Vegetable or Alien?
May 23, 2011
I couldn’t resist posting this fun picture. And the kids had a lot of fun with this one! (Plus, they ate it!)
Kohlrabi is delicious peeled, chopped or shredded on your salads. And of course you can cook it too. Unfortunately, we’re at the end of kohlrabi season. Make way for summer veggies!
Garden Inspiration
April 21, 2011
It’s strawberry season in Central Texas. (Well, it’s actually strawberry-ripening season; most of the berry plants were put in the ground back in the fall.) On a walk through our South Austin neighborhood a few days ago, my kids spotted these perfect, stem-crossed beauties and wanted to chow down. “Wait, stop!” I yelled, “this isn’t our garden!” I’ve noticed so many front yard gardens lately – for many people, it’s the only place where there’s enough sun to grow food. So go ahead, build your garden in the front, but watch out for hungry two-year-olds!
Planting Tomatoes
March 23, 2011
If there’s one crop that conjures up more conversation and opinions about how to grow it than any other, it’s the tomato. So, here’s some friendly advice, but know that the next gardener or nursery will offer up an opinion (possibly not the same one that’s here) on THE way to get to those big, juicy ripe tomatoes. Take it all in but remember that your best teacher will be your own garden and actually growing the tomatoes. Be observant and you’ll learn more from your own patch of earth than you will from any book or garden center.
Here’s my basic recipe for success:
1. Loosen the soil with a garden fork, as deeply as you can – at least 12 inches is good. Enrich the soil with lots of compost – at least 4 inches layered on top of your soil, then worked into the top 6-8 inches. Add about 1/8 c per tomato of an organic nitrogen rich fertilizer to the area such as alfalfa meal, worm castings or blood meal. You can work this fertilizer in with the compost.
2. Space your tomato plants about 2 feet apart and try to maximize the growing area and minimize the pathway or area where you step in the garden – roots prefer soil that is loosened and not compacted. Bury the bottom half of the stem of the plant when planting – this will cause the tomato to grow roots off of the buried stem. Additional roots will improve the overall health of the plant.
3. Water using soaker hoses or drip irrigation. This will allow a long, deep and consistent watering that will help minimize disease and pest infestation.
4. Layer a 2-4 inch mulch over the soil around your tomatoes (and on top of your soaker hoses or drip tape) once the soil has warmed up – April is a good time. Good mulches for tomatoes include newspaper (with leaves or pine needles on top of them), pine needles, grass clippings or something that is finely shredded and will decompose in one season.
5. Give your tomatoes support so they will grow straight and tall. There are many methods for staking – all with their advantages and disadvantages. If using cages, get the absolute largest one you can find. T-stakes work well too but you’ll have to tie your tomatoes’ main stem to the stake ever 12-18 inches of growth. Check out this study done by some master gardeners on the pros and cons of various methods for staking tomatoes.
Green Garden Festival this Weekend
February 23, 2011
I will be offering a wild edible plant walk this weekend at the Green Garden Festival – come check it out!
Snowy Garden
February 6, 2011
Joe Henry wonders about our garden, blanketed under snow. Our strawberries (tucked under the white row cover), newly planted onions and leeks (in the middle bed) and kale (in the background) did just fine. Our chickens fared well too, though they were reluctant to venture out into the snow.
Snow-fearin’ chickens
Snowy Kale
Snow-filled bird bath
Snowy Garlic
Onions & Leeks, Planted
January 24, 2011
I picked up some onion and leek sets at the Great Outdoors Nursery last week and planted them in my garden this weekend. Alliums (onions, garlic, leeks, chives) are my favorite crop to grow – they are very hardy and have few pests and diseases. January is a great time to plant onion and leek sets - sets usually come in bundles and are small, partially dried individual plants that can be separated and set directly in the garden. Be sure to water them thoroughly the first week so they establish well in your garden!
Southern Belle Red Onions & Texas 1015s, planted this weekend
My Garden in January (Onions & Leeks planted in the middle bed)
Purple in the Garden
December 8, 2010
‘Kolibri’ Purple Kohlrabi
‘Redbor’ Kale
‘Red Oakleaf’ ‘Firecracker’ ‘Anapolis’ and other Lettuces
Our winter garden is bursting with some really great veggies including my purple favorites. Other purple (or at least purplish-red) vegetables that would be good additions (and can still be planted) in winter gardens here in Austin include:
‘Purple Passion’ Asparagus
‘Bull’s Blood’ Beets
‘Ruby Perfection’ Cabbage (and many other ruby varieties)
‘Cosmic Purple’ Carrots
Radicchio
‘Garnet Giant’ Mustard (and many other varieties)
‘Purplette’ Onions (and many other varieties)
‘Red Lasota’ Potatoes
‘Purple Top’ Turnips
And many more!
Eat Your Pea Greens
October 22, 2010
When I operated an organic farm in Ohio, I grew pea greens for sale at the farmers market. I didn’t know much about them until the market manager suggested we grow them since there was a huge demand, especially among chefs of Asian cuisine. Boy, was she right! Pea greens ended up being one of the easiest crops to grow and one of our top sellers. Ever since then, I’ve grown peas and pea greens in my winter gardens here in Texas with great success. Here’s how to grow them:
1. Purchase a large amount of sugar snap pea seeds since it is easiest to use the broadcast method for seeding and you will be seeding throughout the growing season. I like to use the dwarf grey sugar snap peas from Johnny’s Selected Seeds but any edible pea seed will do. (Note: Flowering ornamental sweet peas are poisonous and should not be used.)
2. Prepare the soil the normal way – cultivate and add compost, then rake the surface.
3. Broadcast the pea seeds over your prepared garden soil – peas are generally spaced about 2 inches apart and broadcasting will roughly mimic this spacing and will create a bed of peas rather than rows.
4. Rake the surface so that some pea seeds are buried or at least incorporated into the top inch or two of your garden soil.
5. Keep the soil moist until the seeds germinate. Once germinated, the peas will grow fast. You can harvest the greens by cutting off the tops of the plants once they reach 6-10 inches tall. All parts of the plant are tender and edible at this height.
6. If you leave an inch or two of plant (with leaves on it) in the soil, the peas will grow again and you’ll be able to get at least one more cutting of pea greens.
7. After the second cutting you can place trellises in your garden bed and let the the peas grow to maturity, eventually producing peas to eat. Or you may decide you want to get a third cutting of pea greens!
8. Re-seed every few weeks for continuous harvests throughout the winter and early spring.
9. Even the tender, new shoots of your mature pea plants are edible and can be used as pea greens for salads, stir-fries or as a beautiful, edible garnish on your plate.
Pea Greens on Pumpkin Soup
Wild Edible Plant Book Project
September 25, 2010
Dandelion in my Garden
I am sorry for the lack of blog entries lately! My busy season has started – as I garden more and more, I blog less and less. I also recently started another blog and am trying to keep up with it. I am writing a book this year on the wild edible plants of Texas and the editor I am working with recommended I start a blog – check it out!
Time to Plan your Fall Garden!
August 17, 2010
Okra Flower
I am sooo looking forward to fall veggies – I am tired of okra! Even though it’s incredibly hot these days, now is a great time to begin planning for cooler temperatures and your fall garden. If you are just starting out, fall is a wonderful time to start a vegetable garden. As the temperatures cool down and as the bug pressure lessens, your vegetables will thrive. And with good planning, you can enjoy fresh vegetables throughout the winter. It’s a good idea to prepare your soil in September and begin planting starts or transplants you buy from the nursery in late September. Check out the Austin Organic Gardener’s planting calendar at this link to learn more about fall planting dates. But don’t let all the August planting dates scare you – I’ve learned that many of the vegetables that are sometimes planted in August tend to do better if planted in September when temperatures might be a bit cooler and there is more moisture. If you’d like a few more tips on getting started, I am giving a free talk on planning an edible landscape at the Natural Gardener on Saturday, August 28th at 9am. Hope to see you there! And of course, I am always available for individual consultation or installations at your home.
