Cold weather garden?

Question

i was wondering if there are any plants or vegetables that do well in the fall and winter for the Dallas area? my neighbor has a poppy garden that does well in the winter

also are there any flowers i can seed in fall & have grown through out the cold weather season? ( we rarely get snow or frost) only a few time a year does it get below freezing... thanks

Answer 1

I am well familiar with dallas/ft woth area..I am in Florida now for 11 years but was born in Temple Texas, and raised and lived there 41 years..You can grow lettuce,cabbage,collard greens,swiss chard,turnip greens, mustard greens, cabbage,cauliflower,broccolli,brussel sprouts, radishes, carrots, celery, spinach, turnips, carrots, beets,on and on ..any leafy type veggie is usually a winter plant and your root crops as well..Heres excatly what to plant copied from the link below..

•Take care when gardening in the summer heat. Wear a hat, work in the early morning when possible and drink water before going outside to work.

•Keep removing faded flowers from annuals to encourage new growth and more flowers.

•For color to first frost, plant more warm-season annuals such as marigolds, zinnias and periwinkles.

•Sow broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, sweet corn, cucumber, okra and squash seeds during the first two or three weeks of the month. Although most vegetables need at least six hours of direct sunlight daily, the leafy vegetables in particular will appreciate some relief from the afternoon sun. If possible, position new crops so that more mature crops will shade them in the afternoons and protect them from the late-summer sun.

•Keep new seedbeds moist until plants germinate. Continue to water seedlings as they grow, but cut back on the frequency of watering as the plants get bigger. Deep, infrequent watering helps encourage strong root systems, but young plants may need more water while they are getting established. Mulch around seedlings as they develop to help conserve moisture and block weeds.

•Think containers: try planting in terra cotta pots, wooden troughs and barrels. Concentrate on smaller or more compact varieties, such as short, chunky carrot types rather than long, thin ones.

•Check every day for any ripe crops. Harvest all vegetables of edible size. Pick okra pods while they are small – no longer than your finger – and soft, pick summer squash and zucchini when the fruit is no more than 6 inches long and pick tomatoes when they have a red tinge to them. Green beans can be harvested when the are pencil-size and tender.

•Continue planting warm-season grasses.

•Turn the compost pile occasionally to help aerate the compost and speed up decomposition. If the compost is nearing completion, start a new pile so fall leaves will have a place to go.

•Start sowing Chinese cabbage and head lettuce seeds midmonth.

•Sow black-eyed peas, collars, parsley and Swiss chard seeds throughout the month.

•Treat for June beetle grubs as necessary. If you have four to 10 June beetle grubs per square foot of lawn, you may want to do something about them. Choose a pesticide labeled for white grub control or consider an organic control method, such as using beneficial nematodes.

•Control chinch bugs and flea problems with diatomaceous earth and pyrethrum products.

•Deter crickets by eliminating weeds and dense vegetation around the house foundation. Also clean up piles of bricks, stones, wood and other debris where crickets like to hide.

•Water the landscape deeply and thoroughly once a week in the absence of rain.

•Late in the month, set out broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower transplants.

•Start sowing kale, butterhead lettuce, spinach and turnip seeds the last week of August.

•Plant new irises or divide crowded existing ones. Plant irises in a sunny, well-drained area.

•Divide other spring-flowering perennials, such as Shasta daisy, gaillardia, day lilies and liriope.

•Plant mums, asters and other fall-blooming plants.

Answer 2

Lettuce ,carrots,broccoli and cauliflower  all do well in cool weather.i start them up north near chicago soon as i think the frost is not going to hit.