Garden Compound Clean Up

Like everything else we value, gardens require maintenance.  The beds are pretty easy to take care of.  Weed, mulch, water, amend the soil...it becomes pretty routine after a while.  What I did today (or at least started today) was maintenance on the grounds where my beds sit.  That area was a big patch of weeds and prairie grass before I had the beds built.  After clearing the area and building the beds, I had to do something to keep the weeds, but particularly the sticker burrs, at bay.  These things are nasty.  And without constant attention to eradicate them, they'll take over a patch of grass in a hurry.

What I did in the beginning (about 2 years ago) to control and stamp out the weeds, was spray the area with brush killer, put down a layer of newspaper, and then cover the whole area in a thick layer of mulch.  Well that was two years ago and the sticker burrs and weeds have began creeping through the mulch.  It was time to do it again.

The process is pretty easy, but it is a lot of work.  I first sprayed the section I was working on with Round Up.  Next I put down a layer of newspaper.  Newspaper is great because it's an additional barrier to the weeds and it is a good way to recycle newspaper.  It eventually breaks down into the soil and just disintegrates. 

It really helps to do this on a day when the wind is not blowing :)  Which, thankfully, today it was not.  Working in small sections at a time, I then add a wheelbarrow of cedar bark mulch (did I mention I have mounds of this stuff?) and rake it over the newspaper.

And that is basically it.  I bet I hauled 9 wheelbarrels of cedar bark mulch today.  I knew I would not finish it all today, but I got a pretty good start.  Hopefully, I'll finish this weekend.  Looks much better, doesn't it?

Preparing Garden Beds

I love dirt.  Ok...not all dirt, but rich, organic, healthy gardening soil, which is why I love preparing a garden bed for planting.  Here in Texas, very few soils exist that are ideal for vegetable gardening.  Amending the soil with organic matter is essential each and every time you prepare a bed for vegetable planting.  I equate well prepared soil with a good soup...if the stock in your soup is good then you're likely to produce a great soup.  If your stock is lousy, then chances are your soup is going to be lousy too. 

To begin with, create a bed with a minimum of 12 inches of good soil.  This 12 inches should be a mix of 50% organic matter and 50% good gardening mix.  It's a little pricey to get started, but a properly prepared bed with good soil will save you tons of labor and provides instant success.  And in subsequent years, it's simply a matter of amending the existing soil.  You don't have to start from square one.  Most local landscape companies will deliver soil to your back yard.

My beds are already well established and I do have good soil.  So when I prepare a bed for new planting, I simply add organic matter. 

The first thing I do is clean out all the weeds.  Since I've mulched it pretty well when I put the bed to "sleep", there aren't many weeds to remove. 

I then rake the mulch to one side of the bed and remove all the big pieces of cedar bark.  I use cedar bark mulch in all my beds.  As I've said, I have *mounds* of this stuff.

Next I pull out my trusty Mantis Tiller/Cultivator.  This thing is great.  It's small, lightweight, easy to use and reliable.  I can't imagine gardening without it. 

Adding organic matter is next.  I use Ladybug Soil Revilalzer Compost mix.  I love this stuff.  It's a mixture of hummus compost, composted cow, turkey and horse manure, granite sand (a small amount to mineralize and improve drainage), and humates for long term, slow release of humic acid, which stimulates microbial activity.  This mixture is organic and contains no bioSolids (sewer sludge).  It's made in Austin.

My beds are 9' x 5' and I add 4 bags each and every time I prepare a garden bed.  The general rule is to spread 2" over the soil and till to a depth of 6-8".  For heavy clay soils, 4-6" of organic matter can be added.

I rake the mixture evenly over the bed and till it in until the soil is loose and well aerated.

I made an exciting discovery as I was working the compost into the soil...the bed was full of earthworms!...big and squirly!  I was so happy to see that.  Earthworms are a sign that your soil is healthy and full of organic matter.

After the compost was well worked into the soil, I raked it one more time and that's it...I was done.

Isn't this beautiful dirt?  Like I said, I love dirt :)

Greenhouse First Inhabitants

This past summer wonderful hubby bought me an early Christmas present--a 9' x 12' greenhouse!

Beautiful, eh?

I'm so happy to finally have one.  It will be wonderful to house my patio plants and citrus trees over the winter, in addition to starting my spring seedlings.  We live in the hills and it does freeze here.  But the greenhouse looks lonely so empty, doesn't it?  Well...not anymore :)

I love orchids...I have four of them. 

A Cattleya

A Dendrobium

A Phalaenopsis

and I think a Cymbidium (if anyone knows for sure what this is, please enlighten me!)

Although they do very well in my house, all producing new growth, none of them has rebloomed.  So I did some research on orchids and I think they all need more light, a more humid environment and cooler evening temperatures.  So yesterday, I moved them into the greenhouse!  Hopefully, this will improve their chances at reblooming.  I'll continue to fertilize and water them and I guess we'll see what happens!  If anyone has an advice/wisdom on orchid growing they'd like to share, I'm all ears!

What to do in November

Living and gardening in the Hill Country of South Texas affords us the luxury of being able to garden practically year round.  However, that doesn't mean one can plant anything at anytime.  One of the advantages to growing cool-season vegetables in the fall is the quality...they just taste better (imho :-).  The vegetables mature as the days get shorter and cooler and this alone, creates better taste. 

Here are some cool season crops that can be planted now: 

• beets
• broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• cabbage
• carrots
• cauliflower
• collard greens
• green beans (best to use fast maturing bush beans)
• kale
• mustard greens
• lettuce (leaf, butterhead, romaine)
• radishes
• spinach
• sugar snap peas
• swiss chard

Additionally, insects are less of a problem in the fall.  Although that doesn't mean pests don't exist.  Keep an eye out for cabbage loopers (a real nuisance for me) eating your broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and lettuce.  I try to pick the little buggers off my plants as I see them; but if that's not possible, I use the least toxic, effective insecticide; generally an organic pesticide, such as Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), neem oil or spinosad. 

But perhaps the best thing about gardening in the fall and into winter is "it's not so hot"!

Now is also the time to mulch flower and shrub plantings and vegetable gardens.  Mulching now will trap soil warmth and moisture that will benefit plant roots.  Mulching also reduces winter weeds.  I use cedar bark mulch; mostly because that's what I have!  We cleared a bunch of cedar on our property a few years ago and had the trimmings mulched.  I have *mounds* of this stuff and it's great. 

Another thing I use the mulch for is putting my beds to rest (the ones I'm not using) for the winter.  I thoroughly clean out the bed, remove all the weeds and put a thick layer of this mulch over the entire bed.  This not only reduces the weed growth over the winter but it also adds organic matter to the soil as it decomposes over the winter.  When spring comes, I rake off most of the large pieces of cedar bark mulch and just till the rest of it into the soil with additional compost.  It really helps improve the health and texture of the soil.  The importatnt thing is to mulch.  I have a friend who uses alfalfa hay and that works for her and her garden. 

Now is also a great time to enjoy the fall blooming perennials that we Texans are blessed to be able to enjoy through the fall and winter season:  chrysanthemum, firespike, Mexican bush sage, snapdragons, and Mexican mint marigold. 

We cannot forget the birds and butterflies.  Most of our bird population does not migrate so it's important to keep the feeders full and plenty of fresh water in the bird baths.  I know my feeders are abuzz with cardinals, chickadees, tufted titmice, lesser and American goldfinches (these little guys *love* the wild sunflower seed heads), house finches, pine siskins, cassin's finches and sparrows.  Unfortunately, my camera isn't powerful enough to get photos of these beauties...and it is *very* difficult to sneak up on them!

The butterflies are everywhere!  They love the lantana, purple coneflower, cosmos, salvias, verbena and the wild cowpenn daisies.  These guys were all over the place this past weekend. 

And finally, what to do with all the tree leaves that are falling right now?  Shred them, mow them, mulch them, compost them, rake them but please don't bag them up and send them to the landfill. 

Here is a shot of a little piece of heaven in the Texas Hill Country

Today's Loot

Another beautiful cool fall morning in South Texas!  I just came back from the garden with today's bounty.

I plan to slice the zucchini into long slices, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil, and quickly grill.  Once the zucchini come off the grill, I sprinkle them with a little balsamic vinegar, S&P, and garnish with a handful of thinly sliced basil.  The radishes, one small zucchini, pepper and lovely spinach greens will make a beautiful salad.  Bon appetit! :)

Fall Garden Update

Every morning, puppies and I walk out to the garden to survey what my dear friend Shirley refers to as my queendom :)

Puppies are

beautiful old boy Tyson - 10 yrs old

bad boy Bandit - 9 yrs old

and sweet lovable Mouth - 14 yrs old

I was so excited this morning when I got to the garden...everything (and I mean everything) looks beautiful...so healthy and strong.  The Italian squash and butternut squash are growing like gangbusters and putting out all kinds of blooms and fruit. 

The Italian squash is doing very well, but because it's not so hot, it is growing slower than zucchini squash usually grows, which is a good thing  because I can keep pace using its fruit instead of ending up with 900 pounds of zucchini squash all at once!  

The butternut squash is setting fruit like crazy!  I have been combing my cookbooks and online sites for butternut squash recipes because sooner rather than later, I'll have butternut squash coming out my eyeballs!  And it looks like I'll have plenty for Thanksgiving dinner.

The blossoms of the butternut squash are so beautiful and the bees love them!  I spent a good bit of time this morning watching this little bee work this blossom.  He was having a good ol'time!

The first set of pak choi I planted are just about ready to pick.  As a matter of fact, this one is earmarked for dinner tonight!  The others from the first planting will be ready over the weekend and early next week.  I planted the toy pak choi and I'm glad I did.  They don't get too big and the leaves and stalks stay more tender when cooked. 

\

The broccoli seedlings are doing very well also.  But here again I run into my problem of thinning!  What I've been doing as I thin the seedlings, I repot them and give them to my friends who have gardens!  I also transplant the seedlings into patches of the garden where I've already harvested stuff.  I transplanted three broccoli seedlings into the bare spot where I've been harvesting radishes.  Works like a charm :)

Carrots, spinach, toy pak choi & broccoli

The carrots have germinated nicely and after my beet thinning experience, I've already thinned the carrots!

The red cabbage are doing beautifully also!  I just have to go out there every day and pick the little green cabbage loopers off the leaves.  It's amazing to me in how in just one day, these little critters just seem to materialize out of nowhere!  But it speaks to my philosophy that my garden's best friend is my shadow :)

Isn't this one a beauty?!

My tomatoes are doing well and growing, but they are not ripening very fast.  We've had some very cool (actually cold) nights recently.  The temperatures have dipped to about 40 degrees...tomatoes don't like it that cold.  So I've had to cover them with frost blankets the past 4-5 nights.  Which is fine.  They haven't been bitten with frost.  I've harvested about a dozen cherry tomatoes, but none of the Celebritys...yet! :)

Since I thinned the beets they are just growing and filling out the soil...can't wait to harvest these beauties...I just love roasted baby beets!

As you can see, I am blessed with a beautiful vegetable garden that will feed hubby and me and many family members and friends through this coming fall and into winter.  For me, this is why I garden.  I love to feed people and feeding people I care about with vegetables I grew myself is truly a gift of love.