Oct18 update

October 18th update 

It's mid October already, and we're having awesome weather,  upper 70's and lower 80's, and some nice rain last week.   Everything is grown well except still battling some pest issues, especially with the spinach and somewhat with the cabbage.  

This weekend we picked out first Rouge vif d'Etampes pumpkin.   This is one from the hill that Andrew planted back in August.   Most of those plants have been in the shade for a while, due to the lowering sun and shorter days now.   So I think that is why this pumpkin didn't grow very big.  But it's very pretty. 

Andrew and his first pumpkin this year from. 

Close-up of the pumpkin.  Love it's shape

Here's another one in development.  This one has quite a different shape. 

One thing I like about pumpkins is that even within the same variety, the shapes and sized of the fruit vary so much.   Each pumpkin is unique.


Early in the spring I had planted a few Brussels sprouts seeds, and they had been growing all year, surviving the Texas heat, and the harlequin bugs too.   Here they are below.  Not sure what to expect...   I'm thinking that when we have real cool weather I might top these off and see if the sprouts start forming.

Surviving Brussels Sprouts plant. 

Okra is still producing 

Here is a picture of the spinach plants. They have been hit by pests, and some of them have been chopped off at the base mysteriously...  But a few are all alive.   I do have a bunch of other ones in pots that I plan on planting in the garden as soon space is available.  (when the pumpkin vines die probably).

Spinach next to mustard, lettuce, and some radish plants..

Mustard plants.   We've eaten lots of mustard greens this fall! 

Cabbage plants. 

A wall of Kentucky wonder pole beans.   No beans yet, but should be soon 

Young pea plants.  Sugar snap peas.   

In the peas above,  I'm  using the chicken wire cage as both a trellis, and for protection from either rabbits or rats that seem to love young pea plants. I lost some this spring so I've been real careful.

Lady bug eating aphids on the pumpkin plant. 

This is the latest pumpkin to set.   The plant is looking rather ragged, but I'm surprised it still set this fruit.  

Early October Quick Update

Been about a month since I last posted.  The garden's doing well, as we enter early fall.  Only problem has been the ongoing battle with controlling the rats.  I've killed a few more with traps, and lately I haven't seen many issues from them, but I continue to keep my pumpkins covered with netting to protect them, and especially the new female flowers, which they seem to love.

Pumpkins

The Rouge Vif d'Etampes pumpkins are huge plants.  I have 2 hills, one of them is on a side of the garden that doesn't get good sunlight anymore.  The plants don't look as healthy. But there are about 5 pumpkins growing on them, including the two below. 

This one is done growing.  Its color is deepening.  Unfortunately it didn't get very big. probably due to the lack of good sunlight.

Another one on the same vine.  This one probably won't get much bigger either.  

The other hill gets much more sun, and they plants look a lot healthier.  The healthiest section of the vine is now growing among the okra plants.   It makes it hard to harvest the okra.

pumpkin vines among okra plants.

There are some nice pumpkins developing there, including this one, which looks to be the biggest one.  Might end up as big as last years 25lb one.  The yellow color on these means they are still growing, as that picture below is about 5 day old, so its gotten bigger since.  Pretty excited about this one. I wish I could turn it over so it doesn't sit on its side, but its too late now.  Its too big now to move without breaking the stem.

the big one.

Okra

I mentioned the okra above. They are doing great.  Still have lots of aphids on them but doesn't seem to slow them down much.   I really like their flowers too. Every day I harvest a handful of okra.  I've frozen some, and we've cooked them in a number of different ways.  

Other Plants

The other stuff I planted late summer is doing pretty good.  The mustard plants are super productive.  We have cooked greens about twice a week.  The turnip greens are getting in the mix too.  I see some nice turnips forming too.  

Mustard, with turnips behind them

The cabbage is doing well too, except for some caterpillars attacks which I've dealt with by spraying some BT.  Some of the plants look like they are starting to form tiny heads.

Cabbage plants

I also have some snap peas growing.  Notice the rat traps in the picture.  Rats (or rabbits?) seem to like young pea plants too, unfortunately

And my pole beans are doing very well too. No signs of spider mites, and they look nice and healthy. No flowers yet though, but there's plenty of time.

Kentucky Wonder pole beans.

My spinach plants are still pretty small.  They have fallen victim to rats or rabbits, so I covered them with tulle for a while.