I am about 60 miles South and West of Katy. The rain in the earlier months reduced production dramatically this year. At this moment the only thing I am really picking and starting to ramp up are purple hull peas. They love the heat! The okra (Clemson Spineless) are about to start blooming, I planted these very late because we were still "cool" so late into the year and okra is heat loving as well. I do have a second planting of yellow summer squash that should be blooming in 2 to 3 weeks, and the second planting of Kentucky Wonder pole beans that are starting to wind up their trellis, maybe next month will be picking some. Sweet potatoes (Beauregard) are growing nicely, come to the end of August it will be time to plant more potatoes (Red Pontiac) and get the second crop for the year. Last weekend I planted some kale, carrots, zucchini, and yellow wax beans, these should all be bearing well before our average frost date. If you have some indeterminate type tomato plants in your garden that are starting to look rundown, find some of the newer growth, say a sucker that is about 10 to 14 inches in length, clip or pinch it out, trim the leaves, leaving about 6 to 8 inches of stalk and then the leaves above. Get a 1/2 gallon or larger container, or plant directly into the soil this clipping. WATER well, I usually start with 2.5 gallons for the first watering if in the ground. This will take root in a week or so, keep moist, you may need to water daily depending upon your conditions. You can use these clippings to make new plants for your fall tomato crop, this saves money and time. I may top dress with a little 13-13-13, say 2 tablespoons.
The vine borers are horrible in Dallas, too! They got all three of my zucchini plants! Grrr, and they are so wily, you can’t kill squish em! I’m looking forward to your experiment with succession planting the squash. I want to know more about those amazing sunflowers you have there. This is my first year planting them and I started very late. I have Hopi Black Dye, Italian white, an heirloom double.
Thanks for the info. This is my 1st year growing a veggie garden in central texas and not having too much luck yet. Thanks for reminding me I can start more plants soon! I do like having a long growing season--you only have one chance in PA where we came from.
Have you tried the Tatume (tattoo me) zucchini? It is squash vine borer resistant, and makes delicious little round zucchini globes. If you let them travel on the ground and cover the stems as they grow, they root and keep ahead of the SVB damage. They love to climb but I have found that some of the runners need to stay on the ground. I've grown them for 3 years now. Love 'm.
I do not see any flowers anywhere to attract the bees. I plant Zinnias and marigolds in pots spread out in the garden. The bright blossoms attract tons of pollinators! Marigolds planted around the tomatoes keep some insects at bay.
I love the idea of a table around the tree! Happy gardening!
I am about 60 miles South and West of Katy. The rain in the earlier months reduced production dramatically this year. At this moment the only thing I am really picking and starting to ramp up are purple hull peas. They love the heat! The okra (Clemson Spineless) are about to start blooming, I planted these very late because we were still "cool" so late into the year and okra is heat loving as well.
I do have a second planting of yellow summer squash that should be blooming in 2 to 3 weeks, and the second planting of Kentucky Wonder pole beans that are starting to wind up their trellis, maybe next month will be picking some.
Sweet potatoes (Beauregard) are growing nicely, come to the end of August it will be time to plant more potatoes (Red Pontiac) and get the second crop for the year. Last weekend I planted some kale, carrots, zucchini, and yellow wax beans, these should all be bearing well before our average frost date.
If you have some indeterminate type tomato plants in your garden that are starting to look rundown, find some of the newer growth, say a sucker that is about 10 to 14 inches in length, clip or pinch it out, trim the leaves, leaving about 6 to 8 inches of stalk and then the leaves above. Get a 1/2 gallon or larger container, or plant directly into the soil this clipping. WATER well, I usually start with 2.5 gallons for the first watering if in the ground. This will take root in a week or so, keep moist, you may need to water daily depending upon your conditions. You can use these clippings to make new plants for your fall tomato crop, this saves money and time. I may top dress with a little 13-13-13, say 2 tablespoons.
The vine borers are horrible in Dallas, too! They got all three of my zucchini plants! Grrr, and they are so wily, you can’t kill squish em! I’m looking forward to your experiment with succession planting the squash.
I want to know more about those amazing sunflowers you have there. This is my first year planting them and I started very late. I have Hopi Black Dye, Italian white, an heirloom double.
Me too my sunflowers died last week mb planted them to late.
Thank you so much for this! I am in central Texas( Austin) and I am new to gardening and you are perfectly relatable.
Thanks for the info. This is my 1st year growing a veggie garden in central texas and not having too much luck yet. Thanks for reminding me I can start more plants soon! I do like having a long growing season--you only have one chance in PA where we came from.
Have you tried the Tatume (tattoo me) zucchini? It is squash vine borer resistant, and makes delicious little round zucchini globes. If you let them travel on the ground and cover the stems as they grow, they root and keep ahead of the SVB damage. They love to climb but I have found that some of the runners need to stay on the ground. I've grown them for 3 years now. Love 'm.
I have not tried them. I’ll look them up. I like squash that root along the vine.
Yes our garden is burning up and having problems with bugs eating our peppers.....we are in south east Texas 40 miles east of Houston
You need some chickens to help thin down the Roly polies
I would if the HOA would allow!
Thx for the videos.
Can you say what zone you are in?
I’m in Zone 8b.
I do not see any flowers anywhere to attract the bees. I plant Zinnias and marigolds in pots spread out in the garden. The bright blossoms attract tons of pollinators! Marigolds planted around the tomatoes keep some insects at bay.
I don’t currently have flowers. I do however let almost all of my plants go to seed. So there is almost always something flowering.
I didnt get any squash this year all of them only had male flowers.
Austin area