Garden Update

Well, It was a long busy weekend. I managed to build 2 more 2x 12 boxes for the melons and got all but the melon trellis up. (Photos posted in gallery), I am glad to be in NE Texas I dont think I could handle having to wait till May to plant things like those up North but then again August heat is miserable, thats the trade off I reckon.

Purple hulls are up !
Tomato's are blooming!
Cucumbers from seed are sprouting!
Strawberries have begun to fruit!
Onions are trying to bolt, I cut the flower off (is this a bad thing to do?)
Okra not yet sprouted
Blue berry and blackberry have bloomed
Muscedines leafing out well

I am somewhat confused on the trellis locations I put mine on the west side of the boxes because of the afternoon heat here in texas, last year I notices that all the plants that got shade from one of the trees seemed to do better than the ones in full sun. Mels book and other comments suggest the North side of the boxes, I could use some clarification, Am I wrong in placing them on the west side?

No offense to Mel but I don't know that he fully appreciates August in Texas. I think putting the trellises on the west side is a good idea. A Texas garden can get pretty dang hot around 4pm.

We are in NE TX too, and I had wondered about putting up the trellis' on the west or south end of my boxes. We did have a fence line across the street that meant shade hit the edge of our property at 5pm, and by 7 we were fine. They cut those trees down this year, and I am seriously considering putting a few up on a few trellis' on the west end, even if I have to plant some Morning Glories for now just for shade. It just gets too hot here. In fact we garden by shade, we are out at 7am and follow the path of the shade from the tree at the east end of our plot starting at the west end and working towards the east. by 10am the whole thing is in sun, but by 9am it's too hot to even work in the shade come June. Add to that we have 90 percent red clay and tons of rocks here, even if we use good soil in the boxes, the rows between send off so much heat it gets unbearable. We could have had an earlier shade if we had put the plot closer to the house, BUT there is a tree there, and Crepe Myrtles pop up all over the other option if we don't keep it mowed, and it does not matter what we put down to prevent them, they just tear through it.

We have actually made the decision to put up a frame and cover the summer garden with shade cloth ,, then make a cold frame for the fall , just dosent make since to plant all these boxes and let the sun cook the veggies before they even get picked!

The rain started up heavy about 6:30 this morning, I'm sure it had been dripping before that, but that's when it started falling heavy, and the lightening and thunder showed up. It's still a bit strange for this Illinois raised gal to hear thunder in the winter, I've also seen and heard lightening and thunder when it was snowing-man was that something.

We got out and did some garden prep work the last few days, it was too nice not to, 4 days of 70 degree weather!!! My husband brought home a trailer full of dirt, 3 cubic yards for $30, it's more of a mulch, but it's black gold to me, far better than the red clay that came with the place. We dug the dirt out of a couple of boxes, and filled them with the new dirt, then laid out a few more boxes for building and filling as soon as this cold is over.

I'll be starting seeds during this cold snap, I got some flowers and herbs started yesterday, did inventory on my seeds, and brought all my supplies in. We have some friends who are going to share their greenhouse this year, so that too should be fun.

How's the weather in your neck of the woods?

FarmerValerie wrote:How's the weather in your neck of the woods?

Cold, rainy, cold, rainy, cold. I'd rather be in WI right now.

When I got up this AM it was in the mid 50's, it's now 4:30 and it's 26 degrees outside. I'm not sure if it is actually snowing, it may just be the wind, blowing the same few snowflakes around. Time for Hot Chocolate, my seed books, and a blanket.