End of season?

I am in Texas, right between Dallas/FW area. I planted everything March 14th (such a warm winter I was crossing my fingers I wouldn't get a surprise freeze). My tomatoes, while not the prettiest plants, still are giving me fruit. Beans finished. Squash got hit by svb. Cucumbers are looking a tad puny but giving me a little harvest still.

Question is: at a rate of 50 days average to harvest for basically anything I plant at this point...right about the time for fall planting, should I just wait? It's also about to get hotter than the devil to boot.

This is a great question to put in your regional forum. The people there will probably be able to give you better advice than I can! I will say there are probably some things you can plant if you want to, but it's going to take A LOT of water. You can also check with your master gardeners to see what they say about what you can plant this time of year. That being said, my plan is that I want some squares open at the beginning of the fall planting season, so other than beans I'm done putting in new stuff for a couple months!

I live about 250 miles SW of you so I have some of the same problems. I grow my tomatoes in large wire baskets about 5 feet tall. The plants grow to fill the baskets and shade themselfs due the volume of the plant. I pick tomatoes until late fall. Squash is something that I plant almost anytime of the summer. My goats got to my squash one year and destroyed the plants. I replanted in middle of June and had no problems growing a new crop. I find that water determines how long things live more than we think. But I have a well.

beans and squash, maybe a cuke. Consider delaying a week or so for planting the fall garden to allow a harvest of these. I find that I need to have almost monthly plantings of squash to keep ahead of the SVB.

Kay

Hi TexasTracy,

I live just north of the DFW airport on the edge of zone 8a. We grow all year round by protecting from heat/sun in the summer and cold in winter.

Yes - beans are done; beets, carrots and the rest of the celery are just about to come out; onions and potatoes are still OK. Tomatoes plants look terrible, but we're getting lots of tomatoes. Eggplants are coming on strong. First crop squash and melons are just starting to produce. Swiss chard, kale, salad burdet and herbs will continue all year.

Outside now: You can still plant squash (summer or winter), most melons, pumpkins, sweet potato (if you have the slips started and protect them a little).

Inside now: Second crop tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant go in July 4th, so start them right away if you haven't already

Mid July start broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage inside for planting September 1. Second crop okra, bush beans and pole beans can go in end of July/beginning of August. Don't forget to put your carrot seeds in the freezer on July 4th so they're ready to plant the first of September.

Also, don't forget to mulch around the outside of your SFG's - it really helps to conserve the water inside the beds by keeping down weeds so they can't rob the water from your vegetables. It also helps keep the beds a more even temperature even in the extreme heat/cold.

Hope this helps,
Gloria

Thanks so much for the suggestions! I really didn't want to wait lol.

Another question, do I just add more compost or more MM to my boxes prior to planting my next seeds?

I would add more compost.

Thanks Gloria!

I've got to try to figure out where inside to start seedlings. I don't have a lot of room and I have one indoor cat that loves vegetation (you should see her when I bring home celery from the grocery store lol).

I love this forum

Hi Tracy,

Yes - I also have two cats that love to roll-in, mush, nibble, and dig in baby plants. I bought one of the wire baskets they use on closet shelve systems and turned it upside down over the babies.



That worked until the babies got too tall - but by then, the cats were less interested.

Good luck,
Gloria