Georgia Gardening: Anybody Planting Fall Vegetables?, 1 by MaypopLaurel

MaypopLaurel wrote:
We are trying to put an ambitious Fall garden despite the drought. Any other wishful thinkers? I can only water sparingly because we have a spring cistern. So we cleaned up the bare and pitiful spots and made a few starter beds to direct sow. The rest is under lights in Atlanta and getting ready to be hardened off this week. I'm hopeful about the forecast for rain early next week.

I've got red and green cabbage, rutabagas and collards up and going. Cabbage has its second set of true leaves. I transplanted some of it outside the seed bed. We are already harvesting baby arugula. It is super speedy. Cilantro is sprouting from seed saved in early summer. There are purple hull knuckle peas and rattlesnake beans. I plan to sucker tomatoes every year and never do it. The right time is when we are drowning in June/July tomatoes. The idea of more seems ridiculous. This year I stuck to the plan. It's nice to see young healthy plants beginning to set flowers while the older plants decline though we still are getting lots of tomatoes from older plants. Last week I planted and mulched a row of peas under the shade of the tomato cages' north side; about twenty five feet. The germination has been terrific. Despite the heat there's a solid row. That was inspiration to follow up with another twenty five feet on the north side of the tomatoes in a neighboring row.

A fellow DGer sent Babington leeks which are like walking onions and produce bulbils with a light garlic flavor from their top flowers. I am waiting to plant heirloom garlic that Cindy and I got at the garlic festival. The Farmers Exchange is supposed to call me when onion sets come in. It's really nice to see things greening up again in the garden instead of looking at everything turning brown the way it usually does this time of year. I admit to procrastinating on the Fall garden until it cools off and then it's often too late for a lot of things, especially if you are wanting to grow from seed. Laboring in the garden in August weather is not the same as April. Now if only it would rain.

Anyone else planting or planning? I was wondering what you're putting in and what varieties you recommend (or don't). I was also wondering about when others are planting and how it works out.
Laurel