Hello from Southeastern Louisiana!

Though I've been a forum stalker for about a year, this will be my first post. I live in Marrero, which is in the Greater New Orleans area(zone 9b if you're wondering). 2nd year growing with SFG and since I didn't kill the veggies, I've added 2 more 4' x 4' boxes this year.

With the house hopefully going up 3 feet(getting money from the gov't is a nice thing when you've been paying taxes for 20+ years), I'll be looking at expanding my SFG into the front yard since most of the grass will be lost during the process. Next year I'll also be looking at getting some chickens for eggs and for manure(I've started reading up on raising chickens as pets, but I'm going to wait till next spring to buy them...though I may have the coop ready to go this year. And yes, I will be treating them as pets too, I don't really care for the methods used by our mass food producers).

I do have to say that NOTHING beats the taste of fresh produce...NOTHING...and this is coming from a guy who loves his beef(just wish I could fit a cow in the back yard for milk ). But with the price of food constantly going up, and with my not-so-healthy eating habits, I figured it was time to start making my own food, or at least a fair percentage. I'm just happy that this going green home farming movement has taken root(no pun intended) and that there is so much information on how to do it now.

Again, hello folks..and now back to lurking!

No fair just lurking. We need pictures. Since you are an oldtimer at sfg, you probably have some insight on what grew well for you in the hot, humid New Orleans area. We love pictures and I'm interested in what is happening to the house. I love to see my tax dollar actually helping someone.

My daughter and her husband have chickens, ducks, and a turkey. And all are treated like pets. She got them for eggs not meat.

Kay

Unmutual

Nice to "meet" you. As walshevak said, no more lurking. So glad you did not kill your veggies last year and are ready to expand. Many of us start out small and expand each year.

Most everyone will agree with you that home grown veggies taste so much better than store bought and you really don't know how long ago it was harvested. If the veggies are right there in your yard, you are more likely to eat them. Even my husband is now eating more than green beans and corn. He has found he enjoys salad greens, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, chard, beets and other things that he refused chose not to eat in the past. He even likes artichokes, eggplant, cauliflower and sugar snap peas, things never served in his home as a boy. (they never ate rice either )

Please keep us posted on your progress and yes, share pictures, we love them.

Hi Unmutual, !!! It's so good to see somebody else from my area of the country joining us. There are a few others. If you've been "lurking" for a while, you've probably found the regional forums. If not, you should check it out!

I, also, hope you'll not go back to lurking in the background and that you'll become an active post-er. Hey, if you can get things to grow in zone 9B, what works for you should (hopefully) work for me, too. I could use tips from people from the gulf coastal area. I think our abundance of unfriendly-to-plants insects, heat and humidity make things extra-challenging for us gardening-wise.

Do post some pics of your garden if you can - I'm working on getting my sons' help getting some of mine onto my computer so I can post. It's my first year for sfgardening and I love it, like I knew I would. I love the forum, too - so many friendly, helpful people - all with like minds about our sfgs! Welcome, we're so glad to have you here!

I agree, please, please, please, share some of your experiences with what does well in SE LA. I'm in NE TX and we get our share of humidity up here, although not near as much as you do.

Oh, boy just one more reason to visit New Orleans area (notice I said reason, not excuse, there is never an excuse, only reasons to visit NO area), stop by for Cafe Au' Lait & beignets and see your SFG. OH no, my mouth is watering, my stomach is screaming GUMBO. Can you tell I fell in love with New Orleans at first site. I've only been once, but I have been begging to go back ever since. I got as close as Gulfport Mississippi a couple of years ago, before my son went to Irak, but I could not get my husband to go through on our way home.

Okay, I'm sorry, I'll stop, it's just that my Mother In Law and I were talking about how it's time for some Gumbo last night.

Again, , and share when you can!

Unmutual wrote:

Next year I'll also be looking at getting some chickens for eggs and for manure(I've started reading up on raising chickens as pets, but I'm going to wait till next spring to buy them...though I may have the coop ready to go this year. And yes, I will be treating them as pets too, I don't really care for the methods used by our mass food producers).

I do have to say that NOTHING beats the taste of fresh produce...NOTHING...

Again, hello folks..and now back to lurking!

I could not agree with you more and who needs grass anyway? I also live in zone 9A and am getting started late this year have some peppers,eggplants,toms.cucs,and squash in pots but my TT SFG will not be ready until next week. I plan on growing more peppers and toms as well as edamame. Any sugestions for the rest? Should I just wait and plant cool season crops later?

As far as what I've planted and what did well:

Banana Supreme banana peppers(from transplants) did rather well last year, though I skipped them and am trying bell peppers this year.

Slice More cucumbers(I believe this was the variety, again from transplants) grew a little too well last year. This year I'm trying just one plant and running it up the trellis.

Better Boy(yes, transplant...I didn't do any direct seeding last year) did okay, but the fruit did go through some cracking. Last year was very dry though and my watering was not 100%. This year looks to be another drier than usual year for me. The cracked skin didn't stop me from eating the good bits though!

Oregon Sugar Pod grew very well during the winter/spring( I just harvested the last yesterday). As did the Danver 126 carrots, some locally bought red, yellow and white onions(from sets) and goose neck garlic(just started flowering). Also the Burpee Evergreen Long White Bunching Onions did well(and tasty...I love green onions).

Curly leafed parsley overwintered fine, and even kept most of its leaves intact(and usable). As did the rosemary.

Spinach and lettuce(white seeded Simpson for the lettuce and various attempts at spinach varieties) didn't do too well.

This year I'm trying(all from seed): Ferry Morse Roma VF, Burpee Hybrid II cucumber, Burpee Coyame Extra Large Jalapenos, Burpee Early and Often Sweet Corn, Burpee California Wonder Bell Peppers, Burpee Super Sweet 100 Hybrid, Top Notch Seed Creole Tomato(sold locally), Burpee Pepper Hot Mix(I take it this will be a surprise!), Burpee Habanero Peppers, Ferry Morse Dark Red Kindey(bush) beans, Burpee Organic Pepperoncini Italian, Burpee Big Boy Hybrid and finally Burpee Organic Brandywine.

The only odd thing I'm trying is in 2 squares: 2 corn and 2 beans.

The results so far:

Cucumber is already flowering, beans and corn are growing like gang busters(2 of the corn I have planted 4 to a square have the tassel growing, the other 2 where planted later since all 4 didn't germinate), the brandywine is surviving through my attempts at incorrectly taking off suckers(I nipped off what appeared as a sucker, but apparently having the main stalk terminate with a leaf just doesn't do it any good). I think I planted the roma and cherry tomatoes a little too late in the season, but I like experimenting, FOR SCIENCE!, as they say.

The habenero just seems to be sitting there, small and kind of yellowish green. But that's the same color my banana pepper plants where last year too, and they did fine.

Phew, I think that covers everything.

Oh, I got some potatoes too. Not sure what kind they were exactly, but they were bought locally and were red. I planted them whole(I know, I know, but nature has been growing them like that for a long time and I wanted to see..again FOR SCIENCE!). I planted 2 in 6" of soil and 2 in 12", again to experiment. They were cheap enough. Only problem is that the leaves are turning yellowish with black spots on them. I haven't done the research yet to see if this is a real problem or if they're just being ugly.

Welcome!!!!, from one Louisiana SFG to another!

I found this site a year ago and I have enjoyed what everyone has to offer. I started off with 1 - 4 X 8 for a fall garden and now have added a 1 - 2 x 8 for Tomatoes for the Summer. Just a warning, SFG is addictive, but in a good way.

I just posted my SFG progress so far this year, https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t6769-hello-from-louisiana.
We love pictures of everyone's SFG progress, so when you get a chance post some pictures of your setup.

Again welcome.

Unmutual wrote:

Oh, I got some potatoes too. Not sure what kind they were exactly, but they were bought locally and were red. I planted them whole(I know, I know, but nature has been growing them like that for a long time and I wanted to see..again FOR SCIENCE!). I planted 2 in 6" of soil and 2 in 12", again to experiment. They were cheap enough. Only problem is that the leaves are turning yellowish with black spots on them. I haven't done the research yet to see if this is a real problem or if they're just being ugly.

Most likely Red Irish taters, what is usually sold in "our neck of the woods". Yellow leaves with black spots does not sound good. Hopefully someone who knows more or has a link for you can help-I tried and could not find anything, but then I may need more coffee.