Welcome to Oklahoma. I'm a transplant too, but from Colorado.

What are you wanting to grow, and what general area are you moving to?

I find I can grow most everything here, although I've not attempted anything that is truly tropical.

Lisa

Welcome to OK. My DH is a California transplant too, from the Modesto area. He refuses to go back, even for a visit. He loves the slow paced lifestyle out here in the boonies.

I think you'll find you are in Zone 7. We've been having warmer winters the past few years, but we still get occasional temperatures in the single digits. I am just north of the Arbuckle Mountains, which is definitely colder than south of the Arbuckles. You won't hit Zone 8 until you get down around the Dallas area. The good thing here is that even if it gets down to 6-8* one night, within a day or two you may hit 80* in the daytime, LOL. The temperature range during the winter is so crazy... If you can afford it, get a greenhouse. It makes winters here so much more bearable!

Thanks!

I'm in Modesto right now! But I was born and raised in the Bay Area. I visited the Arbuckle drive-through-zoo last year.

My land is in Overbrook. I intend to set up a self-sufficient garden (hence the name "love2grow2live") so my first priority is veggies, soft fruits, and tree fruits. I also like to grow roses, just for their aesthetic value.

I've been thinking about building my own greenhouse, or two, but I've never been much of a carpenter so we'll see how it goes.

So, if my quick search is correct, you will be in the very southern part of OK? According to the chart I'm attaching, it looks to me like we have a little bit of zone 8 down in that area.

Are you basically looking for a date to start sowing/growing?

Lisa

Here is a link that might be useful: Zone Map

Love your member page; the way we should all strive to live.

Welcome to Oklahoma!

Welcome to Oklahoma
Bessie

Building a greenhouse will allow you to bring along things you enjoy growing there and keep them here. Tropicals thrive and love our hot summers.

randy

"Are you basically looking for a date to start sowing/growing?"

Partly. I'll be leaving California near the end of next month. I have a lot of work to do once I get to Oklahoma, clearing out overgrowth to make room for my garden, building some raised beds, building a compost bin, etc, etc. I'm hoping to have everything ready to go before April.

I also need to find out which fruits can survive Oklahoma winters. I've been growing Sequoia strawberries here in Ca, but I'm not sure how they will do over there. I also have some dwarf fruit trees in containers that I want to bring with me - Methley plum, Bing cherry, and Hale Haven peach.

Methley Plum
Bing Cherry
Hale Haven Peach

It looks to me like all those are rated for zone 5-8, so you should be fine. There are several places in Oklahoma that are well known for their peaches, Stratford in particular. I think they hold a peach festival there in July.

According to our state website: Oklahoma ranks fourth in the nation in the production of all wheat, fourth in cattle and calf production; fifth in the production of pecans; sixth in peanuts and eight in peaches.

In the central part of the state I think April 15 is supposed to be our last freeze. I grow many things via the Winter Sowing method (there's a forum for it) and I find I can start planting out early spring flowers in March.

Lisa

Since moving to Norman, in central Oklahoma, in 2003, I've noticed three remarkable traits about Oklahoma that make gardening particularly challenging:

1. Temperature fluctuations

2. Lots of drying wind, periodic drought

3. Poor Soil

1. No matter what time of year, there will be temperature surprises. Thus, some plants more suitable for warmer climates, depending on their age and development, will be able to survive our winters, if carefully protected. And if not survive, then they may last longer than you may have thought.

2. The wind rarely stops. It's relieves some of the heat, but its dries out soil and plants to a papery consistency. And the rain is inconsistent and scarce. So it's important when considering the structure of your garden to think about how to irrigate. Whether it's by hand, by sprinkler, soaker or drip hoses, plan it first, rather than later. Plan your watering system, and mulch without ceasing.

3. Again, mulch and compost, mulch and compost. I don't know how your soil is, but where I'm at, hard, unforgiving clay with almost no topsoil.

Plant planning: For the first year or two, think xeriscape, and plant more for the southwest than for the optimum possibilities of Oklahoma. You'll be less discouraged, I promise. Sages and Mediterranean herbs do very well with enough water, since their oils help them against the drying effects of the wind. Sunflowers, naturally. Tomatoes do very well, as do melons and heat-loving vegetables. Roses do well here also.

I grew titricale last winter as a cover crop and it did very well.

Fruits: I know we can grow apples elderberries, raspberries, and other berries. Not sure about peaches, plums, or cherries. Please see the link below and look through the Fact Sheets from our Cooperative Extension Office. They are very informative.

We usually get three or four snows in a winter, but it doesn't stay on the ground more than a day or so.

I agree with the other people about getting a greenhouse, or a cold frame, or some kind of more protected shelter in which you can regulate the climate a little better.

Here is a link that might be useful: Oklahoma Fact Sheets on gardening from the Cooperative Extension

You mentioned wanting to grow fruits, so I'm attaching a link from our Extension Service below:

Here is a link that might be useful: Fruit, Nuts, Lawn, Yard, Garden in Oklahoma

The following link has more to do with vegetable choices and tips for Oklahoma

Here is a link that might be useful: Vegetables- Lawn, Yard, Garden

Thanks for all the advice!

I know it's going to be a roller coaster ride for me while I learn and adapt to the new environment. I fully expect to have about as many failures as successes for the first couple of years, but in the long run I think it will all be worth it.

This will be the first time in my life I've actually had enough room to grow full-size trees, and I'm looking forward to learning how to grow a larger variety of fruits.

Just peeked, and see you will be near Lake Murray. Very pretty area of Oklahoma. One could be envious.

Moni

It seems very likely that one of your basic underlining concepts beneath many of your choices would need to be the following statement.

Since you are situated so far south in the 7b USDA hardiness plant zone, you should expect winter temps to more often than not stay in the mid to higher ranges of that zone with an occasional burst of temps dropping near the bottom range of the 7b zone. If you live in a less populated country type setting those bottom range low temps could occur more freqently.

Yet if the Maps also reveal that the Overbrook area is next to the USDA zone 8a temps found in the Dallas Fortworth area, then that means it is likely the Summers will reach the highest of the 7b Sun exposure zones for most of the hot months and during the hottest periods should be expected to even reach the heating levels found in the 8a Dallas Fortworth area.

Then add to that the understanding; El Nino affects, Global warming affects, and otherwise occasional extreme heat or cold events do occur. Less than a decade ago the Tulsa area which is a boarder line 6b/7 Usda zone area had winter temps near the end of December, and early January which dropped to -5 degrees F. Then the following day the high temps rose to the single digits.

The last couple weeks the area has seen 100 to 105 degree F. extreme heating days. Then the night time temps drop into the mid to high 80s.

The national weather service actually reports a lower forcasted high temperature for today and tomorrow in the Fortworth USDA zone 8a area than the 103 high temps predicted for the Tulsa zone 6b/7 area.

In light of everything, it seems best to establish on your property a basic landscaping where each of the trees and shrubs are zoned with a USDA 6b-8b survival capacity.

After that begin introducing a few trees or shurbs cultivars which are rated to survive the USDA Zoned 7-8a

finally after seeing how your landscape is surviving the elements, you should be better at guessing which zone 6b only or zone 8b only trees or shrubs you have a good chance of getting to survive for you on the extreme ends of your regular zone limits. For such extreme limited zonal trees and shrubs to survive it would most likely depend on determining and incorporating applicable micro climates found at that planting time on the property.

Everyone has given you such good, detailed info. I just wanted to say welcome to Oklahoma. Moved here from Southern California almost 30 years ago. You will really love the people here. I wouldn't go back for anything. We actually moved away a couple of years ago for DH's job but it wasn't worth it. Came "home" after a short time.

Welcome to Oklahoma! I'm coming in late to this conversation but just have to disagree with a couple of things infinity9 says.

I grew up in OKC and until I moved to Stillwater would have agreed about the wind, but it doesn't blow all the time here like it does there. Yes, we have crazy winds and temperature fluctuations for sure, but whether it blows all the time or not depends on where you are in the state.

I would definitely disagree about our soil. Oklahoma is an ancient grassland with thousands of years worth of organic matter built up in many places. Yes, there is clay - I have clay for sure - but if you keep it loosened up with compost and anything else you can get your hands on (grass clippings, leaves, etc.), it serves pretty well, IMHO.

California, it is not - but I assume you realize that. We have very interesting gardening challenges here.

Hey love2grow2live & crew!

We moved from NJ to Tahlequah last summer about this time. I've gardened, over the years, in NJ, IL, IN, OH, South TX and in two distinct climate zones in Mexico.

Here's my take on Tahlequah: we love it!

There are challenges. For one, we have rocks. A couple of days ago I pulled up some black plastic, where I had killed some grass, inside our garden area. I watered two days ahead of time and then I tried to break up the ground with a borrowed rototiller. It didn't work at all! The rototiller just bounced over the rocks. So I went to work with my fork. In about 4 hours I had double dug about 8' by 4', hauling away two wheel barrow loads of rocks, from the size of a pullet egg to that of a small melon. It's going to take me a couple of years to work up the gardens the way I'd like them.

On a positive note. When we first moved in last summer, I worked up a little space in the back and planted some pole beans. We had an inch of rain the day before I planted them and not another drop for nearly 7 mos. But those beans gave us two pickings before frost and never needed watering. Clay does have its advantages.

Starting in fall I began double digging (and mixing in compost). Progress has been slow. But in the last week some things planted in those areas, in the spring, finished up, and I cleaned up for fall planting. It has been very satisfying to work up those areas after growing something there. The soil is friable and easy to work. So, all that work has not been in vain.

We have ten acres, seven of which are pasture land. We don't have a tractor. Something which has worked well for us has been the purchase of an Austrian scythe. With it I have been cutting the weeds in our pasture, before they seed, and using them as mulch in our garden. I get large sheets of cardboard from an appliance store, in town, and lay them down where I want to kill the grass in our garden area. I can double dig for planting vine crops, where I want to plant, and then mulch in between. This has worked very well. In the fall, I'll get in there and start forking where the mulch killed the grass.

In areas where I could till, but not properly fork and amend the soil, I planted a hardy corn, purchased from Sandhill Preservation Center. I've found that the corn would grow and produce under those less-than-ideal conditions and when I cultivate it, I continually remove rocks, thus improving the soil while using it. Areas planted in corn will be double dug during the fall and winter for planting of crops which need better soil preparation. Areas which had vine crops (and the least work on the soil this year) will be planted in corn next season. This system seems to be working.

It is a rare day that someone in our household doesn't comment, "Thank God we're in Oklahoma." Sure, we've seen better soil. But it can be improved and we have space.

Welcome to Oklahoma!

George

Posted by oklamoni:
"Just peeked, and see you will be near Lake Murray. Very pretty area of Oklahoma. One could be envious."

Yes, Lake Murray is just a short drive down the road from my property. But I don't think one could be too envious of all the work I have ahead of me. LOL

Posted by macmex:
"We have ten acres, seven of which are pasture land. We don't have a tractor. Something which has worked well for us has been the purchase of an Austrian scythe."

Combined, my family owns a total of 40 acres, plus another 20 acres which is currently being disputed over after a relationship gone bad (women... lol). But I have 10 acres with which do what I please. I don't have a tractor either. But I have been considering purchasing some of nature's tractors - goats!

I've also been considering pigs, to come in behind the goats. They can dig up any roots and manure the land. I could use all the help I can get, and letting animals do what they do naturally should help me a great deal.

We also have goats :)
Hope to start milking in December.

I was just reading one of my self-sufficiency books, and it sounds like I might be able to skip the goats and just use pigs. However, since I have no personal experience with either of these animals, I may still end up using both of them, depending on the results.

This is from the section on clearing land:

"Send in the pigs and goats.

"Your pig is your best pioneer. If you concentrate pigs in bush land, they will clear it for you with no effort on your part at all. They won't, of course, remove trees, but all brambles, gorse, and undergrowth generally will yield to their snouts and they will manure the land at the same time. If there are any stubborn areas of thicket, try throwing some grain into them and the pigs will soon root them out.

"Goats will kill small trees, and big ones, too, if they are concentrated, by barking them, and they will prevent trees from coming back. They will not, of course, get the trees out, any more than pigs will. You will have to do that."

okprairie z7OK (above) said it all: "California, it is not -"

Clay, Wind, Heat, Drought, Drought, Drought, then ice (not snow).

I long to move back to California everyday. I used to love gardening there.
Good luck to you.

California has a huge variety of different types of locations and environments which vary in their affect on gardening.

The same holds true for Oklahoma.

Along with a few exceptions; in either state, the trick is to find the location which best serves one's lifestyle and environmental needs.