Starting FALL GARDENS 2011 in Zone 8 - Part 2

Ouch ... I posted lots of pictures on the previous thread .. go have a look:http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1206730/#new
I will post on part #2 from now on ... sorry
below is a picture of my fist Broccoli head forming

Here're some pic updates.

Arcadia Broccoli.

This message was edited Oct 30, 2011 7:55 PM

Oh, sorry, misunderstood what I was looking at. All the broc looks beautiful, Linda (and drthor!). My plants are lagging, but gaining. My cauliflower are getting pretty big but they've got some holes. I sprayed BT today. Will try to remember to take a photo tomorrow.

Well, I'm not doing much gardening this fall. I did get my garlic planted, though!

LiseP,
I broke down Sunday and sprayed for wormies. I used Bayer Complete Spray in a 24 oz. bottle, and, when I ran out of that I mixed up some Garden Dust into a liquid form and sprayed it on. One benefit of the buckets is portability, so I moved the two most-chewed-on plants out and away from the general population. That way, I can continue to ferret out that worm, without him crawling from plant to plant!

"I'll get you yet, you Wiley Worm!"

Girl, you have got to see those cauliflowers I saved! They've made me realize I should've continued to start seedlings for the veggie growers who didn't realize what they could grow in the fall/winter. Next year, I think I'll continue with my idea of selling seedlings at the Farmer's Market. I probably would 'a made a killing!

This weekend, God sparing, I hope to sow lettuce and carrot seeds.

Is Bayer Complete for edibles or am I thinking of something else?

Hi!

I just found this thread. It might snow tomorrow, but I have planted most of my fall-winter garden; broccoli, cabbage, garlic, various kinds of lettuce and spinach. I have yet to plant/sow the following: peas, carrots, onions, swiss chard and beets. If there is a hard freeze, I will put the row cover on as they are planted in 4'X4' Square Foot Gardens.

Good luck everyone. I am pulling out the rest of tomatoes today as they won't be good tomorrow. There were a lot of green tomatoes as it has been a very cold spring and they did not start growing for quite some time. Then it turned hot, well not as hot as you have it there in Texas, but in the 80's for most days. Now it has cooled off considerably so the remainder of the tomatoes will have to ripen indoors. So the tomato crops did worse than the previous year.

Does anyone here grow potatoes in the fall, or just in the spring? I am thinking of putting in a few, but they like warm weather, and we won't be getting any 'til probably next June. (Maybe May....) This year it hailed on June 1st! But there were a few warm days before that.

Here are some Sun Golds.....

I have harvested my first BROCCOLI today.

Also, everyday I harvest a bucket of greens

Very nice greens, Drthor. Yah done good!

Woohoo! Dr. Thor! Love that broccoli! And the greens!

I am in Hilo - Hawaii ...
Looking forward to come home to lots of more broccoli ... but having lots of fun here too ...

Here's my stuff.

Beautiful, Linda! Your hard work really shows!

I apparently am growing potatoes.

Woo-hoo! I finally found a local business that delivers composted wood waste at a reasonable price. This morning there are 15 cubic yards of beautiful very dark brown crumbly material sitting on a tarp in the gravel parking area next to my driveway - enough to experiment with some of the no-till techniques I've been aching (literally, from tilling) to try for years. Now I just have to scrounge up some more newspaper and corrugated cardboard to lay down for the foundation layer. Not a moment too soon - the first onion plants have arrived and are telling me they want to be in the ground, and my own transplants are almost ready to set out.

-Rich

Isn't it funny what gardeners have to be Thankful for. One year I asked for dirt for my birthday, my kids thought I was nuts.

Stephanie, since you haven't had time to garden you sure have been growing a lot of stuff. Lol

Me, too, stephanietx! Is all the green in the photo potatoes? If so, you may be growing a few. I've just got one potato plant, but it's one more than I planted, lol. I don't know if it has a prayer of making it through the winter though. Comments, anyone?

Linda, your hoop house is FULL of garden goodness. How nice! My plans for the hoop houses are put on a week's hold due to family comings and goings. Just hope the weather continues to cooperate.

Lise, the rest of the green stuff in the pic are weeds! LOL

Lisa, I guess when I harvested potatoes the last time I missed a few! I have a total of 3 potato plants. I have no idea if they'll survive a freeze but I'll let them be until it either freezes and dies or it's time to harvest.

Hey, Ya'll!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Stephanie-the top will freeze and die back but since they're tubers they should grow back.

Stephanie, that's the best way to garden! At my SIL's house today, she had a "weed" in a pot and I told her it is a beautiful kale plant!
I'd love to try potatoes one day. They are SO MUCH BETTER when fresh and organic.
Hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving today. I am thankful for all of you!! Janet

I am back in town after being gone for two weeks and more.
Here what is happening in my fall garden:
I have lots of BROCCOLI HEADS ready (some bolted)

CAULIFLOWER is starting to form (this is maybe 4" diameter)

Lots of LETTUCE GREENS

from the bottom:
KOHLRABI
FAVA BEANS
CAULIFLOWERS

KALES, which I did harvest down to the ground two weeks ago and it grew so fast

PARTHENON ZUCCHINI is still producing fruit

ZUCCHINI TROMBETTA also producing moster fruits !! ahhh
This must be 5 lbs heavy

SWISS CHARD growing around my flower beds

ARUGULA is growing between my Lycoris

Wonderfull veggies, drthor!

I see BOTH threads have now turned into pretty pictures...

Uh, yeah, RJ.
I was hoping for shared details on:
>specific veggie types growing,
>sowing/planting and fertilizing,
>growing observations,
>weather related protection ideas,
>Pesticide/miticide/fungicides, with an accompanying pic or two,
and far less "show and tell" pics on this thread...

Those go on the thread dedicated to "show and tell"...

Hang in there. I have quite a few observations I've made this season. Will post soonest!

Linda

rjogden
thanks for your nice comments.
You can view all the information on when I started my seeds, growing observation, varieties at the beginning of this thread - just for ZONE 8 (like the title of this forum)
You need to go to part 1 to see the beginning.
As far as pesticide .. bla bla ... and fertilizing I use none on my greens ... so yes I have holes ...
I just apply a layer of Cottonburr compost when I change the beds and I plant by the "moon calendar by Maria Thun"

Surprise !!
I found 3 tomato plants on the opposite side of my vegetable garden and growing in the shade.
This morning I just realized that the plant has tomatoes !!
I didn't plant them .... funny ...

>> One year I asked for dirt for my birthday, my kids thought I was nuts.

I had 4 yards of topsoil delived, and the guy came to the door to pick up the check. Just to tease me and give the driver something to laugh about after he got away from the door, my SO put on a horrified face and dismayed voice :
"You piad $100 for DIRT!!!???!!! What were you THINKING???!!!???"

We both figured the driver got a good laugh with his buddies about how much trouble I must be in.

But she was only 20% serious.

My fall garden is going beautiful. I love this time of the year.
I have put my PVC pipes inplace, just in case I will need to cover my vegetables, so far I didn't cover them yet.
On the bottom right you can see Broccoli.

Swiss Chard is growing fantastic.
In my opinio Swiss Chard is the best steamed gren leaf I grow ... yummy ...