Hello all

I want to attempt my third vegetable garden next year. So far I haven't been very successful
Arugola and kale have given by far the better yields.

I have had much better success in the past but since
I've moved to zone 9a things haven't been as easy... it seems like the windows for doing everything are much shorter.


I was thinking that following a guide like this one may help:

amzn.to/2neygx2


Has anyone used it in the past and to what success? Any other recommendations ?

Thank you in advance

Welcome to the forums, Riley. I don't do vegetable gardening as I've not been too successful at it. May give it a go again out on our rural getaway cabin property one day. Anyway, I wanted to mention a book that my Dad put me on to years ago. I loaned my copy years ago to a friend that kept it so long, she thought it was hers and swore up and down I did not loan it to her. But anyhow, I just found a used copy in good condition on Amazon (under $10) a couple weeks ago and bought it for myself. It's not hardback like my last one, but at least I have it. The title is THE ORTHO HOME GARDENER'S PROBLEM SOLVER, c. 1993, put out by the Ortho folks. It has a section on lawn care, annuals, perennials, bulbs, trees, shrubs, vines, fruits, nuts and veggies. But what I really like about this book is the in-depth photographic catalog of plant diseases and how to tackle them (with good photos for ID'ing). Bear in mind, it was published originally before some garden products may have been taken off the market. But it at least tells you some product that may be still available to turn a sick plant into a healthy one. Sounds like you're already on your way there.

Me, I don't like to use many chemicals, but have used them on a rare occasion. I'm trying to use non-chemical approaches on my flowers nowadays.

At the risk of repeating myself...

Search your local extension device for publications

Riley46 said:
I want to attempt my third vegetable garden next year.

I have had much better success in the past but since
I've moved to zone 9a things haven't been as easy..

. it seems like the windows for doing everything are much shorter.

Whereabouts are you gardening in zone 9?

Surprised to hear that you think the windows are shorter.

Where I am, the garden season is incredibly long....
Of course it may take some getting used to, this planting of cool season crops in the autumn, instead of in the spring...

With autumn planting, it's just a matter of waiting for the temps to cool,and the rains to start and then we can plant all those crops they plant in the spring (as soon as soil can be worked) up north.

Probably we can help you if you describe what you are having difficulty with.

I've read lots of books, and sadly, most books seem to have been written by armchair gardeners who were just passing on information they'd heard somewhere.... Not much help when people aren't discussing their own experiences...

The old garden books from RODALE Books are a good start for veg gardens. My Favorite is "Organic Gardening" by Rodale, is the best outdoor gardening book I've read. It teaches everything you need to know about gardening. Good luck