Fall finally got here

[b54red]

By 7 am this morning the wind was howling and the temps were slightly lower than at dawn. A true cold front has moved in but without any of the much needed rain. Maybe the wind will blow some of the whiteflies away while it is sucking the remaining moisture out of our parched soil. I can finally start some seed for what was going to be fall but I guess will be winter crops. Of course down here we may or may not have a real winter but it won't matter if we don't start getting some rain. August through October has been a real bear down here for most crops because of the extremely dry weather and getting any new things going has been nearly impossible because of the heat, whiteflies and lack of rain. I have a lot of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts potted up and nearly ready to put out in the garden. I'm hoping we can get a big rain before they have to go out but the forecast shows none for the next 10 days but I'm keeping my fingers crossed and will enjoy this weather below 90 for a change. Finally it will be cool enough in the greenhouse to start some lettuce, spinach and onions. I tried earlier but it was just too hot and most of those seed just wouldn't sprout in the intense heat. I did get a half way decent stand of mustard greens but had to water 3 or 4 times a day to keep the ground moist enough for them to come up. I also got out some cucumber plants and bean plants two weeks ago and they suffered for a while but with a heavy mulch and lots of watering they are starting to look okay. They should do better with the lower temperatures if I can keep them watered and the nematodes don't get them too quick.

Bill

[Gardeneer]

Down in Southwest NC , to night for the first time so far seems a cold wind coming from the nort.
Since I moved down here less than a month ago, I have no garden to worry about.
Tomorrow's high calls for 65F and low of 51F. Almost 20 degrees drop from yesterday.Saturday night's low will be 42F
For Sure fall weather is here too.

[AlittleSalt]

I hope you get some rain soon. I lost the mustard greens. I think the daily near record high temperatures got them. It was 93 a couple days ago. There are volunteer black eyed peas coming up instead. It did cool off here yesterday though.

[b54red]

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

I hope you get some rain soon. I lost the mustard greens. I think the daily near record high temperatures got them. It was 93 a couple days ago. There are volunteer black eyed peas coming up instead. It did cool off here yesterday though.

My mustard greens survived through those same temps but I watered them several times a day. It is the only way to keep them going until the temps drop. If I were you I would go out and rake the area good and then just broadcast some more mustard seed and water them gently so as not to let the water pool and cause the seed to float and end up too thick in spots. You will need to keep the ground moist until you get a good stand and keep watering them daily until you get a good rain or day time temps get cooler. This morning it was 42 degrees first thing yet I will still be watering because the days will be getting into the 80s and with no clouds or rain it will still be tough on them.

I set out a dozen early broccoli plants about 10 days ago and so far the squirrels have eaten 10 or the 12 plants down to stubs. Three days ago I started my daily squirrel thinning every morning and evening and so far have gotten rid of a few of them but there are so many. I hope I can thin them down enough that my fall plants can survive when I put them out in about a week or so. I can live with losing a few things and not be bothered by it but when they deprive me of all the reward of gardening they just have to go. Last year I didn't get a single Brussel Sprout because of their constant marauding in my garden so this year I am going to try to slow them down early.

Bill

[dmforcier]

We got a bit of a cold front through, likely the same one that you saw. It might actually get down into the lower 50s tonight...

[Worth1]

53 at my house right now.
Worth

[dmforcier]

But of course, tomorrow it's going right back up.

[oakley]

A bit of wind and rain all day though still warm for NYC. Pulled into the driveway 1am an hour ago and the fallen leaves are so thick i could barely make out the path.
Pulling all the carrots tomorrow and whatever else needs tending. Smoking/grilling the last batch of tomatillos, onions, Hatch chilis and garlic for freezer packets to make salsas all winter...
Looks like a terrible weekend for garden clean-up

[Worth1]

I have my AC set on 70 and it came on one time yesterday late in the evening.
My garage is insulated big time walls and above the ceiling.
By paying close attention to the temperature outside I can choose to open the big door or not open it at all to either flush out hot air or not left cold or hot air inside.
Even in warmer weather I can open it up to let cool air in at night and it will stay that way almost all day before it starts to warm up.
Or the other way around in the winter.
This is why I think all garages need what is called a man door, PC person door.
A regular door to get in and out of the garage to the outside without opening the big door.

Worth

[mamaboog]

After the week of nearly fricking 90 degree weather, it was chilly today. I love it, though! I really do. Fall is my favorite. I can't handle the stifling southern heat. I mean, I was born in beautiful upstate New York. I'm made for this chill. Ahh.

I've been crocheting like a maniac since the middle of this week, anyway, in preparation! I should knit something and keep my mind fresh since my garden was just a crap show this summer. Bleh.

[dmforcier]

"Southern heat" -- in the Piedmont !?

Girl, you ain't even walked through the door!


Watcha knitting?

[mamaboog]

Originally Posted by dmforcier

"Southern heat" -- in the Piedmont !?

Girl, you ain't even walked through the door!


Watcha knitting?

Hah. Well, for someone from glacial NY, it's too humid heat for me!

And... Right now I'm crocheting a corner to corner afghan. I think I'll knit myself a cabled hat. I need to knit a friend a Jayne hat. Someday.

You'd think I'd be used to the heat after 14 years down here. It just feels like it gets muggier and hotter every year.

[Worth1]

Almost 90, thats almost sweater weather for some Texans.

Worth

[oakley]

Rain and high winds after a week of dry and 80. Cold and power out for 8 hours yesterday. (a neighbors tree came down). No suffering as we put in a transfer switch last year. 10 yrs too late but finally no need to start the fireplace, etc.
One last green tomato and a dozen SunGolds enjoyed.

[AlittleSalt]

I still have a couple of packs of mustard greens to try. The ones that didn't make it were in our onion bed to the south of our house that gets sun for most of the day. I planted a few in a different bed just to see what would happen. That raised bed gets almost no sun at this time of year - it's just north of our house. I planted 6 plants and 5 of them are looking pretty good (Picture)

Logic tells me that the ones planted in the sun should have grown well, and the ones in the shade shouldn't have. But the complete opposite happened. I used a thermometer in the onion bed. It was 82F ten days ago. Mustard greens germinate in soil from 40-85F. The soil temperature was 78F yesterday in the same bed.

I just put the thermometer in the ground in the shaded northern raised bed where the greens are growing. I'll wait 20 minutes and add the ground temperature there - - - 60F. I guess they like 60 more than 80 degree soil temperature.