Winter growing Question from Texas

Keger · October 18, 2012

The fall stuff is coming on, doing whatever its going to do. 50 plants, not so optomistic, summers are too tough here but we will see.

I stashed some of my market money from this spring and have the hots to try some winter growing. Nothing crazy, just a small, inexpensive greenhouse set up and I do like the looks of the Urban Farm 10 hydroponic system or some grow buckets.

Any ideas how this might work around here? It's SE Texas.

Thanks!

Rockporter · October 21, 2012

It gets real cold in Richmond right? I think you would do fine using a greenhouse and any kind of planting design. I use buckets and earthboxes but I am in South Texas at the coastal bend allowing for very little freezing temps although we do get a couple each winter.

Cole crops would do well for you as well as greens, beets, onions, peas, and I would even try tomatoes in a greenhouse.

Good luck, let us know how this experiment works for you.

Keger · October 21, 2012

It will freeze here a litte. I'll mess around with some stuff and holler!

greentiger87 · October 21, 2012

Are you talking tomatoes or something else? You can easily grow most of the traditional leaf veggies with just minimal protection. With lettuces, prewashing, separating/cutting leaves, and mixing into individual bags of salad mix will increase your sales dramatically.

tuk50 · November 5, 2012

Keger, I've been doing a bit of winter gardening here in Tucson over the years, but after working out my schedule of planting, I've found that its not only easier, less water and a wider variety of vegetables. It has become a fun project to keep my garden going most of the year. Greens are one thing that my family loves and the kale and collards actually taste better after a light frost. My lows are in the 20's here with an occasional year down into the teens for a few hours early in the morning. I've only had my water faucets freeze twice in 30years here. I also love turnips raw and they, beets and carrots do great in the winter and I can just leave them in the ground till ready to eat, which is a lot less work than having to harvest and storing them. A few other things we like and that does better in the winter here, brussel sprouts, broccoli, savoy cabbage, radishes, mustard, onions, cabbage and kohlrabi. From Sept till Thanksgiving I will plant a few seeds every time I clear out a tomato, okra, eggplant or pole bean. It does seem to work better with a lot of small plantings instead of one long row. After it gets too cold and things don't grow fast, they will really take off in the spring and get replaced with my warm weather crop when the soil warms up. http://tucsonorganicgardeners.org/As...ntingGuide.pdf this is a website planting schedule that I use and would probably work for you with a few modifications.

Keger · November 5, 2012

Thanks Tuk,

I am going to do a lot of greens and see what happens, not enough daylight for the fruting stuff now. From what I can tell anyway.

Worth1 · November 6, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keger

Thanks Tuk,

I am going to do a lot of greens and see what happens, not enough daylight for the fruiting stuff now. From what I can tell anyway.

I have peppers tomatoes and eggplant putting on fruit.

I wish they would go away as I want to plant something else.

Worth

Keger · November 6, 2012

Thats easy Worth, pull them. I guess I should have said fruiting and putting on enough to take to market. Aint enough.

Worth1 · November 6, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keger

Thats easy Worth, pull them. I guess I should have said fruiting and putting on enough to take to market. Aint enough.

Lets see one tomato 40 miles to market round trip.
$3.50 per gallon for fuel.
All day to sell tomato for $1.50.

We need to be subsidized.

We'll be rich in no time.

Worth

easttx_hippie · November 8, 2012

I live near Tyler and have had good luck growing in the winter. My cole crops and greens go under plastic if it gets below freezing. I keep the hoops in place on my raised beds so it's easy to cover. I kept some pepper and tomato plants in a slightly heated greenhouse last winter and they're still growing. I've got tomatos, tabasco and jalapeno peppers, eggplant, and okra still setting fruit. They're in containers and will be in the greenhouse by this weekend. Winter gardening in Texas is a lot easier than in the heat of the summer.

greentiger87 · November 14, 2012

Thanksgiving this year is going to involve a *lot* of tomatoes, eggplants, peppers and guava. And they taste so much better when they develop in the 70s rather than the 90s! SO sweet!

feldon30 · November 14, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by greentiger87

Thanksgiving this year is going to involve a *lot* of tomatoes, eggplants, peppers and guava. And they taste so much better when they develop in the 70s rather than the 90s! SO sweet!

You must be having a very warm fall in Houston this year. The years I grew tomatoes in the fall, by the time the tomatoes started to ripen, there had been a few nights in the 40's. Tomato flavor? Gone.

October 18, 2012	#1
Keger Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Richmond, TX Posts: 327	Winter growing Question from Texas The fall stuff is coming on, doing whatever its going to do. 50 plants, not so optomistic, summers are too tough here but we will see. I stashed some of my market money from this spring and have the hots to try some winter growing. Nothing crazy, just a small, inexpensive greenhouse set up and I do like the looks of the Urban Farm 10 hydroponic system or some grow buckets. Any ideas how this might work around here? It's SE Texas. Thanks!

October 21, 2012	#2
Rockporter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Texas Coastal Bend Posts: 3,205	It gets real cold in Richmond right? I think you would do fine using a greenhouse and any kind of planting design. I use buckets and earthboxes but I am in South Texas at the coastal bend allowing for very little freezing temps although we do get a couple each winter. Cole crops would do well for you as well as greens, beets, onions, peas, and I would even try tomatoes in a greenhouse. Good luck, let us know how this experiment works for you. __________________ In the spring at the end of the day you should smell like dirt ~Margaret Atwood~

November 5, 2012	#5
tuk50 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Tucson, Arizona (catalina) Posts: 413	Keger, I've been doing a bit of winter gardening here in Tucson over the years, but after working out my schedule of planting, I've found that its not only easier, less water and a wider variety of vegetables. It has become a fun project to keep my garden going most of the year. Greens are one thing that my family loves and the kale and collards actually taste better after a light frost. My lows are in the 20's here with an occasional year down into the teens for a few hours early in the morning. I've only had my water faucets freeze twice in 30years here. I also love turnips raw and they, beets and carrots do great in the winter and I can just leave them in the ground till ready to eat, which is a lot less work than having to harvest and storing them. A few other things we like and that does better in the winter here, brussel sprouts, broccoli, savoy cabbage, radishes, mustard, onions, cabbage and kohlrabi. From Sept till Thanksgiving I will plant a few seeds every time I clear out a tomato, okra, eggplant or pole bean. It does seem to work better with a lot of small plantings instead of one long row. After it gets too cold and things don't grow fast, they will really take off in the spring and get replaced with my warm weather crop when the soil warms up. http://tucsonorganicgardeners.org/As...ntingGuide.pdf this is a website planting schedule that I use and would probably work for you with a few modifications. __________________ Hangin on for dear life!

October 21, 2012	#4
greentiger87 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Houston, TX - 9a Posts: 211	Are you talking tomatoes or something else? You can easily grow most of the traditional leaf veggies with just minimal protection. With lettuces, prewashing, separating/cutting leaves, and mixing into individual bags of salad mix will increase your sales dramatically.

November 6, 2012	#8
Keger Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Richmond, TX Posts: 327	Thats easy Worth, pull them. I guess I should have said fruiting and putting on enough to take to market. Aint enough.

November 8, 2012	#10
easttx_hippie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Piney Wood Hills Posts: 423	I live near Tyler and have had good luck growing in the winter. My cole crops and greens go under plastic if it gets below freezing. I keep the hoops in place on my raised beds so it's easy to cover. I kept some pepper and tomato plants in a slightly heated greenhouse last winter and they're still growing. I've got tomatos, tabasco and jalapeno peppers, eggplant, and okra still setting fruit. They're in containers and will be in the greenhouse by this weekend. Winter gardening in Texas is a lot easier than in the heat of the summer.

November 14, 2012	#11
greentiger87 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Houston, TX - 9a Posts: 211	Thanksgiving this year is going to involve a lot of tomatoes, eggplants, peppers and guava. And they taste so much better when they develop in the 70s rather than the 90s! SO sweet!