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Over the years from various sources, we have compiled a lot of helpful
information. Here are the weekly tips first found in our newsletters,
along with plants and products that we have spotlighted. We include
practices developed here at The Natural Gardener and by other gardening experts.
January
2005
Create an English Cottage Garden
It is a perfect time to plant seeds such as Larkspur, Snapdragon, Alyssum,
Sweet Pea, Calendula, Nigella, Stock and Statice. These plants will
bloom profusely in the Spring looking lovely in the garden and great
for cutting to grace you home. Buds & Bloom from Rabbit Hill Farms is
a wonderful fertilizer for these bloomers.
Get a Soil Test
This is a great time to send off a sample of your soil to see if it
needs any amending. We recommend Texas Plant & Soil Lab (www.txplant-soillab.com
). The type of testing they do on your sample will not only tell you
if a nutrient is deficient, but just as importantly, if a nutrient is
in a form that is usable by the plant. They provide organic recommendations
to fix any soil nutrient problems.
"Lettuce up" (instead of "beef up") Your Winter Veggie Garden
It is a great time to get in another crop of the cool weather veggies.
Plant transplants of broccoli, lettuce, chard, cabbage, kale and others.
Or, you can plant seeds for lettuce, radish, peas, beets, kale, spinach
and other cool weather crops.
Bed preparation
Now is a great time to get your beds ready to plant. It
is always good to add compost as discussed in the "From the Soil Yard"
section of this email. Additional amendments may be necessary. If you have
had a soil test, bring in the results and we can help you interpret them.
We have natural and safe products to improve the soil. Mineral Plus from
Rabbit Hill Products is a great source of a variety of slow-release minerals
that almost any soil can use. Other amendments that are often necessary in
our area include soil acidifiers and sources of nitrogen, phosphorus and
potassium. All of these amendments release and move through the soils at
different rates and may not be necessary (or desirable) every year. Come in
and talk with one of our knowledgeable staff about your soil.
2004
Seed Starting and Planning
It is actually only two months away until the last average frost in
the Austin Area. It is time to think about seed starting for the summer
garden. The back of most seed packets will give information on when
to start inside. Generally this will be from 6 to 12 weeks before the
last average frost date. The packets of seeds are a great source of
information - Botanical Interest even has information on the inside
of the packets. Different seeds will have different requirements for
optimum growth.
Some seeds will want darkness to germinate while others will germinate
best in light. Almost all plants will require an additional light source.
It needs to be a really sunny window for the majority of the day to
just grow the seeds in natural light. A shop work light works great.
Keep the light source just a couple of inches above the plant. Be sure
to turn off the light at night so the plant senses an normal day/night
environment. If the plant requires warm soil to germinate, like tomatoes
and peppers, put the seed tray on a propagation heat mat or on top of
the refrigerator - be sure to move the plants to a light area once they
have sprouted.
Seeds can be started in a variety of containers. We sell small cell
flats, peat pellets, and a pot maker that allows you to make your own
pot out of newspaper. You can also use containers that you have around
the house such as egg cartons, milk cartons, plastic soda bottles or
any other container that you can have drain out the bottom. You do not
want to have your soil soaking in water. Watch the seedlings carefully
and be sure to transplant before it gets root bound. This is especially
important if you are using very small containers such as egg cartons.
You can pump small transplants into 4-inch pots and continue to grow
inside. If it is a beautiful, sunny, warm day, without too much wind,
you can place the seedlings outside in a sunny spot.
Seeds should be started in a mixture especially formulated for seed
starting. Potting soil and definitely garden soil is usually too heavy
to give a good start to seedlings. Rabbit Hill Farms has a great mix
or you can make up one of your own. There are many recipes in magazines
and books. Every gardener has their own opinion on what is a good mix.
Ingredients often found in mixes include: peat moss, perlite, vermiculite,
sand, and compost.
Water is important to the health of the plant and is especially
true for these very tiny plants.
Plants should be kept moist, but not wet and not completely dry. One
of the biggest problems is people over watering the plants. Very small
containers or containers on a heat source will probably require watering
every day and maybe even a second watering for the very tiniest containers
grown on a heat source. You really have to evaluate each situation differently.
Add a little seaweed to the water occasionally. Rainwater is a great
source of water. If that is not available, tap water can be used but
try to let it sit in an open container for a while to let the chlorine
degas. Do not use water run through a water softener or really hard
water if possible. Problems with the water are multiplied when you are
watering a small container and the delicate seedlings.
These are some of the guidelines for starting seeds inside. If you
have more questions come in and ask our staff or look at one of our
seed starting books, or often it is included in general garden books.
It is very exciting to watch the seeds poke through the soil and you
feel like you are planting your own babies by the time the plants are
ready to transplant. Be sure to share any extras with neighbors and
friends.
Don’t Work Wet Soil
We seem to go from one extreme to another here in Central Texas. Hopefully
we will continue to get the nice soaking rains, but it does mean some
adjustment to gardening schedules. It is very important that soil is
not worked when it is wet. Working wet soil will compact the soil and
form large clumps that are very hard to break up. The soil structure
can be ruined for several years and will take a bunch of earthworms
or your time and money to restore it. Soil should have the moisture
of a wrung out sponge to work it. In fairly good soils this will mean
that you can gently squeeze the soil and it will break apart easily.
If it is a very clayey soil it will stick to your hand more when it
is wet.
It is also important that you stay off a wet lawn. The soil underneath
the lawn will compact just like walking on a garden bed. Over time you
will see that the lawn in that area is stressed and is not as healthy.
If it is raining and you can’t dig your bed, this is the perfect
time to plan the garden and come to the nursery and get all your supplies
so when the sun is shining you are ready to go. FYI, a rainy day is
always a good day to visit any nursery as the staff will have a lot
more time to answer your questions.
Prep Your Beds for Spring Planting
Now is the time to start working in compost and amendments to make your
bed ready to plant when the weather warms up. Most gardens can benefit
greatly from the addition of compost. You may add up to one-third compost
into a bed. The compost should be worked in the top 6 inches or so.
We have four different types of compost you can work in - manure, turkey,
cotton burr and Revitalizer. All types of compost have benefits unique
to that compost. It is often good to rotate the type of compost you
use each year to get the different benefits. If you ’re not sure
which type of compost would work best for your garden this year, call
and talk with a staff member. We can also help you figure out how much
you need.
Everyone has their own idea on what amendments should be added (this
idea of multiple opinions seems to come up in every tip!) Generally
it is good to work in slow release minerals every couple of years. Different
sources of minerals that we have at the store include Minerals Plus
from Rabbit Hill Farms, greensand, granite sand or Nature’s Growth
Aide. If your soil is alkaline mix in some soil sulfur or dispersul,
cotton burr compost is also available acidified in bags. This is also
a good time to add a slow release fertilizer (they last a month or two)
such as cottonseed meal, alfalfa meal, Lady Bug 8-2-4, Rabbit Hill Farms
Buds & Blooms, etc. and mix it lightly into the soil. As always,
it is always best to have your soils tested, we recommend Texas Plant
& Soils Lab, and then you will know just what to add to your soil.
One thing to remember when you plant a garden such as a vegetable garden,
generally amending the soil with compost or even bringing in a good
quality garden soil like we sell here is not enough, you will still
need to fertilize during the growing season.
2003
New Year’s Garden
A New Year - time to start planning that fantastic garden. Eat fresh
lettuce, greens, broccoli, peas, bok choy, cabbage, etc all spring.
Enjoy luscious tomatoes, unique squashes, fiery peppers, and cool sweet
watermelon in the summer. All of this can be yours if you start planning
now. On cold dreary days is the perfect time to plan on paper the garden
of your dreams. On the crisp, beautiful sunny days of winter (you remember
- the kind that makes you think "this is why I live in Austin")
is the perfect time to prepare beds for spring and summer gardens. Don’t
forget to start those seeds, the last freeze is just about 10 weeks
away.
Purple Martin Scouts
Prepare for the Purple Martin Scouts - For the best success in finding
tenants for your Martin House, it needs to be ready before the crowds
arrive. Scout birds appear in mid January to find houses for the flock.
Houses should be placed on a pole in an open area and kept clean till
the birds move in. It is a fine balance between keeping the houses open
for the martins and keeping the sparrows out. If sparrows move in, clean
out the nest and they will eventually get the message.
Plant a Fruit Tree
Plant a fruit tree. This is the time to plant fruit trees in Central
Texas. Besides providing fresh luscious fruit, fruit trees have beautiful
blossoms in the spring, are nicely shaped small trees in the landscape
and provide fruit for the birds. Planting your own trees allows you
to eat fruits that have not been chemically treated with pesticides
- this is one of the most common places for pesticide ingestion from
foods. Fruit trees do require some maintenance, which you can find out
about at the store and information should be posted on the web site
within the next week.
Prepare Your Soil
Prepare your soil. Now is the time to get your soil ready for the spring
season. Test your soil to see what amendments are right for you. You
can use a simple soil test kit (available at the store) for looking
at levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. For a better analysis
send a soil sample off to a soil lab. We recommend Texas Plant and Soil
Lab, as they will do a complete analysis of what nutrients are available
to the plant and provide organic recommendations for correcting problems.
Compost, mineral sands, and other great amendments can be added now.
Stop by and talk with us about what your soil may need.
Start Your Own Orchard
Start your own orchard (or at least plant a fruit tree or two). Now
is the best time to plant bare root fruit trees. Fruit trees are a wonderful
addition to any garden setting, even if they did not produce fruit.
The trees often have a pleasing structure and are a small to mid-size
tree. Almost nothing beats the smell and beauty of a fruit tree in flower
in the early spring. The fruit trees do require a little more forethought
and care than a native or well-adapted tree. Be sure to ask a nursery
worker if the type of fruit tree you select is self-fertile or needs
a pollinator. You also need to select your fruit tree based on the number
of chilling hours. Chilling hours are the number of hours that are below
45 and above 32 degrees during the winter. In town areas will start
around 200 chilling hours with places in the hill country getting 800
or more hours. If you chose a variety with too little chilling hours,
the buds may appear long before the last frost and be killed. A variety
with too many chilling hours for your area may have very low production.
Do not let all of these guidelines deter you, our staff can help you
select the perfect tree and will give you all sorts of information on
the planting and care of your variety and also a spray schedule for
the future care of your tree.
See our January To-Do List
See our January Articles:
Reflections on Life and Organic Gardening
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8648
Old Bee Cave Road
