Texas Veggie Gardeners!! Stories, Tips and ADVICE!

[yinepu]

Well.. my husband did toss out the old walmart flats.. but I found a box of flats from the greenhouse that i shipped down here about 7 years ago.. still in pretty good shape except for a few chewed edges on a couple where a mouse tried to make bedding out of them.. the chewed ones are still usable.. but I'll save them for a last resort kind of thing..

So I brought in 2 flats and bleached them.. then pulled out some little solo cups I had put some drainage holes in a while back (the little short solo cups make nice cheap pots for seedlings). Mixed up some seedling mix and dug out last years left over seeds. Came across a bunch of herb seeds as well.. so I saved one flat for them.
The first flat has peppers and tomatoes (several different kinds) and it's sitting on a heat mat under the lights. I'll give it a day or two before turning the lights on just to save the electricity.

 

[hippiehen]

2.5 inches last night! YEAH!

 

[urban escapee]

I am also south of Houston...in Alvin. We have hard clay soil here, so I made raised beds and filled them with organic soil and humus. If you are in the Houston area I suggest a trip to either Wabash Feedstore on Washington Rd just off of TC Jester the are big on Organic there...or Sweet Organic Solutions in Pearland, Donna Faye runs the place and most times its just her there. She is a gem. Between the two places They have given me advice on organic pesticides and how to get rid of the fireants (dried molassass). I had my first small garden last year and just in time for the cold weather, LOL. But I grew Collards (which I seem to forever be reaping) cabbage, cukes, and squash (made lots of fruit but it didnt develop) , Tomatos, basil (which froze ) rosemary.

Donna Faye always posts on her facebook, when its time to plant certain items and when she gets new shipments in. So when I see a post I head up there and pick up a few things. When the cukes and squash were finished i.e. I forgot to cover them when it froze, I pulled them up and planted more cabbage, built 2 new raised beds for onions, garlic, chives, and broccoli, and brussels. Cabbage worms got the califlower.

While it can be frustrating, I just keep plugging along. I have a stack of seed packets that I need to get sprouting and get the yard man to help build me some more raised beds.

 

[urban escapee]

I've never been able to get cabbage or broccoli to grow heads, but the Hill Country Natives place I visited had some huge heads of a wrinkly looking cabbage that seemed to really love the weather we're having.

I tried to grow a bunch of tomatoes, both cherry and beefsteak, I usually have good luck with the cherry varieties but this past summer was just tooo hot. I moved all my pots into a spot under a tree that gets probably 90% shade and they still all died. They were fried. This year I'm not even going to try to grow tomatoes; after last year it felt like such a waste of time and energy only to get nothing but a bunch of burnt up looking plants. I've heard good things about the Cherokee Purple tomatoes though, know someone in Oklahoma that had a lot of success with them last year.

My mom bought some "Solar Fire" tomatos during the drought and watered every day. They are heat tolerant so you might give them a try if you can find them in your area.

 

[galanie]

I am also south of Houston...in Alvin.  We have hard clay soil here, so I made raised beds and filled them with organic soil and humus.  If you are in the Houston area I suggest a trip to either Wabash Feedstore on Washington Rd just off of TC Jester the are big on Organic there...or Sweet Organic Solutions in Pearland, Donna Faye runs the place and most times its just her there.  She is a gem.  Between the two places They have given me advice on organic pesticides and how to get rid of the fireants (dried molassass).  I had my first small garden last year and just in time for the cold weather, LOL. But I grew Collards (which I seem to forever be reaping) cabbage, cukes, and squash (made lots of fruit but it didnt develop) , Tomatos, basil (which froze ) rosemary. 

Donna Faye always posts on her facebook, when its time to plant certain items and when she gets new shipments in.  So when I see a post I head up there and pick up a few things. When the cukes and squash were finished i.e. I forgot to cover them when it froze, I pulled them up and planted more cabbage, built 2 new raised beds for onions, garlic, chives, and broccoli, and brussels.  Cabbage worms got the califlower. 

While it can be frustrating, I just keep plugging along.  I have a stack of seed packets that I need to get sprouting and get the yard man to help build me some more raised beds. 

I go to Wabash Feedstore too, though not always since I've found a place close to a friends house on the east end that is cheaper for chicken food. I love Wabash's selection of heirloom tomatoes in the spring, the plants I mean. Now just to find one that I like. I have a few varieties in mind I want to try, I just hope they have the plants for them this year. They told me the same thing on the ants but the jury is still out on that. I think the dried molasses is supposed to kick start the soil microorganisms (molasses and brown sugar are used to make IMO and EM - it feeds the microorganisms they want to grow) which will then somehow improve the soil flora enough for.. I don't know. They are not active right now anyway.

 

[hippiehen]

Beneficial nematodes make short work of fire ants and fleas. I always thought it was hogwash until my brother convinced me to spray our yard two springs ago. It was like magic - outside the yard you were eaten alive, inside there was not a biting bug to be found! Our yard is 2 acres though, it took a TON of nematodes and the cattle sprayer but it was well worth it!


....Oh em gee. Why have I not sprayed them in my garden to control thrips? I am so utterly dense sometimes!

 

[galanie]

Beneficial nematodes make short work of fire ants and fleas.  I always thought it was hogwash until my brother convinced me to spray our yard two springs ago.  It was like magic - outside the yard you were eaten alive, inside there was not a biting bug to be found!  Our yard is 2 acres though, it took a TON of nematodes and the cattle sprayer but it was well worth it!  


....Oh em gee.  Why have I not sprayed them in my garden to control thrips?  I am so utterly dense sometimes!    

I've often wondered if that would work. I know I used nematodes to rid my garden of flea beetles and other things a few years ago and it was like magic for that. I have 1/2 acre so it wouldn't exactly be cheap for me either but as you say, well worth it if it works.

 

[7L Farm]

I'm a organic gardener. Last year was tough but that's farming. This year is looking better. I'm shooting for the moon. I sell veggies, eggs, hay, quail & dewberry's. I'm small time but I love it. I have three gardens. For compost I use mushroom compost . For fertilizer I use chicken poop & bat guayama. One thing that I do is stay ahead of the game. All, my gardens are ready for the spring already. My onions were planted in December. Potatoes I'll plant in February, The fall garden will come out in March. I plant mainly from seed. I need a green house maybe next year will see. I buy my tomatoe plants .I use drip irrigation the water comes from our well here at 7L.I do pray for rain we got an inch & a half today. The bottom line for me is to stay ahead have everything you need well in advance such as seeds, watering devices, gardens prepared in advance whatevers needed. I expand every year as needed just depends on what I can sell & what makes the most profit. Its a hard row to hoe but I like to raise things. Good Luck To All !!!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Rainy in Alvin today. I know it's a good thing, but dang it makes feeding time a lot more challenging!

The clay can certainly be a challenge here. Converting the clay to workable soil is a chore, but it can be done. I have several garden areas - and will expand again this year. My first, and smallest, spot is incredible and has soil so soft that I can work it with a spoon! It's been amended with so much compost that its soft, dark, crumbly and beautiful. I mulch heavily with well-used hay, and as that mulch breaks down it continues to enrich the soil. My newer garden spot hasn't quite gotten there yet...it's still a work in progress, but gave me massive amounts of veggies last summer. (everything except for pole beans - anybody else have problems with pole beans last summer?) I'll be expanding that plot this year - and it's planted in rye that I'll turn under when he soil is dry.
I've been wanting to get to Wabash Feed store, just haven't made it yet. I've driven by Sweet Organic Solutions several times and it's on my list of places to go. I loooove to just browse those types of places.

I haven't tried the nematodes, but it sounds like a plan. Wouldn't it be nice if chickens would just eat the darn ants????

7L - Welcome! It sounds like you're living in Heaven! I know it's hard work, but just having the opportunity to be outside with dirt on your hands has got to make up for a lot of it! I'm trying to stay ahead of the game this year too. There's always something that needs to be done, but little by little I make progress. I want a greenhouse too. Have you seen the ones that some folks have made out of hoop houses covered with plastic? I might have to give that some thought. I have a b'day in a few days and hubby keeps asking me what I want....hmmmmmmm.....

Galanie - where is the place that has cheaper chicken food?

Ya'll stay dry!

 

[hippiehen]

The clay is the biggest challenge here too, along with all the tannic acid from the live oaks. I use old hay and various manures to make my compost too - in fact that's on the agenda this weekend, to put down a good layer in the garden and in my pots! I'm determined to stay ahead of the game!

I read about adding greensand to alkaline soils, does anyone do that? If so, how much and when?