Updated Vegetable, Herb and Ornamental Transplant Sales this Weekend, March 3rd, 2012 February 29, 2012

Early March is the perfect time to get your Spring vegetables and herbs in the ground, and there are several big sales coming up.  My favorite, The Sunshine Community Garden Spring Plant Sale is a big one.  Always the first Saturday in March, so this year it will be on March 3, 2012, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  This is more than a sale, it is a Festival with lots of vendors and things for the kiddos.  This sale has more heirloom varieties of vegetables, including many hard to find tomatoes and peppers, than you are likely to find at area nurseries.   Many of the transplants are donated by Gabriel Valley Farms, and some by local gardeners at the community garden.  Get there early, there will be folks lining up before 8:00 to get first dibs on the plants, and they usually sell out.

http://www.sunshinecommunitygardens.org

Another great place to buy your Spring transplants is Johnson’s Backyard Garden.  Also on March 3, 2011 from 10:00 to 1:00 at the farm.  You can also order online for pick up at the farm.  Johnson’s has a wide variety of heirloom tomatoes and peppers as well.  Johnson’s also has a limited variety of transplants at each of the Farmer’s Markets.

http://www.jbgorganic.com

Zilker Botanical Gardens will also hoast the Austin Organic Gardeners Plant Sale on March 3, from 9:00 to 2:00.  This sale includes vegetables, herbs and ornamentals as well.

http://www.austinorganicgardeners.org

Springdale Farm will have tomato transplants for sale at the farmstand on Saturday, from 9:00 to 1:00.   755 Springdale Road.  Get your just picked veggies for the week, and transplants to grow your own.

http://www.springdalefarmaustin.com

Mid-Spring in an Austin Urban Garden May 10, 2011

I know, it feels like mid-summer.   Some aspects of my food gardens are reacting as if it is summer – the peppers are coming on early and strong and are fairly hot.  The tomatoes are well advanced, since I planted early.  I’ve been harvesting several tomatoes a day for the last week, although some have been the cherry varieties.

Won't be long!

More tomatoes

Another Tomato Turning

Another Ripening

All of these tomatoes are from the 24 foot raised garden in the backyard.  The strawberries have slowed to a near stop in production, and although the plants look healthy, I think it is not cost effective to continue watering them until next season.   I will probably pull them up this weekend.

I have been harvesting potatoes for several weeks, and there are still plants in the ground that can be harvested at any time.

Harvested potatoes

The corn in the back bed, has corn sprouted!  I don’t know why I get so excited about corn – it just makes me feel like a proper farmer.

My little cornfield

I love the purple cornsilks

Moving to the8 foot bed under my bedroom window, there are lots more tomatoes.  It is from these plants that I’ve already harvested.

Large Red Cherry

More Stupices

Celebrities

Several new tactics I employed this Spring seem to be paying off.  1) I planted more tried and true Hybrids, Large Red Cherry, Celebrity, Early Girl – rather than filling my garden with exotic Heirlooms.  2) Utilizing the Texas Pot Method of burying gallon pots in the beds around the tomatoes to water close to the roots.  I’m fertilizing through these pots too, which gets the food right down to the roots as well.  3) Planting early.  I think the hard freezes have helped with the stink bugs I had last year – I haven’t seen one.  I have only lost one tomato to blossom end rot, thus far and none to squirrels or mockingbirds.   I feel very lucky for this crop!

Moving to the side yard, you can see peppers galore.

Ancho Chile

Shishito Peppers

Shishito Peppers are so easy!  They are heavy producers too.

Serrano Peppers

Jalapeno Peppers Galore

The cucumber plants just took off last week and went crazy.  I’m a bit behind on the cucumbers, but they should catch up soon.

Baby cucumbers

Yesterday I was poking around under the leaves and found this!

Hello Melon!

It was covered by the tangle of Israeli Melon and Watermelon plants.  I’m fairly sure it is an Israeli Melon from the seedling exchange, potluck, birthday party.

The newest temporary wood bed, holds more peppers and a second planting of corn.  The corn in this bed has been looking pale, so I’m correcting for nitrogen deficiency, and have top dressed with bat guano.

Peppers and corn

At this point, with so much fruit set, I top dressed everything with some bat guano and watered it in well.   Bat guano is best applied when there is no wind.  Lesson learned.

The fruit trees in pots are well on their way as well.  I think I might even get to harvest peaches this year!

Peaches!

Historically, some hungry creature harvests them for me.  Fingers crossed.

Satsuma Oranges

I’m excited to have Satsuma Oranges this season.  I’ve never even eaten a Satsuma Orange, so I’m really looking forward to trying them.  They are supposed to me the most cold hardy of the citrus trees.

Happy Gardening!

Vegetable and Fruit Planting Guide for April, Austin, Zone 8 March 30, 2011

There is so much to be planted in the garden in April!  The Nurseries are overflowing with all varieties of peppers and tomatoes, eggplants, squash, cucumbers.  Beans, peas, melons, cucumbers, and squash are all easy from seed, but sometimes I get impatient and buy transplants.  Peppers are really slow to germinate, so I always buy transplants.

Snap and Lima Beans

Cantaloupe and other melons

Cauliflower (transplants)

Corn

Cucumber

Eggplant (transplants)

Warm season greens

Herbs (all)

Okra

Peas

Pepper transplants

Sweet Potato Slips

Pumpkin

Summer Squash

Tomatoes and Tomatillos (Tomatillos need a mate, so plant at least 2)

Watermelon