I am considering planting a bunch of kale and leaving it at that. I do let my okra and bhut jolokia peppers grow until frost though, which does cut out a decent chunk of my garden.

Robert,

I have no plans to plant anything. There is no moisture in our soil and slim chances anything significant will happen to change that.

If I did plant, it is likely the hoppers would eat it all as soon as it germinated. They haven't been outrageously bad this year though they've been pretty thick, but this week I've seen their numbers triple or quadruple. I guess as the rangeland has dried up, they've all migrated to our garden and yard.

Most gardeners here in my area who are still getting anything are irrigating heavily in order to continue harvesting southern peas, okra, melons and maybe peppers or an occasional cherry tomato. Most folks have stopped watering and have given up.

The commercial southern pea farm near me is irrigating very heavily and their peas look great. They have acres of them, and are selling them for $27 a bushel the last time I checked.

Do I want to plant? Definitely. I want to plant veggies! Flowers! Herbs! Am I going to? Nope.

I'm just hoping the drought is not a multiyear drought. Hoping it ends before onion-planting time rolls around in 2012.

Dawn

Dawn,

It probably is a losing battle, just like my summer garden.I keep telling myself, if i was'nt in the hay feild at that critical time it needed water, maybe i could of saved it. But at the same time, if we had'nt of got the hay when we did, it would of been much worse had we waited.

My hay feilds were already browning in the early part of June.

I did'nt mulch the garden this yr and it really could not hold the moisture to hold the stress down.

I guess i'll see how it looks after i run the pond pump as to wheather it would be worth it.The grasshoppers are sure thick and too hot for the chickens to chase them.

If there's a Gardeners Anonymous that deals with addictions, I probably need to be a member. In spite of the wretched conditions, I'm buying seeds for next year and will take a shot at setting out some bush beans next week. I know it's insane, but I really, really want beans in the freezer this fall. I'm only starting 2 dozen plants, so there isn't a lot to lose if they don't make it or the critters get them, but I can't resist giving it a try. They are sprouting now and I'll transplant them as soon as they look good and healthy. It might give them a head start against the bugs. ( Maybe.)

Some of the things I ordered earlier in the year are still sitting in pots because the weather turned to garbage before they arrived. I may just pot them on and keep them going where I can keep a close eye on them, water them, and hope for the best. Most vendors are not even shipping stuff to us, since they know how bad it is. All the shipments are on hold for the time being.

I did order some fabulous new bearded iris, since the vendor would be sold out if I waited. They are so tough that they can make it through a lot of bad conditions, but I'll still delay shipment until mid-September and hope the weather breaks by then. It isn't looking very promising. The iris may end up in a pot on the porch until I can get them in the ground.

Pat

Well hope springs eternal. Weeks ago I took cutting from the Early Girls and started seeds for jubilee and some summer squash so ready or not they went out into the ground yesterday. Heavily mulched with shredded leaves and under mini hoop houses they are not dead yet. LOL There brussle sprouts are waiting in the wings till a little larger. Bright Lights Chard seeds have been bought. Acorn squash seeds will replace the stalled egg plants tomorrow.

Next year nopales and goats.

I've planted Asian yardlong beans, round zucchini, Fordhook zucchini, yellow straightneck squash and, on a DTM longshot, Crimson Queen Watermelon. All are in the garden and going great guns. I've decided not to plant another round of cukes because by the time they are ready, I'll be up to my eyeballs in Cub Scout Popcorn and won't have time to mess with them.

I've got five kinds of cabbages and 2 kinds of broccoli going in the basement. If I can ward off damping off until it cools down I may be able to grow them in the hoop house to maturity. I'm growing them really dry, which is tricky in an 85 degree basement. But then again, so is growing them moist. I'm watering each with a syringe. I give the project a 25% chance of success.

Haven't been able to easily locate local potatoes, so I'll likely skip. I do plan to put in garlic sometime after 9/1 when it cools down.

I am eagerly awaiting a steady diet of 90 degree temps so I can sprout my India mustard and spinach mustard inside. Once it's sprouted it will grow well in the heat. Then once it's cooler, I'll sprout traditional lettuces and greens. Lastly, my winter lettuce this year will be North Pole. I've not grown it before, but decided to make a change from the Winter Density I've grown the last few years.

My biggest disappointment is I don't think I can/choose to effectively beat the system on carrots and parsnips. It's just too much trouble to sprout long rooted veggies inside then transplant effectively. Between Mom and me we have 4 packages of parsnip seeds. We were ready. Those seeds have low germination after the first year, so I'll likely have to pony up for more next year.

Not me, not now. I will wait until it cools off and hope for a good rain. IF it rains enough I will plant in the garden proper. I want some Chinese Red Meat and Daikon radishes and some Chinese greens, some lettuce and spinach, arugula, kale. If it doesn't rain, I will plant small amounts of these in 4 ft wide beds and when it gets cold, cover the bed with a cold frame. Then will plant the greenhouse in-ground beds mid Sept-early Oct.

I will follow your way Dorothy. earlier I was thinking to plant lot for fall, but due to water rationing and I am not planting any thing until we get good rain, I also cut watering to existing garden drastically due to rationing and secondly they are not producing enough. Our Okra, eggplants, peppers, cucumbers, gourds are keep producing just enough for own consumption but not for give away. This year is really bad year for gardening. I am very optimistic for next year.

I feel like I will have to plant something, even if it is a pack radish seeds in a box of dry sand in the middle of the driveway.

Haha, Larry, let us know how that works out.

Not me. I'm done. For the first time ever in my life I can't wait for winter. Oklahoma has broken my spirit.

Jo

I'm thinking I might dig around and see what sort of containers I might have on hand and plant my beans as a bucket garden, where I can keep them on the east side and not go out to the garden (with all day sun and all the mite problems) at all. If they're in planters, I can move them as necessary.

Does anybody know how much soil depth they need? The roots only go about 4" down, don't they? If I have 8"D x 10"W planting trays, that should work?

Pat

not me. In July I planted some fall tomatoes in the perennial bed so I'll only have to water one spot. They are struggling.

I think I will concentrate on adding as much good stuff to my soil as I can for next year.

Although I am ordering seeds.

I WAS going to plant a whole bunch of daylilies from Gilbert & Sons, but now I'm not sure.

It may still happen, but my spirit isn't broken yet, or I'm just really, really stubborn. It was only 80 this morning, so I dug out 2/3 of a perennial bed that's against the south side of the house, which is concrete block, figuring that would be a great place for a fall/winter veg bed. Put up two sheets for shade, and tomorrow will seed summer & winter squash and a few other things. With the concrete block and the southern exposure, it'll likely be way too hot for much to germinate, but I'm gonna do it, anyway. At least when (if) it cools down, it'll be a good place for spinach and other winter-hardy things.
Carol

Like I've stated before I've planted some but have cut back. I waited and planted about as late as I could. And on my bush beans my stand wasn't the best and something ate a few. So replanted and that will be my last chance on beans. My sweet potatoes I started myself real late along with about 4 of Gary's that survived look good. I'm planting a few big tomato plants right now in containers I plan to move to the lean to when temps cool off. One cherry and one pear shape in them. I didn't get finished as something started falling out of the sky with bright streaks of light and rumbling. I ran to the house and hiding while I listen to the beautiful sound of rain drops hitting the roof and vents. Got some red in it so hopefully will get a good one. I have been deep watering. Even my sandy loam has sealed itself off. The old timers always told me it was best not to break that seal unless you planned on watering or wanted to gamble on rain coming. When deep watering if though I only had a trickle running it would just run along the ground for 2-3 foot. Then in 30 minutes or so the area would start shrinking and after 10-12 hours of watering the water would only go out about 5-6 inches from the source. I have only seen the sandy loam seal off like this 7-8 times in my lifetime. I remember 1968 was a year like this and ended about the same way. Jay

I have two flats of broccoli seedlings outside in the shade, and so far they are growing great. I also have fall tomatoes that are about a foot high. Ohter than that, I plan to plant turnips. James

I am going to plant a few things, stuff that could be watered by hand. I am also going to mix up some grasshopper bait. They lay there eggs in the fall. Last thing I want is for the thousands of hoppers to become millions! Figure even if the stuff I sow in the ground is just used to attract the hoppers to the bait it will be worth it!

2 yrs ago I would not have considered, but ever newly planted fruit tree has been chewed to pieces by the grasshoppers. They have even eat large parts of bark. Grasshoppers are affecting my happiness they must go!

My spirit isn't broken either, but I am being practical. We are having too many fires and they eat up so much of my time. If I were planting anything, it would be in containers and it would be in a fenced area to keep the wildlife from getting it, and I likely would cover it with floating row cover to keep the hoppers off the plants.

Pat, They usually recommend 2-gallon pots as the minimal size for beans, with plants spaced 3" apart. I'm going to link the TAMU guide to growing veggies in containers as it addresses the different sizes needed for different types of vegetables.

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: Vegetable Gardening in Containers

That's great, Dawn. Thank you. I've certainly got enough big pots sitting around. Before the rain stopped and the heat moved in, I had some young trees started in them, but I've lost just about every one of them. The beans all sprouted, so if I can just keep them going in pots, I still might have a few for the freezer. If I can move the pots around to control the amount of direct sun they are getting, it might work better.
I don't think there's any point in putting anything at all out in the garden patch. I had a neighbor come over yesterday and strip the pepper plants, since they were just scorching in the sun. He said he got about 90 peppers from that little row, which is better than I thought it would be. If the temperature drops into the 90s next week, as it may do, I'll just get out and clean the garden and call it done for the year.

Pat

I have a space where the potatoes were that I want to plant something for fall, but have not decided what that is yet. A question of crop rotation... if I tried broccoli in one spot in the spring, can I do broccoli there the same year in the fall and move it next year or do I need to move it for fall?

I'm trying to keep all my tomatoes going until fall, because I really want to taste one of those great heirlooms from the Fling. The cherries and romas have even slowed down, now, but I see a "cool front" forecast for Tues and am thinking of bloom-booster shot tonight. I've got a Burpee's mix of 20 sweet pepper plants (started 3.1, sprouted 3.7, planted 5.1) that are vigorous and healthy, nearly waist high, flowering every day, but haven't had one pepper set. I'm sure it is the heat, so am hoping to keep them going through fall, too. Planted pumpkins and cantaloupe late June, so am trying to irrigate for them, too.

Have lots of seeds from the Seeds of Change giveaway that I might try to start, too. Better get after it, I guess!

Mia,

In some parts of the country where certain broccoli diseases are common, it is recommended that you rotate it from bed to bed every year to avoid having those diseases build up in the soil. However, I generally don't rotate mine because I've never had those broccoli diseases here and don't think it is necessary. If you haven't had broccoli disease issues, I think you could plant it in the same place in the fall.

If you had a serious issued with broccoli worms or cabbage loopers, you may want to move the fall broccoli as far away from the location of the spring planting as possible, or you can plant in the same place and just watch extra carefully for them. I don't usually have a trouble with them on fall crops.

I rotate very little because I do so much soil building annually in terms of adding compost that the soil is constsantly replenished with nutrients, and I really don't have disease problems much at all nor do pests build up into large numbers, likely because the beneficials are dealing with them. I guess I am a bad example if you're looking for someone who would encourage you to use crop rotation.

Pat, Today I didn't have a chance to even look at my garden until about 2 p.m. because we'd been gone to a fire, so I don't know how my peppers looked this morning, but they looked wilted and horribly sad last night and they look even droopier and worse this afternoon. Keep in mind I had watered them deeply yesterday a.m. and they are shaded by 75% shade cloth. However, our temps have been 111-113 and our lows in the low to mid-80s and it has been windy. I think I am just going to strip the peppers off of them tonight or early tomorrow and give up. If they cannot tolerate these temps with shading and deep watering, then there isn't anything else I can do.

I've never had peppers this unhappy before, but then we've been in the 90s and higher since June 1st and at 100 or above for about 35 or 36 consecutive days and maybe they are as tired of the weather as I am. Watering helps, but only to some extent. It should be a good pepper year, but the weather seems determined that it won't be.

I'd like to think I can keep the peppers hanging on another week to see if the cool weather arrives and helps, although in this case 'cool weather' still will be highs around 102-105.

Really, though, between taking care of the animals and going to fires, I don't even have time to open the garden gate and go inside, so I probably need to quit fretting over the garden and just move on and start making plans for next year.

Dawn

Well, I'm in again! I was ready to throw in the towel and open the gate for my husband to bring in the brushhog - but then I saw we MAY have a few cooler days next week - and possible even some rain... so this morning I picked off more hornworms and more hornworms and then gave the tomatoes and peppers a drink of SuperBloom - I'm thinking like Mia - maybe they will bloom and during those few cool hours maybe they will set something.

I'll be planting a fall garden, but here in AZ, the fall gardening seasons is one of the best garden seasons of the year. I can hardly wait for cooler weather!
Many of my plants are showing signs of chloriosis, I'm assuming the heat effects mineral uptake?
The worst part of planting this fall's garden, for me, is that I need to haul a bunch of manure and probably buy some trailer loads of soil somewhere. I wouldn't mind that, except that the forecast is 105-110 for the next week and a lot of stuff should be planted by the fifteenth. I may just have to be a little late in planting. I'm starting two new gardens, both 16x8 and also need to add more to the new gardens that I started this spring, because the soil has shrunk down to about three inches deep in some spots.
I also need to figure out how to cage my poor tomatoes without causing too much damage. The tripods that I made from bamboo this spring have fallen part and my tomato garden is a mess.
None of this work would be too bad if it weren't for the heat. It's hard to do much work outside in this heat, as you all know. I have five big meat chickens that have needed butchering for the past two weeks and I've been putting it off because I can't stand butchering them if it's more than about 100 degrees outside.

I just found that putting my beans in tubs rather than in the garden might be even more beneficial that I had thought. I got the report back on the soil analysis and was shocked to find that what I thought was my 'good' garden soil is sadly deficient in all categories and needs a healthy dose of amendment. The garden area that we tilled for the first time this year and amended at the same time is not in much better shape. It's okay on phosphorus, but deficient in both nitrogen and potassium. The ph is okay on both of them, as long as I don't want to plant delphiniums or something that likes a sweet soil. Looks like I have some work to do before planting anything again. I don't dare feed anything in the flower bed under these conditions. All I can do it try to keep it all alive and deal with it next spring, but what an eye-opener that report was!! It makes me wonder what it might be in the bad areas???
There was no mention of clay or silt or any soil structure in the report. Do I need to request that when I turn in the samples?

Pat.

My hat's off to you all, whether you plant this fall or not. All I had was stuff in 22 gallon buckets to water. If I try anything new this fall, it will be inside, in the air conditioning! Lettuce and spinach might like the south facing windows. The inside temps will still be hotter than those two like it.

My bucket stand-bys-- salad burnet, sweet violets, malabar spinach, swiss chard, french sorrel--are hanging in there. They may not taste as good as could be, or may be chlorotic, but they're alive!

The turmeric in the pots is the biggest surprise. I've never grown it before. It has to be watered, but it LIKES the hot temperatures!

I am new here. I am growing in raised beds with drip irrigation this year and have had what I consider good results given the heat and drought. Though I had been planning on fall plants I'm not sure i can justify using the water that it would take. I've pulled out a lot of my garden and done some early harvests to keep water usage down. BUT I am considering making a mini hoop house out of one of my raised beds and trying some kale and lettuce when the fall rains come in. Anyone have experience with winter raised beds, what to cover it with, how to anchor the hoops what to grow? I am loving how active this forum is!

Me, I call it quits except for a few herbs in pots.

I have about 45 feet of free garden row that I was saving for fall planting, in the hopes of getting down a few cooler weather things.

As of now, it is still unplanted, but I will probably put some leftover seed in there and give it a shot. I was sort of aiming for August 10th or so, to give the new plants a chance to grow fast in the warm weather, but not have to endure too much heat as they get some size.

I have managed to keep 14 various tomato plants alive, and perhaps 10 pepper plants, and my cucumbers are actually really taking off. It doesn't sound like much, but with the conditions this summer, I feel really lucky to still have any sort of production.

However it goes for fall planting in each of your gardens, best of luck to you!

I've emptied out all the big pots that had baby trees in them, since they've all died. I've got some bush beans started and will put them in the pots instead of in the garden. That way I can keep an eye on them and give them more shade if necessary. With any luck, I may get a few more beans for the freezer. Or not. I figure it's worth a try.

Pat