taking the plunge!

ok--i am going to try a few veggies this summer--i want to be try some that are easy and so am asking for your advice--what is good to start with? i live in texas--long hot summer--also--besides suggesting a vegetable do you have a specific one to try --in other words if tomatoes are a good choice what is your favorite type--thanks

Living in TX you can grow just about anything! Tomatoes(too many varieties to name), squash(yellow straightneck and black beauty zucchini), peas(alaska), and peppers(sweet or hot - depending on your likes) are all easy to grow. If you have good well draining soil root crops are also good.
There are several people on here that live in TX that will give you a better idea of what and when to grow veggies. I'm sure you will get more input! I'm not sure how much help I will truly be from OH. Good luck and go for it! There is nothing better than watching your own garden grow and then eating the rewards!
Megan

Very good luck with your garden!

Linda, what zone are you in? Depending on where you are, there are some traditional "summer" vegetables that you might want to be doing in the winter instead (peas and many of the root veggies fall into that category). Also, how soon your heat hits will determine your success with some cultivars. When temps are consistently above 100, and nighttime temps are also consistently high, lots of things just won't produce. For example, here in zone 9a in Tucson, I'm sticking with early- to mid-season tomatoes, because the heat will stop any of the later-maturing tomatoes from setting fruit. Sweet peppers are the same--got to get them in early, and earlier-to-mature varieties will probably work better for you.

If you're looking for tomato suggestions, "Stupice" is supposed to be a very good one for hot climates--because it is early. It will set fruit before the high heat hits, and it's supposed to have good flavor. I'm trying it for the first time this year.

Zucchini--now there's a veggie that's easy to grow, handles heat extremely well, and is prolific beyond your wildest dreams (maybe too much so!).

oh thank you all for getting me excited about my prospects!! and thanks for the advice too!! i like that the zucchine is prolific--that sounds like fun! and wouldn't they taste good with the tomatoes!! megan thanks for the good idea of asking texas gardeners for advice--i will post on the texas site on dave's -good thinking!

Glad to have helped!

Tomatoes need to be started now - if growing from seed. Here, I aim for a plantout around the 7th to 10th of March. In your area, a good time for plantout might be around the second or third week of March. Watch those long-range forecasts carefully when it comes close to time to plant. If you start your seeds under lights as many of us do, don't forget to harden off your plants first.

It pays to have backups, if possible. Standard advice is to wait until well past your estimated frost date to be "safe", but in Texas, waiting until some time in April may very well mean you don't get much fruitset in a hot year (because the heat can kill (denature) the pollen). Protect plants if necessary, and/or use your backups. When I used to live in the metroplex, plants usually went in between the 18th and the 23rd. I also used to grow several in containers, as I could get those out a couple of weeks earlier and put them in the garage at night if really necessary. Great way to extend your harvest time - I've been known to have a few container plants out during the day catching sun as early as the second week of Feb. Kimberly is an easy to grow container plant, so is Moskvich. Both are early.

Most cherry types do well here, as they tend to set better in the heat. My favorite cherry types are Sungold and Black Cherry. Sweet Quartz also does exceedingly well here, and is a tomato machine. Non-cherry - Homestead, Sioux, Sarnowski Polish Plum, Break O'Day, Brandy Boy, Green Giant, Indian Stripe. Just a few I find to be productive, tasty and easy to grow. In your area, you're unlikely to have problems with nematodes, tomato spotted wilt virus, or fungal wilts (verticillium or fusarium), so don't overly concern yourself with disease resistance/tolerance when making variety selections.

Tip - pick before rains and watering so your tomatoes don't crack as much and/or taste bland. Of course, the ripe ones, but also anything with a fair amount of blush. They will ripen just fine inside.

Peppers also need to be started now. I like to set transplants out a week or two after tomatoes, but peppers tend to take longer to germinate; they also grow slower. Most hot varieties will do well here, sweets can be a little fiddly. I've had the best luck with non-bell and frying types like Jimmy Nardello, the "Marconis" (Golden Marconi, Red Marconi, Purple Marconi, etc.), Chervena Chushka.

Lettuce could be started now, or in the next few weeks or so. A variety I like for Texas is Jericho Romaine as it handles the heat a little better, still not really a summer crop here, but better than most in being slow to bolt and not turn bitter. Lettuce alternatives - Swiss Chard does well here, and sited properly (just a little shade) might produce fairly well for you. You can also grow leaf lettuce indoors under shop lights year round if always having fresh, homegrown lettuce is important to you.

Beans - Pole beans can be a little fiddly because of the heat. Not impossible, but timing is important. I mostly grow bush beans now as they are easier. Dragon Tongue is a new favorite. It is also much easier to find to pick because the color of the beans contrasts with the foliage. Beans hate cold soil, so starting early gets you little benefit (or so I've found).

Cukes - generally, easy to grow. Poona Kheera is a favorite. I usually direct sow these when things warm up a bit because they dislike cold soil, and I've found little or no benefit from starting early inside.

Herbs - can't be without my basil. :-) I usually start some the second week of Feb outside in four inch pots (protecting at night if necessary) and plant out sometime in mid March. Sweet Genovese is a favorite for flavor. Plant a lot, because you can always make extra pesto to eat during the winter (freezes well).

I'd also suggest raised beds filled with a light, well-amended mix, as it can really help to mitigate the effects of the torrential spring and early summer rains we can sometimes get. If raised beds aren't an option for you at this time, amend your soil well to help with drainage.

Here's a planting calendar for the Austin area. I don't know of one for your area, but you might find it useful in terms of some rough, general guidelines (add or subtract a week or two for the slight zone difference as appropriate). Save as a file to your desktop or print out, because they do change the location of the link occasionally:

http://www.tcmastergardener.org/Vegetable_Planting_Calendar_Chart_for_Travis_County.pdf

Thanks for all the great info, Suze! Even though I'm not in Texas, I appreciate your mention of specific veggie cultivars that take the heat well.

Are you looking for "eating" tomatoes or "canning/freezing" tomatoes? Cherry tomatoes can be canned, but it takes a lot of them to do it. They are a wonderful addition to homemade juice and sauce. :)

Good luck with your garden, Linda.

Others that seem to do fine in Houston's heat & humidity - okra, mustard, most hot peppers. They should do fine in Plano, too.

Radishes now and in the fall/winter, same with lettuce and chard.

Cilantro, parsley, and most herbs do well until the REAL heat, then if shaded continue OK. I plant parsley and marigolds around tomatos - toms shade the others, and the side-plants work like a living mulch - shading the soil to keep the weeds down.

y'all are so nice and helpful! i love all the encouragement and ideas--
suze--to me the texas summers go on and on so never thought you would need to start tomatoes indoors! thanks for letting me know
doccat--eating tomatoes --but canning sounds like it could be fun too--no!! not yet! only a few obsessions at a time!
thanks dean!
bubba--i love cilantro and tried growing it but failed--of course that was before i was a "real" gardener! ha

Canning is pretty easy to do, just need to make sure you have the proper equipment and make sure you read the directions. I haven't done it for years, so had to go back and replace some of my equipment. But am planning on canning and freezing produce from this years garden. It will save us money and we'll be eating healthier, since we grown organically so there are no pesticides or other poisons on the veggies. Nothing like homemade juice and sauce in the middle of winter.

if you don't know how to can --how about freezing? if you cooked up the tomatoes and froze them that would work too?

You can freeze fresh tomatoes and use them in sauce etc directly from the freezer.

Tomatoes are really easy to freeze. Just wash them and put them in ziploc baggies. When you thaw them, the skins come right off!

I actually do stick mine in boiling water for just a minute before freezing to skin them first--this just works better for me than skinning them after the freeze. It's a personal preference, that's all--even though it's more work for me. You could also go ahead and make your spaghetti sauce or chili or whatever before freezing, too. I just like the versatility of freezing plain whole tomaotes--that way I can use them in anything I want.

One tip: If you'll be substituting for canned whole tomatoes, weigh out 14 ounces of tomatoes into each ziploc. Then, when you need them for a recipe, you can just grab the right number of ziplocs to have for your food.

see how i am thinking positive--planning on having more tomatoes than we can eat and then the need to freeze---never mind that i haven't grown them before!! good tips all around!! thanks