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Tackle the ins and outs of Texas gardening with Cindy Brummer
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February 2008
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It's incredible -- just incredible. You'll recall I planted the bulk of the seeds and seedlings in the fall garden last weekend. Yesterday, when we pulled back the row covers to install the irrigation system, I was floored to find very nicely developed squash and radish plants. I was already getting excited when I saw chard, lettuce and spinach beginning to pop up, but when I saw the squash so large, I couldn't believe it. I think the key must have been the row cover. It lets light and water through, but I think it helps the mulch keep the bed moist and protects the young plants from the glaring sun. I made sure to cover the exposed beds in the front with more row covers, hoping to achieve the same results in those beds.
I'm not having much luck with seedlings this year, and I may try an experiment in the spring with the seeds and where and when I plant them -- just to compare. Stay tuned for that.
I have always used either a soaker hose or a hose-end sprayer to water my vegetable gardens, but this year my husband talked me into buying a more complex drip irrigation system. Since we moved back to Texas, we've had trouble finding time in our schedules to water, and let's face it... IT'S HOT! As a result, the soil has been more unforgiving and my plants have dried out. (Hence the reason I usually go for drought tolerant species.) We ordered our drip irrigation system through Seeds of Change, but I know you can find it through many other mail-order catalogs, and I'm sure you can ask at local nurseries as well. It was really easy to install. It came with a main line that we hooked up to a garden hose. Then we measured out the lengths of the drip line that we needed and plugged them into the main line. A few tests and adjustments later and we were good to go. It literally took less than 2 hours to finish. Now, we went a little further and made an adjustment to the outdoor faucet -- it now has a double connection so we can use a second garden hose independently, instead of disconnecting the irrigation line. We also plan to add a timer, which will help us water when we get too busy.
I love fresh green beans and peas. I have wonderful memories of sitting on my grandmother's porch with my mom and her, snapping beans. I think I ate more than I snapped. So naturally, beans and peas have a place in my veggie garden. I finally got the seeds in the ground this weekend, by making a place in two of the beds that already have peppers and tomatoes growing in them. I yanked out the tomatillos to make room for the beans. Good riddance. They did horribly this year. I'll have to find another variety and different planting place in the spring. Then I mixed the beans with an inoculant and planted them around a trellis I made years ago with some leftover wood and fence material. I did the same for the peas. I got the inoculant from a local nursery. It's basically Rhizobium bacteria that works with the legume to help it fix nitrogen. It does occur naturally in soil, so it's definitely an optional step, but I've always heard it's helpful, so I decided to give it a try. Just follow the directions on the package. Hopefully soon I'll be making some fresh stir fries with the beans, peas and squash from the garden. |
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