Dec in the lower south

All you lower south gardeners chime in and let me know what you are doing. Some of you may have some winter gardens and others are just daydreaming about when we can start seeds. Are your seed catalogs arriving?

Kay

I'm on the South end of the lower south. I haven't rec, any seed cats yet! I started my seed in Jan. last yr. and it is soon approaching.
Gather/rake leaves in Dec. Peas are up and lookin good. Be bloomin mid March?
Cabbage, collards, mustard, spinach, beets, rutabagas, lettuce, radishes growing, to harvest as quick as ready.
Onions and garlic in the ground and growing, bout 1ft for onions, 6 in for garlic.
Have 4 acres of leaves, some haven't fallen yet. Have a quick/easy way to compost them?
I have 1 orange tree with 6 oranges, just a med, yellow, hope they make it til they get ripe. I was told by the garden shop that I may get a visit from the USDA. There is a ban on moving orange trees out of the county where I live(Colleton Co, SC) If the tree dies, I must save and report it to the rep. or face a fine, I'm just trying to have some fresh orange juice!
Making some compost, waiting for an early spring!
Jo

I didn't do much of a fall/winter garden.  Planted 27 broccoli transplants.  The rabbits ate all except 3 of them before I could protect them. 

My artichokes are thriving.  I think they liked the cold weather we had last week.  I expected them to die back but they look better than ever.

I am putting all my energy into shredding leaves, mowing the field fescue, collecting coffee and making a compost pile.  It is now up to 130*F.  Don't know if it was the warmer weather this week, the rain making the compost wetter or the freshly mown grass that kicked it into high gear.

Probably a crazy questions...but can I plant anything from seed now (Dec 16th)? I'm South of Dallas and have raised beds I can cover with gardeners cloth.
I've had lost my veggie crop for the last two years to grasshoppers, but hope with the latest cold and wet spell we've had they wont be back this coming year, so anxious to get started.

Will some of my Texas gardeners help out? I'm not up on the weather patterns you face.

Kay

canada6827 wrote:Probably a crazy questions...but can I plant anything from seed now (Dec 16th)? I'm South of Dallas and have raised beds I can cover with gardeners cloth.
I've had lost my veggie crop for the last two years to grasshoppers, but hope with the latest cold and wet spell we've had they wont be back this coming year, so anxious to get started.

Here are some time frames for planting in your area.

http://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-dates/TX/Dallas

http://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-texas-last-frost-date-map.php

http://dallas-tx.tamu.edu/files/2010/06/Vegetable-Planting-Guide.pdf


http://dallasfruitgrower.typepad.com/dallas-fruit-vegetable/2011/01/planting-times-for-spring-seedlings-in-dallas.html