Planted cool season crops today....perk of living in this climate zone

[gimmethesimplelife]

Today I've been out in the backyard working and planting. I have made $78 this year on one of my survey panels and I cashed out recently for a check and cashed it and today I'm planting the results of filling out surveys for this survey panel. I've planted red romaine, kale, shallots, cauliflower and artichokes. And my favorite, basil, which actually does very well here in Phoenix. So looking forward to making salads with the lettuce and kale, and finding some used for the cauliflower and artichoke.

I also bought a container of ladybugs, I was told roughly 1,500 of them and released them around the property and am hoping they work as if I get pests on my crops I'd rather not resort to chemicals.....One of the perks in my mind of growing some of your own food is that you know how it's been grown and I'd just as soon avoid chemicals. Rob

[nswef]

Oh I am jealous, jealous, jealous of the warmth that allows you to plant anything! Not that I would do it...but oh, to be able to even think about it. It was 23 this morning, but at least no snow.

[gimmethesimplelife]

Oh I am jealous, jealous, jealous of the warmth that allows you to plant anything! Not that I would do it...but oh, to be able to even think about it. It was 23 this morning, but at least no snow.LOL look at it this way - come July and August when it is 108F and muggy here - you'll be able to plant things I can only dream of until October at the earliest. It all balances out.....Rob

[awakenedsoul]

Rob, I've got a winter vegetable garden planted, too. I'm growing arugula, lettuce, cauliflower, carrots, and broccoli. This is my favorite time of year to garden, too. We've had plenty of rain, and the heat of the summer has passed. I've still got tomato plants growing...

[kib]

And I have lettuce - infested with cabbage loopers that are also, unbelievably, eating my sage plant, spinach that looks like it's about to die for some unknown reason, kale - infested with aphids, and chard - infected? with some strange black slime mold. Gaaah. The tomatoes are doing nicely and have produced quite a few fruits but I doubt they'll ripen, a little too late in the season. Stomp stomp fuss fuss.

[pinkytoe]

Yes, gardening in winter is a big plus down here in Texas. Yesterday, I picked some fresh romaine, beet greens and oak leaf lettuce to make a salad. Today I will till an area for snap peas which need to planted on New Years Day. Oh and the fresh tangerines are everywhere.

[awakenedsoul]

pinkytoe, Same here. I've also got grapefruit, lemons, blood oranges, and navel oranges. Time to go pick some salad greens for dinner...