Who is planting cool weather crops?

[hoodat]

I usually look forward to the cooling weather in Fall so I can get my cold weather crops in. Normally I can start them off in September but I just checked the weather forcast for the month of September and they are predicting mid to high 80s the whole month. The ground is so hot even lettuce seed isn't coming up. The only cool weather crops I have been able to get going are some of the Chinese greens.

 

[hiker125]

I am waiting for the remains of Isaac to blow through this weekend and then I am going to set my fall crops out. We have been SO DRY in Indiana this year- the worst drought since the '30's. Scary. It has been too hot and dry to start anything lately. Next week, I am planning to start spinach, lettuce, and chard.

 

[so lucky]

I managed to get winter radishes, a few carrots, lettuce, spinach and beets up by watering every day. Mustard came up in spots, but the reseeding has not been very helpful. Sugar snap peas just disappeared in the ground. So Thursday I replanted what I had of those, and finished the rest of the row with Green Arrow. I watered them in and covered the row with boards, to keep the Isaac rain from washing everything away. We'll see what happens. Flea beetles are eating the mustard pretty bad. Gonna have to do something.

 

[897tgigvib]

I am finding that the best time to plant many things for the winter garden is Late July around here, and in my forest clearing circumstance. I did plant some more things around mid August, but I don't think most of that will work well. Been using only a few seeds to trial it. A few of those Lettuce did finally sprout, but I enjoy specimen Lettuce plants, so having just a few to grow big and lush is good too.

That winter garden planting window timeframe can sure be small at some places. In Montana, unless you have a warm greenhouse, the window for a winter garden planting can be zero. I really love Northern California's climate in the north part of Lake County.

 

[hoodat]

I managed to get winter radishes, a few carrots, lettuce, spinach and beets up by watering every day. Mustard came up in spots, but the reseeding has not been very helpful. Sugar snap peas just disappeared in the ground. So Thursday I replanted what I had of those, and finished the rest of the row with Green Arrow. I watered them in and covered the row with boards, to keep the Isaac rain from washing everything away. We'll see what happens. Flea beetles are eating the mustard pretty bad. Gonna have to do something.

I'm also having flea beetle problems. They don't usually show up around here in large numbers in the Fall. In addition the bagrada bug (That new stink bug that sneaked in from Africa) seems to be trying to make a comeback. I have some Spinosad on order. As soon as it comes in I should be able to get control of them.

 

[digitS']

. . . That winter garden planting window timeframe can sure be small at some places. In Montana, unless you have a warm greenhouse, the window for a winter garden planting can be zero. I really love Northern California's climate in the north part of Lake County.

This "window" is very localized and hitting it makes all the difference. I didn't know it could be down to nothing in Montana but that must make sense because I've really only got a few weeks.

Hoodat, your Asian greens may be Brassica rapa. The vegetable from that species North Americans are most familiar with is the turnip but there are many, many that are grown for their leaves or flower buds and not for their roots.

The University of Minnesota report on germination tests at various temperatures ishere (click).

I've copied the table for turnips below because I think it so remarkable.

Temp (F) & Days to Germination
"NG" is an abbreviation for No Germination.

32 NG

41 NG

50 5

59 3

68 2

77 1

86 1

95 1

104 3

No other vegetable tested comes close to that performance. The seedlings just keep popping up even during extreme heat! And, they do it quickly.

My window for Asian greens seems to be the first half of August. After that, the plants (bok choy, etc.) don't have enough time to make much growth. I can plant snow peas the last week of July, mostly to enjoy the fresh or stir-fried tendrils.

Lettuce won't take the heat to start early and then run out of time to grow. Beets just sit around looking at the hot summer and miss their chance to grow. I can't get carrots to germinate during mid-summer and radish will grow but not make a bulb. Spinach bolts to seed!

Steve

 

[ducks4you]

I harvested beets this week, raked up my bed and replanted more beets. I also tilled the spots in my south pasture that lost grass this summer and I'll be spending the weekend seeding with pasture grass seed.
If I get to it, I'm going to plant some brussel sprouts. To be honest, this summer's heat just wore me out. After I finish harvesting my grapes and canning tomatoes, I don't want to garden again until I start seeds next winter!

 

[amandacv86]

So far I've seeded Cabbage, Arugula, Spinach, Brussels Sprouts, Beets, Turnips, Parsnips, and Cilantro. Going to plant Broccoli probably today or tomorrow. Hopefully they grow! I've had bad luck with gardens but I try again almost every year with just a little bit more knowledge. So far only the arugula has sprouted.

 

[so lucky]

I know I'm a little forgetful, and getting worse, but I know very well where I planted the peas. In a nice straight row 4" from the fence. When they didn't come up there, and I trenched a little bit to see if I could find rotten seeds or something, I then replanted more in the same place. 4" from the fence. So why are they coming up 15" from the fence?? There was a mole that went through earlier, before the second planting, but surely he wouldn't have moved them nearly a foot away? I have more coming up 15" from the fence than 4" from the fence. Now the peas are going to have to crawl over the beets and turnips to get to the fence!

 

[baymule]

WE GOT A COLD FRONT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Of course, a cold front in east Texas in September means the daytime temps drop to the low 90's F and the night time temps drop to the high 60's. But I'll take it! I planted broccoli, cauliflower and lettuce seeds Saturday. hope they come up. I usually buy broccoli and cauliflower plants to set out because the heat makes me wait to plant and I want broccoli NOW! Still got to plant mustard, turnips and green onion sets.