"God Bless Texas" wrote in message
news
On Wed, 25 Oct 2006 02:23:44 +0000, Jonny wrote:

Thanks for input. Was unaware of 2 growing seasons. If so, must start
new
plants in late January next year to have any chance of decent amount of
fruit prior to May. After that, its too hot. Prior to September is too
hot
for new plants.

February if indoors, mid-March if outdoors. Sometimes it gets hot early,
sometimes late.

Tomato plants doing okay since spring, early March. They were troubled
in August. Now okay. Why would I replant?

Mine rarely make it through August. We replant in late August/early
September, protect from sun for first few weeks.

My thinking is regarding the dry NATIVE SOIL absorbing so much heat and
is affecting the raised bed garden soil temperature. Kinda like an egg
in a hot frying pan. Eventually the egg will get hot as the pan. Even
the jalapenos were close to dying for awhile, same garden. They are
also bearing new fruit and flowers. I don't remember this dual growing
season when I was young living with parents, from S.A. The same stuff
kept producing until it was too cold. All came to a screeching halt in
November. Am living west of Wimberley now.

I don't think SA gets the scorching heat that Austin can, I may be wrong
but I've always thought the humidity was a little higher and thus the high
blue days a little cooler there.

Cut a *bunch* of compost into your soil, and top-dress heavily in late
June - keeps the soil from drying and cracking.

But lately we've gone to lettuces and other cool-weather plants for our
second season, and started later in the year.

Green leaf lettuce and spinach didn't make it beyond May here. Planted in
late Feb. Spinach lasted for about 2 months, small. Leaf lettuce stopped
producing any good leaves around the same time and went into strictly
flowering.

I never tried replanting tomatoes in early autumn. The tomato plants
planted earlier are doing fine at this time. And not causing bug/insect
infestation or otherwise like others may be suffering.

I know Juniper Ashe ("cedar") is a no-no for compost. Buttload of that
around. What about oak from chainsaw cuttings?
--
Jonny