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George Shirley[_3_] · 26-10-2017, 10:22 PM posted to rec.gardens.edible

On 10/26/2017 2:01 PM, wrote:
songbird wrote:

last night it was.
This morning presented our lowest ovenight temp so far this season,
too: 47° on my front porch, with tonight's low forecast to be in the
same range. 72 this afternoon, though. I find temperatures in that
range unpleasantly cool, so I'm gardening not just fully clothed but
wearing shoes, too—not a pleasant experience but, hey.... Most years,
we don't reach freezing temps until January or February. Good thing,
too. I'd hate to have to move further south because my Spanish isn't
all that good.
The garden wheel continues to spin. Mustard greeens, turnips,
"English" peas all loving the cooler autumn weather. The eggplants and
okra continue to produce, although, a few more 40-50° nights will take
care of that. Hoping the warm weather continues for a bit because two
varieties of snap beans, currently about 6" tall, need a bit more of
continued warm or, at least, mild temperatures. The Plan (how I do so
love a plan–doesn't even have to be a good one) is for more peas to
replace the snap beans. Cooler weather, though, allows for spinach,
carrots, and cabbage. Not gonna try any more broccoli, though. Climate
just doesn't stay sufficiently cool long enough for much besides rapini
to produce and most years it blooms early.

That's strange about the broccoli as we are about in the same zone you
are. Broccoli grows like a weed here, maybe it's because the garden is
so small and the backyard is small and has a six foot high fence. I
never have liked turnips but my folks loved them. We always plant
spinach, carrots, and cabbage does well here, most years, some years we
just don't have a hard freeze over the winter.

When we lived on ten acres we not only grew a LOT of garden stuff but
had a cow, lots of chickens and ducks, etc. Finally moved away and our
gardens got smaller. When we lived in Saudi Arabia for five years we
grew stuff on the flat roof of the house and grew it in wooden boxes I
made myself plus we had a few trees, etc. growing in very amended sand
inside our patio. When we went home a friend wrote a letter about the
Saudi families wanting that house so they could have our plants, etc.

Now we live on a 6500 square foot lot with a 1960 square foot house with
a wee little backyard. All of that being said people our age don't need
a lot of stuff to bend over.

George