Planning for [Early] Fall 2011

The Goods

Strawberry plants in partial shade == not good - In Oct/Nov move all the strawberry plants in the shade to the lower tier of the raised tier bed.  (Assuming they live.)  They can hang over the side edging and soften it; keep the fruit higher up.  Oh, and plant turnip seeds every 6" or so intermixed with the strawberries.

Kohlrabi is good.  Taste good, and low calorie.  Plant more and consider in place of potato at times.

Violetta Pac Choi Hybrid from Territorial Seed?  Yummy, pretty and holding up well into May.

Cucumbers are doing very well in partial shade.  They will probably do even better on a trellis or maybe the back fence.  They would also probably do very well on the 8" x 10' reinforcing thingie I got at HD.  I could serpent them all along the front of the podocarpus.  Burpee Pickler - this is doing very well in shade and de Bourbonne Cornichon to try something new

Tomatoes - hmmm.  Front yard tom's will be in the neon buckets.  And maybe some one gallon pots (the ingrounders can go in 1 gals until they go in ground).  If they go out in Aug.  they will need to start in front of the rose arbor but then as the sun moves south go over to the NE garden.  And that should work and let them grow out big under the trellis.  Speaking of big; the big rambunctious growers all need to go in the back.  Mortgage lifter, Tropic Boy, and Black from Tula.  Maybe try the Great White if I can get some seed.

Need to take cuttings from Tropic Boy soonish, and get them going strong to be ready for Fall tomatoes.  Early would be nice.

Mountain Magic is the home growers hybrid Campari like tom.  Hopefully it will be as productive as our saved seed currently growing.  Need two going in 3 - 5 gallon black plastic nursery pots.  One for in front of the garden heater the other for ???  2 Dwarf Wild Fred, 2 Lime Green Salad and 2 Lemon Boy in pots.  4 or so Silvery Fir Tree in ground.  Maybe stagger them, since they are determinate.

Peppers - hot should be OK, they should keep going through summer.  That said, start some Roberto's Cuban Seasoning Hot Peppers.  Sweets - Key West X3R Hybrid, Cascabella for picking, Yum-Yum Gold Hybrid.

Eggplant - Black Baby Hybrid and Ping Tung (Long).

Squash - hmmm.  Note to self!  Calcium, calcium and more calcium wherever they get planted.  Probably some on both sides of the property.  Slick Pik, Early Balum and Eight Ball.

Broccoli, Kale and Cabbage(green) is good.  Brassica family.  Plant more.  Plant early and often.  They will do fine, if not better, in partial shade.  Get creative.  Just remember they need mucho improved soil.  Peat, Black Kow and Dolomite.  Broccoli Rapini, Mizuna, Redbor Kale, Graffiti Purple Cauliflower, Pieracicaba Broccoli, Spigariello Broccoli, Spinach Bordeaux, Ruby Streaks Mustard Greens, Dwarf Siberian Kale, Florida Broadleaf Mustard, Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Beira Portugese Kale

Collards - Green Glaze and Florida Variegated - get started and plant them around the house side beds as edible ornamentals.

Celery - patience is a virtue.  Try to find some spots where a few clumps can be protected from late spring heat.  Celery likes to be damp.  Maybe at the center pole where it will get sprinkler system from both sides?  And plant more leaf celery, that stuff is pretty tasty.  Wowzers, I should be starting celery seed NOW (mid May)

Bunching Onions

Basil, Marigolds, Society Garlic & Catmint/Catnip as keep the dang squirrels out of the salad bar deterents.  Hint - cut both ends off coffee cans and sink in ground to help contain mint roots and deter spreading

Artichokes! Imperial Star


Lettuce - fresh garden salads - oh my! According to the IFAS guide, lettuce starts in September.  Think I will play it smart though and start with some of the more heat tolerant varities.  And start them inside the house for the cool temps needed to get the seed to sprout.


Carrots, Radish & Turnips - Carrots & Radish I'll probably direct sow in the raised bed out back.  Turnips will probably start under lights so they can be stuck here and there, room permitting.  Purple Top White Globe and Petrowski Turnip; Hailstone, Icicle, and French Breakfast Radish; Danvers & Red Cored Chantenay Carrots; Bull's Blood Beet.

Pole Beans - purple podded - on the rose arbor & the crape myrtles

Location, Location, Location

Where, what & when - that is the question.  And I'm sure the answer is going to be changing as the season progresses.  Because the front has the curb appeal criteria, I'll plant as much purple edibles as I can, and mix it all up to look cottagey gardeney.  The Red Garnet Mustard we got from our CSA was not only very tasty, but also very colorful.  I may add some of that to the front.

Starting Lights - Ready, Set, GO!

Seed starting under lights will be ramping up first week of June.  I'm using the online seed starting calculator from Johnny's as a guideline. 

I was out rummaging in a shady spot digging out a Mexican Tarragon which is doing poorly to relocate.  Much to my pleasant surprise, I found baby broccoli seedlings!  What fun - will be interesting to see (1) if they grow and (2) how they taste since the mother plant is a Pacman hybrid.

I really, really want to try soft leaf lettuce in an earthbox on our front porch.  Maybe I can talk hubs into one for our anniversary.  Soft leaf lettuce under oaks with squirrels and rain and falling oak leaves just doesn't do all that well.