# Starting my fall garden



## TXSTDU (Feb 2, 2009)

I have a raised bed that I am getting ready to start for a fall garden.

My concern is this heat. Should I wait until it breaks, if it ever will, for just make sure to water well?


----------



## w_r_ranch (Jan 14, 2005)

Normally fall gardens are planted the last week of September through the first week of October, at least here in Colorado County. If I was planting fall potatoes, I'd plant those a little earlier... like September 21st.


----------



## TXSTDU (Feb 2, 2009)

Hmm that is interesting. All of my planting guides show me needing to plant this month into mid Sept at the latest


----------



## salth2o (Sep 21, 2004)

I am waiting until this heat eases up and maybe until we get some rain....


----------



## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Depends in part on your location...the further north, the sooner you need to get things going. Also, depends on what type of veggie you are planting...if you are planting a cool weather veggie, then its going to suffer mightily in this heat if you start them now in the ground.


----------



## bluefin (Aug 16, 2005)

What's considered a 'cool weather veggie'?


----------



## salth2o (Sep 21, 2004)

bluefin said:


> What's considered a 'cool weather veggie'?


broccoli, lettuce, cabbage, taters, maters, bush beans


----------



## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

bluefin said:


> What's considered a 'cool weather veggie'?


My list...cabbage, onions, broc, brussels sprouts, radishes, carrots, turnips, lettuce....this is essentially my fall garden which for the most part carries over through winter and into early spring. Of the above, radishes are probably the least cold tolerant and usually won't survive a frost/freeze but all the others will survive even a hard freeze if the time below 32 deg isn't too long. Collards and spinach do very well also, but just aren't among my favorites on the table.

I like potatoes as a late winter planting...and definitely not tomatoes or bush beans in my area, until well into spring.


----------



## cva34 (Dec 22, 2008)

*Yep*



w_r_ranch said:


> Normally fall gardens are planted the last week of September through the first week of October, at least here in Colorado County. If I was planting fall potatoes, I'd plant those a little earlier... like September 21st.


X-2 on that Matagorda county too.,,cva34


----------



## fletchoman (Nov 30, 2008)

I bought tomatoes this week...even though it is hot as blazes, I transplanted 4" pots into 6" clay pots getting ready for October...plan is to limp along until the weather cools so the plants are large enough to produce before the first freeze.

May not work...not sure the plants will hold up to 100+ temps here in Houston.


----------



## salth2o (Sep 21, 2004)

I yanked all the dead stuff out of my garden this afternoon. I will till it tomorrow and start prepping the soil. 

Fletch...you inspire me. I may pick up some maters this weekend and just keep them inside until this incessant heat subsides.


----------



## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

I hope you guys will post up results on the fall tomatoes...I've tried and tried just have not had much success...lots of green tomatoes for frying but never enough time for good red ripe ones for me in Polk county. If they work, tell us your method please.


----------



## Gator gar (Sep 21, 2007)

Well, my tomato experiment failed. Mine were beautiful, til I left the seedlings on my pool ladder. Then they got heat stroke. I saved 8-10 of them and transplanted them. I had 5 that looked like they were going to make it and eventually they all died off. Beautiful one day and dead the next. Too hot for sure.


----------



## fletchoman (Nov 30, 2008)

I did OK with my fall tomatoes last year...here's how...

I planted one Juliet variety which ripens in 50 days. These are like roma's...incredibly prolific...the one plant produced ~20 lbs of tomatoes. These have become my favorite roma-style tomato by far. I expect that early girl would produce as well but they don't always have the best flavor.

I also planted various other variates...I covered the plants every night when frost was possible. When it became clear that we were going to have a hard freeze, I picked all of the large sized "white" toned tomatoes. I ended up with ~20 lbs that ripened on the counter in the house over the next month or so. I made salsa and we enjoyed fresh ripe tomatoes for months as they slowly ripened...


----------



## cva34 (Dec 22, 2008)

*Winter Maters*

I'm with fletch, Mine did good esp the cherry type.I had tom. on vine tell the Mid Jan freeze and blow.Blew off my sheets.and they froze.They took the 28deg freeze's fine under sheets earlier in winter.I'm gona try again with more bricks...cva34

The fruit seems to grow at normal rate But they are a lot slower to turn red.


----------



## TomCat (Jan 6, 2006)

Maybe this will help,

http://www.farmersalmanac.com/calendar/gardening/


----------



## drred4 (Aug 12, 2005)

I am not going to plant until it rains someday. Heck we can't even till the garden proper unless we watered it for several days.


----------



## charlie23 (Jan 11, 2005)

grow them in containers


----------

