Week 35 Tips for the Zone 9 Garden

The bad part about the last time is you seldom realize it is the last time. A couple of months ago my Aunt Sarah gave my wife and I a stack of pot holders. That was not unusual. For the past twenty years or so she has crocheted pot holders constantly. She gave them to everyone she met. Sally and I (and all of our kids) have drawers full of Aunt Sarah’s pot holders. This Tuesday, her crocheting days came to an end. I am deeply saddened by the loss of the woman that is most responsible for making me a gardener. Sarah Louise Chandler (Feb. 28, 1928-Aug. 25, 2015) was an amazing and accomplished woman who taught me the love of gardening. She also made the best pickled beets, oyster pie and coconut pie in the world and she could crochet a pot holder for her doctor while waiting for him to see her!

I learned so many things from my Aunt Sarah. Her passing leaves a big hole in my heart! May God grant her eternal rest and let his perpetual light shine upon her!

Vegetables

Continue planting seeds – In my area the average first frost date is Nov 16. Because of that this is the about the last weekend to plant anything that takes 75 days or more to mature. You can still plant green beans, lima beans and black eyed peas and summer squash.
Get ready to plant Sugar Snaps-Sugar snap peas are an American made improvement on European green peas. These peas can take more heat than their English cousins. Because of this you can plant them here in September. If you have never grown this amazingly tasty and productive pea you really need to try it this fall
It is time to set out transplants – September 1 is the time to plant your transplants. While it is probably a little late for tomato transplants , it is the perfect time to put out broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussel sprouts and other brassicas.
Mulch – Many of the transplants you put out now will be producing when the first freeze comes. Deep mulch will insulate the roots and help these plants survive the light freezes that we typically receive in late November and early December

Broccoli is my favorite fall vegetable. Plant it from transplants now and it will produce for you until spring.

Ornamentals

Plant, plant, plant – Fall arrived this past Tuesday. I know this for two reasons. First, we got a nice rain that encouraged my first oxbloods of the season to bloom. Second, the nurseries and big box stores are full of marigolds, vincas, chrysanthemums and croton. All of these are great fall choices for your beds or pots.
Prune roses – There are two times of the year to prune roses-Valentine’s Day and Labor Day. There are different types of roses and they all have different pruning requirements. Check out this great article from Heirloom Roses about how to properly prune your roses this fall. http://www.heirloomroses.com/care/pruning

Mike Shoup knows a few things about roses. He is the owner of the Antique Rose Emporium. He uses shears to prune “Old Blush” every fall

Trees and Lawns

Fertilize your grass – September is time for the final fertilizing of the year. While all feedings are important the final feeding will help establish a thick root system that will help the grass survive through the winter.
Plan your fall plantings – Fall is the time to plant shrubs, ornamental trees and fruit trees. While it is still a little early to plant (in my opinion) now is the perfect time to shop and plan for the trees and shrubs you will plant next months.
Prepare perrenials for transplant-if you have trees or shrubs that you need to move this fall begin watering them deeply and regulary to make sure they are fully hydrated for their move
Continue to baby your pecans! – The shells of pecans are beginning to fill with fruit. Keep your pecan trees well watered to ensure your best possible crop

Fall is the best time of the year to plant or transplant trees and shrubs

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!

Tip of the Week – Week 4 in the Zone 9 Garden

We got over an inch of rain at my house last night. We are expected to get another inch today. I am thankful but I hope the sun comes out tomorrow. If it is not too muddy there are tons of tasks to take care of this weekend. Here are some of the things I am doing:

Vegetables

Week 4 in the Zone 9 garden is a very busy time. It is time to replant all of your brassicas. The brassica family includes broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and others. Click on each veggie above to read Patty Leander’s tips for growing the best brassicas possible.

Patty also wrote a great post about sugar snap peas. It is time to plant those as well. This year she has had great luck with “Amish” heirlooms. Get all the info you need to succeed with peas by reading her post “Make Room for Cool Season Peas”.

Week four is also the time to plant potatoes. The two varieties that do best for me are Red LaSoda and white Kennebecks. Buy now, cut into pieces preserving the eyes and allow to cure for a week or so before planting. Check out my post “Growing Potatoes” to learn all the other tips and tricks you need.

Cauliflower doesn’t have to be white! Try some of the colored varieties. Photo by Bruce Leander

Ornamentals

Patty’s latest post reminded me that it is time to cut back your cannas (and ginger). Cut them to the ground. Here’s another canna tip. When they start blooming, cut their flower stalks out at the base of the plant. This will encourage them to bloom more.

It is also a good time to trim up woody perennials. My bougainvillea has shed its leaves so it is ready for its annual haircut. Trim up other deciduous vines like coral honeysuckle, cross vine and wisteria.

If you want lots of flowers in early spring, start their seeds now. Two years ago I grew 100 marigold transplants. My beds never looked better. This weekend is a good time to start marigolds, petunias, begonias, periwinkles and many others.

Fruit

It is still a good time to plant bare root fruit trees. It is also a great time to plant container grown fruit trees. Container grown fruit trees can be planted anytime of the year but they will root in and become established quicker if you plant them now.

****Be sure to check out my friend Bart’s blog (Our Garden View) for more great tips for the Central and South Central garden!

This post has been shared on the HomeAcre Hop. Be sure to stop by the hop. Tons of great information from gardeners and homesteaders all over the world!

Winter Garden Chores

There is always something to do in the Texas garden – even in the winter. Granted, winter does kind of reduce the number of tasks, but our mild winter ensures that we can be outside tending or growing something every single month of the year. While there are several tasks in winter that can help us get our gardening fix, winter gardening does have its challenges. It seems like every time I need to weed or plant or harvest it is either raining or miserably cold. Sunday was a perfect example of this. Despite the cold and the standing water in my rows, nature had decided to provide me with a bountiful brassica harvest; as long as I was man enough to brave the elements and harvest it.

The broccoli I harvested this weekend was planted on Sept. 28. It will continue to produce for me until April or May. Photo by Bruce Leander.

I am proud to say, I sucked it up and was richly rewarded for my efforts. Once I got in the garden and started cutting my cole crops I didn’t even notice the cold. Before long I had harvested six pounds of broccoli, some gumbo onions, a bunch of baby carrots and a three pound head of cauliflower. I don’t know about you but nothing gets my garden juices flowing more than a good harvest. As I worked I actually forgot about the cold and enjoyed myself in my muddy little garden. When I brought the veggies in I was reminded again why I love gardening in Texas. I really can enjoy healthy, organic produce year round.

While I was in the garden I also noticed lots of broad leaf weeds that were doing about as well as the broccoli. So, while I was out I took the hoe to them. Hoeing is not nearly as much work on a 40 degree day. Because it was such a “pleasant afternoon” I actually enjoyed chopping through all of the dandelions and thistles that were popping up.

This weekend I harvested my first cauliflower of the season – a three pounder! Photo by Bruce Leander

Luckily, not all winter gardening chores have to be done outside. It is currently time to do what I consider the most important gardening task of the entire year —STARTING YOUR TOMATO TRANSPLANTS!!! If you live in zone 9 you need to get your seeds started by January 15 to ensure you have big, healthy transplants on March 15. My friend, and MOH contributor, Patty Leander has a great article in this month’s Texas Gardener magazine on growing your own tomatoes from seed. If you don’t subscribe I really recommend picking up this issue. Her article is awesome.

It is time to start those tomato seeds! There is no other way to ensure you have the varieties you want when planting time comes. Photo by Bruce Leander

Fall Veggie Picks (Broccoli) by Patty Leander

Broccoli comes with its own bonus: sides shoots form on the plant after the main head is harvested

Broccoli belongs to a big, health-promoting family of vegetables known as the brassicas; sometimes referred to as cole crops. From arugula to turnips, this nutrient and phytochemical packed group includes Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, mustard, radish and numerous Asian vegetables. Broccoli ranks near the top as one of America’s all-time favorite garden vegetables and for good reason. If given a good start and proper care it is easy to grow, and all parts of the plant – crunchy stalks, hearty leaves and deliciously tender flower buds – are edible. And broccoli offers a bonus of multiple side shoots that are produced after the main head is harvested.

Home-grown broccoli transplants ready to be set out into the garden

Like all brassicas, broccoli is a cool season plant. It grows best in a temperature range of 50°-80° and once established can tolerate temperatures into the low 30s. Broccoli should be transplanted into the garden in early fall and if time and space allow stagger your plantings over a 2-3 week period so that all those heads of broccoli are not ready to harvest at the same time. Here in Central Texas we generally start planting in early September and continue into October. Check with your local Extension office or ask experienced gardeners for appropriate planting times in your area.

It takes a big, healthy plant to grow a big delicious head of broccoli

In order for broccoli to develop a big head it needs to first develop strong roots and healthy leaves. Prepare the soil by working in a layer of compost and about ½-1 cup of complete fertilizer per 10 foot row. A 15-5-10 lawn-type fertilizer (15% nitrogen, 5% phosphorus, 10% potassium) offers an adequate amount of nitrogen to support leafy growth but if you prefer to use an organic garden fertilizer double the amount since the percentage of nitrogen will likely be lower. Give plants plenty of room to grow by spacing them at least 12-18” apart. Water transplants in with a water soluble fertilizer diluted to half strength and for the first week or two use shade cloth, an old window screen or even an umbrella to help protect young transplants from the heat and sun. Broccoli will be ready to harvest in about 8 weeks but stress caused by high heat, lack of moisture or insect damage in the early stages will slow growth and cause smaller heads. Give plants a boost by sidedressing with 2-4 tablespoons of high nitrogen fertilizer when the head begins to form and again just after harvest. Ammonium sulfate (synthetic) and blood meal (organic) are both good choices.

A little shade will give young transplants a chance to acclimate to their new environment. BTW, did you see that A&M is ranked Number 7!!!

The main pest to watch out for is the cabbage looper which can do serious damage in a few short days. Carefully check the underside of the leaves for the small, green worms and remove them or dust them with a product that contains Bt. Considered an organic control, Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) is a naturally occurring bacterium that lives in the soil and is toxic solely to caterpillars. Be careful to spray it only where caterpillars are doing damage and repeat applications following label instructions.

‘Blue Wind’ broccoli grows happily in a large pot

Hybrid varieties of broccoli include ‘Arcadia’, ‘Belstar’, ‘Green Goliath’, ‘Marathon’ and ‘Packman’. Popular open-pollinated varieties include ‘De Cicco’ and ‘Calabrese’, both heirlooms that came to America with Italian immigrants in the late 1800s. Rather than forming one large head, these sprouting broccolis produce a few smaller central heads followed by several side shoots. ‘Blue Wind’ and ‘Small Miracle’ are suitable for container cultivation. Don’t confuse sprouting broccoli with broccoli raab, which may have broccoli in its name but is more closely related to turnip and shares that typical sharp, slightly bitter flavor.

Start your tillers!!!!

Even though you did not see it on the calendar, last weekend was the end of winter for the Zone 9 gardener. Ok, I realize that by making that declaration in print I am probably dooming us to a late season freeze. However, according to historical statistics, Feb. 15 marked the last day that we could realistically expect a freeze in Zone 9B. Because of this I am now suffering from a severe case of garden fever. Last weekend, to celebrate the end of winter, I planted 2 -33′ rows of potatoes (Yukon Gold, Kennebec, Red LaSoda). I also cleaned out the potager in preparation of the flowers and herbs that will be planted there in the next few weeks.

Now is the perfect time to plant all barassicas like broccoli and cauliflower

Because of our mild climate, we can now plant everything but the most cold sensitive plants. If you want to have fresh cole crops on your spring table (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts) you need to get them in the garden soon. The blue leafed cole crops in the brassica family can be safely planted from transplant anytime between now and March 15.

It’s not too late to plant root crops like carrots and beets from seed

It is also a great time to put out seeds of lettuce, spinach, collards, chard, mustard greens, beets, turnips, radishes and carrots. All of these are fast growers and they are very easy to grow from seed. Since they prefer temps below 80, this is probably the last chance you have to grow them until next fall.

Wait until early March to plant your green beans

In the next couple of weeks I will be planting my green beans. I grow “Contender” but there are several other varieties out there that do very well in our area (see Patty’s recommendations in the sidebar). Green beans are a little cold sensitive so I always hedge my bets and plant them a little later (around March 1).

Now is the perfect time to plant asparagus and artichoke crowns

Late February into early March is also a great time to put out the two perrinial vegetables that do well in our area – asparagus and artichoke. Both of these are grown from roots called “crowns”. They take a little more work and a little more care than our single season vegetables, but they are well worth the effort.

A redbud in full bloom is a great reminder that spring really is here again

The past two sunny weekends have induced in me a very bad case of gardening fever. As I write this, every muscle in body aches from the gardening I forced it to endure last weekend. And that’s fine! My achy body means that winter is finally over and the 2013 gardening season has begun. Gentlemen (and ladies), start your tillers!