To late for a garden?

nathan104 · #1 05/17/08, 02:00 AM

Is it ever to late for a garden? I know its best to get it going early spring but if you fell behind, is there some point when its too late? We never got our garden going. Didnt have a way to plow anything up. Well, I finally have the equipment and would still like to plant. Will everything still have enough time to grow and turn out alright if I till up and plant within the next few weeks? We are planning on an area roughly 50x100. We will be directly sowing seeds and not starting anything inside. We will buy a few started plants for those things best not to direct sow but most will be just put in the ground. Im new to gardening so sorry if this is just a dumb question, lol.

auctioneer · #2 05/17/08, 02:18 AM

I'd say you're good to go.

Shinsan · #3 05/17/08, 05:30 AM

Not a dumb question at all: We all have to start somewhere.
It's never too late to start a garden a garden: There's always going to be something in season.
50 X 100 is actually an awfully big garden for someone who is new to the game, but if you feel you're up to the work involved, get stuck into it as soon as possible.
It's the end of Autumn down here, and I've already got a heap of work going on that will carry right through winter, (which is actually one of the busiest times, strangely enough).

nehimama · #4 05/17/08, 05:43 AM

If you're able to get it going within the next couple of weeks, I'd think you have lots of growing season left in your part of the country. Go ahead, and good luck!

NeHi

Rockytopsis · #5 05/17/08, 05:48 AM

The only dumb questions are the ones that are never asked. I would think you could still plant tomatoes, onions, squash, okra, beans, and corn and cukes. It may be too late for some cold weather crops like cabage and lettuce and peas.

I agree with Shinsan though start out small and work up to large. You don't have to plant the whole thing but can work on the unplanted part for next year.

crafty2002 · #6 05/17/08, 06:17 AM

I have several packs of seeds setting here and checked them and everyone said Mar-June for east Texas.
I have some already started and up, but still have a lot to plant myself. I am just going to plant what I can every day until I think it's too late because the seeds stop germinaing because of the heat.
Good luck
Dennis

Rocky Fields · #7 05/17/08, 07:00 AM

Hey.

We still can't put the tomato and pepper transplants we grew out in the ground yet...we're still getting nightime temps in the 30's. People in the South are spoiled with a long growing season;-)

You should go ahead and plant your garden.

RF

#8 05/17/08, 07:02 AM

I replanted once on the 4th of July and tomatoes and peppers started coming in middle of September. We don't get frost here until late October usually, so it worked out OK.

mary,tx · #9 05/17/08, 07:14 AM

I'd say ask around in the area where you live. Maybe call your Extension Agent and ask him. Here in Central Texas, the gardens have been in for a couple of months, and it would be a bit on the late side for most crops. But the main reason is that it is too hot to garden in the heat of summer here. Even tomatoes won't set fruit when it's too hot. (90 ? ) Since I have never lived in East Texas, I do not know what your summers are like.

I would also suggest that you check "days to harvest" on all your seeds, and choose ones that don't take as long.

Kshobbit · #10 05/17/08, 07:18 AM

I agree with everyone. I try to plant a fall garden here in Kansas and that is in July. It is usually hot and dry, so it needs to be shaded and watered by then.
You have lots of things you can plant now. I would buy some tomato plants to give them a head start. You can plant a lot of vining things, winter and summer squash, pumpkin, canteloupe in that big of a garden.
Go for it and have fun.

Callieslamb · #11 05/17/08, 07:29 AM

Read what Mary said again. It isn't too late for many things- but you will have issues with fruit setting. Even in E TN, it gets too hot in July and August and the tomatoes stop pollination as well as green beans. melons don't. I would look for crops that ripen the fastest. - such as 45 day bush beans rather than 80 day pole beans.

I also agree that 50X100 is a lot of garden. Perhaps you should plant 1/2 of it this year and put the other half in a cover crop to build the soil for next year.

Also...ask around. I can do a great fall garden here eaasily. I have an early spring garden, my main season garden and then a fall garden. (sorry to those who live in the north) You might be able to do the same thing - and so reduce the actual size of your garden area.

Do check with your county extension agency. They can tell you when and what to plant.

BlueberryChick · #12 05/17/08, 07:41 AM

Go for it! Due to a death in our family in March of 2007, my garden didn't get in until May. It wasn't as productive as it might have been had it been planted earlier, but we still had plenty of tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and radishes. This year, as my DD16 just pointed out, we got the garden in early and rabbits ate all the radishes and all but one eggplant. Rabbit stew anyone?

BlueberryChick

edcopp · #13 05/17/08, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zong

I replanted once on the 4th of July and tomatoes and peppers started coming in middle of September. We don't get frost here until late October usually, so it worked out OK.

?????? Where are you ??????

#14 05/17/08, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edcopp

?????? Where are you ??????

Yanceyville, NC. about 40 miles NW of Greensboro 15 miles below the Virginia line.

Rowdy · #15 05/17/08, 08:01 AM

I say go for it. As other people have said, the summer will hurt you, but that is an easy fix... Just plant part now, and follow this link to have an idea on when to get started for a fall garden: http://stephenville.tamu.edu/Hort/month.html You'll probably have to adjust a week or two, one way or another, but it is a start. Give your extenstion agent a call.

netexan · #16 05/17/08, 08:07 AM

Nathan, It's a bit late for corn as the temps will get too high before you'll be ready to harvest it, same goes for peas, lettuce, radishes, etc. You should be good with the other stuff though. Heck I'm going to wait another month before putting out winter squash and pumpkins. Let me know if there's anything else you need, I can pm you my number if you need it.

whiterock · #17 05/17/08, 09:54 AM

Not too late for okra, summer squash, cucumbers,blackeyed peas, or beans. We have planted all of these in June for a late "spring" crop.

Go ahead and set out tomatoes and peppers, the heat will keep em from setting but they will start to set when temps begin to cool down in the fall.

Come August and September, you can start planting your fall crops.
Ed

Maura · #18 05/17/08, 10:51 AM

Up here in the great white north, most people put off putting in plants until May 31, seeds go in earlier. Many people are just now putting out seeds.

mousecat33 · #19 05/17/08, 05:20 PM

Nah, jump on in there. Its a year round thing for me.

mc and co

homesteadforty · #20 05/17/08, 05:46 PM

What many garden information sources don't say is that for many, if not most vegetables you can replant for a fall crop. Much of the replanting here in Maryland takes place in July.

Even summer crops (corn, melon, etc.) usually do not have much more than a 90 day maturity level... I would think that in east Texas you would be fine planting about anything as long as you get it in within the next month.