For my area the following should be started in July:

By seed:
Chard (Get the kind with red stems. They are BEAUTIFUL and yummy!)
Cucumber if you want to trellis something
Okra
Summer and Winter squash
Eggplant

By Plants:
Peppers
Tomatos

All can take full sun to a little shade. Especially late afternoon shade.

Most herbs are perennials and you can plant them in September and they should do great. They'll have just enough time to get established before winter. My favorites are Mexican Oregano, Rosemary, Chives (Onion and Garlic) and Thyme. Not sure how they would do in acidic soil, but you could always try.

Woops, I forgot to mention Basil. You can start that now by plant or seed. It's an annual, but often reseeds by itself. Some of the vegies mentioned above can be started by plant as well as seed, but are often hard to find already started at a nursery. Many vegetables are only found as seed. Good luck and good eating.

Get the current version of Texas Gardener. They have an article on fall vegetable gardening. It covers the how to get seed up in the heat plus what to plant and when.

It's surprising the things that you can start now.

How about starting seeds indoors? Good idea, or will the shock of the heat kill them in August?

I actually prefer to start fall seed for tomatoes and some other things like basil and lettuce inside under lights.

Sure, I may have to be careful when I harden them off, but I get much healthier transplants with better root development this way. Roots grow bettter at cool temps, which is what you want in a transplant. Plus, I don't have to worry about the bugs and diseases taking them down when they are itty bitty.

I've had good success hardening off fall tomato transplants in only 5-6 days if they have a good coating of Surround on them. Shade cloth or placing them in an area that you are *sure* is part shade during the day (if you can't be around to watch) would also help.

Otherwise, you have to be really, really careful and take it slow so as to not burn the seedlings when you put them outside.

Are there any edibles that will grow in part shade? The back of the bed, by the fence, stays pretty shaded until early afternoon.

Any suggestions for good trellising structures for cucumbers? OOOOO, what about birdhouse gourds? Or miniature pumpkins? Nasturiums and violas! Are nasturiums even available now? The violas I know will have to wait until fall. I've got all kinds of ideas now! I'm jazzed.

Many of the "greens" will grow in part shade. These include lettuce, spinach and swiss chard. Also cole crops such as broccoli, cabbarge, cauliflower and brussel sprouts will grow in part shade. Also, I think carrots can grow in part shade. Parsley and cilantro are winter crops in San Antonio, they survive our winters.

mommyfox, welcome to the joy of vegie gardening for the fall! It's a much better season. Spring is over rated.

Re: your cucumber trellis... I have mine growing up an arbor made of cedar tree branches. A few need tying and the rest have crawled up without help. I think they would do great on a chain link fence or any other kind of vertical structure with spaces in between. Also, you could nail pieces of twine into an eave or the top of a privacy fence and secure into the ground with a U shaped pin (like for weed cloth). I would prefer not to do this on the eave of a house, but would do it on a shed. Plant the cukes there and most of them will do the rest for you. They make a beautiful, lush, vine.

Mommy, we had the best luck with nasturtiums in hanging baskets at work. Dappled sun. I wish they grew here like crazy!

Old thread but thought it might be good to revive...

I have a couple of questions on fall gardening:

When should greens be planted? I believe most are best started outside? If so how do you get them through the August heat?
I want to plant Spinach and Chard.

I was also wondering will tomato plants from Spring that have survived the summer flourish again in the fall? I have some that look quite healthy but haven't produced much (they were a little late in).

I was also wondering if I bought an Eggplant that is at the flowering stage now..will that be good through fall?

Thanks

Carolyn

Carolyn,
Spinach and chard can be direct planted in September here in Central Texas, but we don't get frost until around Thanksgiving. So much depends on the weather/rainfall. I usually make succession plantings about 10 days apart. If you give yourself 2 or 3 months before your first frost date, you'll likely have all the greens you want (spinach can withstand frost).
Your tomatoes will bear in the fall, especially if you give them a gentle boost of fertilizer when they start to flower. "A little late in" may not have anything to do with your tomatoes not producing much. Tomatoes pretty well shut down when day temps are over 95 or night temps are over 75 or thereabouts.
Eggplant is a hot weather crop, much like okra and peppers (although my peppers do better when it cools down a bit in late September). I wouldn't bother with eggplant until next spring. Have you considered putting in broccoli? It loves fall temperatures!