Garden Time, JINMAN ??????

[BB_TX]

It's way, way early to plant okra. Early May is better timing. It's a very warm weather/hot weather plant.

Now you tell me. Mine are about 3"-4" tall.

 

[jinman]

Now you tell me. Mine are about 3"-4" tall.

That just means you had a nice warm spell to get the seeds to germinate. I planted last year when it was 100º in April and my seeds popped up. Then the okra kept me busy picking it every other day for the entire summer. Finally about October, I'd had enough and just let it go. We still have so much in the freezer that it's not a priority this year.

Frankly, I'm just repeating what I've heard and my planting guide says May 1st and after in my area.

 

[txdon]

Jim, I planted about 1 to 1.5 inches also. My light color sand along with the cool nights and sleet at Easter are the culprits. My garden is at the base of my large sand hill and gets extra ground water which normally is good but with this wet Spring water has been standing between the rows for up to a week at a time. I'm not complaining after the drought of last year. When the early veggies suffer the wildflowers thrive. I have fields of buds just waiting to pop out.

 

[jinman]

In another thread that BTDT started, I was talking about my potatoes and how they got frostbitten a couple of weeks ago. They are starting to come back, but the ones in the hay straw are very spindly and they got frostbite while the ones planted directly into the soil are very healthy and didn't show any frost damage. Go figure...

Here are a couple of pictures. I think in about two weeks I'll have new potatoes if I dig some of the big plants.

 

[jinman]

Jim, I planted about 1 to 1.5 inches also. My light color sand along with the cool nights and sleet at Easter are the culprits. My garden is at the base of my large sand hill and gets extra ground water which normally is good but with this wet Spring water has been standing between the rows for up to a week at a time. I'm not complaining after the drought of last year. When the early veggies suffer the wildflowers thrive. I have fields of buds just waiting to pop out.

Don, I suspect you've done everything right by all "normal" standards in your area. Here is a link to a home gardening guide that is one of many good ones available through the Texas A&M website.

Home Gardening Guide for Texas

 

[BB_TX]

They are starting to come back, but the ones in the hay straw are very spindly and they got frostbite while the ones planted directly into the soil are very healthy and didn't show any frost damage. Go figure...

Jim - I am guessing the ground absorded some heat during the 2-3 wks of nice warm weather we had and was able to release some of that back to your non-hay potatos during the cold snap. But the hay insulated the other part and kept that heat from getting to those potato plants. Since the temp was right at the freezing mark, that was probably just enough to make the difference.

 

[jinman]

Jim - I am guessing the ground absorded some heat during the 2-3 wks of nice warm weather we had and was able to release some of that back to your non-hay potatos during the cold snap. But the hay insulated the other part and kept that heat from getting to those potato plants. Since the temp was right at the freezing mark, that was probably just enough to make the difference.

That's exactly my wife's theory, and I agree. There's just no other explanation that makes sense.

 

[jinman]

Here are some more photos of the garden from this weekend. I'm astounded at the growth of my purple-top turnips. My rutabagas are doing good, but these purple-tops are really jumping up. I'm already searching for some good turnip greens recipes.

If the weather holds up and we don't get a bad hailstorm, I think my garden is at least 3 weeks ahead of last year. I finally planted watermelons, pumpkins, okra, and more blackeye peas. The okra is early, but I only planted two rows. I'll plant more later.

Here are some more pictures with the titles describing the picture contents.

I know you must be getting tired of looking at my pictures, so let me invite anyone else to post pictures of their gardens in any stage of growth.

 

[Bird]

Jim, if you're still working for a living, who's finding time to keep the weeds out and keep that garden looking that pretty?

 

[txdon]

Jim, you could have at least left a few weeds so the rest of us would not be embarrassed to post. The okra (second planting) is ALL up. This evening I got the mini tiller after the weeds, but it was dark by the time I got about half finished. Maybe I can finish it next weekend. OH, WAIT! I'm retired I can finish it in the morning.