What to Plant Now: July 18 - 23

We just passed the first quarter and the moon is now waxing gibbous going into a full moon. Now is also a time to seed-in plants that fruit and seed like corn, melons, pumpkins, squash, okra, corn and southern peas. If you want to grow pumpkins for Halloween, get your plants started by mid-July. If you already planted these things, remember that it’s a good idea to succession plant and grow twice as much as you will need in case of disease and pest. As always, it’s best to transplant and seed-in with coming rains. 

DIRECT SEED
Corn
Melons
Okra
Pumpkin 
Southern Peas
Winter Squash 

TRANSPLANT
Eggplant
Peppers
Tomatoes

TOMATO TIPS 
When nighttime temperatures soar above 70 degrees F, tomato plants tend to produce fewer blossoms and the blossoms often drop before they become pollinated, resulting in fewer fruits. Here are some time and water saving tips for getting a fruitful crop in the fall. 

From The Natural Gardener:
“Cut back spring-planted, indeterminate tomatoes leaving about 1/3 of the plant, and feed with a high-phosphorus fertilizer to rejuvenate them for fall season. Sometimes there are still flowers and green tomatoes on the plants, but it is better for the fall harvest to cut them back around mid July. You can use any unripe fruits to make fried green tomatoes! Pull any unhealthy looking plants and replace them, then set up 40% shade cloth to protect your plants from the hot afternoon sun. Once temperatures cool off, the flowers will begin to set fruit. If you’re successful in keeping your plants consistently watered and happy, you’ll enjoy a good fall harvest.”

From AOG Member Tim Miller:
You can also cut the tips off of Tomatoes and put them in water for a week until they sprout roots and then pot them and put them in a shady spot or under shade cloth. You can transplant them in the late summer/early fall. These literal and figurative tips will save WATER and TIME in planting your fall tomatoes.

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For more ideas on Ornamentals, Perennials, and Herbs, visit the Central Texas Gardener and The Natural Gardener lists online. Download the Texas A&M Extension Planting Chart and Varieties Chart on our website.