A rather slow time in the Houston vegetable garden. I am picking lettuce, mustard greens and bok choi. Carrots and beets are coming along but it will be a while. The broccoli is starting to form heads–I should have started it a little earlier, but it should be ok if we don’t have a real hard freeze. The mite problem seems to have gone away. They spread from the turnips to the greens but I was able to control them with insecticidal soap. I tried just washing them off. It was easy to get them off, but they came right back up. On large plants such as roses washing works well because they can’t get back up to the foliage. Next week it will be time to start tomatoes under my grow light. (see post for how to)
I replanted lettuce where something had eaten the first batch and put some fine mesh wire over it, but the varmint got under it and ate all the Simpson lettuce, but left the Red Sails alone! I am not sure what it is; I think an animal of some kind. Snails or cut worms would get one plant at a time rather than all at once. Also nothing was left of the tops so whatever it was ate everything. Strangely in this one spot next to the trellis I have had this problem (last time it was peas), but nothing is bothered in the rest of the garden in this manner. Any clues?
I will be working at the Urban Harvest fruit tree sale again (Jan 19), probably as a grapefruit salesman. I got one grapefruit on my tree the first year. The orange tree (2 years old) also had one orange, but the squirrels got it. I guess they got all the persimmons also. When we I got back from Montana they were all gone.
The late planting of Derby and Maxibel green beans has been much more successful this year. The week after Thanksgiving, about 50 days after planting, I began picking a lot of high quality beans and have had successive picking every few days of about the same amount. I think the main difference from last year when the crop was rather weak is that I made sure it was in a sunny spot. Compared to spring planting which mature in late April and May the amount of sun is much less per day in the fall. Also the low angle of the sun makes more location subject to shadows. Beans and other seed crops require a lot of sun. Root crops can get by on less and leafy crops need the least. However, more sun is better for everything. In the fall Houston vegetable garden do a sun survey before planting.
Maxibel were a bit disappointing the last time I planted them, but this time they are produced right up there with Derby. Maxibel is long (7″), slender bean that has good “plate appeal”. I cannot tell the difference in taste between them and Derby.
Turnips have been disappointing. First the usual green worms had a feast and then some sucking mites took over. I will not get much of a crop, but I can always replant later. The mustard greens are producing well and have not been bothered by the pests even though they are planted right next to the turnips. Bok Choi is about ready for harvest.
I planted sugar snap peas yesterday. It is a bit earlier than normal. The old guide was about Christmas and then it was moved up to December 15. I think it a good idea to get them started before the main possibility of really cold weather hits. My brother already has some producing. He may be a bit lucky because October was relatively cool. They don’t like hot weather.