# Is it fall yet?



## Wolfie#2 (May 8, 2017)

Leaves fallin from the Elms & Sweet Gum. Pecans still hangin in there. We haven't been real dry this year in Brazoria Co. So I don't think that's it. Time to get ready for the fall garden? I'm not ready. Still got long beans, okra, eggplant and a couple others y'all wouldn't understand (Filipina thing). Hopin the 10-15s come in on time this year!


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

I got 2.1â€ of rain on Wednesday and .6â€ on the Sunday before, kind of had been getting pretty dry before that. I mowed yesterday, but donâ€™t remember seeing a lot of leaves under the elms or my one Sweetgum. Iâ€™ll have to take a look tomorrow. 

Iâ€™ve been tinkering in the garden lately. Pulled out all my eggplant. They were still producing some, but my wife has had enough of that vegetable. Took out some of the peppers. Others are still in a productive way. Put in 6 tomatoes hoping for a fall crop. Purple hull peas and brush beans fill the middle of the garden. The field peas are really starting to produce, the bush beans I put in later and are just getting up. 

I probably wonâ€™t do much but maintain what Iâ€™ve got going until October. The peas will come out first and some of the fall cool season stuff will start going in where they were. Plan is to double my garden size, but I want it to cool off some before I do that kind of labor.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Yep, the plants all say its fall. They react to the sun angle changing....pepper plants blooming like crazy, tomatoes flowering also, okra beginning to fade out, and muscadine grapes ripe and ready. 

I've started turning under a big section of cover peas to make a couple of rows for broc,cabbage, cauli, brussells, etc.. and get the fall cover crops started in the remaining areas.

In another couple of weeks or so, I'll start working on the onion beds for the 1015 sets which I also hope aren't late this year and till under some more peas and replace with winter cover crops. My Elbon, clovers, turnips, etc. seeds haven't come in yet for winter covers but should be here in next three weeks.

Very interested in watching how my latest attempt at pumpkins turns out. I waited until about Aug. 1 to start these and they are growing like crazy...crossing my fingers there will be some Halloween pumpkins here this year. 

Fall is just so enjoyable for gardening around here.


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## Dick Hanks (Aug 16, 2007)

Meadowlark said:


> Very interested in watching how my latest attempt at pumpkins turns out. I waited until about Aug. 1 to start these and they are growing like crazy...crossing my fingers there will be some Halloween pumpkins here this year.
> 
> Fall is just so enjoyable for gardening around here.


This just might be your year for pumpkins Lark! They always amaze me how fast that they go from walnut size, to full size and orange. Are you getting the male blossoms yet?

I'm envious of all of your fall gardens. I have time to grow radishes and and some lettuce types, but that is about it.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

I don't know much about pumpkins, Dick, having failed previously a couple of times due to planting too early in our Texas heat...but I have seen the beauties you raise. 

I understand the male flowers are first...and I have many blossoms that I figure are male. The vines extend out well over 20 feet. I can't say I see any female blossoms yet with the beginnings of a fruit. The bees are working on pollination so I'm guessing they will do their job. 

The vines have gone crazy going well into the pea cover crop and still growing. I'm very interested to see if I get any fruit this time...any tips appreciated.


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## Dick Hanks (Aug 16, 2007)

You are very correct about the male blossoms coming 1st. It was frustrating for me this year because it was at least 8 to 10 days after the 1st male blossoms that I finally saw a female bloom. The ones in your photo are males (Long slender stalks). 

The plants can be susceptible to powdery mildew if the leaves stay wet a lot, but the color variation that you have on the leafs appears to be something that pumpkin leaves just seem to do fairly often. As nice as those plants look, I'd be very surprised if you don't get a good harvest.

They are a fairly hungry plant to sustain the kind of growth and fruit production that they usually have. With your consistency on cover crops, the soil is in good shape to support them.

My pumpkins are all starting to turn orange. I was worried that my season would be too cool and short this year, so I picked off all but 5 of the 1st pumpkins to start forming. This was to raise my odds of getting pumpkins to full size and ripe before a frost. Because of that, all 5 are going to be big. The 5 together should go well over 100#s. I'll be doing some more pictures soon on the Picture Thread.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Do you ever need to hand pollinate? I have active bees but just wondering....assuming I start seeing some female blooms. 

Yes those white streaks are just part of the plant, I believe. Thanks.


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## Dick Hanks (Aug 16, 2007)

The bees will definitely do the job for you on pollination. 

Pumpkin size can be changed a lot by managing the plant. Most years, I just let them do their own thing and just see how that turns out. It seems that each plant can produce a fairly similar range of pumpkin weight. Slightly more total weight if you allow more pumpkins per vine, but not a lot more. My vines usually produce in the 55# to 75# range. I'll do a better job of weighing them this year.

If you want to get a couple of the large pumpkins pick out a vine to prune. After you get 2 or 3 pumpkins that are softball or larger size start trimming off any addition starts. Wait until softball size though, because up to that size, they can still abort. 

At this point you can also start pruning the plant so that more resources go to the pumpkins. Pumpkins get sucker vines like tomatoes do. You will see areas where a secondary vine has started growing out of a leaf crotch in the primary vine. These can be pruned (not pinched) off. I let the primary vine and may 1 or 2 secondary to keep on going. This method will get you some larger pumpkins.

I apologize to the OP for taking this thread on a tangent, but pumpkins are one of my favorite things to grow.


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## Wolfie#2 (May 8, 2017)

Dick Hanks said:


> The bees will definitely do the job for you on pollination.
> 
> Pumpkin size can be changed a lot by managing the plant. Most years, I just let them do their own thing and just see how that turns out. It seems that each plant can produce a fairly similar range of pumpkin weight. Slightly more total weight if you allow more pumpkins per vine, but not a lot more. My vines usually produce in the 55# to 75# range. I'll do a better job of weighing them this year.
> 
> ...


 No problem Dick. Although I have never grown them, What says FALL better than pumpkins?


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## jm423 (Sep 18, 2011)

Not quite fall weather here. 98 F, heat index 102, no measurable rain in 6 weeks +. Very little desire to work outside past 9:30-10:00 AM other than watering trees, etc. But starting to get onion ground ready.


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## hk (Oct 31, 2011)

Started tilling yesterday.Will add compost and horse manure in the next few days.Okra still producing but starting to slow down as Meadowlark mentioned in his previous post.Longhorn okra is a super producer and my favorite out of all the variety's I have grown over the years.Prolific producer,great taste and enjoy watching it get ten to fourteen foot tall.All you okra growers try it ,you will like it.Ready for some cooler weather and that fall garden.

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## hk (Oct 31, 2011)

Picture of mature longhorn.








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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

hk said:


> ....All you okra growers try it ,you will like it.Ready for some cooler weather and that fall garden.
> 
> ...


x2.

I love it and save the seeds and repeat every year. Fried, grilled, and pickled are our favorite ways of consuming it. Great stuff.


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## hk (Oct 31, 2011)

Yes Sir ,I have not bought okra seeds for many years.Pickled ten quarts and froze four bags so far of pre-breaded for frying.It really freezes well and maintains a good flavor.I bread it in Louisiana blue bag mix and store in gallon freezer ziplocks.Family and friends always enjoy eating it.

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## tngbmt (May 30, 2004)

i have a few raised beds built and filling it with soil this week. what & when should i start planting? harvested a huge yellowing cantaloupe grown wild under the rose bush. I may do that more next year.


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## hk (Oct 31, 2011)

Depends on what you like,I grow Florida broadleaf mustard,broccoli,carrots,oregon2 sugarpod peas,radishes,collards and chive onions.Have limited garden space but these are always good fall/winter producers for small gardens.I usually start planting my fall garden now through the end of the month when I can find broccoli .Good luck.

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## hk (Oct 31, 2011)

Salad bowl lettuce ,spinach and Swiss chard are also personal favorites in the fall garden.

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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

hk said:


> ...froze four bags so far of pre-breaded for frying.It really freezes well and maintains a good flavor.I bread it in Louisiana blue bag mix and store in gallon freezer ziplocks.Family and friends always enjoy eating it.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G550T1 using Tapatalk


For some reason I can't fathom, I haven't tried that...but I definitely will. I guess I thought it might not freeze well. Great tip.


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## hk (Oct 31, 2011)

Meadowlark I cook it only in cast iron skillet with enough canola oil to cover surface a quarter inch or just a little more and l don't stir or turn until I know it has a good crisp on that first side.Turn as little as necessary.I mention this method of frying because my Mother taught me this way and it uses so much less oil. Prefer cast iron to any other metals for all my frying.


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## fishingtwo (Feb 23, 2009)

Thanks for all the advice, and the longhorn okra suggestion. Will get me some seeds.


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