Now
34°C · Clear
Today
37° / 27°
Soil 6 cm
33°C
First frost
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Gardening in Brownsville
AI field guide · refreshed weeklyBrownsville Gardening: Early Fall Cool-Season Prep
Zone 10a means frost risk is still 114 days away (late December). Your soil is 34°C—still too hot for most cool-season seeds to germinate reliably. Wait until late September or early October when soil drops below 30°C (86°F), or start indoors in cooler conditions now. You have 350 frost-free days annually, so fall crops planted by mid-October will mature before year-end.
Sow outdoors now
Mustard greens (Southern Giant Curled, Tendergreen)
Sow directly in late September when soil cools; these thrive in Brownsville's mild winters and tolerate heat better than lettuce during transition weeks.
Radish (Cherry Belle, French Breakfast)
Direct sow in 2–3 weeks as soil temperature drops; radishes germinate in cool soil and mature in 25–30 days, perfect for October harvest.
Spinach (Space, Bloomsdale)
Wait until late September; spinach needs soil below 30°C to germinate, then grows steadily through Brownsville's frost-free winter.
Turnip (Purple Top, Tokyo Cross)
Direct sow late September onward; roots and greens both harvest in 60–70 days, ideal for November–December production.
Cilantro (Santo, Calypso)
Sow in late September; cilantro bolts quickly in heat but thrives in fall and winter here, providing fresh leaves through spring.
Start indoors now
Broccoli (Calabrese, Packman)
Start seeds indoors now in a cool room or seed tray; transplant outdoors in 4–5 weeks when soil cools, for October–November heads.
Cabbage (Stonehead, Earliana)
Sow indoors now; these need 6–8 weeks to transplant size and benefit from starting before outdoor heat peaks.
Lettuce (Buttercrunch, Jericho)
Start indoors in seed trays now to avoid direct-sowing in 34°C soil; transplant seedlings outdoors in 3–4 weeks as temperatures drop.
Harvest now
Okra (Clemson Spineless, Perkins Long Pod)
Still productive in early September; harvest pods every 2–3 days while tender, before they become fibrous in heat.
Southern peas (Black-eyed, Purple Hull)
Mature crops are ready now; pick regularly to encourage continued production through mid-September before plants decline.
Sweet potato (Beauregard, Covington)
Dig tubers in late September before soil cools; they'll be full-sized after summer growth.
Basil (Thai, Genovese)
Harvest leaves frequently; basil will decline as temperatures drop, so use or preserve heavily this week.
Tasks this week
- Prepare beds for fall planting: remove spent summer crops, add 5 cm (2 in) compost, and let soil settle before late-September sowings.
- Water deeply and mulch heavily (7–10 cm / 3–4 in) to keep soil cool and moist as you transition to fall crops.
- Scout for spider mites and whiteflies on remaining summer plants; spray with neem oil if populations spike in the heat.
- Set up shade cloth (30–50%) over seedling trays indoors if starting broccoli, cabbage, or lettuce—indoor heat and light need careful control.
- Deadhead flowers on herbs and ornamentals to extend bloom and delay bolting as temperatures begin to moderate.
Watch out for
- Soil temperature: 34°C is still too hot for cool-season seed germination—direct sowing will fail or rot. Wait until late September or start indoors.
- Whiteflies and spider mites thrive in this heat and humidity; check leaf undersides daily and remove heavily infested plants to protect seedlings.
- Sudden wind events (gusts to 34 km/h forecast mid-week): stake or support tall plants, and protect young seedlings with windbreaks.
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