Fall veggies this year in the deep south

[b54red]

How's everyone's fall garden progressing so far this year?

This is looking to be a very good fall so far except for the squirrel damage. Got a good stand of carrots of course that is just where the squirrels decided was the perfect place to bury pecans and acorns. Cabbage is already heading and so is the broccoli. As a matter of fact I have a couple of Bonanza broccoli ready to cut. I tried something I've never done before and that was start rutabagas in my greenhouse and set them out individually. Wow has that worked great. I have never had them this big this early in the year before nor have I ever been able to get them spaced right when just sowing the seed directly. Got a bit of a late start on my Brussel sprouts this year and so they only went in about 10 days ago so they may not have time to make depending on how early the warm weather gets here. Spinach and lettuce were also a bit late because of the late fall we have had but the temps are just right for it now and it is starting to really grow. I am still getting tomatoes off my remaining vines but as soon as they show the first sign of blushing I pick them and put them in the greenhouse to continue ripening. Left on the vine with the cool nights they just don't want to completely ripen. Bell peppers are still making but not as well as a few weeks ago when they were really pumping them out. I need to get my hoops ready and the plastic tacked to the sides of the beds so it will be ready to cover up when the freezing weather gets here. We had one night get down to 27 and it killed a few of my tomato and pepper plants and killed off most of my fall beans but everything else went unscathed. It is supposed to get down to about 30 this week and I think I'll just let everything stay uncovered until the forecast is for weather around 26 or so. Could get burned but it is a lot of work to cover and uncover the beds. Most days down here you have to uncover the beds or everything will bake in them unless it is really cold.

[Redbaron]

I am not deep south, but we also have a fall crop-winter season here for brassicas. So far so good. Got several broccoli and cauliflower to head and harvested them and so far no freezes hard enough to kill the collards, brussel sprouts or spring cauliflower. (We have two types of cauliflower here. One likes to head up in late fall after the first frost, and one likes to wait it out till spring)

[whistech]

I've cut 9 heads of broccoli and I have cauliflower that may be ready in a couple of weeks (the heads are about the size of a tennis ball now). I planted beets, but planted them too close together, so I probably will have a pretty dismal beet crop. This is my first garden in about 30 years, so I'm learning as I go.

[kilroyscarnival]

I got a late start, but I've got plenty of lettuce coming, some cherry tomatoes, a few small green beans and snap peas coming (baby size), and the cuke and zukes are just flowering, not fruiting yet. I ate my first carrot out of the box planter, and it was great, fronds and all. My hope is that for Christmas eve, I can scrape together enough home grown elements to make a salad for two.

I just placed an order for more seeds: celery, brussels sprouts, broccoli and rappini, the mini melons I was eyeing, and a few things out of Johnny's clearance items. Parsnips and another tomato. Striped Cavern. Looked fun to try a stuffing tomato.

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by whistech

I've cut 9 heads of broccoli and I have cauliflower that may be ready in a couple of weeks (the heads are about the size of a tennis ball now). I planted beets, but planted them too close together, so I probably will have a pretty dismal beet crop. This is my first garden in about 30 years, so I'm learning as I go.

Beets are easy. You can thin them at any time. I actually often purposely over plant them so I can thin them for the greens, which taste similar to swiss chard.

[arivaraci]

First ever fall garden here! Great broccoli, collards, kale, and so-so cabbage. Not Deep South but warm enough here to be going on my second cuttings on broccoli. And carrots for the first not sure when those are ready. Just leaving Them alone for now. My garden doesn't get as much sun right now as it did, so only btw 3-5 full sun hours. I am surprised I am getting anything at all. Turning the other garden rows in prep of early spring plantings. And constantly thinning the squirrel population due to the awful tomato fiasco this past season.

[kilroyscarnival]

What types of carrots did you plant? I just worked my finger around the spot where the greens were, to expose just the top of the carrot. You can sort of get an idea of the diameter, if not the depth.

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by kilroyscarnival

What types of carrots did you plant? I just worked my finger around the spot where the greens were, to expose just the top of the carrot. You can sort of get an idea of the diameter, if not the depth.

Best way to tell if a carrot is ready ... pull it and eat it! Even if it is small, still tastes great.

[arivaraci]

Just came in from the garden, and my seed packets are in the shed. I'll check when I get back out there. I have dug one up, but it was shoestring little. My 5 year old thought it was delicious. I do have serious winter sun issues (not enough). But I am going to leave them alone and see in a couple more weeks.

[Deborah]

Oh boy, does this all sound good ! Fresh cauliflower with butter, crisp carrots-I'm drooling !

[b54red]

Originally Posted by arivaraci

Just came in from the garden, and my seed packets are in the shed. I'll check when I get back out there. I have dug one up, but it was shoestring little. My 5 year old thought it was delicious. I do have serious winter sun issues (not enough). But I am going to leave them alone and see in a couple more weeks.

It sounds like it may be spring before the carrots are ready. It is not too late to plant some more right now for a late spring crop. I think they should overwinter okay if it doesn't get too cold. I always overwinter my carrots. I start planting a few short rows in late November and then again in December and if I have enough room put out some more seed in January but those usually make smaller carrots because summer arrives so early most years. You can also put a hoop cover over them if it is going to be really cold. I don't know how cold it has to be to kill carrots. I know that the hoop covers work for me on most crops like broccoli, lettuce and stuff down into the upper teens. If it does get down into the teens any part of the plant touching the plastic usually gets burned pretty bad.

[baileyj]

b54red,
I am a Rutabaga lover, but am in zone 7, Maryland so I have never tried to grow them. I thought I was to plant them in early spring with a late summer harvest....is that wrong ? I know they take so so long....can you elaborate on your method of planting them inside and then transplanting and any advice on when to start them here ??

I also have never planted carrots and thought they were a warm weather crop so was planning to put them in in May....should they overwinter here also, or perhaps out in March ?

I need to research more on these, thanks for any advice..

Judi

[arivaraci]

Good thing! I can forget about then then outside of cold nights. Last year we only had a couple nights all winter that were cold. Although last year was unusual. I have quite a bit of leaves decomposing beside the garden. I put them there as a possibility plant cover for cold nights.

[Tracydr]

Everything was great until the chickens got out and destroyed everything yesterday. Argh! The lettuce and greens are toothpicks!
What isn't in with the chickens still stands, if it didn't get frozen. We had several freezes this week but it looks like all but a few peppers that weren't close enough to the house survived. Might lose my Matt's Wild Cherry that lived through the summer. It has damage, hard to say.

[b54red]

Originally Posted by baileyj

b54red,
I am a Rutabaga lover, but am in zone 7, Maryland so I have never tried to grow them. I thought I was to plant them in early spring with a late summer harvest....is that wrong ? I know they take so so long....can you elaborate on your method of planting them inside and then transplanting and any advice on when to start them here ??

I also have never planted carrots and thought they were a warm weather crop so was planning to put them in in May....should they overwinter here also, or perhaps out in March ?

I need to research more on these, thanks for any advice..

Judi

I have no idea how to grow rutabagas that far north but I do know they like cool weather. I wouldn't think they would do well over the summer even up there. Down here they usually form roots in early spring but this year thanks to the earlier start in the air conditioned greenhouse I already have some forming decent roots. My suggestion is you talk to some old timers that live and garden in your area. They usually know the tricks for growing various crops and can save you a lot of heartache and frustration. Some crops that are summer crops up north are only fit to grow in the winter down here so you really need the guidance from someone with local knowledge.