Texas Veggie Gardeners!! Stories, Tips and ADVICE!

[joan1708]

There has to be an "eye" on the piece for it to sprout.

 

[galanie]

A good way to do sweet potatoes is to put them in a glass in your window like we used to do as kids and grow the vines to about 6 inches then pull them off and plant them. Mine did "ok" last year but not great. What I found out is, that you can just let an odd one grow somewhere out of the way in partial shade and leave it there, then you'll have starts for next year. The vines readily root just by putting clippings of them in a glass of water in a window. That's how I planted mine this year. I had pulled the vines after harvesting last year and threw them under a rose bush in the back. And had some take root! So I just took cuttings off that for spring planting.

Last year was just a miserable year to try to grow anything. I don't want to jinx myself by saying "it can't be as bad this year" but I'm still thinking that.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Two years ago I grew sweet potatoes by doing just what Galanie suggested.

I didn't plant them until proably mid-April because they like the heat. Mine grew beautifully but when I started digging them I found some kind of worm in almost every one of them. I'm not sure what it was, it looked like a real thin wire, but it was definitely a worm of some type. I did find out that my chickens love sweet potatoes, even though they wouldn't eat them raw - I had to cook 'em up for the spoiled brats!

 

[urban escapee]

Just wanted to share, all my beds are plants/seeded. I still have seed, so I guess I need more beds. I use raised beds because our soil is clay and I have to nickle and dime everything so amending soil by the acre is out of the question. I have 2 other beds in front of the run (cnderblock to discourage my girls from eathing everything before I decide they can Last year the garden area looked like the uncleared area behind it, so we have come a long way, but still have much more to do.

 

[joan1708]

Urban escapee - I love to see garden pictures. Looks like you have done a lot of work there. Thanks!

 

[urban escapee]

thank you, dont know what we would do without our yard man, he built all the beds for me so my husband can focus on the larger tasks required to start our little farm. My collards survived the drought and the winter so we were lucky there. I am just tickled everytime I look out the back door and see all they bounty the earth is providing.

 

[galanie]

Oh yeah, Urban Escapee. That's exactly the reason my main garden is where it is. People thought I was nuts putting a vegetable garden right at the back door but I love to look out the patio door and see my tomatoes and things!

 

[urban escapee]

hehe, that fence in the picture divides my backyard, the back steps go into the fenced area for the dogs, but I can step out and check on my birds, the garden, or just yell at the dogs LOL

 

[MaggieRae]

Hey y'all! I'm glad I found this thread. I used to have a really thriving garden until a few years back when it got mowed down by accident.

So, I thought this year would be a great time to start a new one! I've got corn, strawberries, a variety of herbs, onions and carrots, jalepenos, dorset naga peppers, and tomatoes of course. I've been surprised how well they've done so far. To be honest, I'm really not much of a gardener. I'm a plant, water, and let be kind of gal. I'd be very pleased to learn more, though.

 

[texas75563]

Today I was pulling some little grass sprigs that had popped up here and there. Where there was a 2 1/2 foot tall tomatoe plant inside a cage was about 3 inches of leaves sticking out of the ground. Dang gopher! I put a trap out and caught it afternoon.