In Zone 9 the winter is here, and with that comes a few winter crops. Peas are one of the most popular, and also one of the easiest to grow. There are many types of peas, but this guide will concentrate on shelling peas!

Soil

Peas are part of the legume family, and as such they produce their own nitrogen (well, bacteria does it for them, but you get the point). The soil they are planted in should not be overly rich in nitrogen, but well balanced.

Make sure that peas are not grown in the same area other legumes were in the last few months, rotate those crops.

Seed

Pea seeds should be sown directly into the soil. They are a cool weather vegetable, so they should be sown in the fall, or early winter. Place the seeds about ¼” deep and keep the soil moist. They should germinate in a week or two.

Streaking

Peas are climbing vines and need to have something to climb. A 4-5’ tall piece of bamboo works great for this. After the seed has germinated drive one end of the bamboo into the soil directly behind the pea plant. As it grows train it to grow up the steak!

Fertilizer

Peas will not need much fertilizer if the soil is of good quality. A high quality compost mix works well for peas.

Harvest

Peas are ready to harvested when the pods are think and plump and the peas inside the pod can be easily distinguished when touched. Once the peas are ready to be harvested, grab the pod and pinch just above it. That will release the pod from the plant!

NOW ENJOY SOME PEAS!

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1. How to Grow Cowpeas (Black Eyed Peas)
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3. Cold Winter Observations

Cayenne Peppers are one of the most prolific peppers in the Zone 9 Garden. They grow fast, grow large and produce many peppers. 2 favorite uses from Cayenne Peppers are Crushed Red Pepper and Cayenne Powder. This is how to make the powder.

Dry the Cayenne Peppers

Before the Cayenne Peppers can be powdered they need to be dried. The easiest way to do this is to use a food dehydrator per the instructions of the machine. If a dehydrator is not available the peppers can be hung and dried over a period of about 2-3 months.

Cut the Cayenne Peppers

Cut the dried peppers into small pieces. At this point decide if the seeds are going to be used for a hotter powder or remove them for a milder powder.

Grind the Cayenne Peppers

Using a coffee grinder put the peppers in the grinder and grind them until they are a fine powder. This will often take many passes through the grinder. Place the powder in a spice jar!

Notes:

• Be careful when working with the peppers. They are hot and can easily burn the eyes and inside of the nose.
• If removing seeds they can be saved and used for crushed red pepper.

Related posts:

1. Make Hot Peppers Hotter

Okra is a southern staple and is popular in many recipes as well as eaten strait. Okra is also one of the few vegetables that will grow well in the heat of a Zone 9 Garden Summer.

Okra from Seed

Okra is an easy vegetable to grow from seed. The seeds should be sown a few weeks before the last frost date and can continue to be sown all the way to the end of spring. The seeds will germinate in 5-7 days.

Transplanting Okra

Okra seedling should be transplanted out doors after the first few true leaves are form. Okra likes a rich well-drained soil. The plants do get fairly large and should be spaced about 2-3 feet apart. Although Okra is very heat and drought tolerant they should be well watered after transplanting until the plants are well established.

Okra care

Once established okra is a very low maintenance plant. They require only about 2 inches of water a week but can tolerate less. Mulch high in organics like compost can provided almost all the nutrients Okra needs to thrive. A well-balanced fertilizer added during flowering and fruit setting will help yield.

Okra Setting Fruit

Okra is part of the hibiscus family so the flowers are often large and quite attractive. They are self pollinating and quite prolific. The okra will grow rather fast and will be ready to harvest a few days after the flower falls off.

Notes

• Harvest okra before it gets more than ½’ thick to keep it from getting stringy and tough
• Harvest often to increase yield

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The Congo Pepper is a hot pepper that is quickly growing in popularity. It is basically a large red habanaro pepper from Trinidad. Its care requirements are very similar to any hot peppers and here are the basics!

Starting Congo Peppers Seed

Sow the seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before the last frost date, in a light seed starting mix. Keel the soil warm (around 80 degrees) for best germination rates.

Congo Peppers are a slow starting plant. They may take more than 14 days for a seed to germinate. And take a month or more to be ready to be transplanted.

Transplanting

After all threat frost has past transplant the young plants into an area of the garden the receives full sun. The soil should be rich and well drained.

Congo Pepper plants are fairly tough can do not suffer greatly from transplant shock.

Care

As with most hot peppers, Congo Peppers do not require as much water as many other plants, but they should be watered as soon as the soil begins to dry.

Congo Peppers are fairly undemanding when it comes to nutrients. A well-balanced organic fertilizer applied early in the season and then again as fruiting begins should be more than enough for this plant to thrive.

Once winter arrives the plant can either be allowed to die off or be moved inside. In the house during the winter they will need sunlight and watering. They do not grow much if at all during this time so fertilizer is not needed!

Now get out there and grow!

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1. Congo Peppers – What are They?
2. Fall Bell Peppers Setting Fruit
3. Make Hot Peppers Hotter

Spanish Moss is readily available in most of Zone 9 and one great use for it is Spanish Moss Tea fertilizer.

How to Make Spanish Moss Tea

Items Needed:

• 3 Gallons Spanish Moss
• 5 Gallon Bucket
• Water
• 1 ounce unsulfured molasses
• Air pump
• Air stone

Directions

Connect air stone to air pump using tubing and place air stone at the bottom of the bucket.

Chop Spanish Moss and place in 5 gallon bucket

Add unsulfered molasses

Add water to nearly the top of the bucket

Stir well using a broom handle (or any long piece of wood or plastic)

Turn on air pump

Allow to sit for 2-3 days

How to use

Dilute the tea in a 1:1 ratio with water and spray on plant foliage and soil.

Use all of the tea as soon as the brew is finished

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1. Spanish Moss – An Abundant Resource
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One of the most common causes of seedling death is inconsistent watering. A simple solution for that is to build a Self-Watering Seedling Container.

Items Needed

• 20 oz water bottle (soda bottle will work just as well)
• Razor Blade 
•  Drill and Drill Bit

Instructions (Photographs bellow)

• Step 1
  Use the razor blade to cut the top off of the bottle. Ensure that the top of the bottle, with the cap on, will reach near the bottom of the base of the bottle.
• Step 2
  Drill approximately 8-20 holes in the cap of the bottle. This is where the water will enter the bottom and wick up to the top.
• Step 3
  Fill the top of the bottle with a high quality soil. Make sure the soil reaches all the way to the holes drilled in the cap.
• Step 4
  Plant seedling into the soil. (Purple Basil used in examples)
• Step 5
  Water the soil until it is evenly moist.
• Step 6
  Fill the base with water about ¾ full. Make sure it will cover the entire cap and part of the neck of the bottle when it is placed in the base.
• Step 7
  Place the top of the bottle into the base.

 

• Items Needed
  
• Step 1
  
• Step 1 Results
  
• Step 2
  
• Step 2 Results
  
• Step 3
  
• Step 4
  
• Step 5
  
• Step 6
  
• Step 7
  

Related posts:

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2. Growing Lettuce in a Container
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Roma Tomatoes are one of the absolute best tomatoes for making sauces and are also great for slicing and using in a caprici salad. As with most tomatoes they will grow very well here in Zone 9 and here are a few easy steps to get them growing well!

Sow the seeds indoors 6 weeks prior to the last frost using a soil-less planting medium.

After germinating the seedlings will start to grow normal leaves. Once this happens start to thin and separate seedlings.

Transplant seedlings into a 3-4 in pot using a rich soil that is high in organic matter including compost and make sure to keep evenly moist!

Once the spring weather has warmed the soil transplant the Roma Tomato outside to a very sunny place with rich well drained soil.

Bury all but the top set of leaves. The lower part of the plant will sprout roots leading to a stronger plant.

As soon as the plant begins to reach 3’ tall stake the plant to support its weight. Roma Tomatoes are determinate so most tomatoes will ripen at the same time!

More Info

Roma Tomatoes are determante and will only grow to a predetermined size. Most of the fruit will rippen at the same time. To enjoy a longer harvest period stagger your planting!

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After receiving the cuttings I dipped them in rooting hormone and put them into a mixture of peat and pearlite. Surprisingly it only took about two weeks for the cuttings to root. Right after the cuttings put out roots about 50% of the length of the cutting I planted the new Natchez Blackberry plants into small containers, and this is where they are now. I am going to wait until they develop a strong root system before planting them outside!

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Here is how it is done:

Sow seed indoors 4 weeks before last frost or 3 months before first frost. Lettuce is a cool weather plant and does best when daytime temperatures are 70 or bellow.

Prepare a container that is at least 2 ½ gallons with a rich potting mix that contains high levels of nutrients and can retain moisture.

Transplant seedling on a cloudy day to the container and place outside in an area that receives 6 hours of sunlight.

Maintain soil moisture as much as possible. Lettuce likes a moist soil and reacts poorly to inconstant soil moisture.

Fertilize with a high nitrogen liquid fertilizer. Lettuce responds very well to liquid fertilizers and because it is fast growing, slow releasing fertilizers are not recommended.

Harvest at maturity. Each type of lettuce matures a bit different but a simple general rule is once the lettuce is big enough to fit on a sandwich it is ready to start harvesting.

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Much of the soil that is found in Zone 9 is quite sandy. Sandy soil does not hold nutrients or water well making it a poor substrate for growing most vegetables. Amending the soil in the area of the garden can help create a happy and healthy garden.

One of the biggest issues with sandy soil is that it will not hold any nutrients. When water hits the sand it washes any nutrients out quickly. Adding organic matter to the soil will not only help with nutrient retention but it will also add nutrients its self.

Compost

Compost is the best soil amendment for sandy areas. High quality compost made of many different types of material will add nutrients to the soil and also help retain added nutrients and moisture.

Some good materials to use for compost are vegetable scraps, dead leaves, grass clippings, tea bags, coffee grounds, cow sheep and horse manure, and even saw dust. All compost should be well matured as immature compost can rob the soil of nutrients.

Peat Moss / Coconut husks

Peat Moss and Coconut Husks both serve the same purpose. The aid in moisture retention and help maintain a slightly acidic soil pH. Both can be bought in bulk and is often quite affordable.

When adding peat or husks to the soil mix it at about a 1:2 ratio with compost. Putting to much peat or husks can lower the pH to a dangerous level and even retain to much moisture.

Mixing

Once the amendment materials are decided upon it is time to mix them with the soil. Clear the area that is to be used of any weeds or grass. Layer about 4-5” of amendments on top of the soil and using a shovel or spade begin to mix in the amendments about 4-5” deep. Using a tiller is not recommended as it disturbs the ecosystem too much.

Every season more amendments should be added. If more is not added the amendments will eventually leach out of the soil.

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