Watering Tips

With the increasing heat, you will notice that vegetable and ornamental plants may show stress during the heat of the day by "wilting" and otherwise turning their leaves away from the sun.  This is a normal response and should not be confused with wilting due to lack of water.   Many plants including tomatoes, most herbs, and Texas natives do better when they are allowed to dry out between waterings.  Don't be suckered into watering by the midday wilts.  If the wilting is caused by heat, the plants will return to their vibrant selves by morning.  If they are wilted in the a.m., then it is definitely time to water!

This is also time to begin thinking about mulching.  Four inches of mulch around a plant reduces evaporation and soil temperature resulting in less watering and better plant health.  I prefer cedar mulch or hardwood mulch.  A good aged mulch will be a rich, dark brown.  Cedar has the added benefit of a nice aromatic smell.  Don't use decorative bark as it washes away, provides a home for unwanted insects, and does not provide the same benefits as the other mulches.

Worms on my Tomatoes!!!!

Horn are always a problem but this year there are worms eating my tomatoes!  And other customers are having the same problem.  There's an easy fix - BT!  It is a biological that comes in a powder to be applied directly or a liquid that you mix with water and spray the plant.  Follows label directions and apply over entire plant.  Evening is best as BT is a biological and the heat and sun can affect its efficacy.  Worms will quit eating after one bite but it may take a few days before they turn black and DIE!  BT works on all worms.  Good Luck!

Raised Bed Update

I finally got my demonstration raised beds planted with lots of veggies of all kinds.  

Arch.  I used a piece of welded wire to create an arch between the beds to train the tomatoes, cantalope, cucumbers, and pole beans (barely visable in second picture).  I can walk under the arch and pick the produce!  By using the space between the beds, I expanded the amount of available soil space for more plants.  

I selected indeterminate tomatoes to climb the trellas.  The hanging cantalopes will need a little extra help in the form of pantyhose to prevent a fall to the hard earth.

I also planted peppers, bush beans, squash and eggplant - all in two 4x4 foot plots!  Check out the picture and stay tuned for more updates!

May Gardening Activities

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted...it's been very busy around here!  Our place looks...if you haven't stopped by, come visit us!

May is a great gardening month.  It's still not too late to plant vegetables, herbs and summer annuals.  And it's a great time to work on any landscaping projects - get those plants in the ground before it's too hot.  See the post below on starting your pumpking patch and don't forget about your fall garden...believe it or not, it's getting to be time to start your own tomato seedlings for the fall.  I'll post a fall seed starting chart later for all cool season veggies later on.

Lawn Care.  May is when grass really takes off.  If you haven't fertilized, now is the time.  A good organic granular fertilizer mixed with greensand will keep most lawns looking great and is especially good for St. Augustine lawns with chlorosis (yellowing).  Greensand is difficult to put out but spreads easily when mixed with the fertilizer.

Growing GIANT Pumpkins

One of the biggest challenges in gardening is remember to plant when it is time well in advance of the rewards of the crop.  Pumpkins fits this category very well.  I never think of planting until September or October...but NOW is the time to plant.   Thanks to our resident master gardener, Susan Chadwick and a friend of hers, we have the scoop on how to grow great pumpkins.  While you may not be able to grow a record 1000 pounder (we don't have enough daylight hours), you may grow one approaching 100 lbs.  Here's some ideas to make your pumpkin garden a success...and be sure to include the kids, they will love it!

A June planting date will get you ripe pumpkins on the vine - about 85-160 days after planting.  Seed germination can be a problem so you may want to germinate the seeds in a wet paper towel or a small pot of potting soil to be sure that you have a viable plant.  Plant 4-6 seeds or tranplant a single plant every 6 feet about 8 feet apart.  You need lots of room for pumpkin as vines can grow up to 50 feet long!  Thin plants if more than 1 or 2 seeds germinate.  Pumpkins like very loose soil so you may want to build a mound with plenty of tilthy soil.  Fertilize with a complete fertilizer and light on the nitrogen!  Fertilize at planting and side dress monthly.

Arrange the vine like a Christmas tree allowing the primary and secondary shoots to grow but trimming off all third vines.

For ensuring maximum yield (size), you may want to help pollination along.  The female flower has a small nodule on the stem just below the petals.  When the male and femal flowers are open (you can use flowers from different plants), pick the male flower and brushed inside the female flower.  You can even leave the male flower inside the female closing the female's petals around the male flower.  This wraps it all up and keeps bees and beetles from interrupting the process!

You will want the vines to curve in an "S" shape to allow some slack as the pumpking grows.  If the vine comes under too much pressure, it can break and all is lost!

Once the pumpkins are growing, cover them with a light sheet to keep them from sunburning.  Always take around the vines as they are very fragile.