I have a little bed filled with the most beautiful organic leaf decomp and coffee grinds, and huge worms -- and it is completely EMPTY!!!
Please tell me if there are any seeds that I can (safely?) sow and expect to harvest by February-early March. Whatever grows will need to be gone by March so I can plant my green beans and Sugar Snaps! Thanks!
P.S. DMJ??? I bought Dr. Bob Randall's Book finally! Looks like I might be able to get away with throwing some carrot seeds and some beet seeds into that bed. I'm just needing some confirmation here. Thanks, All!
DO I STILL HAVE TIME TO PLANT ANY SEEDS IN ZONE 9A?
Radishes, mesclun mix, bunching onions, cilantro, parsley.
I'd do the root crops... just planted a bait of radishes yesterday. DH loves them. I'd also try some of the cooler varieties of looseleaf lettuce if it isn't wasted at your house. Definitely carrots too...
I have no idea who Bob Randall is--if he is that "radio garden show guy" from Houston, its probably not going to be accurate. Esp. since he is sponsored by every chemical company that exists, as the master gardener's of Texas are. Actually, I've never seen a garden book for Houston (including the master gardener's publications) that was worth the paper its written on. I only grow in the ground (I have a few pots but they aren't self watering like EB's), not EB's; but I've been doing it for over 25 years (since I was in college) and 17 years at this house alone. I don't eat meat at all and haven't for about 2 years now (unless you count seafood--mainly shrimp and crawfish) so vegetables are rather important to me--I practically live on salads. I also prefer mainly French vegetable varieties for taste but I have some favorite exceptions. I'll type all of this out one time and let it go....
1. You can stagger plant edible-podded peas (short vined varieties the best) thru out the month of Nov. The thing you have to remember about peas is the short, new vines can take a pretty substantial freeze--but full grown, mature pea vines can't take a harder freeze. So its a gamble. I always plant again right before or on Martin Luther King Day. This also applies to "sweet ornamental flowering peas". Of course, this flies right in the face of the advise you will get on the TX forum--but I have been doing this a lot longer than they have. I don't eat or make money if I don't do it this way.
2. Carrots, radishes, turnips, kholrabi, beets can be stagger planted (every 2 weeks) until mid January (about Martin Luther Kind Day--its a critical date in winter gardening here). Onions I'll explain later.
3. Broccoli you can try now--I always do. But if we have an early, hot spring it will probably bolt. I like to have my main crop of broccoli and brussel sprout transplants in the ground by about Sept 1st, then you have fresh broccoli for Thanksgiving. B sprouts in January. I direct seeded some broccoli this week, it germinates fast; but I have the room to gamble.
4. You can direct sow any kind of lettuce and arugula until about January 1st you want in stagger plantings. I do leaf, mescalin-type mixes, romaine, french crisphead/batavia types. You can do butterheads too--I just think they taste rather "slimy". That's just my personal taste though.
5. Spinich types for salads (the only kind I do) can be done thru about Dec 25th. Kale too--I also only do the smaller salad type varieties for Kale.
5. Oriental brassica's for stir fries--Pak choy toy varieties like toi choi and joy choi's are my fav's --I don't do bok choi, but it can be done now. Any other chinese cabbages are in this group. Do these in staggered plantings until about Dec 15-25.
5. Onions for "green onions or scallions" can be done in gallon pots, trimmed several times, and then and transplanted into the soil in Jan--pick short day or french varieties. Bulbing onions I'll explain late next summer. Garlic (I only do creole varieties) and French Shallots can be planted Oct-Nov, basically when you get time:
see: http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1032/
and: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/918319/
6. winter herbs--do some more basil if you want now--I like the small leaves in salads, dill, parsley, fennel, cilantro now thru about mid December
I'm looking at my journal to see what else I have been doing...remember, things keep growing down here all year long, just much slower from mid Dec thru Jan. Picture is my FIRST planting of edible podded peas 10/18 (also can see some carrots and lettuce started then too--a little). I will keep stagger planting edible podded peas every 2 weeks (if I have the time) or 3 weeks until Martin Luther king day--these are tall vined types which is why they are on a trellis. Short vined types I do with other types of support. I just planted some of them last weekend--I'll take pics when they germinate. Also, I am definitely outside the "banana belt" in Houston (that's north of I10 and near north hwy 6 + west little york--at least, that's where my house is located and I do my vegetables at my house not my 2 commercial locations). Its a good thing I'm very fast on the keyboard because I have orders to pack and ship by noon. And by the way, my name is--
Debbie
Debbie,
I read your d-mail before I came to this thread. Thank you eversomuch for all of you advice. I will proceed EXACTLY as you have outlined above. And, if I run into any snafoos, I'll ask you what I might have done incorrectly.
And, I'll be sure to keep MLK Day on my radar, for yet another monumental reason!
Thank you, Again.
Linda
P.S. I'm printing MULTIPLE copies of your post for future reference, and will visit your diary.
my journal is not on Dave's--I have MANY high tech composition books--lol
I needed these pics this morning for another friend in Chicago who wants to see what the garden looks like after the hurricane and how I'm changing it, so you get them too--I am the master of cut and paste for a variety of applications. I also have had extensive damage from Ike to deal with (I'm on the waiting list for my new 30 year roof) and you will see that in these shots.
This is that first bed again--the back part was planted 10/18 but the front part was done last weekend. The upside of constructing a 7' privacy fence TWICE in one year is I made the guys saw the concrete of the fence posts for replacement timbers in my garden. recycling to the max--I figured I paid for them so I can keep them.
In it I have (back to front) done 10/18--which you can see: Super sugar snap peas; Amarillo Carrot (its obviously a yellow carrot); Little Caesar Romaine lettuce; Brussel sprouts 'Catskills' (too late, but again hurricane--its sort of a do as I say not necessarily do as I do on this one, I also think we may have a cold winter this year--I'll explain why I think so later--comes from watching signs in Aug + Sept, this one's a gamble--but in the area of the back, which is on the north side of the house, where the frost settles); Lettuce (just a general gourmet blend); another row of Amarillo Carrots which got walked on by the fence gus (not sure why they had to drag the water hose thru that particular bed--but I was packing orders and could not supervise them most of the time). Part Planted 11/1, you can't see it, starts at about that big empty pot, not germinated yet: Snapdragon's--the tall type to shade what's on the back side in late spring; Pak Choi, Toi Choi; London Springs Lettuce Mix (Territorial Seeds--a "to die for" good salad mix); 2 rows Super Snappy edible podded peas with spirals for support, they are a short variety and the spirals were a gift from a non-gardening type guy (its the thought that counts--and they are kind of useful and very artistic); Lettuce Flashy's Trout Back, a romaine type; Turnips, Purple Top White Globe, I yank them when small and grate them into salads: and right in the front, another row of Lettuce Flashy's Trout Back. I have lushious soil--it has taken me 17 years to get it that way and is still a work in progress. I'll mulch this area with leaves like the next bed when the plants get a little taller.
Debbie
This bed was also done 10/18 and 10/19--notice the thick mulch of leaves and pine needles? That's the trick to good soil down here--lot's of mulch, as thick as you can get it at all times (esp in the summer). That's my internet line I'm having to hold off of the fence that (thank goodness) is the one fence on the property not my responsibility. I wish they would take care of that but they probably don't have the money yet since everyone was out of work for about a month. In it, back to front: Peas, Super sugar snap (tall vines--there is fishing line on that back fence); Amarillo Carrot, Lettuce little Caesar, Nantes half long carrot, Lettuce four seasons (I think a butterhead variety--can't remember; Turnips, Purple top White Glosbe (I will thin those in about a week and use the tender tops in salads); Pak Choi, Toi Choi, Green Goliath Broccoli (again, a gamble); and more lettuce London Springs Mix. That bed continues but I have a crunched up wrought iron garden arch I need to deal with sometime over the winter--so I can't grow anything there this year as I have to walk on the bed--another thing I don't like to have to do, but again IKE. There are also some daffodils there to the left. Also notice the drainage pattern which will show better on the next shot. My house was the first built in the subdivision and I made sure they graded it strongly from north to south--this is the driest area on the north side and in the back.
oops wrong shot there--let's try this one
This shot is just to once again make a point I've tried to make a million times on the Texas forum. The reason I don't have the problems with TOMATOES that you guys have is that I MIX THE STUFF UP, it confuses the insects and other pests (and apparently the people too). This shot is part of my back where, along with those vegetables done last weekend, and running a business--I am resetting a bunch of tiles around the patio now that I have LOTS of fence posts to use. I've just about gotten rid of all the turf grass in the back. Notice strong drainage north to south (I have deep swales on the sides of my house). You can also see a very huge and leaning at a 45 degree angle rangoon creeper I can't even begin to deal with until it freezes back. Normally all those paths are keep free of weeds with strong horticultural vinegar--but again, thanks to IKE, I haven't had time to do that lately. The gargoyle is over a cypress tree I had to cut down because it was leaniong at a 30 degree angle. But one is definitely enough there.
I'm also about to post some more shots over here of the perennials back there--Marie and I are good gardening friends. These are all growing around the vegetables. I also have more area's back there with vegetables--I'll get shots of those later. I got a lot of work I need to get done today.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/919743/
Debbie
try this link--I'm having issues with firfox and had to switch over to IE--I think I will be more succesful today off the computer and into physical labor--lol
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/917873/
Hey Gymgirl - I'm the one who recommended the Dr. Bob Randall book - he's the past director of the Urban Harvest here in Houston, a nonprofit organization that runs many community gardens and most of their produce goes to food pantries or the folks in less advantaged areas here in Houston. Also they are completely organic. They offer great classes in all kinds of vegetable gardening and a very informative website as well - www.urbanharvest.org His book is one of my "bibles" of Houston gardening.
DMJ - great photos and great information!!
Meant to say - good luck with that great new garden of yours!!
I'm going to plant carrot seeds to add to the lettuce, spinach, and cilantro I've already got going. Wishing for continued warmth for the tomatoes!
This message was edited Nov 4, 2008 1:01 PM
new garden? its 17 years old
I meant Gymgirl's new garden. I can tell yours is quite mature.
Hi Debbie!
I'm about to place and order for some chioggia beets and other seeds to sprinkle in my small trellis bed. It's filled with potting mix, organic manure, decomp leaves, and coffee grinds. And fat worms. I think I could plunge my bare hands in the bed up to my forearms -- beautiful stuff -- and loose enough for the carrots and beets.
Could you steer me to some varieties of edible-podded peas (are these the same as Sugar Snap peas?), carrots, radishes, turnips, beets and spinach (I love spinach salads!) and Onions for "green onions or scallions" I might try? Remember, this is my FIRST time growing anything other than tomatoes, and I don't have a clue about the varieties. All mine have been Fiesta, Kroger, or HEB brands off the veggie shelf!
I'm going to place a rush on my seed order, too, so I can continue the seeding like you said.
Thanks!
Linda
Linda--if you read the posts above I listed variety names.
I was hoping to retract that post BEFORE you reminded me I already had those varieties. Sorry! I was at the bottom of the wrong thread and had sent it before I realized where they were.
I just hit the send button on an order from Johnny's Selected Seeds. I had to bootleg some varieties, as they were out of some of the varieties you're growing. Here's what they're sending (like I'm not paying, right?):
Chioggia Beets
Bull's Blood Beets
Oliver Brussels Sprouts
Oregon Giant Sugar Snaps?
Flashy Trout Romaine
Purple Top White Turnips
Mokum Carrots
I'm really trying to keep up...
Linda
This message was edited Nov 6, 2008 1:57 PM
good thing you ordered from Johnny's--their prices go up Nov 15th. I got an email with a code for free shipping to order by the 15th. I'll look at their site this weekend. Johnny's is not the only company I buy from--I buy a lot from Territorial, some from Baker's but they don't have the newer varieties, some from Burpee's, and I get some from a friend in France.
So I'm good to sprinkle the seeds above in the remaining flowerbed when they arrive, right?