What to plant

[Lazy Gardener]

Ah.... I just saw you are in Texas. How bout putting that in your profile? You could easily plant 2 and maybe 3 crops before the weather gets cold. Even here in Maine, just as soon as the frost is out of the ground, I put cold weather crops in, to be followed by warm weather crops, often doing 2, 3, or 4 sowings of lettuce and radish. My soil is not hospitable for carrots, but... I try every year. I might get a praiseworthy crop of carrots every 5 years or so.

 

[Chic Rustler]

I suck at carrots. Mainly because the seeds are so dang small and i over crowd them. This year i might try some pelletized seed. I really like canned carrots.

The problem for me with succession planting is the crop isnt usually done when its time to plant again or the weather goes wonky. Ive had success following peas with pepper transplants and corn with black eyed peas but thats about it.

Right now im toying with the idea of making low tunnels for my beds and starting them early.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Every layer of protection you add will gain you 1.5 planting zones. For example: IN my zone 4B, the poly covered green house (actually a high tunnel since it's not heated) equals zone 6A without protection. If I add a layer of plastic inside that tunnel, that brings the microclimate to 7B. So, in the green house, I could plant crops super early and follow the plant dates recommended for zone 7B.

Tunnels or cold frames are the way to go. You can get the stuff planted super early, then uncover it when temps settle. Look at hay bale cold frames for super easy. In your climate, you could grow crops year round with the use of tunnels. Unless summer heat and drought make it impossible to garden in mid summer.

 

[CrealCritter]

Sweet peppers are a must around here we cook with peppers a lot. Wife makes great salsa with hotter peppers.

One season of dried herbs will be enough for atleast 5 years of use around here. Basil, thyme, oregano, sage, dill, etc...

I'm going to plant a lot more onions this year, you can chop and freeze them, dehydrate them, can onion soup and I hope to get some bigger ones to make up bags of onion rings for the freezer.

Also going to plant more potatoes this year again lots you can do with them also.

Ok maybe I lied... i just checked herbs stash and they are way more older than 5 years. herbs grown in 2011 & 2012, still got atleast another year to go

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Still fragrant?

 

[tortoise]

Swiss chard? fresh young leaves for salad, the greens can be canned, the stalks can be used like celery, the stalks can be pickled. The plants produce all season, just keep picking stalks off for continuous harvest. I had about a dozen swiss chard plants last year and they were great and prolific. No bolting!

 

[NH Homesteader]

Now I want to grow Swiss chard!

 

[Mini Horses]

If you already have the seeds for things the chickens will eat, throw them out there. Those rascals eat every day and love fresh greens. Mine free range and they still jump on veggies! (and chicken feed as well ) So I like to dump all I can to them to keep that feed bill down. By the way, mine love turnips and they can stay in ground until you pull & feed. You often have rabbits, give them some greens.

I'd say, look at what you eat and can grow. Plant as much of that as you can use. No tomatoes? That's the one thing most feel they can't go without. For me, that is true.

Also, once your plants are pretty well established, the chickens will go in and eat bugs for you. Yeah, some veggies, too but not so much destruction except very young plants. Those are toast!

Limas? Melons? Pumpkins? Winter squash? Sunflowers (seeds)?

You've had good success in the past, some failures -- we all have that. It's a lot of work!! Maybe you need a break? Ask your wife what she thinks you need to plant. May be different from your idea. Plenty of beans? Remember those kids are growing and so will the grocery bills.

 

[CrealCritter]

Still fragrant?

Yes seems to be.

 

[Britesea]

In your area, you might even be able to grow swiss chard as a perennial. I know we had a swiss chard that was over 3 years old when we moved from CA-- it was a good 2 1/2-3 foot in diameter, about 4 feet tall. Even when it got covered with aphids in late summer, that didn't kill it-- it just turned into a buffet for the beneficials, and I threw those leaves to the chickens, lol