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jbrickm

How late do summer vegetables survive?

jbrickm
13 years ago

This is my first year planting vegetables here in Ga. Morning temperatures are getting lower of late (finally!). I'm wondering how long my tomatoes, eggplants, squashes, pumpkins and peppers are going to last.

Can long time Georgia gardeners share their experiences?

Comments (9)

  • bagsmom
    13 years ago

    Usually, mine are fine and going great gangbusters till the first frost. Actually, the late summer months are horrible in my garden, then I see a bit of a revival in fall. The summer heat, dryness, and intense sun are hard on my plants. Fall is nice again!

    I'd keep a watch on temp predictions. When frost is forecast, you can pick your tomatoes -- even the green ones -- and let them ripen indoors over time. If you put the green ones in a paper sack with an apple, the gas from the apple will cause the tomatoes to gradually ripen. Just keep checking them every few days.

    I have never had much luck getting my winter squash to survive and produce -- due to bugs and diseases in July, but I'm pretty sure that a frost doesn't hurt them at all. Just your more tender plants.

    Good luck!

  • lrvjim
    13 years ago

    Virgil Adams once wrote " The challenge in Georgia is not to grow the first tomato, it's to grow the last tomato." With that in mind I have heard people say they put tomatoes on their Thanksgiving table that were picked from the garden.

    I've never come close to that in my own garden. By now my tomatoes, squash and beans are long gone. Peppers are the exception. They begin to produce more once the nighttime temps begin to moderate in late summer and early fall. Particularly bell peppers.

  • jbrickm
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Some of my winter squash plants (kabocha, winter melon, butternut) survived the SVB onslaught and are growing vigorously now. But they are just starting to flower now, so I hope they can last until they bear fruit.

    How long can I expect these squash plants to last?

  • farmerdilla
    13 years ago

    In this part of Georgia, I have to do a second planting of summer vegetables for fall harvest. Frost rarely comes much before Thanksgiving and I have picked tomatoes and peppers as late as December 17. Main problem is getting new plants to live in August. Won't do it this year, this drought is stalling turnips, broccoli, cauliflower, rutabagas etc. Has not rained for so long, I have forgotten what it looks like.
    Squash plants are tender, but short daylight usually stalls them long before frost. I am picking irrigated summer squash, but yields are low. Winter squash, what few there were are in the barn.

  • harleyhappy
    13 years ago

    My personal record was tomatoes and eggplants auntil December 4th in intown Atlanta. A late harvest won't happen every year and your microclimate and the health of the plants going into fall play a large factor.

    You can do fall veggies too. Broccoli, snow peas and greens can grow most of the fall/winter.

  • jbrickm
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    All my surviving tomatoes, peppers and eggplants are bearing flowers now. Let's see if they fruit soon.

  • xcel
    13 years ago

    My cabbage, collard greens & broccolli do well when the temps go down.. This year is my first year planting bell peppers. Since the temp went down they are producing more & larger bell peppers. I'll have to see how long that lasts. I don't think they will make it through the frost, but by that time I would have moved them in to the garage for the winter garden. I was thinking about just making a temporary green house for some in the garden with platic & tree branches..lol

  • jbrickm
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Daily lows were in the 40s and daytime around mid 60s for several days now. Will that kill my tomato and eggplant blooms? My peppers are growing big now, like xcel says above.

  • girlgroupgirl
    13 years ago

    My stuff is LOVING this weather. Everything is bustin' it out. The tomatoes are going gangbusters, the late beans are beaning, load of eggplant on the last eggplant...

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