Temps in Central Texas are in the 70s with nighttime in the 40s. We usually get the first cold snap on Halloween so the garden is quickly coming to an end.
I brought in a bucket of tomatoes and peppers a couple days ago so need to get them in the freezer. I froze a tray of bell earlier this week. The Improved Porters are finally putting on but they don’t have much flavor so not very impressed with them. Still nothing from the Amish Plum, Husky Cherry, Brandywine or Cherokee though they’ve been healthy all spring and summer.
Yesterday, I gave some Porters and that unknown pepper to the neighbor and a jar of peach jelly that finally set after a month. The neighbor said the corn jelly (that never set) was a great substitute for honey and put her order in for more next summer so all wasn’t lost with that frugal experiment.
I brought in the first 4 okras just now. There’s a couple more little ones out there but the deer will probably get them tonight like they’ve done with the others. The corn is nothing but sad sticks with tassels. Apparently deer don’t like the tassels.
If your nights are in the 40’s, you probably won’t see any progress with the tomatoes. They need 50s at night. You could try covering them with row covers or plastic in the evening.
It also helps if you have surrounded them with stones or bricks on the north, east, and west sides a foot or two high. The sun will heat the rocks and release the warmth after the sun goes down and the row cover/plastic helps keep it in.