Mid-South: October 2016

Since the next 3 days are going to be extremely busy, I thought I'd get this done now.

Here in the N GA area, the leaves are turning & falling. The temp this morning was 57! Couldn't believe it. And the weather guy is saying that by tomorrow, the highs will be in the 70's. YEA! Maybe we can get back on finishing the greenhouse.

We're still short in rainfall for our area by at least a foot. NOAA is predicting that our severe drought will continue through the end of the year. They are also predicting that the drought will extend more into the Carolina's, up into Virginia, and out towards Mississippi (on top of what those areas are already experiencing).


So given all of that, what can we do in our gardens in October? Besides clean-up, lol?

Gardenate says there's till quite a bit we can plant:

Beans - broad beans, fava beans (also Fava bean) Plant in garden.
Chives (also Garden chives) Plant in garden.
Corn Salad (also Lamb's lettuce or Mache) Plant in garden.
Garlic Plant in garden.
Jerusalem Artichokes (also Sunchoke) Plant in garden.
Kohlrabi Plant in garden.
Onion Plant in garden.
Radish Plant in garden.
Rutabaga (also Swedes) Plant in garden.
Shallots (also Eschalots) Plant in garden.
Spinach (also English spinach) Plant in garden.
Spring onions (also Scallions, Bunching onions, Welsh onion) Plant in garden.

I found that Home Depot has regional tips.

http://gardenclub.homedepot.com/regional-gardening-tips/middle-south/

The University of GA gives some advice for this month:

Choose the mild weather during this period to plant or transplant the following: beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, collards, lettuce, mustard, onions, radishes, spinach and turnips. Plant your second planting of fall crops such as collards, turnips, cabbage, mustard and kale.
Refurbish mulch to control weeds, and start adding leaves and other materials for the compost pile. Store your manure under cover to prevent leaching of nutrients.
Water deeply and thoroughly to prevent drought stress. Pay special attention to new transplants.
Harvest mature green peppers and tomatoes before frost gets them — it may not come until November, but be ready.
Harvest herbs and dry them in a cool, dry place.

Johnny's Seeds provides this information on fall veggie crops:

The cool weather of fall improves the flavor of many vegetables. Click through to select from the varieties to plant in mid to late summer for harvesting through the fall.

Vegetables
• Beets • Kale
• Broccoli • Kohlrabi
• Chinese Cabbage • Lettuce
• Cabbage • Radishes
• Carrots • Scallions (Bunching Onions)
• Cauliflower • Spinach
• Chicory • Turnips
• Collards • Swiss Chard
• Fennel (Bulb)
• Greens


Don't be shy! What's happening in YOUR garden?

Already planted late tomatoes, carrots and English Shell Peas.  Getting ready to plant lettuce and then spinach this week and then garlic later in the fall.  Cleaning out the aphid and mite infested cowpeas then planting Pacific Gold Mighty Mustard in all remaining beds to help suppress the southern blight.  Building and replacing a lot of beds due to southern blight and wood finally rotting.

Did not know about the Home Depot tips!

Me neither!  Thanks, AMarie!

Glad to help!

Was up in the N GA & NC foothills this weekend working. Leaves are falling and it's getting chilly overnight. On Saturday morning, it was 46 at my mom's. By the time we got to where we were going, it was 40. (About 6:30 am) And it stayed in the mid-70's all day. VERY nice...!

Fall!