Winter Crops for the South -- OnionsThere are many vegetables that thrive in a winter garden in the south. One of the best is the onion. It is grown in the winter and harvested in mid-spring.
Of Cowpeas, Butterbeans and OkraAugust here in Georgia is tough on vegetables.Triple-digit temps drive us all to seeking a little shade. The spring vegetables are long gone, summer vegetables are going into intermission, snd corn is in the freezer. But there are a few that love it, the foremost being cowpeas, butter beans, and okra.
Remember the Cymlin?Back when I was a barefooted kid, all the old folks grew cymlins. Sometimes they might use the term 10 toes, but the official name was cymlin. As I grew up and encountered new folks, I heard the term patty pan used. Today we usually know them as scallops. The White Bush was what folks grew in my youth.
Vole WarsGrowing plants entails a constant battle with the elements, insects, viruses, and bacteria. Even when we learn to live with these, other mammals slip in and upset our best efforts. Deer, groundhogs, and raccoons are major problems, but there are other small mammals that are both elusive and very destructive.
Tomatoes and Tomato Spotted Wilt VirusTomato spotted wilt first appears as light brown flecks on leaves. This is followed by growing brown spots, drooping, and finally, full browning and dying. The plants will look wilted. It affects many plants other than tomatoes, but on tomatoes the fruit is also severely affected. Discoloration is the most common effect, but cracking and rot also appear in severe cases. It also degrades the flavor and texture.
Better Than SnowballsWhen I was young, the winter months were quite dreary. Food was minimal during the depression and was mostly dried beans and canned fruits, as well as vegetables and root crops stored in the ground. Fresh vegetables were rare and coveted. In Piedmont Virginia at that time, that meant kale, rape, parsnips and white mustard. I despised parsnips, and still do to this day. Dad would look me straight in the eye and say: “Better than snowballs when you are hungry."
