Have you ever planted onions, only to be disappointed in the size of bulb produced, or even have no bulbs produce at all? Here are some guidelines to ensure bulb production of onions in your garden. Choose the right variety: onions are characterized by the length of day required for them to produce bulbs. “Long-day” varieties will quit forming leaves and begin forming bulbs when day length reaches 14-16 hours. These varieties do better in the NORTHERN STATES. They are often the little onion “sets” you find at the box [...]

Well, hopefully your fall vegetable garden is well underway, and you even have some greens to harvest and prepare. Keep an eye on those Cabbage Loopers! The little guys feed on the underside of the leaves of cabbage, broccoli, collards, brussels sprouts and other Cole crops at a time in the fall when the plants really need those leaves to produce carbohydrates for root and leaf growth. Continue using Bt or Spinosad weekly to control those little buggers! Swiss chard is not only a pretty plant that can be used [...]

Knowing when to plant different vegetables can be confusing. In Central Texas, we have a fairly mild winter. This means we are able to plant “cool-season” vegetables in the fall for harvest in the spring. Garlic is one of these cool weather plants. The ideal time to plant garlic here is in October and November. It is so easy, you will wonder why you haven’t been planting it all along! See the garlic plants on the right side of this photo? Garlic grows best in rich organic soil with good [...]

Preparing Your Central Texas Garden for Fall Planting Preparing your garden for fall planting in Central Texas involves improving the soil by adding amendments to help plants grow and thrive. It’s easy to get excited about planting a fall vegetable garden in Central Texas. After pulling out tired spring plants, the garden can look bare and unfinished. Then you start thinking about crisp lettuce, fresh broccoli, carrots, and other cool-season vegetables—and suddenly you’re ready to plant! Before you put those first fall transplants or seeds in the ground, take some [...]

Sweet Potatoes April is the time to plant Sweet Potatoes in Central Texas! Although they do prefer sandy soils, they are able to adapt to many different types of soil in your garden-just as long as it drains well. If you have clay soil or drainage problems, work in lots of compost and make raised beds or planting ridges 8”-12” high. You will want to plant your sweet potato slips as soon after purchasing as you can, preferably when the weather is warm and settled. Don’t worry if your slips [...]

Artichokes are actually a thistle native to the Mediterranean. Like many plants from the Mediterranean, they require well-drained soils, and produce best in deep, fertile soils. Adding compost to sandy or clay soils will improve the drainage and fertility of the soil. Choose a location in full sun, and space plants 3’-4’ apart, as the plants will grow quite large. ‘Green Globe’ is a variety that does well in Central Texas, and are usually readily available at planting time. You can plant crowns in January, or container-grown stock later in [...]

Grow lettuce from seed If you've ever had difficulty when trying to grow lettuce from seed, I have some tips for you.  Looking at what lettuce seed requires in order to germinate will help those who have had difficulty with germination in the past. Soil Requirements Grow lettuce in a soil amended with well-decomposed compost, such as our Heirloom Leaf Mold Compost, or Happy Frog Soil Conditioner. Because it is a leafy crop, lettuce responds to relatively high levels of fertility. Add 2 teaspoons of Happy Frog Marine Cuisine or [...]