Which veggie varieties have survived and produced best in your garden despite the high temps and lack of rain?
Which were real "dogs" that didn't produce?
Time to plant the fall garden - which varieties are you going to try?
Has anyone tried "Thrive" (not Superthrive) beneficial microbe soil drenches? Has it helped your plants survive harsh conditions?
A curious heat blasted Texas garden wants to know!!!
Ms. Tommie
Suvivors - Your Best Veggies for Hot Weather!
Actually nothing does "well" in the garden when it's so hot outside, except for maybe okra. That's why we have 2 planting seasons, late winter/early spring and late summer/early fall. Having said that, I planted some cantaloupe for the fall and they're doing great! We water deeply every 2-3 days and they've been going like gangbusters!
Granted, hot TX summers don't make the best growing season, spring, fall and even winter are our windows of opportunity. What I'm after is named varieties that handled heat and dry conditions best, outproducing others before this blast furnace of a summer put an end to them.
According to the RDTV farm bureau's long term weather report we're in for the same over the next 90 days, our prime fall planting window; now the question becomes can any cool season variety handle hotter than usual establishment conditions without stunting or bolting - and - what can we gardeners do to help them survive.
Tommie
PS - Great looking melon vines!
This message was edited Aug 1, 2011 6:24 AM
This message was edited Aug 1, 2011 6:25 AM
I don't water on a regular basis but am building beds that will retain moisture and provide the necessary nutrients. This was a good test drive year and it ain't over yet.
Still growing in the garden: cantelope, pumpkins, spinach vine which loves this heat, fortex beans (not impressed), bush beans (successive plantings), eggplant, okra, walking onions, chives, par-cel and cucumbers.
Because I'm growing in beds, I opted for small and it seems to be working fairly well. Spacemaster and Little Leaf cucumbers, small sugar pumpkins, Charantais canteloupe. l planted two types of dill, both small, Compatto and Mariska which is just first bolting.
My logic was that the smaller plants, leaves, fruits will require less moisture and it is apparently going to work.
Yesterday I planted a dozen fall tomatoes. Grits had said his Mama had planted tomatoes, staking every other one. Some years the ones on ground were better, some years the staked did best. This fall, I am trying that.
The spring tomato crop had no viruses or pests. I think I only found one hornworm. But the tomatoes only had one chance at delivering before it heated up. They delivered a fair amount of fruit. In fact we were gone on vacation for over two weeks so I had picked a tray of about 50 tomatoes in various shades of ripening. I set them in the greenhouse. When we got back, many were ripe and only two were rotten.
I've always found the fall tomatoes produce a far better crop. I start all the vegies from seed and researched the tomatoes for virus resistance, heat tolerance and DTM. I grew both large (for DH) and small. IME, the large tomatoes don't do as well. As far as types, every year seems different on the tomato successes but if you want to know which I've grown I'll post the cultivars.
Preparing a bed for multiplying onions and also a bed to move the garlic. Both will be planted later this fall.
I know some things I won't do again. I planted some herbs in the bed. I had to dig and pot them yesterday so I could plant the tomatoes. Next year, the herbs will stay in large pots so I can move them as needed.
Hope that is not TMI ~ pod
edited to add... also growing a pepper ~ Pimento de Padron. And, a lesson learned this season. Not to push plants sooner than they are ready. Like the vines, eggplants, okra and peppers which take off when it gets good and hot and they get good and ready!
This message was edited Aug 1, 2011 2:30 PM
The trombone Zuchinni is a pretty good plant for the heat it does have to have water on a fairly regulat basis but just keeps on blooming and bearing in the heat and the only pest it has is blister beetles, Chard is a great veggy for early or late gardens mine is still holding up really well as for as fall planting I have had good luck with Florida Broadleaf Mustard BTW the trombone Zukes are not quite as tasty as some others but are well suited for any dish requiring grated or dice squash and are good enough eating if picked early while they are still very small ..As they will make a 3 foot long fruit it is hard to force myself to pick them early,after all what gardener doesn't like a traffic stopper that is visible from the street
veggies