FALL GARDENS 2011

[Gale]

Who is planting a fall garden?  And if you've planted one in the past, what have you been most successful with?  I have planted 5 Celebrity tomato plants so far, and am trying desperately to nurse them through this brutal heat wave.  Also have jalapeno pepper seedlings just now sprouting that I hope to transplant and seed potatoes hopefully on the way through the mail.  I'm thinking beets, carrots, and English peas also.  Am wondering about how well lettuce will do.  Hoping there are some fall gardeners out there, because honestly, with all this heat and drought, I'm feeling pretty silly right now planting anything!

[007clint]

I am going to go ahead and start seeds in my garage although I am worried about the heat also.

[Brian Gallimore]

I'm going to try one for the first time this year

[Gale]

It's the first time I'm trying one, too, Brian.  What kind of seeds are you starting, Clint?  Have you done a fall garden in TX before?

[007clint]

First Fall garden in Texas although I had good results in Arizona.  I am going with Sweet Corn, Potatoes, Tomatos, Beans, Peas, Caulflower, Broccoli, Watermelon, Cantalope, and Squash - we will see what happens!? 

I am worried about the extreme heat right now (108?) but am starting seeds and keeping seedlings in garage until it cools down.  I am planning on converting garden into a green house to extend the growing season, if necessary.

[Phil from Krum]

We've had much better luck with fall plantings of Brockley and Brussels Sprouts than in the spring. We get our sets from Dennis's Farm Store in Denton. He should have them starting about now. I have started sets for Acorn and Straitneck Squash and Gold Rush Zucchini but if the weather doesn't break by mid September I won't plant them.

[Brian Gallimore]

I did get some seeds in the ground this past weekend:  beans, turnips, radish, carrot, beet, and broccoli.   I think it might still be too hot for some of these things, but I'm giving it a shot and keeping it wet!

[Gale]

Glad to see I'm not the Lone Ranger!  Tomatoes are hanging in there.  Put my pepper transplants out, and I've already lost 4 of them.  Guess I should have waited.  I even covered them with suspended burlap.  Dang!  Yesterday, I planted broccoli, green bean, and carrot seeds.  This morning, I planted English peas and radishes.  Still have lettuce and basil seeds to get started inside, okra seeds, green onion seeds, and beet seeds to get into the ground.  Seeing a forecast of mid-90 highs next week!  Maybe there is hope!