Larry, when did you plant your broccoli? I think I planted mine sometime near the first of September, and although the leaves look big and health (except today I noticed some chewed places), they haven't flowered. I'm not sure they'll make it through next week. It's supposed to get cold, as I'm sure you're aware. I'm just wondering what's taking so long...

The English peas are doing great. They really are tasty.

Hazel, purchased 18 plants around the first of Sept., 2 fell to insects, the others just grew wild after planting, no care what so ever. I had a lot of insect damage on the broccoli and cabbage, and not much on the kale and turnips

Larry

Larry,

If you ever find time to erect low tunnels, I think you'll really like them.

Hazel,

Plants will grow a little more slowly in autumn due to decreasing daylength (i.e. number of hours of sunlight per day) and cooler temperatures. The OSU-recommended planting dates for broccoli are July 15 (for Northern OK) through August 15 (for southern OK) and folks in between just pick a date in the middle. If you plant later than that, often the broccoli will freeze before it can produce a crop.

It also depends on the variety you choose. Some varieties produce in about 50 days and others take 70 or more. Actually there are some overwintering sprouting types that can take about 180-220 days, but I don't know many people who grow those.

With fall garden crops, success or failure in terms of getting a harvest often hinges on two factors: (1) planting on time---even planting a week or two late can greatly diminish the odds that you'll get a good harvest, and (2) cooperative weather. Everything we plant in fall is timed to produce before really cold weather arrives and some years the weather just refuses to cooperate.

Dawn

I can't remember what variety I chose. It was an organic one at Tractor Supply. It was an impulsive thing--that and the peas. It's been fun growing them both and the peas have done quite well. They are so, so tasty too. It just takes a LOT to even get a supper's worth.
The wind was so bad last night, that it ripped one of the broccoli plants right out of the bed! The others look good still, but probably not after tonight.

Hmmm. Our TSC usually has Burpee and Seeds of Change, so if we had to figure out the variety, we probably could just based on what varieties those companies sell.

With the peas, that is why I switched to Edible Podded Peas (Sugar Snap, Super Sugar Snap, Cascadia, Sugar Lace, Spring Blush, Opal Creek Yellow, etc.). By the time I harvested and shelled enough green English peas for a meal, I couldn't help noticing the relatively small amount of food I was cooking (the peas) relative to the big pile of empty pea pods I was throwing on the compost pile. With edible podded peas there's a lot less waste and lots more to eat. A lot of the time, the edible podded peas don't even make it to the house because I pick them and eat them as fast as I can pick them. My family hasn't caught on to the fact that I eat in the garden all day...... which is a privilege you can allow yourself if you are the gardener.

Dawn