The correct answer is : YES (to both)!!
You will learn more from your failures than you will learn from your successes...because it costs you money , time , expierience, etc.,..
BEAT MOTHER NATURE ..with knowledge !!
Watch the weather charts - the very first gamblers in the world were the farmers !!
When in doubt , cover with plastic sheeting, unless it is an extended freeze !.. and then pray harder for warmer weather !
Force yourselfr to grow , experiment , and learn each year !
Each year ... try another crop , if only for the expierience, and you may be surprised .
Learn for fun , survival , economy , or just for the expierience.
Look at Marcella and how she has grown this year ... !!
Hey, TEXOKIE, I've likely screwed up more than anyone on this thread. I knew nothing beginning in about March, 2013, managed to pretty much kill all food plants - every tomato plant died because I didn't plant them correctly. Bugs/critters in the ground killed plants planted in the ground so I dumped growing in the ground and went to container growing. Then, I had to learn about container growing. Also had to learn how to get seeds to sprout.
No, we can't stop planting even with cold weather here. Eden Brothers, a seed company, sent this email to me yesterday: “Real Gardeners Plant in the Fall: Huge Savings Today on 12 Fall Favorites!” These 12 favorites are various flowers, but here is their link to veggie seed:
http://www.edenbrothers.com/store/vegetable_seeds.html
So, rats :o( to be a “real gardener" we have to plant in the fall. I'm going to plant a few Cherry Punch tomato seed and try to keep them alive and producing inside the house, putting them outside for sun when it's not too cold outside.
I always read your posts and you do great gardening. Do you preserve by dehydrating food? Now that I'm in north Texas, I'm going to get a dehydrator and learn to preserve food that way.
I appreciate the admonition and tips. But somehow I fear I expressed a discouraged note that I had not intended. I intended to express with humor my joy in the lessons of this past summer, much due to the what you suggested: my failures!
While I didn’t have a good crop of squash, I did have a few, and that is more than I was able to produce last year! SUCCESS!
I had about 40 tomatoes, from 3 varieties come to fruition and harvest! Again, much better than last year! SUCCESS!
I had a good okra crop last year, and this year I experimented with two more varieties to see if they like our little microclimate here. They did! And even more than that, I like them too! While it was pointed out to me upthread that they will cross breed, and I was not supposed to plant three varieties in proximity, nevertheless, I achieved what I set out to do. And as I was also assured, even if I have some strange children come of the seeds, they will still be okra! SUCCESS!
I had my first TINY white potato crop! Less than 5 ounces, but I was able to observe the process of the life development of that particular plant, and I look forward to seeing if I can improve next year. SUCCESS!
I was able to try out a stand of Asian Trellis beans. I’m in LOVE with them! I had some other legumes which also bore pods. SUCCESS!
I also was able to produce some flax seed. I had a lovely plantain plant. Strawberries are started in their pot. And other plants were tried - some with good results, some not, but I have learned from them. SUCCESS!
I am so grateful for your careful encouragement of me and all newby gardeners on this thread. You can certainly count me among your fans! I also know that we are not alone in our admiration for our Marcella. I believe we all marvel at her wonderful example, spunk, and fire!