Fall Veggie Picks (Cabbage) by Patty Leander

Posted on September 5, 2013 by Jay White

The cole crops that we grow today evolved from wild plants native to the coastal regions of Northwestern Europe and the Mediterranean. Cabbage might well be considered the granddaddy of them all, being the first member of the diverse brassica family to be cultivated.

Growing requirements for cabbage are similar to broccoli and cauliflower – cool weather, moist, fertile soil and at least 6 hours of sun. Plants are fairly tolerant of heat in the early stages of growth but must have cool weather as they mature in order to form a tight head, thus an ideal choice for fall cultivation. Transplants should go into the ground 10-12 weeks before the first freeze date in your area; here in Central Texas brave souls plant in August while the rest of us wait to plant in September, hoping for rain, an overcast day and/or a break in the heat. Once established most cabbages can handle temperatures into the mid-twenties and chilly weather will even sweeten its flavor.

‘Cheers’ cabbage is a blue-green hybrid with excellent disease resistance . All Photos by Bruce Leander

Cabbage varieties can be distinguished by shape (round, flat or pointed), color (green, blue-green, purple or red) and leaf type (smooth or crinkled) and what you choose to grow depends on your personal taste. ‘Golden Acre’, ‘Dynamo’ and ‘Farao’ are early-maturing green varieties that form solid round heads with excellent eating quality. ‘Early Jersey Wakefield’ and ‘Charleston Wakefield’ are heirlooms that have been grown in the U.S. since the 1800s but their conical shaped heads still surprise uninitiated gardeners.

‘Alcosa’ savoy cabbage

Purple and red varieties add interest to our gardens, vibrant color and flavor to our food and healthy nutrition to our diets. They contain phytochemicals called anthocyanins which have been associated with improved memory function and reduced cancer risk. Availability of red and purple varieties tends to come and go as breeding improvements are made but current selections to look for include ‘Ruby Perfection’, ‘Red Acre’ and ‘Red Express’. Blue-green hybrids like ‘Blue Vantage’ or ‘Blue Dynasty’ have been bred with better disease resistance than most of the paler green types so look for those if your cabbage has been less than vigorous in the past. Savoy cabbage has lovely crinkled leaves and a sweet, tender heart. Recommended varieties include ‘Famosa’, ‘Alcosa’ and ‘Savoy Ace’.

Chinese cabbage, also known as Napa cabbage, is a different species from heading cabbage but it is easy to grow and has become very popular for grow-your-own gardeners. It is a vigorous grower with a delicate flavor and is often used for stir-fry and kimchi. Depending on variety it will produce a tight, barrel-shaped head or a loose head of crisp, frilly leaves. ‘Blues’, ‘Tenderheart’ and ‘Bilko’ are reliable producers. If you have trouble finding decent transplants this fall then try growing your own seedlings for planting in late winter or early spring.

Be on the lookout for aphids, especially on the underside of leaves

Be on the lookout for aphids, cabbage loopers and cabbageworms; these common pests can decimate a crop if not controlled. Aphids can be dislodged with a strong spray of water or can be smothered with insecticidal soap. Caterpillars can be controlled with any insecticide that contains the active ingredient Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis). Another option is to exclude the moth that lays the eggs by covering the plants loosely with lightweight row cover when they are very young. Plants can remain covered throughout the growing season but should be uncovered for fertilizing and periodic inspection.

Exclude the moths that lay caterpillar eggs by covering plants with floating row cover; alternatively handpick the worms if you don’t have many plants or try regular application of Bt insecticide.

Once you harvest your cabbage it can be braised, stuffed, stir-fried, fermented, pickled, shredded for coleslaw, chopped for salad or added to soups. It is fun to try several different types – who knew that common cabbage could be such a diverse and interesting vegetable!

H.O.P.E. for Small Farm Sustainability

Posted on September 1, 2013 by Jay White

No matter how long I garden, I am still amazed at how much food I produce. This spring I had five rows that were 33’ long and three feet wide. In that small amount of space I produced over 300 pounds of tomatoes and 200 pounds of cucumbers. I also produced about a bushel of green beans and my peppers are still producing. Every time I haul in far more tomatoes and cucumbers than my wife will ever be able to can, I think “Wouldn’t it be nice if I could give this to someone that actually needs it”. Unfortunately, thinking about is all I ever do.

Saul and Diana Padilla of Yahweh’s Farm and H.O.P.E for Small Farm Sustainability in Harlingen. Photo by Eloise Montemayor

Luckily, there are some gardeners out there that do more than just think about helping those “that actually need it”. Saul and Diana Padilla are the owners of Yahweh’s All Natural Farm and Garden in Harlingen. Saul and Diana grow and sell organic, seasonal fruits and vegetables through their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). They also offer free range chickens, goats, rabbits, and farm fresh eggs to their members.

A future farmer helps tend her family’s plot in the H.O.P.E. community garden

Saul and Diana love farming and they feel blessed to be able to to make a living doing what they love. Saul is life-long farmer and Diana was formerly a fine dining chef. When they are not farming, they are working to develop and promote a “Buy Local” food community in the Harlingen area. Because of their involvement with the local food movement they learned that a whole lot of people in their local area could not afford to provide their families with fresh, healthy produce like they were growing on their farm. As Christians, this bothered them so much that they decided to do something about it.

H.O.P.E. community garden grows a whole lot more than vegetables; it is also growing a strong local community of organic food producers

With the help of Kate McSwain , the Padilla’s decided to follow the teachings of Christ who said “… let us not love with words or tongues but with actions and in truth”. They took an acre of their farm out of production and gave it to those in their community that really needed it. The three of them started a program that they call HOPE (Holistic, Outreach, Practical Education) for Small Farm Sustainability. HOPE strives to help people become more self sufficent and food secure by teaching them to produce healthy, organic food for their families.

Local volunteers built beds, installed water lines and continue to support the H.O.P.E. community garden.

Diana persuaded the University of Texas Pan-American to provide a greenhouse, hand tools and a once a week instructor to teach these deserving families how to abundantly produce organic vegetables on their plot. After that they recruited volunteers to help them lay out the plots, install water lines and build the beds. The families that joined the program were free to grow whatever they wanted. With the guidance of the Padilla’s and other volunteers, the first class of H.O.P.E. grew baskets and baskets of fresh melons, cucumbers, squash, onions, corn, beans and peppers. In fact, some of the family plots were so successful that the “HOPE farmers” were able to supplement their income by selling their extra produce at the Harlingen Farmer’s Market (Diana was instrumental in getting this market started).

A beautiful cantelope grows among the corn in the H.O.P.E. community garden.

According to Feeding America (feedingamerica.org), about 1 in 6 Americans go to bed hungry every night. That is a staggering number of people. For someone like me that has enjoyed so many blessings in my life, this statistic truly saddens me. I just cannot imagine how hard it would be to have to send one of my kids to bed hungry. My hat is off to the Padillas. If there were more people like them there would be a lot fewer hungry people in the U.S.

Running an organization like HOPE takes more than volunteer labor and good intentions. Each plot on the HOPE Community Garden uses about $15 worth of water each month. If you would like to help the Padilla’s continue to provide the land and skills needed to change the lives of hungry people in the Valley, please consider a $15 monthly sponsorship. This small donation will ensure that one more family will be able to feed their children “with fruits of their lands and the work of their hands”.

Donations can be addressed to:

H.O.P.E

19741 Morris Road
Harlingen Texas 78552

If you would like to learn more about HOPE you can call Diana at 956-412-4916.

Fall Veggie Picks (Cauliflower) by Patty Leander

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Jay White

Cauliflower’s prima donna reputation is slightly overrated. Yes, it does need consistent moisture and fertile soil, it is susceptible to freezing weather and is stressed by heat but hey, we all have our comfort zones. If you plant the right variety at the right time under the right conditions it will reward you with a large, edible head with a sweet flavor that barely hints of its relation to other members of the cabbage family. White cauliflower is what most gardeners and cooks are familiar with but several varieties produce lovely heads of purple, green and orange.

A colorful cauliflower harvest includes ‘Cheddar’, ‘Snow Crown’, Graffiti’, ‘Green Harmony’ and ‘Veronica’. Photo by Bruce Leander

So how do you keep cauliflower happily growing in your garden? Start with quality, 4-6 week old transplants. Set them in the garden 10-12 weeks before the first freeze in your area and stick with quality hybrid varieties. Here in Texas cauliflower performs better in the fall, when it matures as the weather cools off. Be sure to mulch plants well to help moderate moisture and soil temperature.

If you don’t meet cauliflower’s demands you may end up with an ugly, discolored and distorted head. Photo by Bruce Leander

You can easily grow your own cauliflower transplants from seed. However, it is a little late for that this year. If you want to grow your own transplants you need to start your plants 16 to 18 weeks before the first freeze. If you have to buy transplants, look for strong, healthy transplants at the nursery, but resist the temptation to purchase cauliflower that has already formed a miniature bud. You may think that tiny bud is a head start, but in reality it means that the plant is probably stunted and its growth will never catch up enough to support the formation of that large head of cauliflower that you are anticipating.

Look for healthy transplants; these stunted transplants will never reach their potential. Photo by Bruce Leander

Like broccoli, cauliflower grows best in loose, fertile soil with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5 and responds well to regular applications of soluble fertilizer. Slow, steady growth is essential. Development will be stunted if plants are stressed by lack of water, lack of fertility, too much heat or too much cold and the end result will be puny, unimpressive heads. Plants can handle a light frost but be sure to protect them if temperatures are expected to fall below 28°F.

White cauliflower should be blanched to prevent discoloration by the sun. Use a clothespin, rubber band or twine to tie leaves around newly formed heads. Photo by Bruce Leander

White varieties will need to be blanched to maintain their pure white color and mild flavor. This is simple to do: when the head starts to form wrap the inner leaves around it to keep the sun from discoloring it. Secure the leaves with twine, a rubber band or clothespins. Colored varieties do not require blanching but they are best served raw or roasted; if cooked in water they tend to lose their color.

‘Snow Crown’ is a dependable, vigorous and quick-maturing hybrid. Photo by Bruce Leander

The following varieties are recommended for Texas gardens (number in parentheses indicates days to harvest from setting transplants in the garden):

‘Snowball Y’ (70-80 days): an open-pollinated variety that produces flavorful, 6” heads; not as early as most white hybrids

‘Snow Crown’ (50-60 days): a popular All-America Selections winner that grows well in all regions of Texas; early-maturing plants produce large, uniform heads

‘Graffiti’ (80 days): striking purple heads are worth the extra time in the garden; color fades when cooked in water so best served raw, roasted or lightly steamed

‘Vitaverde’ (76 days): this hybrid “broccoflower” possesses characteristics of both broccoli and cauliflower; suitable for fresh-eating, roasting and stir-fries

‘Cheddar’ (58-68 days): mild-flavored, orange heads contain high levels of beta-carotene

‘Veronica’ (78 days) and ‘Tipoff’ (72 days): these lime-green Romanesco-type cauliflowers of Italian origin produce unusual spiral-shaped heads

‘Veronica’ is a romanesco variety that produces conical whorls of mild-tasting florets. Photo by Bruce Leander

Tree Watering Basics by Janet Laminack

Posted on August 25, 2013 by Jay White

Jay recently contacted me about a question he received on his blog from Gabriel Saldivar.

“I am worried about our Burr oak tree. We planted a 95 gallon burr oak in February of this year in Comal County. Its leaves turned yellow then brown. We got a heavy wind and rain this summer and most of the leaves fell off. I’m worried that it may be in shock and do not know what I can do to help it along the way. I’ve watered it twice a week since we have had it. I do see some new life with some newer leaves coming out. If anyone has any suggestions or know when I should really worry, please let me know.”

As a county agent, I hear questions like Mr. Saldivar’s fairly regularly. Since it is August and many of you are experiencing similar issues, I thought this would be a great time to review the proper way to water your trees.

Trees can be the most valuable asset in the home landscape. They add resale value to the home and they can reduce heating and cooling expenses. Since trees add so much to your landscape (and they are expensive to replace) it is important to learn how to water them correctly. Trees in Texas definitely need supplemental irrigation and they definitely need to be watered differently than the way you water your lawn.

Tree roots are opportunistic and the largest number of roots will be in the location that is most likely to receive rain or irrigation. In most situations, this means roots will be at the drip line, which is out at the edge of where the tree canopy or branches end. Think about where most of the rain will fall when the tree is covered with leaves. Watering right next to the trunk or spraying the leaves of the tree is not as beneficial as watering where natural rainfall would be, a few inches inside and beyond the drip line.

Water tree a few inches inside and outside of their natural drip line

Water trees a few inches inside and outside of their natural drip line

An efficient way to water is by using a soaker hose or drip irrigation. These methods lose very little water to evaporation. Sprinklers work as well, but will need to be adjusted to sufficiently water a tree deeply as compared to watering a lawn. Also, laying down a water hose and letting it slowly run works great, but you will need to move it around the tree periodically to ensure that all areas get sufficient moisture.

Soaker hoses are a great way to deeply water your trees

In order to create a healthy root system, trees should be watered deeply and infrequently. When watering, put down an inch of water at a time or ensure that you have watered to a depth of between 6 to 10 inches. This may sound difficult, but it’s actually very simple to make sure you are getting enough water to your trees. After watering, stick a screwdriver or a shovel into the ground. In most of our soils, it will only go easily in when the soil is moist. If you are using a sprinkler, put out rain gauges or catch cans (use tuna cans) and measure one inch of water being applied.

How often should you water? If we are not receiving adequate rainfall, established trees need a deep watering at least twice a month. Check the soil with your screwdriver. If your twice a month waterings are not doing the trick, increase the frequency.

One more note. The tips listed above are most effective for established trees. Newly planted trees need to be watered more frequently for the first three years of their life. Use your screwdriver to check newly planted trees every week. If the soil around them dries out completely between waterings it can send them into a shock that they may never recover from.

Here is a great video from The Texas A&M Forest Service that highlights the proper tree watering techniques discussed above.

I share these posts on Our SimpleHomestead Blog Hop. Be sure to stop by. The “hop” has tons of great information from gardeners and homesteaders all over the world!

Fall Garden Experiment – Growing Sweet Potatoes in Containers

Posted on August 5, 2013 by Jay White

Back in the spring I did another one of my experiments. I planted marigolds all around four Roma tomato plants to see if they would keep away the stink bugs. When I did it, I really didn’t expect too much. Even though the belief that marigolds repel stink bugs is so pervasive that it is assumed to be a fact, I wanted to see for myself.

Marigolds surrond the Roma tomatoes in my potager

Well, I am happy to report that I was wrong (kind of). Based on my results, there may be some truth to the belief that planting marigolds with tomatoes helps repel bugs. Early in the season, when I compared the number of bugs on my marigold encircled tomatoes to those planted in my row garden, the insect numbers were much lower. However, by the end of the season (when the marigolds were infested with spider mites and stink bug populations were high) there appeared to be no noticeable difference. Based on this, I am willing to say that if you want to use marigolds to repel bugs in your tomatoes, it is worth giving it a try. While the marigolds will not keep your plants bug free, they do apparently reduce the severity of infestations over the season.

I did the marigold experiment to test a “horticultural fact/wives tale”. The one I am doing now is using sweet potatoes to test a couple of things. First, I want try and figure out why you have to grow sweet potatoes from slips. Quite frankly, I don’t think you do. However, this practice is so widely accepted that I could find absolutely nothing on the internet about growing sweet potatoes without slips. Based on this highly unscientific research, the uninitiated might believe it is impossible to grow sweet potatoes without using slips. I know this is note true. I mean nature doesn’t produce slips that have to transplanted. No, sweet potatoes have survived for thousands and thousands of years by making a tuber that stays dormant in the ground until temperature and day length tells it to start producing vines.

My first experiment is to see if you get more potatoes from slips than you do from planting a whole potato. To test this I am growing sweet potatoes in two raised containers. The containers I am using are “Smart Pots”. These “Smart Pots” are 15 gallon fiber bags that are designed for growing squash and potatoes.

I filled both pots with an identical media that I created by mixing river sand and mushroom compost in equal parts. In one of the containers, I have planted a whole sweet potato. In the other container I planted a slip. If everything I have read is true, I should be able to dump my pots over in 100 days or so and harvest a bunch of sweet potatoes. It will be interesting to see which method produces the most potatoes.

I love the heart shapped foliage of sweet potatoes

This leads to the second test. I have grown sweet potatoes in my gardens before. However, my gardens are built on black clay. Because of this, even though the sweet potatoes grow pretty well, they are very difficult to get out of the ground. Since I truly love sweet potatoes, I am hoping that growing in pots will provide me a way to produce a respectable crop that is easy to harvest. If it works out I will have absolutely no problem switching from growing them in the ground to growing them in pots.

Wish me luck and don’t forget to check back in a 100 days or so to see how it goes!

Working too hard!

Posted on June 25, 2013 by Jay White

Today marks 30 days in a row without a break from my real job. Partly because of that and partly because I had a chicken coop to finish and an article due to Texas Gardener magazine, I have not had a chance to work on the blog. So today, I am going to post a few random things I have noticed in and around my gardens the past couple of weeks.

First, since I mentioned working too hard, I would like to announce to gardeners around the world — YOU ARE WORKING TOO HARD! I discovered this fact quite by accident. If you look at the pic below you will see a “garden” that is full of castor beans, zinnias, dill, and datura. I think it is lovely. However, I didn’t grow it. This lovely garden popped up this year on top of last year’s burn pile. This “garden” has recieved NO SUPPLEMENTAL WATER, no fertilize and no weeding. The take away? If you want a no fuss summer color garden next year plant lots of zinnias and a datura or two for effect. Back it up with a wall of castor beans and sprinkle some dill in for a filler. Then forget it!

Second, the chickens are consuming every spare minute. If I have not been engaged in building them a palace, then I have been sitting in my yard with my wife watching them. They are hilarious and interesting all at the same time. Any way, while sitting in our favorite spot in front of a bunch of Maximillian Sunflowers, I noticed little globs of “snake spit” all over the sunflower stalks. Ever seen “snake spit”? It is a frothy white liquid that sticks to certain plants and looks a lot like , well, spit. No other way to describe it. Turns out though, it isn’t really spit. It is the frothy protective covering of the nymph form of the Spittle Bug. As soon as baby spittlebugs hatch they start feeding on the sap of their host and using it to make the “spit”. They actually live inside the “spit” until they are big enough to fly away. Turns out the “spit” keeps them moist, warm at night and cool in the day.

“Snakespit” on Maximillian Sunflower

My buddy Bruce Leander is a dang fine photographer from Austin. He can shoot anything but he specializes in Texas native flowers. If I ever need a picture for an article he is the guy I go to. I truly believe he has photographed every kind of plant and bug in Texas (and beyond). He sent me these amzing shots of the ugly little bug that lives under all of that “snake spit”.

Spittlebug photos by Bruce Leander

Since we’re talking “snake spit”, be aware that it is definately snake season again. Last week my wife killed another coral snake in the yard and I killed a copperhead. In addition to that I caught a rat snake that I chose to relocate. So, when you go out in the garden make sure you wear good sturdy shoes and take a stick with you. You just never know what you are going to find under those tomato bushes.

Poor coral snake. He crossed the yard at the wrong time

Copperheads may be pretty, but they are mean! I personally know three people that were bitten by them in Washington County last summer.

And finally, not only is it snake season, it is tomato season. I have 17 plants and I am bringing in about 8 lbs of tomatoes a day. My poor wife is so busy canning salsa, paste and whole tomatoes. Below is a picture from Harry Cabluck of Austin. Harry is a pretty famous photographer. He is also a gardener and reader of this blog. Check out the pic of one of his harvests and also take a minute to look at some truly amazing photgraphs on his website (http://www.harrycabluck.com/site/Home.html).

Tomatoes from MOH reader Harry Cabluck’s Austin garden – Juanne Flamme, Porter(ish) volunteer, Early Wonder, Gregori’s Altai (grafted onto Maxifort).

Almost forgot to mention the Chickens. Our girls are 8 weeks old tomorrow. They are still adjusting to their new home. Each night I sit with them and help them feel more comfortable. Sally calls me their “rooster”.

Harvesting and Curing Onions (Part 2) By Patty Leander

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Jay White

Onions ready for harvest. Photo by Bruce Leander

Onions will let you know they are finished growing when their necks soften and topple over; this is a natural occurrence and it’s a myth that they need our help doing this. Some gardeners think that knocking the tops over prematurely will encourage larger bulbs but actually it’s the tops that manufacture the sugars and energy that cause the bulbs to enlarge and when the necks are broken prematurely that process slows to a halt. As I learned from long-time farmer’s market gardener June Russell, of Midland, Texas, “onions have the sense to lay over on their own”.

Wait till the tops fall over before harvesting onions. Photo by Bruce Leander

Onions also bulb in response to day length and in Central Texas where I live the short day onion varieties that we plant in the winter begin bulb formation in springtime as the day length reaches 11-12 hours. In the northern half of the state gardeners grow intermediate day onions which require 12-14 hours of daylight and in colder parts of the country where onions mature during the longer days of summer gardeners grow long day onion varieties that require at least 14 hours of daylight. If you have onions that don’t bulb properly then chances are pretty good that you are growing the wrong type of onions for your region.

Onions and garlic drying on a bench in the shade. Photo by Bruce Leander

My short day onions are usually ready to harvest in late May or early June. Once the necks start to fall over it’s a good idea to cut back on water for a few days and let the soil dry out before harvesting. After the soil has dried out for a few days hold onto the stem of each onion and coax them gently from the soil then spread them out in a dry, shady spot to cure for at least 5-7 days. Go ahead and harvest any onions that send up a flower stalk – they are perfectly edible but they will not store very well so eat them first. Prepare dry onions for storage by trimming the roots and cutting off the dried leaves then drop them, one at a time, into a mesh bag or a length of nylon pantyhose. Tie a knot or a twist tie between each onion, then when you need an onion for cooking just snip off the lowest onion just below the knot, leaving the others for later. I hang my onions on a hook inside the pantry so they are always at the ready. They can also be stored in a flat box or crate in a cool, dry place with good air circulation (in other words do not store them in a closed bin or box). An alternative method that works especially well with smaller onions is to leave the tops intact and braid them together. Short day onions do not store as long as long day varieties, but if properly cured they will last about 3 months.

After drying, onions tops and roots are trimmed in preparation for storage. Photo by Bruce Leander

The organosulfides that give onions their pungent taste and smell also have powerful cancer-fighting properties. Since heat can destroy these compounds raw onion will have the highest concentration, but eating lots of raw onions can be hard on those with sensitive digestive systems so a quick sauté is the next best thing. It will lessen the pungency of the onions while retaining most of the organosulfide compounds.

Don't through out those old panty house. the make great storage for your onions! Photo by Bruce Leander

Don’t throw out those old panty hose. They make great storage for your onions! Photo by Bruce Leander

Tomato Trellises

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Jay White

If you have ever grown tomatoes, you know they have to be trellised. If this is going to be your first year growing tomatoes, understand that “they have to be trellised”. I have yet to meet the tomato bush that does not grow so big that it can fully support itself. I guess that’s not true really. All tomatoes can support themselves in their own way. However, their way involves sprawling all over the ground. This sprawl will work fine for the tomato since all it really cares about is reproducing. It doesn’t care if its seeds are in fruit lying on the ground or if the seeds are in fruit that is 6’ up in the air. However, as gardeners, we care very much where the tomato seeds (fruit) are on the plant. Because of this, if you are going to grow them successfully, you have to support them.

A homemade tomato trellis in my potager

Why Trellis? – Since the tomato plant has the ability to create roots anywhere along its stem, tomatoes vines will root wherever they touch the ground. This will create an ever wider and wider bush if left alone. All of that vining uses up nutrients that can and should be channeled into fruit production. Trellises allow you to prevent this. A properly trellised tomato will have one and only one point of contact with the soil. This will allow you to control branching and keep your fruit from lying on the ground where it will quickly cause rot and attract insects, bunnies and other pests.

Trellising adds support to limbs that can become very heavy when laden with fruit. High winds are the enemy of large tomato plants and the trellis will provide extra protection against it. Also, trellising allows you the added support needed to open the bush up through pruning. This increased air flow through the plant allows moist plants to dry quickly (thus limiting fungal infections). An open bush also makes tomato harvest easier and it provides access to the inside of the bush if you need to apply organic or inorganic pesticides.

This “Celebrity” has already outgrown its store bought cage and it is only half grown

Types of Trellises – Trellises can be very simple or very elaborate. You have to decide what works best for you. A local greenhouse grows a hydroponic “tomato forest”. Their vines grow ten to twelve feet in the air. They grow these massive vines by clipping them to a single nylon cord attached to the roof and the growing area. You can’t get much simpler than one string!

Bill uses “hog rings” to assemble his cages. You can see full instruction in his book, “The Texas Tomato Lover’s Handbook”. This photo is the property of William D. Adams and cannot be reused without witten consent.

Probably the most commonly used trellises are those welded wire rings that we get at the big box or local garden center. While convenient, I have found that even the largest ones sold are inadequate for my needs. If you are growing two or three plants in pots, the store bought “cages” will probably be fine for you. If you are going to buy cages, I recommend you buy the biggest ones available. Since these cages are made out of small gauge wire, their welds are weak and they will begin to break apart after just a few uses.

Sturdy cages allow you to apply shade cloth that will protect your young plants from cold, wind and some bug damage. This photo is the property of William D. Adams and cannot be reused without written consent.

A common homemade version of the tomato cage is made by bending a heavy gauge wire mesh into a circular cage. These work very well, but storage can be a problem. Since they can’t be stacked inside each other (like the store bought cages) they can take up a lot of room in the garage. Also, since they don’t have long wire “legs” like the store bought version, you will have to find a way to stake them. Rebar and zip ties work very well for securing them to the ground.

My friend Bill Adams cuts cattle panels into three sections and then ties them together in a trianglular shape with metal clips (read more about these in his book “The Texas Tomato Lover’s Handbook”). These are really great. They are tall enough and strong enough to support the bushiest tomatoes out there. After assembly, he uses a “T-Post” to secure the cage in place. Theses “cattle panel cages” are durable enough to last a lifetime. Plus, they provide a perfect surface to add shade cloth. Shade cloth can do so much for your tomatoes. If you use it when you first put the plants out, you can easily add a top to the shade covered cage to keep in heat and avoid damage from a late season cold snap. The shade cloth will also protect your tender young plants from sun scald, wind damage and also add some insect protection. While there is some cost associated with this method, your cages will give you a lifetime of service. In addition to durability, they are also very practicle. At the end of the season, you can easily disassemble them and store your panels flat against the garage wall.

Bills cages provide all of the support and protection your tomatoes will ever need. This photo is the property of William D. Adams and cannot be used with written consent.

I also use cattle panels to support my tomatoes. However, I don’t cut my panels up. I line my tomato rows with cattle panels on each side of the row. I place my panels about 32’ to 36” apart and support them with T-Posts. As the tomatoes begin to bush, I can slip bamboo lengthwise through the panels to support any branches that become heavy with fruit. There is one slight drawback to my method. Since the tomatoes are grown between panels, I have to do all of my harvest and pruning “through the fence”. However, the squares on the panels are large so this is only a minor inconvenience.

I grow my tomatoes between two rows of cattle panels

In my potager, I grow my tomatoes on “decorative” trellises that I made by wiring together small cedar limbs. These trellises are very attractive and, since they are cedar, they last a very long time. While not as functional as the cattle panels or the cages, they work well for determinate tomatoes. This year, I am growing romas in them. Roma tomatoes create a nice, neat, and compact bush that do not require as much support as an heirloom or big indeterminate like “Better Boy”.

I am currently growing roma tomatoes in my homemade, cedar trellises. These trellises are six years old and still going strong

2013 Garden Experiment-Companion Planting of Marigolds and Tomatoes

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Jay White

Each year I like to try some kind of experiment in the garden. I truly believe that the best way to become a better gardener is to try new things. This year I will be putting one of the most commonly talked about organic pest control methods to the test. I am going to try a companion planting of tomatoes and marigolds to keep the stink bugs away.

One of my “porch grown” marigolds is about ready to bloom

If you believe everything you read, then you no doubt believe that marigolds are miracle plants. It is truly amazing to me how many articles/posts there are on the internet making incredible claims about their bug fighting abilities. One of the more recent things I read swears that all you have to do is plant a marigold in each corner of your garden and all of your bug problems are solved. While there may be some truth to the marigold’s bug fighting abilities, I really don’t believe they are going to very successful at riding my tomatoes of their stink bugs.

The above marigold two days after opening

Now don’t get me wrong. I really want my experiment to work. In fact, I have gone out of my way to give the marigolds as much of a chance as possible. Instead of trying to plant four plants in the corners of my garden, I am going to completely surround the tomatoes in marigolds. For this experiment, I grew about 100 marigold plants from seed in my new back porch seed starting rack. Once the little plants got up to about four inches tall I used them to line the triangular beds of my potager. I planted the starts six inches in from edge and spaced them at six inches. It took about 20 plants to line each bed.

My first “bug fighting” marigold of the year

Once the flowers were in, I planted the tomatoes. For this experiment I am using romas. Romas grow on nice, neat determinate bushes. My thought is, those nice, compact determinate bushes will give all of those pesky bugs fewer places to hide. I am also hoping that their relatively open form will allow whatever magic bug fighting qualities the marigolds possess to waft freely deep into the bush where the bugs are hiding.

Holidays mean free labor. My daughter jessie helps me plant the marigolds for my experiment on Easter Sunday

I apologize a little about my attitude here. I really, really, really want the marigolds to run all of the bugs off. However, I am very skeptical. Even though I am doubtful of the marigold’s bug fighting abilities, I do truly expect they will keep any nematode issues at bay. It is a proven, scientific fact that marigold roots secrete alpha-terthienyl. This compound has insecticidal, nematodial and anti-viral properties. It also stops nematode eggs from hatching.

I love my larkspur. This has absolutely nothing to do with the experiment but it is lovely and i just wanted to include it!

My last big garden experiment was growing potatoes in a box. That one was a complete failure. I had very high hopes for that one when the experiment started. For this one, my expectations are a bit lower. I expect to have almost aero nematode problems but I really don’t expect the marigolds to be very successful at keeping the bugs away. Only time will tell. Check back at the end of the season to see how it goes.

Trowel and Error Symposium at Mayfield Park

Posted on April 13, 2013 by Jay White

This past week should have been one of the busiest weeks of the whole year in the garden. However, instead of setting out plants, weeding, mulching and making blog posts about it all, I was laid up fighting/recovering from the flu. If you have never had the flu, I don’t recommend you try it. This one bout has been enough to make sure that I never ever miss a flu shot ever again.

The water gardens at Mayfield are lovely

At least something good happened “garden wise” this past week. Last Saturday, Sally and I got to go Austin to give a presentation on organic weed control at the Mayfiled Park Trowel and Error symposium. Mayfield Park (http://mayfieldpark.org/page1.php) is a 23 acre nature preserve deep in the heart of Austin. However, what makes it outstanding (as far as I am concerned) are the two beautiful acres nestled behind rustic stone walls.

All of the beds at Mayfield are paid for and maintained by volunteers

These two acres were once the pride and passion of two remarkable Texans. Dr. Milton Gutsch (Chairman for the History Department at UT for many years) married Mary Mayfield in 1918. In 1922, the young couple moved into the tiny board and batten cottage that had served as a weekend/summer home for the Mayfield family (Mr. Mayfield served as the Chairman of the Railroad Commission and Secretary of State of Texas). Over the next 50 years, the Gutsch’s worked to turn two acres into a beautiful and restful garden dotted with beautiful water features, paved limestone patios and pigeonnier.

A white Banksia is stunning over a limestone archway that leads to a private seating area

After the death of her husband, Mrs. Gutsch gave the property to the city to be used a park. Unfortunately, there was no endowment. So for the next several years the park began to suffer from neglect. Then, in 1986, a group called the Mayfield Park/Community Project came together to return the Mayfield cottage and gardens back to their former glory. This group, headed by Karen Camannati has been at it ever since. This group receives no money from the city of Austin. All of the money for the upkeep of this beautiful and historic place comes from an occasional grant, an annual newsletter and the annual Trowel & Error Symposium.

The flock of peafowl that roam the grounds are all descendants from the first peacocks that came to the property in 1935

I attend a lot of gardening presentations each year. While I usually enjoy all of them, this year’s Trial and Error was one of the most special events that I have ever attended. The welcoming and dedicated spirit of Karen, the generosity of the volunteers and the sheer beauty and history of the place made it the perfect place for a spring gardening event. If you did not make it out to this year’s Trial and Error, please make a point to attend next year. For the past several years Karen and the other members of the board have brought together an impressive array of horticultural speakers. For a $5 donation, you can support an historic Austin gem, learn from talented and passionate gardeners and buy starts from some of the hundreds of antique plants that bloom in the Mayfield gardens. And, if growing plants is not your thing, you can still come. The gardens and the flock of peacocks (that have descended from the original birds gifted to the Gutsch’s in 1935) provide a great opportunity and backdrop for all of you shutterbugs out there.

Pigeonneirs were once common throughout the rural south. Today, they are harder and harder to find. The one at Mayfield is outstanding

I seldom do personal stuff on the blog, but today I am making an exception. Our oldest daughter Kate, is in the hospital. She is suffering from an autoimmune disease called polymyositis. If you are the praying kind, I ask that you remember her and her husband in your prayers. She is in constant pain and there is no quick fix. If you are Catholic and you are participating in the Chaplet of Divine Mercy (http://www.praydivinemercy.com/) right now, please offer one up for her!