Getting Ready for Fall Garden 2009

[stormymater]

hey cdbva - something I learned here this past spring for the parsley - soak overnight in 3T really warm water with a tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide. I followed this advice & "BAM!" sprouted in seedling tray over heat in 5 days - looked like a Chia pet tray.

[garnetmoth]

Our weather has dried up quite a bit this fall, nice soaking sprinkle right now. Got some beets and mesclun coming up, our monster volunteer (zuchinni-like) squash has set at least 1 more, and still have a meal or 2 left in the turnip patch (they never bulbed but the greens are great cooked 10-15 minutes!) got another small basket of tomatoes yesterday...

[cdbva]

Stormy, I hadn't heard about the peroxide. I bought three seedlings from a wee little old man at the farmers' market, and he told me to use warm water. The bought seedlings are taking off like gangbusters, which is some comfort. I'm putting your technique in my file for What To Do Next Year.

This being my first year with a fall crop, I'm having trouble believing it will continue to grow! Will the snaps produce? Will the cauliflower caulify? I'm continually surprised when I return to the plot and things are bigger.

I meant to do peas, too, Ruth, and never got around to it. I'd soak 'em and then it would rain for two days. I wonder, though, if it would be good for the soil to put them in even if they don't bear.

Christine

[Ruth_10]

I, too, will have to try the warm water and peroxide soak for parsley seed. I have a terrible time getting it to germinate. Thanks for the tip, Stormymater.

I did have some growing last summer and before the hard freezes hit I dug it up, leaving a big ole hunk of soil still attached to the roots, and put it in a bucket of soil mix and kept it in our unheated sun room. I'd cut some off whenever I needed some for a dish. The plant stayed nice all winter and into spring.

[shelleybean]

Overall, I'm really pleased with my fall/winter garden so far.

Lettuce looks great. I have Salad Bowl, Buttercrunch and Parris Island out there.

Carrots are doing okay, not as well as last year. I have Autumn King, Paris Market and Thumbelina, also Oxheart this time.

Radishes just don't seem to grow for me anymore. The beets I started indoors have not grown at all either. I have just ordered a soil analysis kit so maybe I can find out what's going on with those veggies. Radishes used to grow so well for me. Spinach has slowed down too. They look very healthy but just not growing much despite being fed on a regular schedule.

Turnip greens and collards and kale all look great. It'll be quite a while before my first frost so I may have to start eating them before that. They're all ready to be cut even now. I have Seven Top turnips, Green Glaze collards and Black Palm Tree and Blue Curled Scotch kales this year.

Fordhook Giant chard is doing great and we have already cut this a couple of times.

The cabbages look good. Chieftain Savoy and Charleston Wakefield are starting to form heads. I also have All Seasons and Mammoth Red Rock and they are not forming heads yet but probably will soon.

I have Romanesco and Waltham broccoli. I can see tiny, tiny little broccoli buds in there.

From the summer garden, I still have Willow Leaf butter beans, White Beauty eggplant, Sheepnose Pimento, Melrose and Golden Treasure peppers going strong. The moles must have eaten all my Violetta sweet potatoes. Bummer.

All in all, I'm happy with what I've got. It was such a bad tomato year for me, I'm happy to have other things to pick.

[geeboss]

Didn't plant for a fall garden however I use this time to experiment for the coming year by trying different mixes for starting seeds, growing seedlings and using different fertilizers for the seedlings to see what might work best.

Also experimenting with using crushed asprin / water with seedlings to see if this might help with powdery mildew. So much to learn and glad for the long indian summer this fall. Can't believe we haven't had a killing freeze yet will have to bring in the small dwarf seedlings soon to continue my experimentation on use of less water to help develop better rooting and using larger/deeper pottimg up containers. Trying 1/2 gal juice containers.

Thanks stormymater for your insight on sprouting parsley. I'd given up on every having home grown parsley. LOL :}

George

[b54red]

Gotta have my greens. Rutabaga, mustard, carrots, brussel sprouts, and nest onions in the garden. Lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower waiting for a space. Getting lousy germination from all 3 varieties of spinach so don't know if I will have any. Garlic and onions will go in last. If you like greens try rutabaga tops; I know they look like they wouldn't be good but they cook down very tender and sweet, better than any other green in my book.

[veggie babe]

I second b54red, "gotta have my greens". Kale, brussel sprouts, spinach, rutabaga turnips, first year for golden turnips and white egg turnips hope they are good. I planted fall tomatoes and squash, they are doing well along with mutiplying onions and garlic. My lettuce isn't doing well, may have planted it too early. I still have dill and basil, started new parsley and thyme. Love my garden.

Neva

[shelleybean]

Neva, I like those White Egg turnips. I have grown Seven Top for the last few years and they are only grown for the greens. The root is inedible. I can keep those in the garden until spring though, unlike regular turnips, which would have to be pulled before frost. I hope they do well for you!

[garnetmoth]

hey geeboss- Ive seen on multiple forums that milk spray milk 1:9 water helps control mildew! I havent tried it yet, but it can be about-to-expire, or powdered. Good Luck!

[geeboss]

Thanks garnetmoth

Saw a combination of a few drops of liquid dish washing soap combined with a drop or two of vegetable oil plus baking soda and skim milk. so the 1:9 for the milk helps


George