NQR or Not Quite Right

November Blackberries   Photo by Emmy Ulmschneider

By Emmy Ulmschneider, Permian Basin Master Gardener

Gardeners use numerous abbreviations, and we have previously written about a few of them: NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium) and IPM (Integrated Pest Management).  However, I am coining a new term for my 2025 gardening year: NQR, or Not Quite Right.  And I am using what I observed in my 2025 garden to plan for my 2026 gardening year.  I have been growing fruits and vegetables in my yard for over twenty years, but 2025 was a wake-up call: to maintain the diversity of culinary plants I use with as little effort as possible, I must re-evaluate which plants I grow, as well as where and when I grow them.  The changes I observed were evidence to me that the plants are experiencing changing growing conditions:  this year, I had ripe blackberries in November, my almond tree, planted in 2005, and buffalo currant, Ribes aureum, planted in 2013, both succumbed to the periods of extended sun and hot temperatures on my front patio.  In addition, my naturalizing greens, such as Italian dandelion (a type of chicory) and arugula, did not thrive until cooler fall temperatures.  I also observe evidence of these changes during a December walk through my neighborhood: roses are still blooming, and hot-weather turf grasses are still green and photosynthesizing.   

In contrast to plants that did not fare well in 2025, my culinary plants, accustomed to warmer climates, performed well.  The Japanese persimmon 'Kuya" and brown turkey fig, both planted in 2013, had an exceptional harvest.   Other true topicals, such as my plantains, Musa sp., and lemongrass, Cymbopogon citratus, also thrived.  These changes suggest that, for my 2026 garden, I can forgo growing certain plants, choose a different crop, or change where or when I grow a particular crop.  And I am not alone in experiencing these changes.  A 2024 Texas Master Gardener Conference presentation addressed hotter summer growing conditions and suggested selecting more appropriate crops, which we discussed in two previous blog entries.  (See https://www.westtexasgardening.org/post/blazing-hot-summer-plants-part-1 and https://www.westtexasgardening.org/post/blazing-hot-summer-greens) 

January is the perfect time to plan for a thriving garden with appropriate plants across all seasons.  Thinking ahead to the summer, there are many kinds of “tropical” greens across different plant families.  Most of these tropical greens are not available locally, the one exception being my favorite, Malabar Spinach, Basella alba, which I have grown since 2012 and even successfully overwintered it inside.  However, seeds for all these hot-summer greens, plus many others, are readily available online.   So do some browsing and learning.  Try a different green to brighten another unpredictably hot summer.   And if you are interested in tropical perennials, challenge yourself!  As they say in our area, the sky is the limit!

If you have questions, call the AgriLife office in Odessa at 498-4071 or in Midland at 686-4700.   Additional information, and our blog for access to past articles, is available at westtexasgardening.org.  Click on “Resources

Ripening Japanese Persimmons Photo by Emmy Ulmschneider

Overwintering Tropical Fruit Photo by Emmy Ulmschneider