I've never put in a fall garden before, but along with preparing my 20' diameter herb garden, I've planted broccoli in a raised bed, squash on the curved cattle panels I'm using for gourds come spring, and pole beans along the fence. The broccoli has gotten about 1/2 inch high and is just holding there, but the beans are putting out feelers for the chicken wire to run up, and most of the squash are close to a foot high. If they don't succomb to the heat (I'm thinking the broc will) I should have a nice little harvest come October or so. Anyone else planting for fall yet? Am I early with this? Late?
anyone putting in a fall garden?
You might want to put a row cover or old thin sheet over the broccoli. I put most of my transplants out in Sept, but this is pretty late and I've lost crops to frost before. I'm pretty disgusted with my veggie area. I planted 22 tomato plants in July and I only have 2 left. I suspect a rabbit or field mouse. It's to dang hot to get out and build a fence and if its rats, the fence won't do much good.
I have a stretch of leftover shade cloth; maybe I'll make a little canopy for the broccoli. That shadecloth saved my plants when I had them on an enclosed patio. The beans and squash get some respite from the sun, but the broc is out in the middle of the yard. Good idea, lulu. Thanks!
every year here
It's so hot and dry that I don't even want to think about planting anything. Water restrictions also.
My fall broccoli never seems to mind the full sun--it just needs adequate water.
My three Tomatoe plants WERE the Fall garden and something ate them down to the ribs...
I'll scatter some California Poppy seeds in Fall and plant some Dill seeds and Bronze Fennel .
That's about it..
my fall tomatoes are going like gangbusters--tomatoes do way too well for me and I always plant them too close to something else thinking half of them will kick the bucket. When will I ever learn...
I am growing a few tomatoes and planted a couple of cucumbers also, but the birds ate my cucumbers already. This weekend (or maybe tonight) I will put some more in to germinate and get going. I have never grown broccoli before but would like to grow some of that and some lettuce. Debbie - you think I should go ahead and plant the broccoli and lettuce or just the broccoli? What about cauliflower? Is it the same as broccoli?
You guys might want to check out the Earthbox forum for growing veggies above-ground in an almost self-watering box. They're easily made for about $10/box, and the veggies I've seen posted are growing like Paul Bunyan! I'm gonna make some myself, as soon as I figure out what to plant in my garden. I'm a newbie, and this is the first time I've done any gardening on a widescale basis. I really didn't do to badly this summer, all because of the DG friends I've made and their years of collective experience, and their willingness to share what they know.
So, I'm sharing a tip on the Earthboxes to you all.
P.S. I'm in Houston, near Hobby airport. Which kind and when should I plant beefsteak tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and squash? Never have grown veggies before.
I'll post a pic of my very first garden in my yard. Remember, everything you see is compliments of the DG experience.
I
One more.
Just one more!
Oh your plants look so healthy !
Thanks for the tip on the Earthbox Forum and for the pictures too
Someone will come along to answer your Veggie questions..
;
Debbie, the tomato plants you gave me are sprawling over 1/3 of the garden. Hope for a great crop when the weather gets cooler.
Pulled the spring vines Wednesday - filled a couple of 7 bu bags, and one trash can. Now to work in some of the composted "stuff" and get rid of the invading grass and purslane.
Been too hot to work most days - even in the evening. Spend 15 minutes in the garden and take a bath in my own persperation -arrgggh!!
Gymgirl - Your pics are beautiful. Very nice containers. Isn't DG great? I have really enjoyed it myself. Also, a question about your sago's. Did you start some of those on your own, or did you buy all of them like that? If you started them, I would love to know how. I really think that fall veggies should be started now or even just a bit sooner. Check out your local nurseries to see if they have veggie plants already started that you can buy.
Debbie -- My little tomatoes are just tiny things right now. Show us some pics of yours please. But only when you have a chance, I know you are busy with school and everything else right now. I picked up some tomatoes from a nursery yesterday that just make the ones I started from seed look like crud. Do you stake your tomatoes or let em sprawl? I think in the spring, you used those spiral things...they looked pretty in your garden.
Bubba--Debbie is very gracious with sharing isn't she? She has a vitex for me that she will be giving me at the College Station Round Up. I am so excited! She is a great gardener, I can't wait to meet her and pick her brain. lol. Purslane....that is a very very bad word in my book. Can't stand the stuff. Foolish me, I bought a pretty one at the nursery in the spring and after reading on the forum that they spread, I threw that baby in the trash....not the compost pile. he he.
ms_merae,
the sagos you see are in my Sago Nursery. I started them from "PUPS" growing from the mother/father plants. Actually, I've become somewhat knowledgeable about growing Sagos, and what to do. What question do you have? I'll be glad to offer what I know.
I'm afraid with the summer temps we've "enjoyed" in Texas a FALL garden is all we'll be able to have vegetables from! We can't keep anything alive with the intense heat and water restrictions. Phooey.
Thank you Merae for your kind words--and Bubba, glad you like the green zebra's. I need to come by the buffalo shack one day soon after work since I'm less than a mile or so from there.
Merae, I use spirals from Lee Valley. They work great for me and even on the giant green zebra plants. I got 15 as a gift from a "friend" at Christmas. Not many brains left to pick though--lol =)
I need to seriously devote some thought to the fall veggie garden real soon--like this weekend. I'll try to get some picks of the fall tomatoes tomorrow. I've got some garden areas getting out of control with nutgrass I need to get on top of that ASAP--it's been a VERY GOOD year for nutgrass.
edited to add: Most of my pictures, comments, etc. are now being posted in my garden diary. I'm working on the vegetable section (spice of life) but I want to finish the bulb section first.
By the way, the hummers are thick as thieves around here now and it's very early for them to be so thick...I wonder what this says about what kind of winter we are going to have?
Debbie
This message was edited Aug 26, 2006 1:15 PM
Debbie - thanks for letting me know about your diary...I am off to check it out. :-)
I know that when the squirrels' tails get really bushy it's going to be a bad winter. And I read in the Beaumont paper this morning that the Farmer's Almanac is predicting a bad one.