really helping.
I did get my cole crops and greens planted but there is just something special about all the different colored tomatoes.
I planted garlic for the first time last year. I planted in October (don't know why--I guess I was just sooooo excited) and all looked good until the snows came. I thought they were gonners but they weren't, the green part came back as soon as it warmed up again. Everything was fine underground and I harvested a bit early. The garlic tasted good!
grits, I would just go over there and dig up a little clump. I can't see that anyone would object as it is not a tree or a bush or part of the lanscaping. It never hurts to ask the listing agent. They can always check with the sellers (who will probably think it is fine as long as you don't make a mess). If it were me I would do it in broad daylight as if I belonged there. Do it quick, clean, and fill in any hole I might make. Smile the whole way. I wouldn't do this if there were people living there, but if the place is vacant or abandoned.....
Lisa ~ December is not here yet. They are talking possible sleet tomorrow a.m. grrrr!!!
Terri ~ you either found the garlic at that time of year or maybe a little birdie told you to plant it. October is the right time for planting garlic (and onions, I believe) in this zone.
Pod-No sleet here possible freeze Wed and Thurs. AM. Back to tent city I guess, but not as cold as it got last Friday AM so I think all is good.
TX is such a huge state. If I was still in CA you would be as far away as Arz. or New Mexico. So lots of variation in the weather.
I understand ~ it takes us as long to drive to MN as it would to drive to El Paso, TX. Go figger... Glad you have no sleet forecast. Its' raining now and cooling down.
Pod-that's funny. It takes us the same amount of time to drive from here to El Paso as it does from El Paso to the Valley. When we get to El Paso we're 1/2 way home no matter which way we are going.lol
If I can find someone to ask then ask I will ..But if not then it is best left alone because this is in the heart of Mc Curtain County where folks tend to be a bit trigger happy and there are way too many ,let us say Illicit farmers..that grow certain forbidden crops ..Nuff Said?????
Same here, Grits. We had a manhunt here (an escaped prisoner) there was some panick but it didn't involve the prisoner.
Yessssss, I see what you mean........We just have low flying small aircraft. About once a week........I think they caught one of the pilots in a chase that started up in Sulphur Springs and ended up in Farmer City I think, something like that. He was immediately replaced.
Next time I am down that way will take a picture of that old place I have a couple around here someplace but this is a picture that needs a wide angle lens which I had left at home on that day...
You all are so funny. Lol
Lisa hopefully they caught the prisoner and not the illegal farmers haha
Grits have you been able to get in touch with anyone yet?
Tina I haven't been back down that way in a while it is around 40 miles and i have been busy with a little re model project in my workshop,i woulod like some diferent types of Garlic to try anyone have suggestions ,i read the recent article in Dave's on the garlic but wound up more confused than before..think I will call my nephew in Bato Rouge and see what he knows about the Creole Garlic ....