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By Marc Hess, Editor, Milberger’s Gardening South Texas
“Start small. Too many gardeners are overly ambitious at the outset, only to become discouraged by their poor results when they can’t maintain all the space they’ve opened up. Choose only crops your family really likes, then specialize in those. You can always expand the second time through, but if you fail you may never come back.” ~ Neil Sperry’s Tips for Texas Vegetable Gardeners
Vegetable gardening in Texas has challenges as well as many rewards. The summers are hot and humid compared to other parts of the country, but the winters are mostly mild so you can grow vegetables practically year round.
Recently “eating local” has become the thing to do. Purchasing locally grown produce supports the local farmers and economy. Once they are picked, nutrients in vegetables diminish over time, so the sooner you eat it, the better it is for you.
It doesn’t get more local than your own backyard.
Growing vegetables can be easy and it can be hard. Weather, pests, and diseases often get in the way of perfect veggies. But with a little knowledge and some consistent tending to your garden you can be successful.
Successful vegetable growing depends on adapting to the soil and the weather.
Choosing vegetables that grow well in this environment is important. It is also important to shield more delicate vegetables from the intense heat that summers in Texas may bring.
➢ Pick the sunniest site. Vegetables need sunlight. There’s no negotiating that, and there’s nothing you can add that will make up for it. Find a spot where the sun shines directly for at least 10 hours each day.
➢ Provide perfect drainage. No vegetable crop grows well in waterlogged soil. You can always add water when plants are dry, but when it rains for several days in a row, you need to be sure the excess water will drain away from your plants’ roots. The easiest way is to plant in raised beds. Elevate your garden by just 5 or 6 inches and you’ll solve all the problems.
➢ Prepare the soil carefully. Organic matter is your key to success. Add 5 or 6 inches of a blend of sphagnum peat moss, compost, well-rotted manure, finely ground bark mulch and other organic matter and rototill to a depth of 12 inches. If you’re amending a clay soil, include 1 inch of expanded shale as well. Each time you rework the soil for a new season, add an additional 2 or 3 inches of organic matter and rototill again.
The crops that you will want to put in your vegetable garden in March include: leaf lettuce, Swiss chard, radishes, carrots, turnips and beets. In late March, and early April you can start your beans, corn, tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, cucumbers. Wait until mid-April and May for your sweet potatoes, okra, and southern peas.
Selecting an appropriate garden site is essential to the success of a garden. The ideal area is exposed to full or near-full sunlight, with deep well-drained, fertile soil. The location should be near a water source and free of competition from existing shrubs or shade trees. With thoughtful site preparation and careful selection of adaptable crops and varieties your back yard vegetable garden can become highly productive
Suggestions For Beginners
➢ Start small. A 4-foot by 4-foot plot is a great start. A raised bed makes soil prep and maintenance easier
➢ Start with good soil.
➢ Start easy. Tomatoes can be hard. Start with beans or peppers. In the fall lettuce is a good choice.
➢ Use starter plants from a local nursery and ask for help selecting varieties.
➢ Be sure you have a consistent source of water.
➢ Don’t forget to mulch and fertilize to keep your plants healthy.
