I'm in! (for the fall garden, not the tar and feather)

No stress, gardeneers! No competition and all that. I just want an abundance this year.

I'm doing exactly the same as you, Amy, for fall with an eye on some room for leeks, too. I need lots of brassicas, esp broc and cauli. I hope to get some in the freezer.

I've put a couple of tomato cuttings in water as back up for any plant failures.

We can battle the beet germination issues together! *girl fist pump* hehe

bon

I am in.

Territorial seed has actual fall seed catalog. It's to drool over.

Amy, which kale isn't so curly? I've only ever planted the curly, but I'd like to try something else. Now, while I've *planted* kale, I've never gotten to eat any. Something beats me to it every time it's ready. I plant it alongside chard, but whatever is eating my kale must not like chard. I prefer kale, too, lol! As for a Fall garden, oh my. Not even ready to think about it. One more thing that shows I'm a beginner.

The one I like the taste of best is sometimes called dinosaur kale. BC says it's cabbage. I got another variety this year called Black Magic. Red Russian looks kind of like oak leaves. There is a white Russian, too. Kailaan Open Pollinated is called Chinese kale, but it's more like broccoli, Arkansas Purple Kale, the picture doesn't do it justice. This is good tasting and pretty. Scarlet Kale, the only one to survive winter weather and the chicken massacre, it is still growing with no sign of bolting, it is crinkly, though. Vates Blue Curled, also crinkly. Supposed to be cold hardy. Tronchuda, supposed to be heat resistant. Texture more like collards. If I can find my picture of Arkansas Purple kale I will post it.

Well Nowyou to answer the question, the not so curly Kale are called Collard greens. Same plant just savoy vs non savoy

IMO Collards taste way better but you have to boil the dog out of them as most varieties I am familiar with or have grown such as Georgia Southern, Vates or Morris Heading can get quite huge and are tougher than most kale unless you do. There might be some Heirlooms around that might not be so big I am sure.

BOy I wish I had some collards growing to eat right now but I did not have room. Maybe that is a good fall crop for me.

I already have to regrow my corn as I am doing a cross with a bicolor I breed myself and purple corn and accidently planted the wrong stuff. I looked up in the cabinet the other day and found the jar I was working on after I had planted corn that I thought was it. I thought the grains looked a little small for what I remembered. I don't really like to do fall corn as its about a 90 day crop or mine is. You end up right up against the frost window just about the time the tassels release pollen if you wait for the 105 degree days to pass. An early frost will knock you out. If you do the ole infamous June corn thing you got to baby some tiny seedlings through some of the hottest, dryest part of the year.

But I got it to do now or lose an entire years progress.

BTW, I spray my brassica with BT (organic caterpillar killer), I usually find cabbage worm eating them, and now that you mention it, they don't seem to bother chard.

Hey, Jerry, try Yellow Cabbage Collards. They tolerate heat well.

Amy, that little Arky is just plain Purdy.

I will probably just wait latter and grow the Georgia gigantic monstrosities and let the frost bite em real good and hard where they get sweeter and harvest younger if I have too. Im kinda Old Skool like that and like the old tried and true stuff sometimes. Or maybe just a stubborn old coot thats to old to change. lol.

I like to nuke those badboys in a pressure cooker for a might with a little bacon and then a splash of pepper vinegar sauce, a big wedge of cornbread from a cast iron skillet, an butter. OOOHH Lawdy Mon, dat makin me Hoongry jus talkin.

But thanks for the tip. In Oklahoma you always need greens that can handle heat. And, they sound yummy.

I had no idea that un-curly kale was collards. I HEART collards! I cook them down with a bit of chicken stock and red pepper flakes. I add either a smoked ham hock or a smoked turkey leg. A splash of vinegar is a must! My diet started today (of course, it's Monday) and this would fit right in.

I am SO not ready to think about a fall garden. I have to wait and see if it rains in July before I commit to much. Really, I've been succession planting hot season crops as cool season crops come out, so there's not going to be any open space for a while yet. I have southern peas planned for space now occupied by intermediate daylength onions. Perhaps when the long-day onions finish up, I could just dump compost on top of that bed, rake it out flat and save that space for fall plants. I do have a ton of squash plants of all kinds, and not all of them are under row covers, so if the SVBs were to get those, that would open up space for a fall garden. Nothing else I have growing will finish up in time for me to use it for fall plants. Corn would, normally, but I planted the corn with beans, southern peas and winter squash, so even when the corn is done, the other crops in that space won't be.

You know, it has been two weeks I think since I found Squash Bug #1 and there hasn't even been a Squash Bug #2. That is so odd. I've never had just one squash bug. I am sure the SVBs will show up soon, though they haven't so far.

I have tons of seeds for fall, so I hope the weather will cooperate. Many of them are from Territorial Seed. Kim, I've been drooling over their fall catalog ever since it arrived, but I have such a big stash of seeds (from them, lol, from previous years) that there isn't much of anything that I need.

I believe the local TV met said we hit 90 again tomorrow, so our brief respite from the hot temperatures is ending sooner than I'd hoped. I'm just not ready for any part of June, but it is here anyway.

I have great meals planned for this week and none of them could be considered diet food. Veggies can be diet food, but not if you cook them old-fashioned southern style like I do.

My stash of seeds dwindled significantly this year. I had some old some some new some saved and except for tomatoes and winter squash I am trying to use it all up. I need brassica and carrot and beets for sure.

My fall garden officially started yesterday up here when I sowed butternut squash seeds. I have a 3-4 week shorter window between the spring and fall gardens then most of Oklahoma. I have some leek seedlings hardening off that I wanted to put in this coming weekend but it is supposed to be in the 90s and windy here so I think I will wait to plant them until next week when we have some clouds and rain expected.

I will be starting some Brussels Sprouts next week and then the rest of the fall brassicas will be started around the first of July. Carrots and bush beans will all be directed seeded in mid to late July, radishes in mid to late August.

I just need the tomatoes to tell me NOW which ones don't plan to make it into August, so I can start seeds now.

BTW, if you're counting on seed racks at Atwoods and the like, their seeds disappear before the 4th of July. Been there, done that.

A fall garden?! When did this thread happen? Good Lord you guys... so do I need to start broccoli and cabbage seeds already?! I just ripped the last ones out and got tomatoes in.. If Dawn didn't start the weekly discussion thread I wouldn't even know what month it was! Thank goodness, my head is attached or I'd lose it, and then forget I lost it. Sheesh. I'll start considering a fall garden when my tomatoes start ripening.. It's all I can think about lol I have no idea where I am going to plant fall crops.. I'm out of room unless i rip out tomatoes and peppers which is unlikely. Lots to think about. I may be too pregnant to worry about planting much then anyway.. Although I'm sure I'll find a way around that lol

If you want Brussels sprouts, you're supposed to start them in the next couple of weeks. You have longer for other brassica. It's true, you may want to forgo a fall garden this year. Even if it's planted, will you have time to harvest? Of course, brassica hold in the ground longer in cool weather. When are you do?

I pulled my garlic today. I am not sure I will use any of it for planting in the fall. It was over run by chickens and Korean squash, plus my markers washed away. Not the best harvest and I know I left a couple in the ground. I'm thinking about strictly softneck next year. And I'm thinking about buying from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. What do you grow? Do you have a favorite supplier?

Amy, I'm due Sept 5th. But nothing will keep me out of the garden.. even if I have to plant and harvest in 7 minute intervals haha I broke ground on my current garden two months postpartum. I hand removed Bermuda sod for a month by shop light at night when the baby was asleep, built raised beds, hauled mulch etc. I can't help it. I also have access to his landscaping crew, if im extra nice to my hubby. Ha. I doubt they will harvest broccoli for me, but they are very handy for any heavy lifting or big jobs. I'll poke through my seeds in the next few days and try to get a game plan together for fall since everybody's doing it! (Grin)

I'm not helpful when it comes to garlic. My neighbor has it everywhere year around so I don't grow it. She just sends me home with a brown paper bag of it anytime I need a months worth or six!.. I'm super spoiled. You guys would adore her!

You're a better woman than I Alexis. You use those guys for the heavy work, and get your rest. You and the baby come first.

Alexis I picture you having the baby and being in the garden in the same day. Lol

My first I had early morning and went home by 7pm. Second not so much. I thought I needed an extra day. 3rd I wanted to go they wouldn't let me. Never got around to 11 and 12 like I wanted. Funny at 52 I still crave to have more children. Well I have green babies.

I am going to get list done and seeds ordered Saturday.

Dawn, it is not diet food it's nutrient dense food. So therefore it doesn't matter if you use lard or bacon grease as long as it's from our gardens it's healthy. Actually I prefer tallow.

This year I am keeping a fresh supply of new tomato plants started by rooting suckers from the healthiest looking plants... the ones that are handling any exposure to herbicide or maybe just missed getting into it. Sort of a "just in case things improve" before it's too late to plant more. Some of the plants have better looking new growth. I still can't figure out how you can run old hay through a shredder and still have what appears to be heavier contamination in one end (or center) of a bed than the other.

We bought out one of the feed and grain stores' supply of mustard seed... at least the one that matures in the least amount of time. We are on the second round with it. We did get a couple of funny looks... probably someone who doesn't eat the green stuff. LOL Millie

Does anyone know if you can clone kale?? The scarlet kale I grew last fall is not bolting. It has survived so much and has a stem the size of a water hose. I would like to make more.

Millie, I'm not fond of mustard greens, so I can relate to the people giving you looks. But seems like they might assume you were growing to sell. Or maybe that its too hot for growing it to eat now?

Amy, I suppose the folks in the feed and grain store might think that... no way they could know we are just backyard gardening. Not everyday they see someone buy a quarter pound of mustard seed. Grin.

I'm no expert on kale, but since it has a life cycle that says, "hey, it's time to bolt", I would suspect that even if you could clone it there would be no point. I have always planted it for fall... it winters over, but goes to seed when the day length is right or maybe it's temperature that sends the message.

Amy, the best source for garlic I have found is Filaree Garlic Farm in Washington. Great selection and service. Find them here:

https://www.filareefarm.com/

There are several Creole varieties, my friend, are you referring to any particular one? I get overwhelmed looking at all of them and my instinct to try them all kicks in. I can't afford that, nor, sadly, do I have the room.

Wow so I not done with spring planting lol and looking at my fall list I am supposed to be planting brassica indoors NOW. my son laughed so hard I thought he would fall over

Good point Amy, the fight for space is a real one. The variety I have grown goes under the name creole red at Filagree. I think it may be a California strain.

Creole Red is on my list, which keeps getting longer, ahem.

Kim, I know we're supposed to start brassica now, I understand how your son would find that amusing, LOL. But the worst part is they're supposed to go in the ground in AUGUST, when the world will be dry and baking. I can never quite bring myself to do that.

I am going to try direct seeding cabbage this year under row cover. I will have backups but I really want cabbage. My spring cabbage is a bust.

Ditto on the spring cabbage being a bust. But I'm with you on trying fall cabbage. I just need to decide where to put it.

I want fermented cabbage beets and onions. This year.

Suddenly I'm in a panic, I'm harvesting, people. I don't have time to think about fall. Which is why I started this thread. Kim, I have decided my beds need permanent hoops, so whatever bed I choose can have row cover, shade cloth or bird netting. I am seriously considering permanent trellises, too. They would start above the height of the hoops. But they still might interfere.