July Update in the C&T South

Happy July to you my region. This is the month we celebrate our Independence Day.

part one
Why every SFG is a Victory Garden
If you know it or not vegetable gardening is a wounderful way to be independent and patriotic at the same time. By growing our own food in our squarefoot gardens we become more independent from the food industry which IMO puts the their pocket books ahead of our health and saftey as well as the health of our planet. It is likewise shameful how much gas and oil are use to commercially grow vegetibles. From the manufacture of artificial fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides to transportation, with every vegetable you grow and thus do not buy you help the USA become less dependent on foreign oil. The earth thanks you for evey thing you compost and every drop of water you save by Square Foot Gardening. So take a moment and give yourselves a pat on the back. I would love it if you could share how your SFG is a victory garden.

part two
Fall gardening
I know it seems counter intuitive but now is the time to plan/plant our fall gardens. Remember it is when you harvest not when you plant that makes it a fall garden. Our region is large and contains USAD Hardiness zones 8-10. That said exactly what to plant in your fall garden is best determined by consulting your local county extension office since what to plant now in zone 8 will differ from zone 10. If you have not already gotten their great planting guide for your county you can find them on line at this site http://www.csrees.usda.gov/extension .
There are other considerations when planting your fall gardens. First remember to add compost to each square after you harvest it and before planting to replace the nutrients the previous crop used. Second it is important to practice crop rotation. If you plant the same type of crop over and over again it is more likely to develop desease. One way is to just vary the vegies you grow in each square but an even better way is to change the type of vegies by group. Let us know what your planting.

Group 1 Brassicas and leafy greens	Group 2 Root Crops	Group 3 Legumes + others
Cabbages Cauliflower Broccoli Kale Brussel Sprouts	Potatoes Carrots Parsnips Swedes Turnips Beetroot	Peas Beans Celery

I am currently rooting cuttings from my favorite tom Black from Tula for the fall garden. My asian eggplant is still going strong and one thing going in the fall garden for sure are collard greens.

shannon1 wrote:Happy July to you my region. This is the month we celebrate our Independence Day.

part one
Why every SFG is a Victory Garden
If you know it or not vegetable gardening is a wounderful way to be independent and patriotic at the same time. By growing our own food in our squarefoot gardens we become more independent from the food industry which IMO puts the their pocket books ahead of our health and saftey as well as the health of our planet. It is likewise shameful how much gas and oil are use to commercially grow vegetibles. From the manufacture of artificial fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides to transportation, with every vegetable you grow and thus do not buy you help the USA become less dependent on foreign oil. The earth thanks you for evey thing you compost and every drop of water you save by Square Foot Gardening. So take a moment and give yourselves a pat on the back. I would love it if you could share how your SFG is a victory garden.

Thanks for the great reminder of what SFG is really about. I'm obstinate and obnoxious about 'gardening by the book' because it is about sustainable gardening around the world. The row gardeners in the U.S. are too quick to revert to their old tired ways of gardening. As Mel has shown, one can go nearly anywhere in the world and find poops and plants to compost and use to grow one's own food. He has proven that it is that simple.

It's not necessary to waste your time, money, and petroleum resources purchasing various amendments and supplements, organic or not. Look around your environment to find what's available, free, re-usable, recyclable, healthy, and sustainable. We're running out of time.

Thanks Boffer that means alot.

Shannon
Thank you for the update, as a new gardener it really helps a lot. I had not thought of the SFG as a Victory Garden but what a cool thought. Hope you have a great Independence Day

Shannon, It's so great to see our Coastal & Tropical South forum become more active. Surely we have more actual members in our region than those who usually post, though. I'd love to see more people post in our region! We need everyone's input! Do we know how many members our region actually has?

Whenever I think of my desires insofar as planting plans, I always think of that old saying "her eyes were bigger than her stomach." I just want to try everything! And I know that I won't have room to do that, even though I plan to add 3 boxes shortly.

I'd love to try turnips, spinach, beets, radishes, snap beans, sugar peas, garden peas, carrots, cabbage, chard, collards, kale, lettuce, yellow summer squash, leeks, onions, and winter squash and more. Most probably all of that won't make it to actual planting, though. I'd most like to try snap peas, garden peas, spinach, lettuce, carrots and snap beans, so will make sure to reserve space for those first. Time will tell whatever else makes it into the sfgs - goodness knows, I have plenty of seeds to choose from - have a tiny little problem with buying too many seeds.

I've never before tried spinach and lettuce. Absolutely love spinach just about any way you serve it. Want to try snap beans again because they failed miserably this first time I planted them. Also want to try carrots again because my Carrot Week carrots have never done anything but show some greenery. I think they'd work better in a fall garden. Can't wait to plant!

mamamagoo wrote:Shannon
Thank you for the update, as a new gardener it really helps a lot. I had not thought of the SFG as a Victory Garden but what a cool thought. Hope you have a great Independence Day

A happy 4th to you as well. I love gardening on so many levels. I harvested a beautiful sweet red pepper today and they just taste so much better out of ones own garden. Did you find your extesion office? They can be a great help. I will be taking a "make and take" rain barrel class at mine on the 8th. They may not know about SFG per say but they are still a wonderful resource. I am excited for you as a new gardener a whole new world is about to unfold.

sherryeo wrote:Shannon, It's so great to see our Coastal & Tropical South forum become more active. Surely we have more actual members in our region than those who usually post, though. I'd love to see more people post in our region! We need everyone's input! Do we know how many members our region actually has?

Whenever I think of my desires insofar as planting plans, I always think of that old saying "her eyes were bigger than her stomach." I just want to try everything! And I know that I won't have room to do that, even though I plan to add 3 boxes shortly.

I'd love to try turnips, spinach, beets, radishes, snap beans, sugar peas, garden peas, carrots, cabbage, chard, collards, kale, lettuce, yellow summer squash, leeks, onions, and winter squash and more. Most probably all of that won't make it to actual planting, though. I'd most like to try snap peas, garden peas, spinach, lettuce, carrots and snap beans, so will make sure to reserve space for those first. Time will tell whatever else makes it into the sfgs - goodness knows, I have plenty of seeds to choose from - have a tiny little problem with buying too many seeds.

I've never before tried spinach and lettuce. Absolutely love spinach just about any way you serve it. Want to try snap beans again because they failed miserably this first time I planted them. Also want to try carrots again because my Carrot Week carrots have never done anything but show some greenery. I think they'd work better in a fall garden. Can't wait to plant!

I hear you! I don't know just how many of us there there are, but I will inquire and share what I can find out. I too am a seedaholic and have far more than I can plant in the current space. To compound the problem I take cuttings and start new plants too. You and I want to try alot of the same things. Turnips, spinach, beets (red and gold), radishes, sugar snap peas, carrots,chard, collards, lettuce, leeks, onions, and winter squash are all on my list as well. I would also like to grow kohlrabi, bok choy, and garlic. If you have any ideas on how to get our people to be more involved in the forum I would love to hear them.

Hi
Happy 4th of July to all.
I have found the extension office and will be paying them a visit asap to see what they have to offer. I have learn't so much since joining this forum. I started my first bed in May but could not get coarse vermiculite anywhere locally and shipping was very expensive so I used the fine one and hoped for the best. The few transplants I put in are not doing well at all but I have still enjoyed tending them and am looking forward to the next few months. After searching for a long time I finally found vermiculite locally so I am going to mix the correct "mix" and put it in my new beds all ready for the next growing season. I started a compost heap as well so trying to find compost in the future wont be an issue either. Oh I think I went a little overboard buying seeds but I guess it is a learning curve. I would love to know if there was anyone out there who is close to me.

Shannon said

I would also like to grow kohlrabi, bok choy, and garlic.

Those are on my want list, too, Shannon. I just listed "and more" because, like I said, I tend to get carried away. I've never tried any of those three before, but would love to. Somebody just posted a pic of their kohlrabi and it looked so beautiful (well, in a weird kind of beautiful way - it is a strange looking plant!).

I don't have garlic cloves for planting, yet, though. I hope to order some - doubt I'd find them in my local stores. What fun to try all sorts of new veggies!!!

mamamagoo wrote:Hi
Happy 4th of July to all.
I have found the extension office and will be paying them a visit asap to see what they have to offer. I have learn't so much since joining this forum. I started my first bed in May but could not get coarse vermiculite anywhere locally and shipping was very expensive so I used the fine one and hoped for the best. The few transplants I put in are not doing well at all but I have still enjoyed tending them and am looking forward to the next few months. After searching for a long time I finally found vermiculite locally so I am going to mix the correct "mix" and put it in my new beds all ready for the next growing season. I started a compost heap as well so trying to find compost in the future wont be an issue either. Oh I think I went a little overboard buying seeds but I guess it is a learning curve. I would love to know if there was anyone out there who is close to me.

I had a hard time finding corse vermiculite too and used med grade, now that I have found the corse grade I can see it realy makes a differance.
on starting a compost heap. Sadly I am not able to compost that way as I can't turn one. I am researching worm composting and that will be the way I will go. Wish I could have deep litter chickens too but not where I live

I found 2 big bags of coarse vermiculite at a lumberyard, only to get them home and find that one was actually fine, packaged in the wrong bag! I had already had 2 other bags shipped of extra coarse, so I mixed them all together and ended up with a very nice blend. Lemons vs. Lemonade!

GG

Hi
As a beginner gardener and also liking to have a step by step plan to follow I thought others may benefit from this link.
This whole site has some really great info.

http://www.thevegetablegarden.info/resources/garden-calendar/zones-9-10-garden-calendar

mamamagoo wrote:Hi
As a beginner gardener and also liking to have a step by step plan to follow I thought others may benefit from this link.
This whole site has some really great info.

http://www.thevegetablegarden.info/resources/garden-calendar/zones-9-10-garden-calendar

Thanks for this link!!

You are very welcome.

I'd like to add my thanks for the great link, too, mammamagoo. I've been surfing the net looking for such information lately, while trying to plan my fall garden, and hadn't found this great site. I'll be using it for sure!

I think that's a very good point about our gardens being victory gardens. When the victory gardens were started, we were fighting a world war, and growing a garden, along with perhaps chickens and/or rabbits, was seen as a patriotic thing... a way to produce your own food so that more could be sent to the troops.

Now we are facing economic hardship. I believe it will get worse before it gets better. Like you pointed out, every bean and cucumber and tomato that we pull out of our gardens is one less that has to be transported using oil purchased from countries that hate our guts. It is a patriotic thing, and a way to help us all through hard times. Each person who produces at least some of his own food is one person who is less likely to need significant help in those hard times. These are truly victory gardens.

Agreed MissM! Good thinking!

Miss M wrote:I think that's a very good point about our gardens being victory gardens. When the victory gardens were started, we were fighting a world war, and growing a garden, along with perhaps chickens and/or rabbits, was seen as a patriotic thing... a way to produce your own food so that more could be sent to the troops.

Now we are facing economic hardship. I believe it will get worse before it gets better. Like you pointed out, every bean and cucumber and tomato that we pull out of our gardens is one less that has to be transported using oil purchased from countries that hate our guts. It is a patriotic thing, and a way to help us all through hard times. Each person who produces at least some of his own food is one person who is less likely to need significant help in those hard times. These are truly victory gardens.

so glad you saw my point and agreed. I think it not only makes us better US citizans but also better citizans of the planet.

Thank you for the update, Shannon! I'm working on my fall planting plan now. Being a new gardener, I'm still trying to figure out what gets planted when. So I'm in the research phase now. Gotta get a move on! =P

It will be fun Lurach. This part is new to me as well.

I found and dispatched 2 big legged leaf bugs in the garden this morning. One was on a tomato and the other was in the edamame. Why must they fly right at me? Anyone else seeing any? They look like this

this wonderful pic was taken by HGHjim

Yes!! They have been all around my cukes, zukes and watermelon. And they are not even fazed by my Neem spray. So Hubby picks them off, and I hold the soapy-water jar. Of course, if he's not around, then I try to scoop them in the jar with the lid. I have no issues killing off pests, but I don't want to touch them. It's one of my few truly "girly" qualities. hehe

~Lu

Oh my goodness, have I ever been fighting those leaffooted bugs! I've been seeing more of the nymphs than I have the adult ones. I'm hoping that's a sign that I've been making some progress keeping the adult populations down by smashing as many of the nymphs as I can get my hands on! I've overcome my girly aversion to touching the nymphs - I can grab a handful of them and squish with my bare hands. They run in "packs" and so it's usually easy to grab many at a time.

I still don't like touching the adults - they're hard-shelled and prickly - I try to grab a glove to capture them. Then I dispatch them as quickly as possible. It's lots harder to catch them when they're adults since they can fly by then.

I don't really know of anything else (organic and nonchemical) that will kill the adults, other than smashing them - does anybody else?

I saw one of those the other day. I didn't know if it was friend or foe, so I left it alone.

And then I sprayed my son's bush limas which were being drained by aphids and such. Those bugs killed my other three bush bean plants before I knew what hit me!

I am currently removing most of the plants from my garden, to start anew. Some were finished with their season, I think, while others got actually too large (tomatoes 6 feet tall and threatening a power line, but you have to plant where the sun is, and your other stuff isn't). Then there are the beans that were killed by the aphids. And they were just starting to produce their second crop.