Time to get the garden ready for fall

[gumbo2176]

I noticed my Yard Longs were fading the past week with foliage loss and beans not uniform like before, so they had to go to make room for my second crop. It took me an hour to remove the vines from my 24' long by 7 ft. tall trellis they were so intertwined in the hog wire. I'll let them dry out a bit on the ground then hit them with the mulching mower for the compost pile. I should have lots of volunteer yard long plants in a few weeks.

I'll be putting in half a trellis of Yard Longs and half with Yellow Wax beans my wife wants to try. I'm also planning on putting in a 45' double planted row of soybeans for Edamame. I did half a row earlier this year and harvested a 5 gallon bucket from them, so I'm hoping for 10 gallons worth out of the whole row.

Also pulled up everything but the okra, peppers and eggplant. It's been raining almost daily and my ground is so wet I can't even turn it over with a shovel without it clumping up. Hopefully, I'll have 4-5 days of hot sun to dry things out a bit so I can pull my rows.

Cooler weather is at least another 6 weeks away but there's things I want to get in soon if the weather would just cooperate. Shame is I can't share our wet weather with the rest of the country going through such a drought.

[Royiah]

I've had the same problems. Too much rain and over grown plants. I pulled half of my tomatos and peppers along with my cucumbers. They produced so much and have finally killed over.
Its also rained so much I havent had much time to weed my garden. Its really over run. I started yesterday and havent even got half of one of my beds finished.
That and the birds keep eating my cuke seeds. So I did some starters. If they don't sprout by next thursday I'm gonna buy some from my local nursery.
But you know its so weird that the rest of the country is in the middle of a drought when we're drowning in water. Not to say I'm conplaining about the rain becuase its really helpful with the heat sense we don't have any aircondishing.

[klevelyn]

We are just starting to harvest. It seems like a very short season this summer. Lots of heat and some rain. I just planted my winter carrots and spinach.

We will be getting the garden ready for fall in October. About the time the pumpkins are one.

[PunkRotten]

I am starting some Fall stuff now too. I sowed some Kentucky Wonder beans and they are already up. I tried a few beets and radish too. Next month I will do most stuff with the rest in October. I wanted to ask since I never grew Eggplant but are they real heat tolerant like Okra, or rather, are they heat lovers? Any varieties you'd recommend? I am not interested in them but a friend is so I'd like to pass some info to them.

[gumbo2176]

I am starting some Fall stuff now too. I sowed some Kentucky Wonder beans and they are already up. I tried a few beets and radish too. Next month I will do most stuff with the rest in October. I wanted to ask since I never grew Eggplant but are they real heat tolerant like Okra, or rather, are they heat lovers? Any varieties you'd recommend? I am not interested in them but a friend is so I'd like to pass some info to them.

If you've never grown beets before I'll let you in on a little gem of info. Each of those rough looking seeds you planted are actually a small cluster of beet seeds. They will have to be thinned a lot to make a good crop. What I do is let them come up and grow a few inches then take a garden trowel and gently pry them up and pull the clusters apart and transplant them. They are pretty hardy and can be moved this way, but GENTLE is the key.

As for eggplant, I'm growing Ichiban---the dark purple fairly long thin ones that are great for grilling and the white globe that are good for casseroles and frying. The only problem with the white globes is the heat is making the skins turn a bit yellow right now. Ironically, I've never had much success with the larger purple variety you see so much of in the stores.

[gumbo2176]

I've had the same problems. Too much rain and over grown plants. I pulled half of my tomatos and peppers along with my cucumbers. They produced so much and have finally killed over.
Its also rained so much I havent had much time to weed my garden. Its really over run. I started yesterday and havent even got half of one of my beds finished.
That and the birds keep eating my cuke seeds. So I did some starters. If they don't sprout by next thursday I'm gonna buy some from my local nursery.
But you know its so weird that the rest of the country is in the middle of a drought when we're drowning in water. Not to say I'm conplaining about the rain becuase its really helpful with the heat sense we don't have any aircondishing.

I hear you on the weeds. Several weeks ago I tilled much of my garden and worked around the plants that were doing great. Then came the almost daily rains and weeds grew like crazy in the freshly turned soil. I've not had that many weeds in my garden in years and spent almost 2 hours pulling enough weeds to fill my 4 cu. ft. wheelbarrow 3 times.

I remember not having air conditioning living down here. Living in an older shotgun house with a large Reed window fan pulling air through the house was the norm for our family. Truth is, I didn't get A/C until I was in my mid 20's and buying my first house. Before then, I just tolerated the heat and humidity. Trouble is, once you get use to it, it almost becomes a necessity to survive our summers.

[Royiah]

Wow I don't have that many weeds. But I do have a nice large pile of grass and weeds and I'm still not finished.
Oh gosh it really does taking getting used to the heat. I lived in NY for awile so I can take the cold. But the heat is a little much. I'm licky we have an attic fan that runs 24/7. It keeps the house an ok temp.
But your right I have gotten used to the heat to a certin degree. Its hot but I don't get as hot as fast as before.

[gumbo2176]

Wow I don't have that many weeds. But I do have a nice large pile of grass and weeds and I'm still not finished.
Oh gosh it really does taking getting used to the heat. I lived in NY for awile so I can take the cold. But the heat is a little much. I'm licky we have an attic fan that runs 24/7. It keeps the house an ok temp.
But your right I have gotten used to the heat to a certin degree. Its hot but I don't get as hot as fast as before.

What part of La. are you presently living? I've got relatives and friends in all corners of La. with the majority living in Central La. in the Marksville area about 80 miles NNW of Baton Rouge.

[Royiah]

Tangipohoa.

[Royiah]

OMG! My neighbor just gave me some pickeled garlic! I just about died at how tasty it is! I so want to grow it now! Can i grow garlic in the fall?

[GardenRN]

PR, this is my first year with any success with eggplants. I don't remember which variety I planted, but they didn't start doing well until we had about 2 weeks of 100 + degree weather! They do seem to like a steady watering. Pretty much the same as tomatoes, just like it a little hotter.

That's my experience anyway. Also....I planted a lot later than usual this year and I think it helped the plants escape the flea beetles. In past years, the beetles are what did in all of my plants.

[Royiah]

Oh I'd love too! But my neighbor got it from a friend from somewhere else. I asked them to get me the respie but you never know. I so want it though!

[gumbo2176]

Tangipohoa.

I've got many friends and relatives that live over there in Robert, Hammond, Amite, Roseland and Pontchatoula. Stupid me had a chance to buy 10 acres with a small house that was more like a camp over there in the mid 70's when I was in my early 20's for $1,000 an acre. I passed it up because I had just purchased my first house and it was a fixer-upper and I didn't want to strain my budget that much. That same land is worth a small fortune now.

Have you checked out the Global Wildlife Center over there. Not a bad way to spend the better part of an afternoon seeing many exotic animals living free to roam the land.

And as for planting garlic, I do so in October when I can get the seed stock. If you plan on putting some in I suggest you get to looking since many places are fast selling out of their inventory. Last year I waited too long to order and got some from one of our very helpful members and found just a little seed stock in a local nursery. Unfortunately, we had a wet spell that totally soaked the ground for days on end and the garlic got ruined. I plant a hardneck type and had good results with it in prior years.

[Royiah]

Its too bad you missed your chance. You neer know another one may come up sooner or later! I actually work for a store in amite.

Global Wildlife Center? We have one of those? I thought things like that would be in New orleans or in that area only? I used to volunteer in NY at animal shelters but everything down here is too far away and would cost the heck out of me in gas.

My local nursery is getting in all their seeds thursday. I allready decided to go so I should be able to get some. Thanks for telling me!