Sept 6th Garden Update

Its been a fairly mild summer, but nevertheless summer is still hanging strong.  Its been the upper 90s for the past two weeks but we are forecast to get into the 70's and 80's by the end of this week as we get our first decent cool front... first sign of the coming fall season.  Fall here in Texas is the second big growing season.

Pumpkins

The big thing, and I mean big, that I am focusing on this fall is the Rouge vif D'Etampes pumpkins. Its been a while since my last post in early August, but back then I had mentioned these plants, and how they were just a few weeks old, and how they were being covered with tulle fabric to protect them from SVB and Squash bugs.   About two weeks ago, I could not contain the plants with tulle anymore... they had gotten way too big, and some of the leaves were starting to break, and the netting was being pulled up.    In the meantime I had been working on exterminating the squash bugs. I had crushed hundreds of them wherever  I found them, and I think that got them under control by the time I removed the tulle.

As soon as I uncovered the vines,  I started covering the exposed vines and base with dirt and compost, and also leaf mulch, and I've been doing that the past two weeks, because SVB are out and about big time.  I have killed some of the moths with a fly swatter, and every time I go out there I find eggs to pick off, plus as I bury the vines, I check for and remove eggs that are attached.

The two big hills are growing like crazy.  Here is one of the hills, composed of two plants (the other two plants were runts and I thinned them out.)  Its starting to creep into the Brussels sprouts plants that are still alive, and waiting for cooler weather to hopefully start producing.  They are also getting pretty close to the okra, so I might thin out the lower leaves of the okra and let the pumpkin vines grow underneath.

One hill composed of two plants.

 The other hill I believe is still composed  of 4 plants, also I can't tell since the base is completely covered in mulch and compost, which I have piled on it.  Its also growing like crazy, and overtaking the area.  Its growing among some of the volunteer tomatoes which I recently staked up to allow the pumpkins to grow underneath.  My basil plant is still going strong, and is pretty much a bush now, as you can see in the picture.

So far a few male flowers have opened, and I see some small female flowers forming,but none have opened yet.  That's OK since its been too hot for pollination anyway.   Hopeful to get some nice pumpkins this fall, but with all the pests it will be a challenge.

Recent Plantings

I am giving pole beans another chance.  A few years ago I remember getting a very good fall harvest of beans, so hopefully I can duplicate that.  Here are the seedlings, Kentucky wonder pole beans. 

I've planted a bunch of them, and covered them to prevent critters from munching on them.  I recently  sowed another batch of them next to this one, and they just started sprouting too.    I also planted some snap peas, which I started indoors in pots, and just transplanted, but am concerned because of the heat that is still lingering, that they might not make it.

Around mid-August I sowed some mustard, turnips, and broccoli seeds.  The mustard did well. But the others did not unfortunately.   Only some of the turnip seeds sprouted, and many that did were promptly eaten by some mysterious pest.  The broccoli also suffered from being eaten by some mystery pest, but some did survive, until a couple of  my chickens found their way inside the garden, and ate the remaining plants.  They have acquired a taste for cabbage and related plants, so I have to watch them carefully now to make sure they don't get into the garden and cause havoc.

my small mustard patch

So I just recently sowed more cabbage, broccoli, and turnip seeds.  Many sprouted but I am still battling something that eat them when they are tiny. So I dusted with insecticide today.  Arg!!  Fall planting is tough due to all the pests!!

Tomatoes, Okra

Heirloom tomato plants propagated from cuttings from the original plants, next to my basil bush.

I've begun pulling up most of the old tomato plants to make space for the sprawling pumpkins.  But the past month I had been taking cuttings, and rooting them in water, and then planting them in pots.  Only a few have survived, but they are doing well.  I have 4 good plants which I planted in the ground on the other side of the garden, and am hoping they start producing a nice fall crop.  

The okra is doing amazing.  Its "emerald" okra.  Its been producing tons of pods for us this second half of the summer. Every day I go out and pick a handful from the seven plants.  I may need to start freezing some.  Interestingly the plants are not as big as they were last year.  They seemed thicker and taller last year. I think its because they were spaced apart more.  This year I have them growing in a single row, and they are closer together.