country n news-dont do it yet

COUNTRY N NEWS-DONT DO IT   YET

this week as i headed to my garden i walked passed
this arugula plant that planted itself at the entry to
our garden

it started as a transplant probably 10 years ago
i let it flower and go to seed each year
the butterrflies and bees love these yellow flowers

i have found the wild type arugula all over our yard
i usually just let it grow
picking the leaves whenever we need arugula for a salad

then
i walked into the garden
there sitting on top of a milkweed that was growing
in the garden
was this beautiful butterfly
not sure if its a monarch
its not quite their time yet but close

this milkweed was planted in the corner of the garden
3 years ago
i let it go to seed
it seems to find the right place to grow
usually on the edge of a garden bed

our contribution to the monarch problem
we as a society seems to be determined to
wipe them out

there are wild type milkweeds called antelope horns
that grow wild on our property
i mow around them and let them go to seed
apparently these wild ones are better for the
monarchs

as i walked around my garden
the fall tomatoes are growing good
and are getting blooms
getting ready to produce our first fall tomatoes

we are harvesting a few juliet tomatoes that planted
itself around a citrus tree i planted this spring
the juliettes have been producing all summer long
they are now bursting with tons of blooms
getting ready to produce an abundant fall crop

the okra are growing like crazy
we use them in cooking
pickle them
fry them
grill them with other veggies
cook them in the crockpot with tomatoes and onions

we are still eating the malibar spinach that grows
the hotter it gets
we eat it in salads
spinach casserole
pasta dishes

the purple hull peas i planted in our winter bed
are making its final push to produce its last crop
since
after this crop
i will trim them to the ground
leaving the roots in place
feeding the vines to the chickens
which coverts them to compost for us to use

then
i plan to put down about 3-4 inches of our country n compost
spread a generous dusting of cottonseed meal
a sprinkling of organic garden fertilizer
i use ladybug 8-2-4
then
i gently rake this into the top couple inches of soil
then
water it well with liquid molasses and humates
then
cover it with a layer of mulch
either leaves or if i have access to it
pine straw

now its ready to plant

its cool this am
its 69 degrees
it feels fall crisp
makes you want to start planting the fall garden
todays temperature here will rise to 95
a cool front is coming through though
dropping the daytime temps to upper 70s and low 80s

now
i listen the the natural gardener folks on the radio each weekend
a big warning they are giving for gardening in central texas
dont plant you fall garden yet

i know the plants are at the nursery and big box stores
but
they say now they are the gurus of organic gardening around here
dont plant until the garden soil temperature gets 85

why
seeds like carrots beets lettuce dont sprout good
another heat attack is coming ready to wipe out what you have planted

plants like broccoli cabbage kale etc may survive
but get stunted by the warmer soil and heat
the plants get stimulated to go fast to bolting and flowering
which can make the final products
taste bad

now i am speaking from experience
since ive learned my lesson
having replanted seeds and plants multiple times over the years

all i can say is

dont do it
yet

the organicgreen doctor