WOW Amber, you didn't leave much room for suggestions! lol I am wanting fall/winter veggies so bad here too. This heat is beating the crap out of my tomatoes, cucumbers and snap peas. I was daring though. Planting everything under the shade of the pergola with your Tithonia towering over one end and my passie incense over the other providing a cool breezy micro climate underneath with the A/C drip keeping everything moist. But that still hasn't stopped the leaf blight and leaf miners from going at my veggies. My cukes, I don't understand. There are 2 nice babies growing but all the other flowers turn their lil cukies into brown pee pees or mush and fall off. Too hot I imagine.

Nice Cukes
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Pee Pee
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http://www.southernexposure.com/index.html
http://www.rareseeds.com/
Here are a couple to check out Amber.
As long as you're daydreaming, why not?

Cindee,

looks like peewee has a slug or snail on his leaves in the pic. They DO a lot of damage here.

It looks like there is a bit of powdery mildew (or some similar fungus) on the cuke leaf. Maybe the babies are getting fungus infected right off the bat?

I Kilt the snail, Tony. I think you might be right, Amber. The lower leaves, I removed a lot of them, are all turning grey. The upper vine is beautiful.

Cindee Kat told me to mix water and milk (50/50) in a spray bottle to get rid of powdery mildew. It works!
Marion

Wow Marion, I have to try that. Doesn't it sour and smell?

cindeea,
the same thing's happening to my cukes -- they're still producing healthy fruit, but about half the female blooms do exactly what yours are doing. i don't think it's fungus, since my plants are really healthy. maybe it's poor pollination?
anyway, i've had fantastic luck with my cukes -- one bush has produced (and this is no exaggeration) at least 10 lbs of fruit this spring. every day, i pick three or four medium fruits. i don't even know what kind it is -- just a genereic burpee from lowes. i'm also growing cucino, an H1, which has produced dozens of finger-long cukes that my kids love... so far, no real problems with fungus -- just a few leaves that i pluck off. it seems to do the plant more good than harm, since new leaves grow and often new blooms, too.

i'm going to post a question to the kitchen garden forum...

oh, and for control of fungus -- my rodale book suggests good ol' neem. i use copper weekly.

lettuce, herbs, beans, cukes and summer squash

Hey Amber, you ever grown pumpkins? They are lots of fun, I like the mini guys since I don't have much space. Haven't tried them in a few years but may give em a go this fall. I like the little guys to use as ornamentals mostly. And what about Zukes? I love zucchini. I also want to try artichokes again. See if I can't figure out how to get them to grow in SW Florida-do you think it's possible? I have a friend in CA that grows beautiful plants and he teases me ever year with the his magnificient pictures. I think it may be too humid here, but I want to try again. Is it October yet? lol

A vote for Seminole Pumpkin here-- not sure where to find seeds, but they've been grown in Florida for hundreds of years. The vines climb trees and the pumpkins hang up in the air! Very fun-- if a little challenging to pick 'em!

Ohhh fuz, that would be fun to grow over the pergola this fall.

any suggestions on what veggies do well in zone 9 that you would be planting now .

It's time to get started on the fall veggies. All the cabbage family, including collards, mustard and such, tomatoes, and English peas all come to mind.

amber, dear...I am itching to get at my fall/winter veggies. I have already started some heirloom tomato seeds that I got from treefrog. I started them inside and they are popping up already! I still think it's a bit to hot here to start any new herbs and veggies outside though. Going to give it a few weeks.

CaptnKirk check out the link below. I find it very helpful.

Here is a link that might be useful: Click here!

I was told that when veggies do that browning thing on the flower- u know u get some veggies but the others looks like its just kinda rots- that its from lack of pollination
our eggplants did the same thing

Has anyone tried to grow beets? I really only want the beet greens, but everytime I've tried they just won't make it....

Beth7, grow Swiss Chard in the fall/winter! There are many varieties used for the leaves, even though they are in the beet family. They do well in containers.

I like them. My friend says they taste like dirt, no matter how pretty they are. I don't agree. "Bright Lights" is a lovely addition to any garden.

Lisa

hmmm.....might give that a try Lisa...Swiss Chard is okay..just not as good as beet greens. I've never found any other 'greens' that I like quite as well....... but, I'm getting desperate! LOL The 'container part really appeals to me....... Thanks, Lisa.

I grew Detroit Dark Red last fall and again in January and they did great.

For great color, grow some Bulls Blood beets. Real eye candy and good in salads.

This summer has made me :( from the heat. I just have no interest in being out. That said, I know it's time to get crackin and starting seeds for fall. I'm looking so much forward to fall it isn't even funny. We started pumpkins in June, moved them, they died and now I am going to try again. Right now the okra and corn are doing fantabulous and I am hopefully going to have some to eat soon!

This year I'm going to do tomatoes again, swiss chard, mustard and collard greens, kale, carrots (though i still have some in pots, I wonder if they are still good?) and not sure what else yet.