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dirt_tracker

Heirloom or open-pollinated veg varieties for the hot, humid south???

dirt_tracker Alabama Zone 8A
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago

Rookie warning...

Could some of ya'll share with me some varieties of heirloom or open-pollinated vegetables that work well for you here in the hot, humid south? I'm located about 50 miles south of Montgomery, Alabama...a muggy, hot, and at times little air movement area. Far enough away from the gulf coast to miss the gulf breezes but not to far away to miss the hurricanes. But, I do reside on a hilltop so I manage to catch what breezes do come by. :)

I'm interested in traditional vegetables, though something "different" is ok, too, as long as it does well in a climate like ours. I'm very interested in seed-saving. Here's a list of what I've planted so far this year and how they're doing. Planting was basically around May 25th (late start)...


***Tomatoes: The Romas appear to be doing pretty good...bushy, only a couple of feet tall currently but lots of small tomatoes growing. The Brandywines appear to be growing better than the Mortgage Lifters, but neither are setting a large amount of fruit yet though each have plenty of blooms...the Brandywine plants appear to be more robust than the ML. Potato leaf varieties better down here in the heat?

***Ashley cucumbers: I'm not sure if I'll get a harvest off of these cucumbers. It appears that downy mildew will probably take them out prematurely. Ashley is stated as having "some" downy mildew resistance but apparently this year was a perfect incubator for the disease.

***Yellow Crookneck squash: It seems to be doing fairly good, have gotten a couple of messes from four plants and will be picking some today. I figure this variety will be a staple in the garden, but, does straight-neck do better...any
difference in taste?

***Clemson Spineless okra: It's growing, looking healthy, less than 2' tall right now, but looking stocky and appears to have some blooms(?), baby okra(?), limb buds(?), sprouting from the sides of the growing tip.

***Zipper Cream Peas: Are growing very well. Double rows in 3' wide beds...have joined together and two beds are beginning to meet in the middle of the 2' path...they may be getting ready to bloom. I'm thinking they're doing good. But, I'm thinking of a smaller type of southern pea for next year....???

***Melons: Hales Best cantaloupe vines are growing well...lots of blooms that bees are working but I haven't spotted any small melons. Do female cantaloupe flowers have the "baby" fruit behind them? Wilson Sweet watermelons...same situation as with the cantaloupes...have seen no fruit...also wonder if I'm seeing some spots in the leafs of the watermelons or it may be it's natural leaf pattern. After seeing the cucumbers start to go downhill I'm seeing spots on everything...even my jeep.

***Bell peppers: Something that came from Walmart...probably Bonnie hybrids of some kind. They're growing, making a few peppers, blooming, leaves always seem kind of "droopy", though.

Vegetables I'd like to grow this fall/winter/spring... Loose-leaf lettuce, spinach,
broccoli, collards, carrots, etc.,.

So, anybody got some recommendations that this southern climate (and bugs) want swallow-up?

Thanks!
Ed

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