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How weather plants
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Posted by thorspippi z9 CA (sac) (My Page) on Thu, Feb 24, 05 at 19:01
| I'm a newbie (purple-thumbed) gardener. Last year's crop was a total bust (well, I'm cautiously optimistic about my elephant garlic). This year, I'm concentrating on perennials herbs instead of annual veggies (mostly) and have bought an automated drip system which I hope will help things.
The summers here are extremely hot. Very frequently over 100C. Over 90C almost daily.
I just ran across a blurb that said broccoli was a cool-weather crop. oh for heaven's sakes. And I just started some broccoli seeds.
I found the reference on Sacramento Gardening but the list is purely annual veggies. Not perennial herbs.
How on earth can I tell that a plant is not going to do well in my summer climate?? The seed packages rarely say so! And the zone thing doesn't tell me either.
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: How weather plants
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| In your zone 9, you could have grown broccoli in winter and still get a decent crop. Most coles are difficult in very hot weather. I think that French tarragon would grow well there as would bay leaf, oregano, mint, rosemary, and even chervil, and marjoram. There aren't too many herbs that are perennials, so you need to keep digging.. |
RE: How weather plants
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| These are what I have in mind this year. Do you know offhand if any of these will be in trouble this summer? Perennials:
thyme, german/english
chamaemelum nobile (roman chamomile)
allium schoenoprasum (chives)
taraxacum officinale (dandelion) (in sunken 5 gal bucket)
oregano, greek
allium schoenoprasum (garlic chives)
tanacetum parthenium (feverfew)
salvia officinalis (sage)
red clover (Trifolium pratense)
hyssop, blue (Hyssopus officinalis)
savory, winter (satureja montana)
ocimum basilicum (genovese basil)
lemon balm (melissa officinalis)
mint, peppermint (in sunken 5 gal bucket)
mint, spearmint (in sunken 5 gal bucket)
lavender, english
rosemary
catnip (in sunken 5 gal bucket)
echinacea purpurea
rosemary
passiflora edulis (passion fruit) Annuals:
cucumis sativus (cucumber)
watermelon
pole beans
luffa aegyptiaca
nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)
capsicum annuum (anaheim chili ppr)
portulaca oleracea (green purslane)
dill
marigolds
amaranth grain (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) |
RE: How weather plants
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| Get the book Heat zone GARDENING- for ornamentals (doesn't list veg) and to learn the philosophy of considering a plant's heat tolerance as well as cold tolerance (hardly an issue for you) when selecting it. Remember- I'm in cold zone 8 here in England just as I was in central Texas. But went from heat zone 9? to 3-4 which explains why I need a greenhouse here for tomatos peppers etc and why growing sweetcorn and pumpkins without starting them earlier indoors doesn't always work here. |
RE: How weather plants
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| Thank you, Jennifer! I will look for it. (sorry it took me so long to find your reply!) |
RE: How weather plants
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Treat your zone like a 2-crop short season garden
Plant your heat lovers in the spring (corn,squash,melons)
And your cool lovers in the fall (brassica, peas, greens) OR Set out plants in the fall that you've grown indoors during the hottest part of the summer. Greenhouses in reverse:) I have a tomato plant that keeps on giving- just protect your heat lovers from the cold with cold-frames in the winter- Looks like I'll get 10 lbs tomatoes from 1 plant! |
RE: How weather plants
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| ahh, good idea! only problem is, I'm not sure which is which. Lettuce is cool weather. and now I know your list above. Do you know where I can go to look it up? |
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