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fitzjennings

Advice needed on short term crop

9 years ago

Hello all. Hoping your collective wisdom will aid me again.

I need ideas for a short term crop or cover for a few of my beds. I'm still a novice, getting the hang of succession planting. I have potatoes and onions that are getting pulled slowly taking up room, and time (and a broken hand) kept me from getting warm season plants in (tomatoes, sweet corn, green beans etc). I'd like to wait until mid July (?) to plant those crops for a late summer/fall harvest. So...what can I plant now that would either be ready to pull in July, or might help the beds fertility?

thank you as always!

Comments (2)

  • 9 years ago

    Dawn will be along soon with a good list, but I would plant cowpeas. Good for the soil and you can eat them. You can eat them like green beans picked small. I'm thinking bush height cow peas. Someone else will have good variety suggestions, but SESE has several listed as semi bush or bushy upright plants. Pick one with a short days to maturity so you get to harvest before you pull them out. Stick some okra in strategic places where it won't be in the way in July. Buckwheat as a cover crop, though I think you cut that in 30 days.

    You have my sympathy, I broke my wrist in December.

    fitzjennings thanked AmyinOwasso/zone 6b
  • 9 years ago

    I'm sorry to hear about your hand. I hope it is healing well and quickly too.

    I agree with Amy about cowpeas. They're pretty much foolproof and grow so fast in our heat that they are likely to give you a crop before you need to make space for your fall plantings. Some of the southern pea varieties that produce quickly in our climate include Fast Lady Northern Southern Pea (58), Queen Anne (DTM 60 days), White Acre (62 days) Knuckle Pink Eye Purple Hull (62), Colossus (62), and Pink Eye Purple Hull (65). I don't track maturity dates carefully, but in my garden I think I usually get to start harvesting 30-40 days after the seeds sprout---I just think they outdo themselves in our heat in terms of speed. I also like the suggestion of Buckwheat. Otherwise, I often sow seeds of zinnias or cosmos for quick summer flowers when I have a space to fill. Like cowpeas, they grow so fast in the heat that you'll usually get blooms in as little as 5 or 6 weeks from the time that the seeds sprout. You also could grow summer squash, which goes into production quickly and while the plants are relatively small. There are some cucumbers which are quick to go into production.

    You also could take a chance with bush snap beans. Some of them have DTMs in the 40s and low 50s, and you might luck out and get a crop before it gets so hot that they start suffering from blossom drop. They are not a sure thing like southern peas, but some years they produce well despite the summer heat---just as long as the heat isn't too extreme. It also isn't too late to sow seeds of cantaloupe, muskmelons and other types of melons if you don't have those growing already. Winter squash can be planted now, and any type that is a C. moschata normally aren't bothered by squash vine borers.

    You also could get a harvest in July from icebox melons if seeds are sown before the end of May. They go crazy in the heat and set fruit fairly young and while the plants are small (none of these plants get really huge). I grow a lot of icebox melons, including Blacktail Mountain, Sugar Baby, Bush Sugar Baby, Yellow Doll, Yellow Baby, Tiger Baby and New Orchid. Renee's Garden Seeds sells two different packs of icebox melons that contain multiple varieties per pack and she ships quickly. Icebox watermelons produce in about 60 days.

    fitzjennings thanked Okiedawn OK Zone 7
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