Month: September 2018

It may not seem like much someplace else, but last week we had about 1-3/4 inches of rain. We have also now begun getting cooler weather. We’ve still been in the 80’s, but not as high into the 80’s. And tomorrow night, Wednesday we should get down to the low 60’s. The day after we’ll be lower temperatures – like Thursday might get to 76 as a high. Then for the rest of the week the evenings will be in the 60’s. And our daytime temperatures will be high 70’s with low 80’s as a possibility.

But right now we’ve had so much rain and great weather most of my seed has been coming up. My squash is beautiful and bountiful. I’ve even given some of my squash away. My bean plants are coming up and looking great. Some old lettuce seed is coming up gangbusters. The tomatoes are not looking so good, but I can live with that.

I did some weeding today. The wet and damp weather left it easier to pull out the weeds. The only down side is that I’m losing a bit of dirt from the beds. I really need to try and start a compost pile. That would do me well, but I’ve never set up a compost pile.

As is I’m thinking it might be time to pick up some soil for the beds. It may be time for a Home Depot run.

For over the past week we have been in rain, even if not every single day, we’ve had rain. Last week we had over 2-1/2 inches of rain. This week we’ve had almost 5 inches. Even though we’ve had just below 5 inches, I expect we may pass the 5 inch mark as its only 5pm as I write this, and we still expect more rain today.

I had put some seed in the grown, and we’ve had so much rain most of it is coming up already. I say most since I think some of the seed may have been old, and it doesn’t seem to be sprouting.

But we’ve also had warm weather. The coolest we’ve hit was 69 one night. Most of the days have made it in the 80’s. Last week we actually made it to 92, but this week its made a high of 86. Next week we might hit 90 one day, but most days it will be mid to high 80’s. But the nights will be in the low 70’s. That’s still good planting weather.

Actually its such nice weather we can be planting:

under cover or indoors – lettuce, and spinach

plant outside – beans (bush snap), beets, broccoli, brussell sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, cucumber, garlic, kale, leek, parsnip, and swiss chard.

I’ve already put some of these in. I’ve put in spinach, broccoli, carrots, cucumber, swiss chard, and beans. I think some of the lettuce that’s coming up is seed that didn’t sprout earlier. But the beans are coming up, they’re a few inches tall. Some of the spinach and possibly broccoli look like they may be sprouting. But I’ve bought some new seed to see if my problem is I’m trying to plant old seed.

Since I usually use seed and not purchased plants, and I just put it in the ground, I don’t put it in bedding trays, some of my little seedlings may not get off to the best start. I don’t sow using the best of methods. I tend to broadcast sow small seed. Things like beans and peas are such large seeds I tend to put a few together in the same hill or hole. This way if one doesn’t sprout, its likely some of the others will.

But the nice thing is the weather is great for fall planting. So if you are wondering if you should plant now, the answer is yup!

We’ve had lovely and average hot muggy humid Texas weather. Until yesterday. They’ve been saying we’ll get rain, but yesterday we got some. And with that rain, a slight cool down. Now for Texas a cool down means instead of being triple digits or the high 90’s, we’re in the low 90’s. So instead of being 97-99, we are down to 92, with a possible 87 tomorrow. WOW! Yes, that’s what a cool down can look like in this area. Crazy huh!

But the nice this is with this cool down we actually got just over 1/4 inch (per an outdoor rain gauge) yesterday. As for today we’ve had about 1/2 inch. Still not a lot of rain, but the yard will love it. I’m sure some other areas got more or less rain, but that’s what we’ve had here.

On the bright side, over the past few days I’ve put more seed in the ground. I’ve put in squash, zucchini, tomato, broccoli, beets, beans, and carrots. Now I recognize that some of my seed may be old, so I’ve put lots of seed down hoping at least some of it will sprout. We’ll see. I’ve also ordered some new seed.

Because of the heat we have, highs in the triple digits, and we had it for well over a week, I’ve been working in the yard pulling out dead plants. We’re having a problem with the watering system, so we’ve been having to water by hand. Its nice the weather is cooling down when you have to stand out in it to water plants. But with luck we’ll be able to get something growing and get some veggies later this year.

Wish me luck. With Texas weather being what it is, you never know what will happen. It could get back up to high 90’s all over again. But if it stays this cool, and we get rain for a few days, more things have a chance of surviving.

Autumn will arrive some day.