LOL!
STARTING FALL GARDEN 2011 in ZONE 8-9a
So, who's got a report? What're ya'll doing to get ready?
Burning daylight on the fall preparations!
Well, we probably won't have much of a fall garden this year. Mark's having surgery next week and will require 4-6 weeks of recovery time. That means I'll be doing everything for that time.
I'm so sorry to hear about your Mark. (I have a Mark also!). You are all in my prayers, Stephanie.
As for Fall garden, nadda. Except I have nice seeds in nice packs. I have been feeling crappy--getting thyroid on track takes a long time, evidently. Been doing stuff indoors (like trying to make cream cheese) and resting. BUT, I plan on direct sowing most things in Sept/Oct. Hopefully. My cucs are still producing and some puny eggplant. Okra is great. Sweet pepper plants lookin' good. As long as those keep going, I can't prepare for Fall anyway... :)
Don't think I can make the Baton Rouge trip. We'll be going to the Weird Al concert the Friday before, then leaving SUNDAY for New Orleans, then on to Destin for our vacation! If I feel great and am totally organized, then maybe hahaha! Stay cool, everyone! Janet
Janet,
How's the cream cheese coming out? I thought you were trying to make yogurt?
No matter. I love 'em both!
Not that this has anything to do with FALL GARDENING, but my cream cheese came out nice!! I'll do better next time, though. And I'm trying all kinds of soft, non-aged cheeses and milk products! When I have the energy...
Bluhb, bluhb...
:)
I hope all of you or your spouses get to feeling better. Personally, it's too hot for me to even think about fall gardening. I never grow many cool weather crops anyway but when the long range forecast is 105 or better every day I just can't even conceive of it cooling down. I'm just going to hope my spring plants, cukes, and squash produce again. I wonder if we are going to have a late start to winter?
Garden update.
Here're my seedlings to date!
Mustards & Collard Greens
Broccolli!
Brussels Sprouts!
Cauliflowers!
I have cabbages, too, but no pic. All my seedlings sprouted while I was away, which is why they got a bit leggy before I put them under the lights. But, they're beefing up nicely. Some are almost ready to be potted up!
I have a total of 130 seedlings...
This message was edited Aug 17, 2011 2:22 PM
well now..that means I know where to go for seedling shopping.
Mistype!! Mistype!!! I meant 13 seedlings!!!!
Potted up about half of the mustard greens seedlings this evening.
By Wednesday, I'll start potting up the Brussels Sprouts. They're looking pretty solid, and getting true leaves!
Beginner using Transplants here.... Can I transplant Cukes yet ? ((HUGS))
Mary,
Sorry, I've never grown cukes. Check with Horseshoe or Farmerdill.
Yes... you can transplant cucumbers. I have kept them in ground all summer by succession planting. I have at least six more started to transplant and will probably start one more batch before fall/winter.
I would say it's now or never with the cukes. They are a warm weather plant, unlike the cool crops. I don't know what zone your in but they can't take cold weather like Cole crops can. They will produce until you get a freeze.
I direct seeded mine, due to the extremely high temps, I thought it would just be easier on the plants, no transplant shock etc.
This message was edited Aug 20, 2011 10:48 PM
Desperate times call for desperate measures. My leggy cabbage seedlings are flopping everywhere. So, over the weekend, I put them in straw sleeves, to prop up the stems.
The straws are transparent so, hopefully, enough light will penetrate and get to the stems.
Nothing to lose.
heeheehee
I think I'm being stalked...
Used the 16.5 ounce water bottles to pot up some of the mustard greens this weekend. They LIKE those bottles.
The STRAW SLEEVES are working! Probably because the leaves are closer to the lights, they're putting out new growth, fast, and the stems are almost holding the seedlings up!
Yay!
Gymgirl.... do you leave those water bottles so tall for a reason..... I mean... do they like to send roots down deep?
newbie here.....:o)
And if so is that just for mustard greens or for all plants ?
Hi, MaryandLance,
I typed a whole reply late last night, and bloop! it was gone....
Anyways, from my experience growing mustard and collard greens (and most of the cole crops) in my patented Earthboxes, I've observed the roots of the greens (mustards and collards) have grown down between 8"-11". Those water bottles allow for 5"-6" of starter root depth. They just look a lot taller than they actually are.
I'm hoping the roots will fill the potting mix in the bottles, and develop a good, dense system in the next two weeks. My targeted plantout for the mustards and collards is September 17th. I'll also start stagger planting the other veggies if they're big enough by then. The greens are growing the fastest.
Once I get a good crop of greens (for me, when the leaves are between 18"-24"), I'll cut the leaves off, leaving enough young leaves (approximately up to 10"-15" long) to start another batch growing. I can harvest about every 4-6 weeks. Then, I flash blanch, shock, and freeze the greens for use during the year. The greens in the pic are what grew back two weeks after a harvest. See how fast they grow??!!
Last season, I processed about 15 gallon freezer bags of greens! Yum!
Linda
This message was edited Aug 25, 2011 9:51 AM
Compare these mustard green seedlings to the ones above posted on August 23rd.
And, compare these Brussels Sprouts seedlings to those posted on August 17th.
Ive started a few things for winter garden but Im beginning to doubt we will have success unless we have free water. The long range forecast is that this drought will last until next summer. That is very discouraging to me.
Thank you Gym girl ! Good information
Steadycam,
Don't give up! This weather will break soon, and you'll want to have some seedlings ready to go.
Lmk if I can help you in any way.
Linda
Let the potting up begin! Tomorrow! Got enough true leaves inside to pot up, and enough heat outside to keep the plants in, still!
But -- I've also got WATER BOTTLES!
So, the greens will get potted up, and the cabbages that were put in the straw sleeves, too. The Brussels Sprouts are good to go, and some of the cauliflowers. I'm gonna need more potting mix...
This weather is putting a serious clog in my works! I have MORE than enough of Tapla's 3:1:1 mix outside that I could recycle from last season. But, since I have to keep the seedlings in a few more weeks, I'm not about to bring in the soil that's been sitting outside all season. Can you say, "ANTS??!!" "BUGGIES???!!!"
If the weather was just a tad bit cooler, these seedlings would get hardened off and go directly into their eBuckets for the long haul!
This message was edited Aug 26, 2011 1:17 PM
Hey Araness, what say we take a ride over to Gymgirl's place? Late at night. In the dark. After she's asleep... :)
I have lots of seeds in packets. I'm like 1Lisac--it's so dang hot, I can't think about fall gardening yet. I'll get it done, but everything will be direct seeded.
Thanks for the updates and pictures, Linda. If you could only send over some of your energy too...
lol she lives close enough...and she'll never know it was us! I HAVE to get the tplants in the ground by mid week, not worried about the cukes as they can handle it I think but the tomatoes..well they worry me. As far as the fall goes I've talked to GG and I think I have a game plan. I'll get leftovers from her if she'll let me and buy a few..The tomatoes are my main focus but I'm trying really hard to set my mind up for the fact I'll not have a good season.
Uh, I have both your numbers! And, I know where at least one of you lives!!!
Good thing I have a heavy hand with the seeds. After I remove my share, there are 30 fourth-graders in line for seedlings AND eBuckets!! Don't even ask how I got myself into that one. My cousin tells me I can claim the donations as a tax write-off...
Today was another potting up day. So far I have 28 mustard and 13 Collard greens, and 26 cabbage seedlings done. I worked ALL day.
There are still broccolis, Brussels Sprouts, and cauliflowers to go.
I need to buy some therapy sessions to figure out why I keep doing this...
Hoping to plant cukes tomorrow. My 4 "Champion II" Tomatoes are complaining about being VERY HOT..... not sure think I planted them TOO early...
MnL,
Did you plant your tomato seedlings outside already? All my cole crop seedlings are inside for now.
We're still upwards of 100 degrees out, and predicted to break 105 in the next few days.
Mary ~ I am a bit north of you and have a shorter growing season. Our first frost will be around Thanksgiving. As a result, fall tomatoes need an early start here.
I started a dozen fall tomatoes at the end of June. By the end of July, I planted them in ground and in spite of these non stop, 100° plus, incredible temps, I was amazed to see them take off. My plants receive morning sun and afternoon shade. The plants are knee high and are starting to bloom right now.
The blooms will not pollinate at these high temperatures but I am hoping to snag a cool night or two where they can pollinate and deliver fall tomatoes.
Fall tomatoes are truly more pest free. They have always done better for me. I am hoping we don't go from too hot to too cold. Then a tomato crop wouldn't have time to develop. That is why I try to select shorter DTM (days to maturity) varieties.
Thank you Podster & Gymgirl !
I'm a beginner and the Fall garden thing is really new. I still do 100% transplants. Put the Champion II tomatoes in the ground 2-3 weeks ago... so maybe Okay with that one...
put 4 "Burpless" cukes (transplants) in the ground today and a Sun sugar tomato (just one). We have limited space ... no room for LOTS of plants... I think this is all I'll have unless some veggie makes sense for a late September planting. I could maybe squeeze 6-7 more plants in around the back yard... no more.....
We've got the next few weekends planned out... Good point on the DTM variety... Burpless cukes said 58 days... so...October 25th they should begin producing? Might be iffy but hey... learning so got to make mistakes... Huh !
Mary