How to grow cool climate vegetables in hot climate regions?
Mahinda
11 years ago
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t-bird
11 years agoEdymnion
11 years agoRelated Discussions
Growing bonsai in a hot climate???
Comments (2)I don't know how hot it gets there but there are people keeping JMs in Texas and Arizona. I'd guess afternoon shade . Maybe auto mist in afternoon. From my own troubles in the South(USA) I'd ask do you have enough winter to put them into dormancy? That was allways the problem in South Fla. Not the heat. Good Luck R...See MoreContainer Vegetable Gardening in Hot / Desert Climate
Comments (6)Thanks yet again. For some reason I cannot open phoenixpermaulture website. The other two were interesting ones. 1/ Seedlings As for the seedlings, today I took my seedlings on the roof top for the early morning sun for 1 hour and put them inside a plastic sheet (not so clear though - will get a clear one). The temperature then was not more than 75 when I moved them back inside. Right now I have put them on my eastern window - which fortunately or unfortunately does not receive any direct sunlight. Light is fair enough however. Enough to be able to read and write easily. Is the above schedule going to be ok for approx. 3 weeks? What else can I do? or am I doing extra? For how much time the seedlings should be in the dark every day? 2/ Plants I also had bought two small plants (approx 6 inches) - 2 tomatoes and 1 pepper (dont know which variety) and they have been under my care for approx. 2 weeks now. I transplanted them in bigger pots of 14" and 10" respectively. Depending on the temperature and the heat of the sun, I place the plants under 50% shade (my wife helps me as I am usually out for work :) ). This may start from 10 am if it gets to around 90F by that time. While the pepper is going good, I am not particularly happy with the tomato plants, as they seem to be showing signs of yellow leaves - Am I over watering them? Its almost 48 hours since I have not watered them as I can feel moisture beneath 2 inches of soil. While this tells me not to water, but my heart tells me to water them. Today I just did not listened to my heart. I hope this should not be too much stress for the plants :) Previously I use to water at least once a day. But then the pepper plant has not shown any yellow leaves as yet. I haven't fertlized them as yet - I believe the potting soil is fertlized enough to last for a month (that's what the nursery guy told me). To be very frank with you - I am still not able to understand the delicate balance between under and over watering. I was advised to be titled towards under watering when in doubt - but in this heat, should we do that? Probably, by putting the shades, I am bring the heat down and thereby the soil moisture is not evaporating as it would otherwise do. 3/ While I do put the plants under 50% shade (and sometimes double 50% shade - I did these a week back when the temperatures used to go upto 105). I am just thinking whether light through the 50% shade, is it enough for both the tomatoes and pepper sun loving plants to fruit later? When they say 6-8 hours of direct sunlight for tomatoes and pepper, does that mean direct unobstructed sunlight???? 4/ As for fertilization, I dont have quite a lot of option - either those NPK pellets or composted cow manure. The nursery guy tells me to sprinkle composted cow manure (his preference) over the soil once every month - but I am not quite sure about his ability / experience with container vegetables. What would you advise? How about composted cow manure tea as part of each watering or some other periodical watering? 5/ The potting soil that I use does drain but then how to measure its drainage effectiveness. What is the yardstick to measure it. When I water it for 30 seconds continuously, it starts to drain from the bottom holes but not like running water - just drop by drop - each of the 6-8 holes start dripping. Now this drop by drop could go on for an hour or two. The dripping speed may be high to start with but slows down as time passes. Does this mean the soil is good enough? Isn't that excess water sitting there for 2 hours inside the container harmful for the roots. Did that cause the signs of over watering / yellowing of leaves to appear on the tomato leaves? 6/ Unfortunately, at the moment, in my apartment there is no provision for florescent lights. I was however, thinking of putting four 20W CFL bulbs - two warm and two cool. How far should they be from the top of the seedlings? Is 80W going to be enough? How long the seedling should be sitting in light? And can the CFL be installed top down (standing upside down) rather than left right (laying)? Sorry for asking you so many question in just one post. I hope you don't mind that. Your much appreciate help awaited. Thanks and best regards Saood This post was edited by saood on Tue, Oct 1, 13 at 6:37...See MoreA good suggestion for anyone growing Plumies A cool climate zone
Comments (10)Dave, outdoors, I water mine almost everyday...So I suppose those stupid bugs never get a foot hold on my leaves, they probably get washed off. You are not kidding about indoors...seems like the more often the heat comes on by December, boy do they explode. Anyone who says humidity keeps them at bay, do not believe them!! It doesn't work.. I think bare leafed plants will though..lol I have used a moving fan, high humidity with the humidity averaging over 75 percent, and lots of water on the leaves every winter, and the only thing that I noticed that keeps them at bay, is a good ole natural pesticide spray and cool, very cool temps. I remember reading a post where you were telling someone to keep her temps over the 60's in winter for her plants, do you do same? That could be the culprit of your mite problem indoors. As soon as I warm my plant room over that in winter, like say into the 70's, an explosion of pest appears , then the battle is on. Every year I fight with myself on this one..Should I keep my plant room really warm for my tropicals to keep active growth, which I like, but put up with the possible mites and keep fighting? As the new grwoth comes on all my plants, boy would the mites feast if I didn't control them. Or should I keep the plant room just above the 50's, and let everything almost go dormant, no active growth, hold back on watering, and pray for the best, but have no mites...lol....Sheesh.. The warm room always wins out though, along with mite battle! lol Goodluck dave...Good to talk to you. Let me know what happens...What you decide to do......See MoreHow would Purple Tiger perform in my (zone 9b) hot, arid climate?
Comments (10)Jeri, I see. Well there's Purple Splash, it's way less full, but it's the same colors. It is by Carruth, so who knows what might've happened to those varieties. It's a shame, such a great color combo! Which reminds me, I had thought about how pretty a rose with purple and yellow in the same bloom would look. Not clashing bright colors, maybe a soft yellow and a dark purple, or pale yellow and lavender. I wanted to breed a rose like that for a time and had written down some ideas for crosses. But if that were possible I think it'd already exist. I think maybe, being complimentary colors the pigments would just blend and make something like, yellow and pink stripes, for example. Beth, okay, that's 3 strikes, I'll get the orange one instead, if anything. I don't ever feed my roses, actually. I want to have only varieties that do well just with the nutrients from rain water and maybe compost. So I guess this is a no-no. Thanks, girls!...See Moredenninmi
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daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)