do home vegetable gardens do well in Norman ok area? (Stillwater: buy, income)

[future texan]

am making a move to the norman area in a little over a year, and was wondering if people have luck with small home vegetable gardens....where I live in CA, the earwigs, grasshoppers, snails, slugs and gophers manage to eat everything I plant, flowers as well, even with the use of bait and poisons...

was wondering what pests to expect, and how you guys deal with problems, and any weather related problems as well..thanks!

[StillwaterTownie]

If it's like in Stillwater, some years turn out great for a vegetable garden, other years not so good. Last year wasn't so good due to the persistent high heat and drought. It's fairly rare, but a heavy hail storm will ruin a garden. Spider mites tend to get on some vegetables.

[happytown]

Ive actually had the displeasure of juggling a garden in norman while getting a degree during the hot, dry summer. DONT DO IT!
Side note: Caterpillars can gobble up vines fast, but watering will be your worst enemy. Buy soil moist to help w moisture, along w some sevin powder for those squishy lil guys.

[future texan]

oh no! lol....doesn't sound very promising...guess I could stick to a few containers?

[Rickd203]

You might also want to look into drip irrigation and mulching. Drip irrigation sends the water exactly to where it's needed. A 3" layer of mulch around the base of your vegetable plants will help keep the weeds from becoming established in your watering zone.

[Goodpasture]

Originally Posted by future texan

........was wondering what pests to expect,

Mostly kids. Everything else can be poisoned or stomped on. Neighbors frown on poisoning and stomping their kids.


Seriously though, invest in Roundup and keep the johnson grass sprayed.........

[StillwaterTownie]

Originally Posted by future texan

oh no! lol....doesn't sound very promising...guess I could stick to a few containers?

No, just take your chances, like most hardy Oklahoma gardeners do, that it will turn out to be a good season to grow vegetables. Bell peppers can do good unless the soil is poor.

[future texan]

thanks for all the help and info! now another question, which fruit trees do well?...am afraid to hear the answers...

[Rickd203]

I'm not sure about fruit trees but I do know that pecans are a fairly good cash crop in the state. That suggests that they must do well if are being grown commercially. I generally look at what other farmers are growing and selling. When their income comes from the land, very few can afford to waste time and money on something that doesn't grow well in their area.

[VVolfpack]

Since Oklahoma's summers can be so ridiculous I think the trick to gardening here is to think of it as 2 small growing seasons versus 1 long one. You can start early spring and get those plants out of the ground before the heat hits in late July, then, start again late August and harvest those before the usual late Oct frost.
As far as fruit trees, we get a lot of temperature swings in the winter, so be careful to get a variety that won't bloom at the first warm weather and can make it till spring hits.