Too Hot to Fish, Too Hot for Golf...

[Meadowlark]

But not too hot for gardening.

With apologies to that classic Mark Chesnutt song for my modifications, in Texas we are enjoying 100/100 days and nights above 80 def F. But it is not too hot for gardening.

Many varieties thrive in these conditions, which one poster disparaging a study I have going on called ideal, LOL. Okra (first row on the right in first photo below) is absolutely thriving. I eliminated two ½ rows last week because we were being overwhelmed with Okra but the remaining two ½ rows are still throwing off more than we can use. Even the local food bank no longer runs out to meet our car because we have overwhelmed them with Okra.

The next row over to the left contains about 35 Jicama plants that I had originally planned to just run where they wanted, but the sweet potatoes, next over had different ideas. Hence, I added tomato stakes for the Jicama to climb on and it responded. It will grow through to the first frost, hopefully producing pounds and pounds of a potato substitute.

The sweet potatoes next to them have really gone wild. Three types one from Japan (purple colored potato), one from Asia (white colored potato) and another from Asia (yellow in color) have all completely taken over all the space and continue to expand. They will also grow until first frost when they will be harvested. Notice they almost completely smother out any weeds in whatever space they take…as well as several basil plants in there.

In the last 1/3 row of that sweet potato space are several seedless watermelons and cantaloupe. It isn’t clear yet who will win the battle for space, but the race is between the sweet potatoes and the watermelon with the cantaloupe far behind.

In these two containers shown in the photo below I have more Jicama (on the left) and Sunchokes (on the right) with both being experimental crops for me. They are doing well in the heat and containers. Actually, the Jicama is doing far better in the container where it isn’t fighting watermelons for space like the others. Sunchokes have definitely surprised me with their ability to stand up to the heat, but their above ground growth has definitely slowed or stopped. Of course, the proof is what happens in the soil, and I won’t know that until late October.

The remainder of the garden includes a "Big Rockpile" demonstration row of cover crop peas in their second generation, cucumbers, jalapeno peppers, sweet bell peppers, Toro peppers, the remainder of my tomato crop from spring and 6 rows of Sunn Hemp cover crop. All are thriving.

No, not too hot for gardening but you have to select your varieties carefully and they will thrive.

 

[redback]

Wow again. Are sunchokes the same as 'Jerusalem artichokes'? I'll check it out - and if they are - 50 cents says the chokes will win! Jokes aside I like the way you adapt and plant multiple species.

 

[Meadowlark]

Wow again. Are sunchokes the same as 'Jerusalem artichokes'? I'll check it out - and if they are - 50 cents says the chokes will win! Jokes aside I like the way you adapt and plant multiple species.

Yes, Jerusalem Artichokes which are neither an artichoke nor from Jerusalem.

 

[skinyea]

How often do you have to water the veggies? especially in the containers

 

[Heirloom farmer1969]

Beautiful sweet potatoes.
God seeing yours makes me miss not getting to grow mine this year.
As long as I've farmed/ garden, I've never grown sweet potatoes, starts, and the old guy I always got mine from passed away last February. I'm going to try to start my own next year.

 

[Meadowlark]

How often do you have to water the veggies? especially in the containers

Depends on how often and how much it rains and exactly what I'm growing. All these varibles and more come into play in my watering decision not to mention the moisture level in the plants themselves.

I recently seeded a cover crop...for that I watered the soil before seeding and after seeding and every day for about a week.

The normal cycle for my sprinkler system is every other day early morning. Sometimes that is enough, sometimes its too much.

The area with the active sweet potatoes, watermelons, and Jicama gets special extra watering because it needs it. Harvesting a big watermelon every other day takes a large amount of water from the soil.

The HK containers are a different story altogether. I've learned just how much they need from experience, and it is about two to three times as much as the garden all things being equal. Right now, I only have two tubs active with plants...but very soon I'll be starting to fill all of them with fall/winter veggies.

You having a good growing season?

 

[Meadowlark]

Beautiful sweet potatoes.
God seeing yours makes me miss not getting to grow mine this year.
As long as I've farmed/ garden, I've never grown sweet potatoes, starts, and the old guy I always got mine from passed away last February. I'm going to try to start my own next year.

This is my first full crop of sweet potatoes having gotten frosted out in a container last year.
I haven't grown them all these years because we don't like the taste of the "orange ones". The climate here is ideal for growing them.

These Murasaki sweet potatoes are by reputation the best tasting ever...we will see. Also, the Asian varieties are very highly rated in taste..and again we will see. I'll say one thing for them all they put up one tremendous cover that weeds cannot penetrate.

Thanks for your comments.

 

[skinyea]

Depends on how often and how much it rains and exactly what I'm growing. All these varibles and more come into play in my watering decision not to mention the moisture level in the plants themselves.

I recently seeded a cover crop...for that I watered the soil before seeding and after seeding and every day for about a week.

The normal cycle for my sprinkler system is every other day early morning. Sometimes that is enough, sometimes its too much.

The area with the active sweet potatoes, watermelons, and Jicama gets special extra watering because it needs it. Harvesting a big watermelon every other day takes a large amount of water from the soil.

The HK containers are a different story altogether. I've learned just how much they need from experience, and it is about two to three times as much as the garden all things being equal. Right now, I only have two tubs active with plants...but very soon I'll be starting to fill all of them with fall/winter veggies.

You having a good growing season?

Living in Maryland, I dont have the cray heat to deal with. But my County is in a drought ight now.
Funny everywhere around me has been getting crazy rain but nothing here. yesterday 2 blocks away it was a downpour, but I got nothing. I had to water my garden in June for the 1st time in 7 years.
Having a good year. will have enough to can to get through th winter. that is always the goal.

 

[Meadowlark]

I had to water my garden in June for the 1st time in 7 years.

That to me is the sign of a gardener who has built great soil! My own experience has proven to me that properly built soil needs much less water than otherwise.

 

[Meadowlark]

 

[skinyea]

Doing the sunn hemp for 1st time this year based on Meadowlarks recommendations. Will be in the ground for 12-14 weeks before I have to worry about soil temps getting below 60. can I cut it at 8 weeks and then again 6-7 weeks later?

Growing it mixed in with Cowpeas and then will turn to a winter crop of clover/winter peas/ etc

 

[Meadowlark]

That is an interesting combination. About mowing the Sunn Hemp, I'm still trying to figure that out. It is risky as far as regrowth and risks can be somewhat mitigated by mowing the Sunn Hemp high and while the plant is 3-4 ft. tall but the mowed plants will need to have water. If too dry after mowing they will likely die. If mowed too short or when it is too tall(woody stems) and it probably won't come back. Sorry I can't be more definitive or precise. The peas won't come back either unless allowed to reseed themselves at maturity and they won't be mature at 8 weeks. Also, they may get overshadowed by the Sunn Hemp, I don't know. Interesting.

My goodness that is a powerful warm weather nitrogen fixing combo!

 

[Meadowlark]

Here is a picture for Skinyea showing cow peas side by side with Sunn Hemp. This row of cow peas I nicknamed Big Rockpile to demonstrate to him how easy it is to build your garden soil without any synthetic fertilizers. The peas are second generation. The Sunn Hemp I threw out in empty space beside the peas a couple of weeks after the peas were shredded to reseed in early June.

The Sunn Hemp is towering over the peas as you can see. I look at that vegetation and think "look at all that nitrogen just waiting to go into garden soil" To me, that is a sight more beautiful even than the veggies it will produce.

 

[skinyea]

That is an interesting combination. About mowing the Sunn Hemp, I'm still trying to figure that out. It is risky as far as regrowth and risks can be somewhat mitigated by mowing the Sunn Hemp high and while the plant is 3-4 ft. tall but the mowed plants will need to have water. If too dry after mowing they will likely die. If mowed too short or when it is too tall(woody stems) and it probably won't come back. Sorry I can't be more definitive or precise. The peas won't come back either unless allowed to reseed themselves at maturity and they won't be mature at 8 weeks. Also, they may get overshadowed by the Sunn Hemp, I don't know. Interesting.

My goodness that is a powerful warm weather nitrogen fixing combo!

Thank you.

This year has been all about trying new things. Some might work out great some not so much.