80+ outside today, but cold nighttime temps are on tap for the end of the week. Hopefully after that I can put out the seedlings in the garden. Meanwhile they've been enjoying the balmy weather and mild nights for another couple of days.
STARTING OUR SPRING GARDEN STAGE 4
(*&^%$# It's supposed to be in the mid-30s tomorrow night! It's been hot and humid here the past couple of days and my AC has been running more to get the humidity out of the air so hubby's asthma stays in check rather than to cool things off. My poor tomatoes! I'm going to toss a pillow case over them, then put a bucket on top to help keep them from getting windblown and frozen. Also supposed to have a wicked spring storm complete with very high winds and hail. UGH!! Thank goodness inventory was this past weekend and I've not had time to get anything else planted.
onions that flower- older folks trick to drive the growth back into the bulbs. Stomp em. The green tops, stomp em flat, one smack- tho if you have kids they can walk down the plants a bit lighter. They will rebound, trust me, but the growth will go down and not up into the flower.
I have too many plants out there to cover with anything but remay. So I'll just have to use that and hope for the best. I don't think my onions will be bothered, not my lettuce. But the determinate tomatoes will just have to buck up! I haven't planted out many indies yet, as the local weather folks have been predicting this front was imminent for days now. I don't think they really even look out the window, they just parrot whatever the Weather Channel is predicting. And they are not what they used to be. So I've been holding about 20 tomato plants in reserve just in case. But I've already got Turkey Chomp out there and that was DH's favorite last year. It has really been taking the wind well so far so we shall see. If it doesn't make it, DH will just have to wait until fall to see if Turkey Chomp is as good this year as last. It was 81 degree and humid last night when I got home from work. I just put my buck in with our yearling doelings. He was running around with his tongue hanging out--poor fellow. At least he will appreciate this drop in temps.
Here is Billy and his buddy, Gingersnap, checking out the girls last week. Please ignore his toes, he got them trimmed before his big move to live with said girls....
Terri, if TWC is going downhill, consider the Weather Underground. Sometim es I find the am ount of data intimidating, but they seem to be a class act.
http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=Everett,%20Washington
P.S. - have you seen the degree-day calculator in TWC?
http://www.weather.com/outdoors/agriculture/growing-degree-days/98204:4
Yep. My cabbages and beets are doing the "Happy Dance," right about now!
Just came from lunch. The temp has dropped about 10 degrees, and it's misting rain. Supposed to be in the mid-40°s tonight...
I was securing the tomato plants to the stakes this morning, due to expected high winds. I spied at least three tangerine-sized tomatoes hiding underneath the leaves. Mule Team.
This message was edited Apr 10, 2013 2:14 PM
Set an Arkansas Traveler and 2 serranos. Colde isn't bad, rains gentle. Goin back to work tomoro....
I've only got 3 small tomato plants out, and I'm so glad. I watch accuweather and it seems pretty good. I don't plant out until I see the next week has no lows in the 40s in the forecast. I know it will be at least 5* cooler here. I did sow beet seeds which seems crazy considering it's April.
Peppers and Eggplant won't go out until the night time temps are 55 and above.
Eggplants -Calliope, and one Ping tong went in ground 3 days ago. Along with a white salvia, a deep blue salvia and relocation of red salvia starts. Getting a Tuscan Blue rosemary established...wanted Goriza, but my daughter swore they all smelled the same...waited on sunflower seeds for a bit more heat, and kept chasing fire ant mounds down with the water hose. the fern leaf dill carpet was thinned, but I caught blooms already on 4" strands that just jumped overnite. Carrots experiment are looking good, and I spent all 3 days side dressing fertilizer to the onions n chives (because of the water I am soaking them with against ants). thermometer swears its 50*, but that one is on the truck, I put my jacket on and am on the way to check a different thermometer. Nothing is covered, but I am surrounded by woods and dont get the wind and cold of the rest of the area
Planted spring vegetables (beets, radishes, lettuce, and sugar snap peas) a couple of weeks ago...very late, but given the recent temperatures I may get a harvest. Planted 50 tomato plants this week and planted two 30-ft rows of bush pickle cucumbers. Onions and garlic have been in the ground since January. I still have yellow squash, zucchini, slicing cucumbers, bush beans, sweet corn, and okra to plant. I am planting 5 different types sweet corn, from 65 to 85 days maturity. I can't decide if I'm going to plant any peppers or not. I can't grow bells, since I have a virus in my soil. There are other sweet non-bells (Gypsy, etc.) that do better... just haven't decided. It will depend on what the garden centers / nurseries have since I haven't started any seeds for peppers.
Kittriana, my Tuscan Blue rosemaries are really attractive shrubs, but not nearly as fragrant or tasty as my Arp Hardy, which is very intense. I'd be interested to learn if yours gets more intense in your hotter climate; rosemaries do like it hot and dry.
I planted a rosemary right where it spills out into the walkway just so people brush up against it when they come to the front door.
I can't believe how well my potatoes are doing. I put some in a large container and some in a large cloth bag everyday I'm putting in more soil, radishes are germinating. The cukes,I sowed a week ago, are just sprouting but the squash is a no show. I'm not sure if its the seed or the soil temp. The soil temp is below what it should be but so is the air temp. Lol
Squash is apt to be slower than cukes, more heat needed, this cold front is freezing me, but isn't nearly as nasty as it could be here, another cooler wave will follow this one in 2 to 3 days, we'll see if its all bluster too
It's supposed to be 39 tonight if the thermometer reads ice again I won't be happy. LOL
Kitt,
I see you found the Avatar color button! (I don't miss much...), LOL!!
Hopefully it will only get down to 45 here tonight... The okra's been outside for close to 2 weeks now, so I don't think we'll have a big problem...
kevcarr59
how tall is your okra? and how cold did it get there?
My okra is 2' tall ... waiting to go in the ground ...
WOW... That okra looks great!!! We only got down to about 42 last night, but the winds been up around 20-25 mph. Most of my okra is only about 8 or 10 inches tall, but they're in the fabric pots, so there in their home. I think with the last couple cold fronts has really slowed down the okra that I had put out.
One of the things I noticed is the size of your plants in what look to be 3" pots. Aren't they root-bound, being that big? From what we always hear, okra hates to have their roots messed with, and you don't want to transplant okra much larger than 3" or 4" tall. Do you normally have your okra that big before they go out into the garden?
They are 4" pots. They are not root bound yet.
Yes I did transplant my okra even bigger size then these. I never had a problem transplanting okra.
The only problem I had was last year with my second planting of okra (I think end of June) ... it was a waist of space and time ... they didn't produce as much. The okra I transplanted in April last year started to produce like a missile right away and kept producing until the frost.
I am transplanting these out next fruit date: I think April 20th ... I am leaving town and they need to be in the ground.
Mine are about 6" tall, now, in the blue solo cups under a light. I'll have to build a temporary hothouse around their bed, and hope to get them out there by May 1st, otherwise I'll just have to keep raising the light or something. In the vermiculite/perlite mixture, I do want to have a good rootball, so when I transplant, it won't disturb the roots too much.
It supposed to be 40 in Austin tonight. Another cold front is forcast for next week too. Same days same temps. Okra loves heat so I'm sure this crazy weather is slowing it down but this is so unusual.
I got the sweet corn in the ground today despite the rain showers yesterday and the early morning rain today. Planted 5 30-ft rows of each, Sugar Baby, Chubby Checkers, Ambrosia, Peaches-and-Cream, and Sugar Dots. I'll thin the corn to about 12 inches, so I should have about 150 plants of each variety. Even one ear per stalk will be a lot of corn! Luckily, the Earthway Seeder did a fabulous job. Hopefully the moist soil will lead to early germination. The field corn has been up around here for several weeks.
color button? you mean theres more to play with? hehehehe.
My sweet corn is peeking through the soil this morning. Guess the cool overnight temps didn't bother it much. This variety is X-Tra Tender and I just can't remember where I got it right now. It was either the local farmer's co-op or Hooten's Hardware. It had a tag on it saying it had good cool weather vigour. I don't know why I decided to try that here in Texas, but I guess it turned out OK this year. I have other varieties to try once the weather settles in.
The tomatoes I left out unprotected the last few days were too big to put under the milk bottles I have. Looks like all but two will be fine. They are not growing much but they look nice and green and perky. I'm leaving for vacation in two weeks, so I'll have to plant out the rest of the tomatoes this weekend. They'll need the time to get established before I leave and DS takes over. All he should have to do is water in the veg garden. Water the roses once a week. Take care the the chickens, dogs, and goats. Mow. LOL, he's grumbling already!
Harvesting spinach, lettuce, mustard greens and radishes today. Also a sunburn. Turnips are not quite ready yet.
The carrots, beets, broccoli and peas aren't going to make it -- not enough "spring" this year.
My new strawberry beds and asparagus beds look great.
Unless it rains, I'll be transplanting 'maters tomorrow and planting seeds: zukes and cukes. I don't think the soil is warm enough yet for the winter squash and corn and melons, but it will be soon!
I keep harvesting as fast as I can all the beautiful lettuce.
Harvested another full basket of Swiss Chard.
Artichokes .... yeeeeeeessss ... my first ones after two years of waiting !
Fennel is huge !!
Tomatoes are making a lot of fruits (and suckers). Peppers and eggplants are growing.
Arg! Just saw the forecast -- 39 next Friday night?! Okay, maybe my peas will grow up, but I really don't want to keep my maters in pots for another week plus.
Maybe the weather will change by then. They are also saying 40F for Dallas on Thursday night.
I am transplanting everything I have left on the 20th (my next FRUIT date).
Can't trust the temps now, though the suns rays are goin to be lost if you don't plant out and simply protect while outside... I keep seeing forecasts for one temp change drastically in one day, then not even match the new forecast. drthor makes me want to try a 'choke, tho I thought they were cabbage family for some reason...
Just saw our 7 day forecast for Austin, and it's up to 90 for the next couple days. Wednesday front comes through, possibly some rain, then in the mid-60's, with lows in the low 40's. Getting a little tired of the moving the plants around every couple days, I guess it's going to be the survival of the fittest. Finally saw my first bloom on the Cherokee Purple that's looking pretty good. Okra's going to be stunted this year, I think. Started it too early, and it was too cold when I set it out to harden off. Will look at the root structure, just to see how it's developed. I didn't get any okra last season at all, so I am a little upset at 2 years in a row.
Last summer was a LOT different, it started off warm and stayed warm, and was much more consistent. Very little rain, and these crazy temperature swings are killing any solid growth pattern.
kev, it's still early, so why don't you just start some more okra? Watch the race, and may the best okra win.
Here are some photos of what I have going right now.
1 one of the second planting of broccoli (gave Gym Girl their siblings)
2 one of my first planting of broccoli, still churning out side shoots. Ive eaten so much broccoli, I probably smell like it.
3 photo of my "old" tomato plants from last fall, still churning out tomatoes. Jaune Flamme' Two plants, maybe 20 fruits
4 one of my new tomato plants with new fruit forming. The variety is 4th of July
5 same 4th of July. I have 3 plants of this.
My homestead is slower and is behind with no fruit yet. Im also growing Ted's pink currant and it is behind also.
My asparagus is looking good. I have not planted okra yet.
This year is going to be tough, plans for the big garden are going on hold since my wife & I are going to Florida for an undetermined amount of time. My Mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer a year ago March, and her health is deteriorating rather quickly, so we're going over there next month to help my younger brother take care of her. She wants to stay at home & hospice enter the picture when the time comes. They did that with my Dad when he passed, and she wants to do the same thing. I may have some time to do a little garden for us, but May in Florida is not the time to start much of anything, so will just have to see what happens.
It's not going to be a permenant move, we'll return to Texas after everything is settled in Florida. One of our son's is staying in our house while we're gone, so at least the house here isn't empty. All the plans have been made and now it's just waiting for the planned moving date...
drthor... I guess when you transplant okra that tall, it shouldn't take long at all to start producing. Will have to contact some of the Florida gardeners & see if they get a fall crop, and when they start it...
Kev, I dont really know you but I wish you and your family all the best as you deal with this sadness. Those who have been thru this know how stressful it is and we hope you and your wife will take care of yourselves as you become caregivers. We DG'ers will keep the Texas home fires burning until y'all get back. Take care and Godspeed.
I will keep your family in my prayers, Kev.
As will I, Kev. My mother-in-law is under hospice care now, too. You and yours are definitely deep in my prayers!
Thank you for all your prayers... The offer was made last year when we were over there, but now my brothers & I made the decision it was time for us to get over there. Not having the car note & our son moving into our house here in Buda, makes the finances a lot easier to handle.
Finally tomatoes are loaded with fruits
I am starting cucumbers again. This year it has been a "cucumber debacle" ...
This is the third planting of cucumbers. I do have maybe 10 plants in the ground ... but I lost quite a few to the weather.
oh well ...
I will turn green from eating all of this lettuce, but I love it !
I harvest a huge Fennel bulb and some onions for my DH.
Wonderful, drthor! Thank you for sharing the photos!