Garden Update: Gardening In Hot & Humid August

by Texas Homesteader ~

Whelp, it’s August y’all. In TEXAS! August typically means hot and dry weather. And typically the end of the garden too. 

Usually this is when I quit fighting the garden altogether and let it go dormant. When it’s this hot and dry – even if I can keep the plants alive – nothing wants to set fruit anyway.  

But this year I’m actually still in the garden most days. Not to harvest, oh no! But hopefully to squeak things through for a fall garden. This year all has not been lost. Come see.

August is usually so hot & dry the garden goes dormant. But this year we've had some successes too. Come see! #TexasHomesteader

Garden-Struggle Mystery Solved

You see, this year I finally solved the question of why my spring garden refused to grow. Heirloom seedlings lovingly sown in late winter in my Indoor Greenhouse were placed in the garden this spring

Then they promptly died.

The seeds I planted directly into the garden to replace the dead seedlings refused to grow too. It was then that I finally solved the mystery.

August is usually so hot & dry the garden in Texas goes dormant. But this year we've had some successes too. Come see! #TexasHomesteader

The tree across the driveway had grown so large it was blocking sunlight to my garden for way too much of the day. It had to be removed.

After it was removed we saw the garden progress. But by then the damage for this gardening year had been done.

It was way too late in the season for it to grow & produce a summer harvest. All I can hope for was to squeak things through for a fall garden. And that’s just what I’ll do.

But the garden still offered up some of her bounty to me. And for that I’m truly grateful.

Concord Grapes

My Concord grapevine grew just fine. And it was loaded with grapes. But although it typically loads up with flavorful grapes, every year I struggle to actually get that harvest.

Concord grapes. August is usually so hot & dry the garden in Texas goes dormant. But this year we've had some successes too. Come see! #TexasHomesteader

You see, those grapes ripen in the cluster one by one. Since grapes don’t ripen once they’re harvested that means when I harvest I’m saving the ripe ones but throwing all the others away. What a waste!

So I typically wait until most of the cluster is ripe and harvest. BUT those ripe grapes sitting longer on the vine attracts all kinds of hungry critters. Especially raccoons, who greedily gobble them up each night until there’s nothing left for us.

Change In Grape Harvest

So this year I changed the way I harvest grapes. Instead of waiting until the entire cluster is ripe, I harvest grapes like I harvest blueberries – one ripe grape at a time. Each morning I take my Repurposed Coffee Can and harvest the ripe grapes.

Harvesting grapes. August is usually so hot & dry the garden in Texas goes dormant. But this year we've had some successes too. Come see! #TexasHomesteader

Yes, that means I’m picking grapes every morning, and it’s more labor intensive. But what a haul! I’ve been able to harvest several gallons of perfectly-ripe grapes this year. From now on I’ll harvest our grapes this way every year!

This year’s grapes have been washed and frozen. If freezer space holds out I’ll be storing them in the freezer until this fall. Then I’ll decide what to do with them – making and canning either grape juice or jam. Or BOTH!

Luffa Success Helps Homemade Gift Idea

I’ve grown luffa before. But the last couple of years I’ve not been able to grow them – because of our tree issue I suppose. But a sweet friend gifted some of her seeds and they grew just fine, even with the garden-shade struggles.

Luffa vine. August is usually so hot & dry the garden in Texas goes dormant. But this year we've had some successes too. Come see! #TexasHomesteader

If luffa are harvested when they’re only about 5″ long, you can eat them like squash. But if you allow them to grow to maturity they become fibrous.

If you allow the luffa to actually die & cure on the vine after it’s mature, the shell becomes brittle. When you remove the brittle outer shell, you’re left with an actual luffa sponge.

Garden grown luffa sponge for use in the shower or to scrub dishes. #TexasHomesteader

How cool! And those garden-grown luffa will be part of our Christmas gifts this year.

You see, RancherMan & I make all of our Christmas Gifts Homemade. This year we’ll be gifting several different kinds of homemade soap.

Homemade cold-process soap. #TexasHomesteader

We’ll complete our homemade soap gift baskets with home-grown luffa sponges. I think our gift recipients will love them. And RancherMan & I will feel good knowing that although our gifts took our time, they were given from our hearts.

Watering Woes

Of course gardening in a Texas summer isn’t without its irrigation struggles. During our typical Texas summer the rain taps turn completely off. Then it’s impossible to keep the garden watered.

Oh you can mulch and water, and of course it helps. But the water you drop on the garden soil will probably be wicked away into the parched earth so quickly I can’t really soak into the ground next to the plant’s roots.

But this year, although still incredibly dry, we got the blessing of an inch rain in late July. What a rare treat! Not only did it water my garden thoroughly, but it helped replace some of my Rainwater Collection.

I use three rain barrels for watering. But for the garden I rely on rainwater routed into a deep underground cement cistern. Typically when that water is used up, my garden is done for the year.

Rainwater collection. August is usually so hot & dry the garden in Texas goes dormant. But this year we've had some successes too. Come see! #TexasHomesteader

As it stands, this one rain event at least lightly replenished some of that rainwater. So I’m hoping to be able to keep the garden watered a little longer.

Green Beans are Done

Green beans tend to be a powerhouse in the garden. And RancherMan & I love fresh green beans. The green beans this year at least provided a small handful of garden deliciousness from time to time.

Garden green beans. August is usually so hot & dry the garden in Texas goes dormant. But this year we've had some successes too. Come see! #TexasHomesteader

But now the green bean plants have petered out. So about mid-month I’ll sow more green bean rows so I can shoot for a fall harvest as well. They typically grow pretty vigorously in the fall if I can get ’em that far. 

Tomatoes Overcoming Adversity

My heirloom seedlings didn’t make it this year due to the tree-shading issue. The seeds I planted to replace them didn’t make it either.

Free seedlings from composter. August is usually so hot & dry the garden in Texas goes dormant. But this year we've had some successes too. Come see! #TexasHomesteader

But it’s common for me to score Volunteer Plants For FREE. This year was no exception. I nabbed tiny tomato seedlings from my compost. Then I transplanted several of them to the garden, but almost all of them succumbed before the large tree was removed.

But two scrappy tomato seedlings remained and grew, albeit veeeery slowly. I have no idea what kind they are, but the tomatoes they put on are golf ball sized and grow along a single stem.

I’ve been able to harvest a few delicious tomatoes this season for our salads. But now I’m just trying to limp the plants along until fall when I’m hoping to get a short flush of tomato harvest from them.

Watermelon Surprise

One  of my watermelon vines actually survived the great Shade-Tree Garden Extermination of 2020. LOL. Knowing it was probably too late for it to produce I still allowed the vine to grow. I utilize the vines themselves as living mulch to shade the ground around my tomatoes.

Watermelon growing in the garden. August is usually so hot & dry the garden in Texas goes dormant. But this year we've had some successes too. Come see! #TexasHomesteader

But I’m thrilled to see a single watermelon growing. Since these were gifted seeds from a dear friend I have no idea what kind of watermelon it is. But when it ripens RancherMan & I will enjoy it with relish, icy cold!

Looking Forward To A Fall Garden

We’ll see how far I’m able to squeak along my garden this month.  Even if it must go dormant, I’m thrilled with the tiny bounty it’s provided this year. And I have high hopes for a much better garden next year now that the large tree has been removed. 

Plus, being the eternal optimist that I am – I’m looking forward to planting some things for fall and harvesting into the cooler months as well. Growing Your Own Food Is Like Printing Your Own Money, #amiright??

Growing your own food is like printing your own money! #TexasHomesteader

How’s your garden doing this month?

~TxH~

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4 thoughts on “Garden Update: Gardening In Hot & Humid August

  1. candace ford

    Well I wish you were here in western Oregon to help pick and eat and put up blue berries. These are from the bushes that are older than I am and probably from which I picked as a child. My pa had told me that he remembered that blueberry farm from may years before. When the people I knew sold and moved into town the bushes were going to be bull dozed and pa and my brother went out one “evening” and dug 4 bushes and brought them out here where I now live. Friends came a couple of days ago and today and picked. The bushes are just loaded. Of course out here almost everyone has blueberries in their gardens so I’m glad to have a few friends who want some. God’s country!!!

    Reply
    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      Extra blueberries? Oh my, how I’d love it. I’ve planted (and killed) more blueberry bushes than I’m willing to admit. Currently there’s a miniature-type blueberry bush planted in a galvanized tub at the porch that’s still growing great, but the others have long since gone. ~TxH~

      Reply
  2. ColleenB.~Tx.

    I say you where truely blessed with what you did receive from your garden.
    Them grapes sure do look delicious. Make you some freezer grape jam. I made some freezer strawberry jam just the other day (just too hot to can) Super easy in making freezer jam with only a few ingredients. For freezer jam I do use the freezer pectin. I had found the freezer pectin on clearance at Ace Hardware so I bought up what they had.
    Take care, stay safe & stay cool.
    Oh, how are your bees doing?

    Reply
    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      I agree Colleen, I’m thrilled with anything the garden offers this year. Now that the problem tree has been removed I’m sure next year will be AWESOME! The bees are chugging along just fine, although we’re not able to harvest honey this year. There were various hive issues that reduced our number of available hives, plus a rogue spring storm with high winds toppled all of our hives and rain soaked into the boxes. That set our honey making way back this year. Looking toward next year’s harvest. 🙂 Y’all stay safe too, girlie! ~TxH~

      Reply

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