Fall Planting

[retiredwith4acres]

OK, just put in a few onion sets, lettuce seeds, radish, and spinach for the fall season. Hope it isn't too early! We had prepared a couple of new raised beds so decided to try to start some things now. Our summer garden is about finished except an occasional cucumber, squash, tomato and, of course the sweet potatoes. We are still having okra which I have to find a healthier way of preparing because I LOVE fried okra, but my heart disease does not! Think I will try baking it next.

 

[so lucky]

Retired, maybe if you use sprouted whole wheat flour to coat the okra, and coconut oil to fry them in, you could cut out the guilt. Matter of fact, I may do that tonite.

 

[desertlady]

My friend used Shake and Bake .

 

[dickiebird]

Fried is GOOD but maybe not good for you.
I grill mine basted in olive oil and spiced to my liking, onion salt, garlic powder, salt, pepper ect.
THANX RICH

 

[digitS']

Summer squash so late, '4acres??

I didn't do the late squash transplants between the cabbage/broccoli this year. Mainly because the rabbit had such a good time with the broccoli - they ended up with cabbage between the broccoli . . . Odd, he seems to have left that savoy cabbage alone (& a couple broccoli plants came back).

(Not a single bean seed went into that garden because of Mr. Bunny! I felt I had to plant them in the little veggie garden where I don't have nearly the room. Why the neighbor puts up with those rabbits, I don't quite understand. He is a war veteran and a little changed from that experience. Still, he tries growing beans each year & it turned out he did quite well -- I think Bunny was too busy eating my flowers & broccoli .)

The first of the bok choy seedlings are now up in what was the potato bed. The spuds are dug with a shovel just a few plants at a time and bok choy seed is sprinkled along behind as the ground settles.

Yes, good timing is required but I've found that saving bok choy seed & being willing to see the plants go into the compost if the timing is a misfire is the way to go. Lettuce starts have alread gone into half of the carrot bed and that could be a misfire . . . & a little expensive since I haven't gotten into lettuce seed-saving.

Steve

 

[baymule]

Still too darn hot here to plant fall garden. Just for grins, I stuck a thermometer in the garden in full sun. Yesterday the dial was pegged at 120 degrees F. Maybe that's why my bell peppers look so wilted. And maybe that's why the tomatoes look all brown and scraggly with a few wizened green globes still hanging on for their dear life. The leaves have fallen off half the okra plants and the weeds are laughing at them.

Sigh....... at least the sweet potato vines are running riot in spreading growth all over the sidewalk and the cherry tomatoes are loaded with green cherries. The zuchinni seeds I planted are growing well, but the yellow squash next to them looks anemic and sad.

Waiting on cooler weather........

 

[retiredwith4acres]

DigitS', I still am getting a summer squash once in a while from only 2 plants that went into the raised bed. I have had enough that the chickens have enjoyed them also this year.

As far as animals, we have been visited by a raccoon the last few nights in the late corn but we got most of it before they took over. We will just let them have the rest. Our sweet potatoes are really pretty but the deer started munching on them. We put up a fence of bailing twine and it has worked so far, no more nibbling since installed. Someone said the green twine was dipped into an oil or something and it will keep them out for a while until the smell goes away. I don't know and don't care as long as it works. I love my sweet potatoes all winter.

Our temps have fallen into the 80's finally and should stay there for a few weeks before heading to the 70's, BUT, we all know this summer isn't normal, so who knows. The seeds I put out yesterday were old so no big lose if they don't come up or get fried.

 

[OldGuy43]

Still too darn hot here to plant fall garden. Just for grins, I stuck a thermometer in the garden in full sun. Yesterday the dial was pegged at 120 degrees F. Maybe that's why my bell peppers look so wilted. And maybe that's why the tomatoes look all brown and scraggly with a few wizened green globes still hanging on for their dear life. The leaves have fallen off half the okra plants and the weeds are laughing at them.

Sigh....... at least the sweet potato vines are running riot in spreading growth all over the sidewalk and the cherry tomatoes are loaded with green cherries. The zuchinni seeds I planted are growing well, but the yellow squash next to them looks anemic and sad.

Waiting on cooler weather........

Thank you for that BayMule. As a beginner I thought maybe I was doing something wrong. Well, we got 3.4" of rain here yesterday and I woke up to 70 and cloudy this am. Supposed to get more rain today so maybe...

 

[Southern Gardener]

We're finally getting some lower temps here as well. We had an inch and a half rain Thursday night, but it doesn't look like we'll get anymore. I did get to plant my winter squash yesterday - butternut and table queen. I've never planted winter squash, so here is hoping. I'll wait and plant the rest of of fall crops the first of Sept.

Retired, have you tried smothered okra with tomatoes and onion? Yummy with a hunk of cornbread!

 

[digitS']

DigitS', I still am getting a summer squash once in a while from only 2 plants that went into the raised bed. . .

Actually, I was wondering if sowing summer squash seed would result in a crop before frost, '4acres.

Wouldn't the frost have to hold off until November for that to happen :/? Is that possible in your corner of the world?

Steve