Lower South May 2017

Just wanted to start a thread for the new month and share the email about what to be planting with you all. As for my garden the animals have gotten to it or something but each day I go out I am missing another plant. There are a lot of pill bugs and ants that I think are the caluprits. Happy gardening all!!!!

Planting now in May for the USA - Zone 8b zone

Artichokes (Globe)	Plant out (transplant) seedlings.	Harvest from February.
Asparagus Pea (also Winged bean)	Plant in garden.	Harvest from August.
Basil	Plant in garden.	Harvest from August.
Beans - dwarf (also French beans, Bush beans)	Plant in garden.	Harvest from August.
Chilli peppers (also Hot peppers)	Plant in garden.	Harvest from July.
Cowpeas (also Black eye peas, Southern peas)	Plant in garden.	Harvest from September.
Cucumber	Plant in garden.	Harvest from July.
Dill	Plant in garden.	Harvest from August.
Endive	Plant in garden.	Harvest from August.
Leeks	Plant in garden.	Harvest from August.
Luffa (also Loofah, plant sponge)	Plant in garden.	Harvest from August.
Marrow	Plant in garden.	Harvest from September.
Okra (also Ladyfinger, gumbo)	Plant in garden.	Harvest from August.
Parsnip	Plant in garden.	Harvest from October.
Pumpkin	Plant in garden.	Harvest from September.
Sage (also Common Sage)	Plant in garden.	Harvest from 18 months.
Savory - summer savory (also 'Bean Herb')	Plant in garden.	Harvest from July.
Savory - winter savory (also Savory)	Plant in garden.	Harvest from July.
Squash (also Crookneck, Pattypan, Summer squash)	Plant in garden.	Harvest from July.
Strawberries (from seeds)	Plant in garden.	Harvest from 12 months.
Strawberry Plants	Plant in garden.	Harvest from September.
Sweet corn (also maize)	Plant in garden.	Harvest from September.
Sweet Marjoram (also Knotted marjoram)	Plant in garden.	Harvest from July.
Sweet Potato (also Kumara)	Plant in garden.	Harvest from September.
Tomato	Plant in garden.	Harvest from July.
Zucchini (also Courgette/Marrow, Summer squash)	Plant in garden.	Harvest from July.
Planting in June
Luffa (also Loofah, plant sponge)	Plant in garden.	Harvest from September.
Marrow	Plant in garden.	Harvest from September.
Okra (also Ladyfinger, gumbo)	Plant in garden.	Harvest from September.
Sweet corn (also maize)	Plant in garden.	Harvest from September.
Sweet Potato (also Kumara)	Plant in garden.	Harvest from September.
Tomato	Plant in garden.	Harvest from August.

Well, I finally got some things planted.  Had to, people gave me some of their left over plants and I can't throw them away.   26 tomatoes, 10 super hot peppers and 20 more to go, 2 cukes, 2 zukes. 2 yellow squash, 2 eggplants.  So I planted more cuke and zuke seeds to go with the plants and transplanted 15 basil volunteers to share tomato buckets and have more in the volunteer patch. I will pick up another eggplant, some sweet peppers and clear a trellis for some pole beans.  Hope nobody has anymore orphans.  I have also had a request for dill and cilantro so guess I'll dig out the seeds and find a spot.  

Kay

walshevak wrote:26 tomatoes, 10 super hot peppers and 20 more to go. . .Kay

wow

sanderson wrote:

walshevak wrote:26 tomatoes, 10 super hot peppers and 20 more to go. . .Kay

 wow

Agreed ... wow!

That is awesome Kay...I have one tomato seeding left out of twenty and only one pepper has survived as well. Wish I had someone with extra starts to snag oh well looks like its back to the garden shop for some starts.

well it happened again.  A friend of my DIL dropped off two pots of Philippine Hot peppers,  Each pot has about 6 peppers in it.  They are a different pepper so I'll bucket up 2 or 3 but the rest will just have to die.  I also have about 6 super beefsteak tomato plants that will hit the compost pile.  The garlic I planted last fall is still green so I'm hoping for some garlic bulbs.

i don't usually use Miracle Gro products, but I have 6 $2 off coupons for the 1 cuft potting mix.  Think I'll refill some of my flower pots with a little well composted horse manure added.

  Found a source of well aged manure/stable sweepings at a stable that feeds organically.  $7 per 50 lb bag.  Also going to use it for part of my next MM batch finish the pepper buckets.  Already added to the tomato buckets and the 'maters are growing strong.  I checked out the source's garden last year before buying and his garden is beautiful.

Kay

mschaef wrote:That is awesome Kay...I have one tomato seeding left out of twenty and only one pepper has survived as well. Wish I had someone with extra starts to snag oh well looks like its back to the garden shop for some starts.

Bummer!  They just didn't germinate?  Or died after...either way, still a downer.  At least there are options!

walshevak wrote:well it happened again.  A friend of my DIL dropped off two pots of Philippine Hot peppers,  Each pot has about 6 peppers in it.  They are a different pepper so I'll bucket up 2 or 3 but the rest will just have to die.  I also have about 6 super beefsteak tomato plants that will hit the compost pile.  The garlic I planted last fall is still green so I'm hoping for some garlic bulbs.

i don't usually use Miracle Gro products, but I have 6 $2 off coupons for the 1 cuft potting mix.  Think I'll refill some of my flower pots with a little well composted horse manure added.

  Found a source of well aged manure/stable sweepings at a stable that feeds organically.  $7 per 50 lb bag.  Also going to use it for part of my next MM batch finish the pepper buckets.  Already added to the tomato buckets and the 'maters are growing strong.  I checked out the source's garden last year before buying and his garden is beautiful.

Kay

I have used the miracle gro stuff and amended as well.  It did great for my melons last season in containers.  It is funny how we end up with stuff we didn't want.  "Oh she gardens, i swill give these orphans to her ad she will raise them...". 

Last year, I obtained 2 unknown tomatoes.  They turned out to be determinate smallish paste type.  Made tons of Crock pot Marinara!  Never grew a determinate before, changed my life!

My new starts come tomorrow and I got some more seeds to start too!!!! Now to do research on how to keep the pill bugs and ants away.

I'll hopefully get some pictures this weekend.

Hi mschaef.  I just noticed your location is Hampton.  Is that the Hampton that is just north of Griffin on 19/41.

cinnamon works for ants.  Pill bugs I don't know.  Are they really destructive.  Hope all these new plants will grow for you.

Long beans, zukes, and cukes have spouted. Eggplant and collard starts are still alive. I see a what might be chard sprouts in the right place.  If I can control bugs and blight I might actually have a summer garden.  I have 6 squares on the edge of a bed available.  Would plant tatumi squash but it is not trellised.  Too hot for what I really want.  Maybe I'll try mustard greens and see if they will stand up to the heat.  That is the bed that gets afternoon shade.

Yes the pill bugs love young tender plants. Every time I go out to water my garden I pull about 10 per square out of the box.

Thinking about maybe doing table tops when we get our own place.

mschaef wrote:Yes the pill bugs love young tender plants. Every time I go out to water my garden I pull about 10 per square out of the box.

Thinking about maybe doing table tops when we get our own place.

I noticed TONS of them in my compost pile when filling my new 3x7.

walshevak wrote: Maybe I'll try mustard greens and see if they will stand up to the heat.  That is the bed that gets afternoon shade.

I will really be interested in hearing about this.  I ordered red mustard greens, they are spicy, but got them after the spring plantings were in.  So decided to wait until fall (August) to try them so they don't get too strong....keep me posted?

yolos wrote:Hi mschaef.  I just noticed your location is Hampton.  Is that the Hampton that is just north of Griffin on 19/41.

Why yes it is...I drive through Brooks all the time to get to Peachtreee City for BMX races for my boys.

Just wanted to do a round up for the month of May. Had two different plantings of seedlings get killed by pill bugs. Finally broke down and had hubby get some organic spray for the garden store. Soak the box with that waited two hours and soaked again. The next day got new seedlings and barely saw 5 pill bugs when planting them. I would normally see 20-25 per scoop of dirt.

Hope everyone else had a great month of May. Look forward to seeing everyones progress as we move into the summer months.

mschaef wrote:

yolos wrote:Hi mschaef.  I just noticed your location is Hampton.  Is that the Hampton that is just north of Griffin on 19/41.

Why yes it is...I drive through Brooks all the time to get to Peachtreee City for BMX races for my boys.

Great.  If you are still in the area, maybe I will have someone (you) who I can give my extras to next year.  This year I just dumped about 12 tomato plants because I did not have anywhere to plant them.  If you ever come this way, give me a shout.  Would love to meet you.

Scorpio Rising wrote:

walshevak wrote: Maybe I'll try mustard greens and see if they will stand up to the heat.  That is the bed that gets afternoon shade.

I will really be interested in hearing about this.  I ordered red mustard greens, they are spicy, but got them after the spring plantings were in.  So decided to wait until fall (August) to try them so they don't get too strong....keep me D

Decided against the mustard greens and planted the last 2 collard starts in that area.  Mustard tends to get really hot and spicy in the summer heat, so I'll wait till fall.  

Cilantro and dill have sprouted and 2 nasturtiums which I don't remember planting.  Oh well, they will be pretty and attract bees to the garden area as well as spicy flowers and leaves for salad.

Ran out of MM and can't finished planting all the peppers until after the 1st of the month to buy new supplies and the weekend will be lost as I am traveling to NoVA to visit my daughter. Good thing I have a long growing season.   Taking  2 orphan white eggplant starts to her.  I have no more room.

Kay