and i'll have to check my stash, and dollar general. only cuz i'm gonna try to talk the h to go there. did you get the purple cow peas there and do they vine or bush? i have a friend who specially requests them. ~Medo

kitkat - for me, notes on progress/failures are a must, and invaluable for future reference. I'm gonna need all the help I can get from everyone else, on this fall crop. I'm as green as they come, when it comes to planting anything in the fall, besides turnip salad.lol

EG

Medo - My packets only say "cowpeas" on them. I think I got them at lowes during the spring. They produce like crazy, and are bush type.

EG

I'm planting corn, peas, beans, peppers, tomatoes, squash, watermelon, onions (green & sweet), zucchini. I'm also starting strawberries in October. I'm trying to get the corn in so that it is just in time for Thanksgiving. :)

My fall crop will consist of the following numbers, spacings.

Cabbage - 12 squares, 1/sqft , and will be harvested before size becomes a problem. I hope to make saurkraut this year!
Spinach - 8 squares, 8/sqft
Broccoli - 12 squares, 1/sqft
Carrots - Short, stubby variety - 8 squares, 16/sqft, totaling 128.
Cowpeas - 34 squares, 8/sqft, totaling 272 plants.
Lettuce - 2 varieties, 48 squares, 4/sqft, 192 total.
Collards - 20 squares, 1/sqft
Turnips - 16 squares, 16/sqft, 256 total (for the greens only)

I intend to freeze as much as possible for use in soups/stews, and also stir-frys. I may even make some good ol' hoot owl pie!lol Ahem.... I will stagger plantings of all greens, because it would be overwhelming to try to use it all at one time. Between the members of my family, I think we can consume it all. I hope everyone likes salads!

EG

Back in May or so I planted a couple of romaine starts just for fun. They were very strange - all gangly. What is the secret to growing normal lettuce? I've just let them bolt to get the seeds.

I know I will regret asking this but what on earth is hoot owl pie? Educate the northern girl.

I can only count on being here for about 45 days (I'm leaving for AZ, not dying LOL), so I don't think I'd better plan on peas after all. It looks as though I will be limited to spinach, radishes and a few bunches of green onions from the grocery store. I don't need any more lettuce!

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden

Maureen - lettuce is supposed to be one of the easiest plants to grow in cool weather. I've never grown it before, but will plant buttercrunch and mixed selections, no "head" types though. I will research it's optimal growing conditions, and try to keep them within that preferred criteria. BTW, hoot owl pie is a fictional dish....lol

Granny - that's not much time left. Hmm...Maybe plant something that can overwinter?

EG

Granny - You're a riot! I'm glad you're just going to AZ. :-)

EG - You're gonna have a LOT of food. Good for you! I can't wait until my garden is half that big.

Mrs. YooHoo - If you can't get seeds and want them, I'd be happy to share with you once I get some. I don't have any now, but I will try to find some seed and share. I'll also be saving seeds from my plants, too, although I'm not experienced in saving seed yet.

As for my fall crops, I have lettuce, 3 kinds of winter squash, zucchini, beefsteak tomatoes, large cherry tomatoes, cantaloupe, watermelon, 2 kinds of pole green beans, green peas, and cauliflower so far. I may choose to add a few things when I get home. That's just what I could do before I left for vacation.

You might be thinking that I'm planting some crazy fall crops, but I'm in west Texas and shouldn't have much of a problem. If I do, I'll have hoop houses to cover my crops. I'm going to keep the plants as long as I possibly can through the winter.

~Angela

i think we have LOTS of hoot owl pie!! all of my dishes are mixed. very easy and i don't have alot of pots and pans to clean. hubs likes it when we have a "real meal" ??????what the heck is that/??? OOPS sorry eg!!!
ok back!! serious face now!! *hiding the grin* ok so ya want me to tell ya how many of my plants did good vs how many did bad and how many i planted. i tell ya eg , they aren't gonna be 2oo and some!! thats for sure, well, for now. LOL if it's not all done i do have my tiny gh to finish them up!! i may do some in containers so i can move them in there. some will be beans, peas, lima beans, he** i'm gonna make sq ft bed in there along the wall and the back, about 1 ft wide. i was going to in my origninal plan anyhow. so i'll plant stuff in there. what can i?? ~Medo not to far OT LOL

Thanks Angela - I may take you up on that offer (if I remember - LOL!). Did you buy or build your hoop houses?

Granny, that WAS funny about AZ !

Oooh, EG put his numbers in a nice column with plantings & spacings! I'll do the same. :)
I'm in FL so my cool crops don't go in until Dec/Jan. Here is my Aug/Sept setup.

Raven Squash - 1 square, 1/sf (2sf width of trellis)
Pumpkin - 1 square, 1/sf (2sf width of trellis)
Cucumber - 1 square, 1/sf (2sf width of trellis)
Peas - 2 squares, 8/sf (4 on each side of trellis)
Green Beans - 2 squares, 8/sf (4 on each side of trellis)
Corn - 9 squares, 4/sf
Bon Bon Squash - 1 square, 1/sf (2sf width of trellis)
Tomatoes - 3 squares, 1/sf
Lettuce - 4 squares, 4/sf
Spinach - 2 squares, 4/sf
Green onions - 1 square, 16/sf
Sweet onions - 1 square, 16/sf
Carrots - 4 squares, 16/sf
Bell Peppers - 4 squares, 2/sf. I know it is only supposed to be one, but I read they like to be touching each other so I'm planting them in the two corners of each square. I'm also planting them in separate containers all over the yard because I LOVE PEPPERS!!
Broccoli - 2 squares, 1/sf
Celery - 2 squares, 4/sf
Watermelon - 2 squares, 1/sf (2sf width of trellis per vine)

That will all be interplanted with various flowers & herbs. Plus more stuff will go in when others get pulled out. I just haven't decided what to put in the empty places when they are done.

Coming in Oct/Nov - lots and lots of strawberries!!!

Crystabel - don't follow the plant spacing for corn that is in the book, unless your bed is really deep. One of my good friends followed the book spacing with 6" beds, and the yield was not good at all. He told me that he felt 2/sf would work much better. Just trying to help. :)
Other than that, I really like your vegetable selections.

EG

Hey EG, my beds are 12", probably about 10" deep of mix. I am on a slope so they had to be deep to not hide under the lawn. Do you think that will be deep enough?? Because I've already planted 5 squares with 4/sf LOL.

Crystabel - that might work out ok. You'll never know until you try. My corn failed miserably. Yay!

EG

Add a veggie to the list....Sugar snap peas. They had seeds at walmart. I've never tried them before, but will plant them where the cucumbers are now. Also, I bought some organic potatoes, and will experiment with that.

EG

I'm in the same boat as Crystabel, here in FL... planting a warm weather fall crop that will consist of:
Beans: Agate (soybean)
Dragon's Tongue (bush)
Gold of Bacau (pole)
Royalty Purple (bush)
Sultan's Golden Crescent (pole)
Provider (bush)
Cantaloupe: Heart of Gold
Swiss Chard: Ruby
Five Color Silverbeet
Corn: Early and Often
Luscious
Cucumbers: Marketmore
Mini White
Pearl
Double Yield
Eggplant: Early, Long Purple
Rosa Bianca
Black Beauty
Lavender Touch
Peppers, sweet: Purple Beauty
Cal Wonder Orange
Sweet Chocolate
Peppers, hot: Ancho
Fish
Wenk's Yellow Hot
Pumpkin: Small Sugar
Lumina/Jack O'Latern Mix
Squash, summer: Eight ball zucchini
Ford Hook zucchini
Yellow Crookneck
Squash, winter: Spaghetti
Butternut
Tomatoes: Yellow Pear Cherry
Rutgers
Martino's Roma
Mexico Midget
Principe Borghese
Juane Flame
San Marzano
Silvery Fir Tree
Watermelon: Everglade
Blacktail Mountain
New Queen

In October/Nov I will plant:
Beets: Green Top Bunching
Cylindra
Chioggia
Broccoli: Atlantic
Carrots: Danvers 126
Miami F1
Nantes
Oxheart
Little Heart
Cauliflower: Early Snowball
Leeks: American Flag
Lettuce: Bibb, Salad Bowl, Mesclun
Onions: Crystal Wax
Red Creole
White Lisbon
Peas: Little Marvel
Sugar Star
Radish: Plum Purple
Early Scarlet Globe
Spinach: Bloomsdale Long Standing

I obviously haven't quite got it all planned out - as far as how many squares of each I'll have. I also have some containers that I'll be planting as well. I thought it would be interesting to put the varieties of the plants I've chosen - I've done lots of reading lately about heirloom varieties and figuring out what will grow well (hopefully) here in the south. I'm really looking forward to some weather that is more conducive to gardening!
Thanks for the post EG!

Sarah

Sarah - whoa! That's alot of stuff.lol You've gotta share photos of all of it later! We love photos!

EG

crud!! i forgot the eggplants!! they're already seedlings. and MAN Sarah!! that's an awesome garden!! i want to put in some rhubarb sometime!! that would be so cool!! hmm.. that would be in my "permanent" garden, along with artichokes, talla got it in a fairy garden swap that we got over the summer. so that will be added to our list. i think i plant that with the asparagus since they are so short and maybe the rhubarb at the very ends?????? what do ya think? ~Medo

LOL... yeah. It looks pretty big typed out in a list like that. I guess I better get to work, huh? My eyes are very big when I look at the seed catalogs - I want to try so much stuff! I don't know if it will grow well here, but there's only one way to find out! I will definitely post pictures when things get rolling!

Well, I've got the broccoli, cowpeas, sugar snap peas, and 4 squares of potatoes planted as of today. The taters are just an experiment, as I planted 1 single organic potato in the middle of each square. Tomorrow, i'm planting lettuce, carrots, turnip salad, and georgia collards. Cabbage seedlings will be transplanted sometime this week, after I address the drainage issues in that section. I will also direct seed lots of spinach in that same section. I can't wait for everything to start growing. I'm definitely pumped!

Sarah - I understand fully about wanting to plant everything. lol. Can't wait to see those photos.

EG

Thanks everyone, for the great info. I can't wait to see more added to this thread and of course, updated pictures or at least updated info on everyone's gardening results. Promise?

Mrs. YooHoo - Yes, Maureen, do try to remember as I doubt I will! LOL As for the hoop houses, I am building them, not buying them.

~Angela

Nothing was planted yesterday....it has rained so much in the last 24 hours. I just knew that those little lettuce and carrot seeds wouldn't have a chance against all that rain coming down. Thankfully, it has finally stopped. Perhaps I will get the other seeds out tomorrow.

Angela - I will be sure to post more info, as well as pictures.

EG

The first plants in my "test garden" are up today.

8/21/2008, spinach, Tyee Hybrid, Ed Hume Seeds, $1.69 pkt. Planted 4 squares sfg way, nine seeds per square, in bed #3.

I am surprised at the rate of germination, as 27 of the 36 seeds planted are showing. I really did only drop one seed per hole. I might have 100% germination, or very close! The wide row I planted for comparison is two days behind this planting. Curious to see yield per square foot comparisons.

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden

Granny - I got 4 squares of romaine lettuce, 16 squares of georgia collards, and 16 squares of turnips planted today. I'm doing carrots tomorrow, and will get the little cabbage seedlings in there during the weekend. I've still got alot of work to do, before it's all planted. I was reading the back of my seed packets, and determined that I have time to get a crop of mixed salad greens in before it's time to plant spinach. So, i'll get twice the harvest from those particular squares. Now, that's what i'm talking about!

EG

Remember the entire bed of mesclun greens I planted on 7/30 for my rabbit? I seeded the bed like you'd seed a lawn. Well, the cut-and-come-again idea is working great. I cut about two squares two days ago, and another two squares today. and by the time I cut the second two squares the first ones had grown again! The uncut greens are about 6" high now. This is the stuff that cost me about $3 for 5 ounces at the store. I won't have to buy those pricy greens again until winter! I added a couple of beet greens and some young, red lettuce leaves....Cookie Buns is being very well fed!

BTW, this grew just fine during our heat wave of 100F and higher temps. I took a piece of white plastic lattice (the "privacy" type with the small openings) and set it atop some 5-gallon buckets so it shaded the entire bed, while providing enough filtered sunshine for growth. Water from the overhead sprinkler didn't have a problem getting to the plants.

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden

Sorry, haven't been back for a while.

EG, I'm looking for a mustard green that will be good for winter growing in my area (as well as spring and fall), and work in salads. I have NO idea what that variety would be.

msyoohoo, I plant just about everything from seed or immediately after it's germinated inside (tomatoes being the exception). And no, this is my first year gardening, so EVERYTHING's new to me, including fall planting. I planted peas too late, spinach too early and will likely need to rip out productive warm weather plants in order to install my hoop covers for the first frost because they won't fit with my trellis system. My whole garden is a series of fortunate mistakes.

Granny, when are you hopping south? Will you have time to harvest a fall garden? It interests me how you handle the garden with the transition annually? And do you winter garden in Arizona or wherever you head when the weather turns (if it hasn't already).

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden adventure (Fall edition)

sinfonian, we usually head for AZ on September 30/Oct 1. This year, however, my youngest daughter is expecting a baby around the middle of October, and there is no way I'll go south before I bond with my new granddaughter! We're hoping she's born earlier, and it's possible there was an error on her due date...she's (my daughter) getting bigger'n a cow!!!

I tried to grow lettuce in a container last winter, failed miserably. I'm going to give it another try this year. I'm too busy to have a full time garden down there. I spend a lot of time 4-wheeling all over the desert, exploring old abandoned mines, hiking up (small) mountains, having desert cookouts, playing cards or bingo every night...for 6 months of the year I actually have a life, LOL! This year, if I have an internet connection (it's always iffy in our tiny town), I'll have to give "Annie's Kitchen Garden" a rest until spring, and maybe start a new blog...I'm thinking "Otter Dawg's Awesome Arizona Adventures" featuring Annie Bloom's brother.

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden

What was the issue with lettuce in a container? I have mine growing cut and come again style in a 2 gallon container. I am so new at this, though, I have no idea if I'm suppose to cut everything off as it grows up or leave several leaves per plant. Granny, or anyone, how does this work?

~Angela

angelady, I don't know why it wouldn't grow. Conditions seemed perfect. I tried a mixed lettuce and also a mesclun blend in two different containers (the leftover mesclun is what I planted here, and it is doing well...so it wasn't bad seeds). One container was huge, one of those that trees come in from the nursery, the other was a long plastic window box looking thingy, also plenty of room. I used Miracle Grow potting soil, with the fertilizer already in it. I put the big pot on the south side of the house, where it got full sun all day. The smaller container I set on a garden bench under the semi-shade of a palo verde tree. both were watered daily, as needed, and had good drainage. Nothing got over two inches high and worth cutting. I planted everything in February, we had no freezing weather and days were mild. This year i'm trying again, in October or November.

I have a lot of land down there. I wonder if I could sneak in maybe just one 4x4 square without Mr. Husband noticing? Hmmmm.

As to the lettuce that does actually grow, here in WA. I cut the outer leaves and leave the others to grow larger. With the mesclun, I've just been shearing it off with scissors just like you'd cut grass, and it's working just fine. It grows back within a couple of days.

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden

i had mine growing in containers last year, i actually forgot what it was, then tabor reminded me what it was, then salad!! it was cute as a "side" for my flowers!! LOL ~Medo

Sinfonian - I've never grown mustard, so I really can't be of any help to you. I would think that any leafy veggie would work well in your area.

Granny, Medo, Angela - I thought about growing some lettuce in those hanging baskets that you suspend from the deck railing of my Deck. I'm definitely gonna have to grow something out there.

Yesterday, I was able to plant 7 squares of carrots in the garden, and upon close inspection of everything - the cowpeas that I direct seeded last Saturday have already sprouted! They're everywhere. I'm gonna have to get a picture of that this evening. Today, i'll do a little more planting, and hopefully finish all planting on Labor Day.

EG

Just look at all the baby yellow crooknecks here. Do they have any chance of maturing with that many grouped so close together?

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden

Sure Granny, they'll be fine. Alot of mine were like that. Don't expect all of them to make it,though. That's a real nice picture. I put a photo like that on a thread called "show me your pumpkins and squash" over at the pumpkins, squash, and gourds forum.

EG

Thanks, EG...I had never noticed that many babies on one stem before.

I just put up all my recent photos on today's blog. I'm sure you know by now, it's.....

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden

Great information guys! Thank you!
I'm going to spend the entire (long) weekend working in the garden and getting my second round of warm weather crops planted. I'm very excited!

Sin - I was looking at this website for some seeds and came across this type of mustard green - it says it will do well in cooler weather. It's called Mizspoona. I put a link below.

Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Mizspoona Mustard

Oh, for heaven's sake...EG, your picture and mine are almost identical. Isn't that funny???

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden

Today I finally decided to plant some fall stuff and see how it does before it gets cold here. I put in 2 squares each of carrots, lettuce, and spinach. Then I planted just a row of radishes and a few more peas. I'm excited to see how it does now that the weather isn't so hot, things did not grow well this summer.

Granny - yeah, I thought they looked similar also. All of my cowpeas have sprouted! Yay! Also, I saw one little sugar snap pea sprout beginning to show itself. I'm gonna love this fall garden.

Sarah - I'm planning on working in the garden all weekend, as well. I hope the rain doesn't get in the way.

Kitkat - good for you, maybe you will have better luck with this planting.

EG

What was the okra section, is now the cowpea section. These will do really well until around November 1st.

EG

Uh, EG...do you feed those things to cows?

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden

Granny - now you know I don't have cows....come to think of it...If I feed some of my relatives with them, it would be kinda like feeding cows.hee hee. Oh boy granny, i've been working all evening on something to make tomorrow, then you'll get your picture! I'll give you a hint....it grows on a tree, and what i'm making with them -you can't buy at Walmart. Hee Hee

EG

EG, I won't get a wink of sleep tonight. The anticipation just has me so exciteeeee

{{gwi:1283400}}

Great thread... thanks everyone for your input. I sure do hope you all will update this throughout the fall season. It really can be a great resource for us all to review.

As for Raven Squash and Bon Bon Squash... never heard of those... I love most squash. I have tons coming up of the 3 winter squashes I planted, acorn, buttercup, and green hubbard. I also have a couple zucchini planted (but haven't come up yet) and one black beauty or something like that... I think that's another variety of acorn squash?

I'm going to have to try to hit the traders up for a bunch of different varieties of squash for the spring!

My tomatoes are really not doing too well. When they were babysat by my mom, her AC when out for about 5 days and they were in over 95 degrees of heat all day and half the night long... ugggh... some have passed on, but I'm hoping to save some of the last sadder-looking ones. They were just such babies, they couldn't take that kind of heat yet.

So.... that's my update so far...

And, EG, I would try doing your lettuce in there as you were thinking of. I think it's a great crop to try especially because of it's size. Plus, with the cut and come again method, it would like very nice and be convenient for harvesting. Let us know what you decide.

~Angela

FINALLY through the thread. I hate getting behind.

WIth the craziness going on around here lately and my lack of proper planning in the seed buying dept, I'm not growing much this fall.

My cucs and tomatoes are still going strong out there as are my peppers.

Carolyn was so sweet and sent me some extra seeds so I was able to plant those a few weeks back. Beans and peas are coming up well. Corn not so much, but I knew that was going to be a very slight chance it might grow. I have 2 growing out of like 12.

I threw a bunch of broccoli in the middle of my new bed and yeah, they all came up LOL. So I'm working on transplanting some of them. I pulled my other 3 cuz they were eaten/destroyed by those lil nasty green worms. Now that I know what they are and how to find them hiding I hope I can keep the new broccoli safer.

And I have lettuce growing like mad! I actually planted 5/sq and planted 10 squares. I'm actually out to cut some in a bit here before the sun comes over.

Granny - I absolutely loved the rocking chair!

Angela - I'm growing so much lettuce in the garden, I don't know if i'll need to plant some in deck planter boxes. Maybe do some pansies this fall for my wife, instead.

EG

I lost an entire branch of my best bell pepper plant yesterday. It had gotten very heavy with peppers (the only plant I have with more than 2-3 peppers on it) so I had pounded a stake in the ground and tied it up, after losing one whole stem that had one large pepper on it in a wind storm last week. Well, I tied the main stem, but missed a side stem, and the weight of three peppers just snapped it right off.

I ended up giving my entire harvest to my neighbor yesterday...three tomatoes, two crooknecks, two cucumbers and the three bell peppers. I mean, she was at the garden fence with a jar of fresh (still warm) peach-pineapple jam and a jar of zucchini relish (the best I've EVER tasted, I'm awaiting the recipe), so what was I to do? I had the front of my shirt full of veggies, she had her hands full of goodies, it seemed like a fair trade to me. I did go back out later and cut a huge bunch of mesclun greens for the rabbit...about $4 worth if they were store bought. Also, I discoverd a zucchini I'd somehow missed...I don't know how I missed it, it weighed 4-1/2 pounds!

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden

Sounds like a fair trade to me! My find this weekend was 3' stems of dill for $0.50 a piece at the Edmond's farmer's market. I actually found food there! We also bought a nectarene for my kids to share. Messy but tasty.

I'm going to use the dill for my pickling cukes.

As for my fall crops, the lettuce and carrots have sprouted, along with my cauliflower and radishes. The peas haven't yet, but I'm hopefull.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden adventure

Sinfonian, I hope you have better luck with your dills than I ever did with mine. I think the only successful ones I ever had was when I packed the cukes into the jars, added dill, salt and garlic cloves, then poured the boiling vinegar/water mixture over them and processed them in a boiling water bath. Didn't I read where you were going to do the brining method? All I ever ended up with when I tried that was foul smelling slime. By the way, you can pickle those green beans you don't like with dill, and they are very good. Always nice and crisp, too.

It has really been cooling down here at night. Last week we had a record low of 45F, and it was under 50 when I looked out this morning. The tomatoes have really slowed down this week, but the lettuces and spinach are loving it.

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden

Well... I hope everyone's weekend planting went better than mine. Our little hurricane out in the Gulf had some weather effects on the FL gulfcoast the last few days - super windy and on/off rain all day. It looks a little nicer today, but we have company coming over for a bbq!
Anyway, the weather the last few days made me question whether or not it's really a good time to plant here in FL just yet - all that wind would have really damaged some little seedlings - it toppled one of my full grown peppers (in a container). So... I have some seeds starting on my back porch - maybe by the end of Sept things will have quieted down a little bit outside.
What survived from the seeds I started 8/3/08:
5 of a sweet bell pepper mix
2 Cal Wonder Orange sweet pepper
1 Sweet Chocolate sweet pepper
1 Ancho (hot) pepper
2 Butternut Squash

Seeds planted yesterday:
Yellow Pear Tomato
Rutgers Tomato
4 Types of Eggplant: Lavendar Touch, Early Long Purple, Rosa Bianca, Black Beauty
Pearl cucumber
Small Sugar Pumpkin
Spaghetti Squash

Still waiting on the rest of my beans and tomato seeds to get here... and to try to get my husband to let me plant some huge beds somewhere, LOL!!!