Baymule’s 2020 Garden

[Rhodie Ranch]

I lived in Amarillo, both off base and on base, and remember tornados, dust storms and sweeping snow drifts.

I lived in San Antonio three times and remember humidity, pretty shrubs and flowers, and fire ants.

 

[henless]

I have to agree with ya there Bay. Takes a whole lot a land out there to support grazing animals. An acre of land don't have much. Just dust.

On the plus side, you have a lot less humidity!

 

[ninnymary]

Bummer since you moved to be close to them. It could be worse, like a 12-16 hour drive.

Mary

 

[baymule]

I have watermelons coming up and zucchini. I planted another bed of beets and they are coming up. I got the long green beans planted and 6 jalapeño plants. I planted Amish Melon seeds, the picture looks delicious .

Raising 2 feeder pigs and Cornish Cross chickens. Going to get a calf in August to feed out for the freezer.

 

[Xerocles]

I have watermelons coming up and zucchini. I planted another bed of beets and they are coming up. I got the long green beans planted and 6 jalapeño plants. I planted Amish Melon seeds, the picture looks delicious .

Raising 2 feeder pigs and Cornish Cross chickens. Going to get a calf in August to feed out for the freezer.

I KNEW IT! I should have asked! @baymule , who has 81 tomato plants. Has 6 jalapeno plants. And she lives in TX. Now I know I'm out of my mind with 20 jalapeno plants (and I don't even like jalapeno!).
Maybe I'm safe with only 6 zucchini plants?
Beets question. I wanted to plant beets (I actually like beets) but read they are a fall planted crop. Is it ok to plant them now?

 

[baymule]

Yes you can plant beets now. I have some coming up now. I love jalapeños but can buy a big jar for under $4. I planted these for fresh consumption. Or maybe if the stars align my peaches will make and I’ll make peach salsa.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm not that familiar with the Piedmont of South Carolina but I'd guess the best time to start beet seeds out of doors is to sow them maybe early March for a late spring-early summer crop. They are kind of a cool weather crop but hold up to heat better than many other cool weather crops. If I were you I'd plant them today and see what happens. They may work out, probably will. If not, next time you know to start them earlier. It's one of those trial and error things.

You may be able to grow them in the fall. Even if I knew your weather and first frost or first freeze dates I wouldn't know exactly when to start them. I tried growing some cool weather crops in the fall when I was in Arkansas. It did not work out. I had to start them in the heat of August to give them time to mature. Cool weather crops generally don't like that kind of heat. Even if they germinate they cook. Plus by then the world was full of bugs that really loved that tender vegetation.

On the other hand, down here in South Louisiana I can plant when the heat breaks and have a good winter garden, including beets. I personally like the beets. My wife really likes beet greens. That's a win-win around here.

Are you familiar with beet seeds, they are kind of different. The seeds are in clusters. each globe in a cluster is a separate seed. I don't always get great germination and those clusters are big enough they are pretty easy to plant individually instead of just scattering them. I plant the clusters about 2" apart in rows about 3" apart, more of a bed than a row. Then I thin to where each one is about 2" to 3" from it's neighbor to give them room to grow. I use a short plank to put in the first row, then back that plank up about 3" to plant the next row. That's the only way I can control spacing. Not sure how Bay plants hers. She's generally more talented than me.

 

[baymule]

@Ridgerunner I am definitely not more talented than you! Your gardening is leaps and bounds ahead of mine!

My garden is coming along. Things are growing, I still need to plant more stuff. My lettuce is bitter. Always. For 5 years I cannot grow decent lettuce. So I’ve made us salads out of broccoli and beet greens. They are good.

Beets. I have another bed of beets coming up now. I love spiced pickled beets. I even drink the juice when we eat all the beets.

Broccoli. I planted radishes along the sides and onions between the broccoli plants.

Reward!

I have some more pictures but they aren’t loading.

 

[baymule]

Weeds are doing great too. I pull them, trying to keep up. I planted short season plants together in one patch. When they are done, I’ll plant purple hull peas.

 

[baymule]

Well look there! Pictures showed up! Top pic is green onions, bottom pic is English peas.