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[bob ford <bobford79 AT yahoo.com>]

I love crowder peas and purple hull, too.  They won't grow out here.  They 
grow well in the humid south, as you said.  You can't even buy them at the 
produce store, here.  I forgot to mention that I am going to try a few okra 
plants this fall,  with my fingers crossed.

The biggest problem in the fall , here, is whiteflies.  They will take out 
30% to 70% of the fall crop.  They are a horrid pestilence.  I've tried every 
trick to combat them: spraying oil and water, dishsoap and water (on the 
underside of the leaves)Yellow sticky traps, etc..  But they resist 
detachment.  They just sit there on the underside of the leaves, by the 
thousands, and suck the life out of the plants.  I've talked, even, to a 
certified master gardener.  I even asked my stupid dog what to do.  There's 
just not a lot a person can do except to hope that they are not so bad in a 
particular year...

If everything goes well, come Christmas, I'll be sitting in my shorts and 
flip flops, eating fresh tomatoes from the backyard....bobford






--- On Mon, 7/21/08, Robert Walton <waltonrp AT gmail.com> wrote:

> From: Robert Walton <waltonrp AT gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Homestead] Growing tomatoes and vegetables from seed for the 
> fall
> To: bobford79 AT yahoo.com, homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
> Date: Monday, July 21, 2008, 9:07 PM
> >  Usually I just wait for the nursery stock to show up
> at the end of the summer, but it has been showing up so
> late the past few years , I wanted to get an early start
> this fall by planting seeds inside now....bobford
> >
> 
> That's the way it was when I was in South Florida.
> Slips came out at
> about the time to plant a northeastern garden. Too many
> transplants
> there and they've not learned when to plant in that
> climate. Seeds and
> plants come out about April or May. If you plant anything
> other than
> crowder peas or sweet potatoes, okra in summer in South
> Florida, the
> heat and heavy rain/humidity will get it.
> 
> At the proper time to plant, October or so, you can't
> find seeds or
> transplants. On another list I'm on a lady in South
> Florida doesn't
> understand why here garden won't prosper. Bugs,
> humidity and heat are
> taking a toll.
> 
> Rob - Va