Preparing for fall planting

[gumbo2176]

We have had some pretty dry weather for the past several weeks with rain threats almost daily, but not much really coming down in my area. So, I took this time to pull what is not doing well, turning the ground over again and pulling rows in the 1/2 of my garden that is now vacant.

I still have eggplant that are coming in very nicely, tons of okra and my hot peppers are going gangbusters. The cucumbers and Yard Longs were replanted a couple weeks ago and have broken ground for a fall crop after pulling the plants that were on their last legs. I still have about a 10 ft. section of trellis that is now vacant and I'm thinking about sugar snap peas since those things are like veggie candy to my wife and I.

I got another load of topsoil for my raised bed that I put in and mixed with what was already there and will plant root crops in it by early September. I'm thinking beets, kohlrabi, onions and around October, some garlic. I had great success with Elephant Garlic and harvested 70 or so very large heads with 4-6 bulbs per head, some as big around as the end of my thumb.

For the main garden, I'll plant abut 6 tomato plants, some broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, collard greens, turnips, Swiss Chard, lots of leaf lettuce varieties, kale, spinach, onions (red and yellow), and as soon as the heat is gone, some parsley and other herbs that do well in the cooler weather of our fall/winters.

Come on folks, lets hear your plans.

I get excited when the end of summer is in sight and can't wait to work in the garden during the fall without almost passing out due to the heat and humidity the summer months bring.

[imafan26]

I've just getting my seeds started for beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts. I am harvesting some beans and my garlic is sprouting in the refrigerator. It is kind of early, but I'll try planting it. I'll get more bulbs just in case and condition them to plant at the usual time in October.

Eggplant and pepper are the happiest things in this heat and are producing gangbusters. I am starting more seedlings of different peppers and more eggplant since I know it won't sprout well later in the year.

The ginger is blooming early, the flower heads are rising. It is a couple of month early, but it has been a strange year. The giant orchid is also blooming a couple of months early too.

It has been too hot and dry to do much else. It has been overcast with the nearly weekly storms passing to the south with a few sprinkles here and there, but it isn't enough to quench the ground's thirst. My grass is extra crunchy to walk on, but the bright side is that, I don't have to weed whack it as much. I have spent most of the time in the garden catching up on the weeding.

I had to clean out the massive weeds and California grass from my succulent bench and Kaffir lime. I did repot most of the succulents. It is amazing they survived. I am even more amazed since I did not realize how many desert roses I had. I've filled my green cans and now I am starting to bag some of the other stuff for the next time and a couple of bags of weeds went into the trash.

I just replanted two tomatoes, Arkansas Traveler, and German Johnson, they are growing and looking good right now. I got my first harvest of basil so I made Evil Jungle Prince with chicken. I haven't had basil to make any Thai recipe for a long time.

I have a few Meyer lemons that look ready and I am waiting on the mandarin oranges and Bartlet pear which look like they still have a way to go. I have to transplant the Suyo cucumber and cutting celery soon. I have made more herb cuttings of rosemary, lavender, lemon verbena, and Mexican tarragon. It may be late, but I might try the bay leaf too.

I'll wait until next month to do most of the planting of lettuce, baby bok choy, Won bok, spinach, and carrots. I might even try to sqeeze in some snow peas.