Weeds, what are weeds? Weeds are plants without a home, plants without some nice name, useless. I believe weeds have a purpose in our lives, and in the environment. Weeds are adaptable. They will inhabit a plot of soil when it is not used and keep it covered from the elements. This may go on for years, without anyone noticing them. It's not until someone wants to grow flowers, vegetables, or a manicured yard that they get any attention. Of course there is only one outcome, weeds die. We will pull, dig, and spray harmful chemicals to eradicate them. We will spend hours clearing this small plot of soil so that we may plant something that is more useful to us. In the case of a lawn, we will spend many more hours trying to keep it looking green, mowed, healthy, and alive. Not to mention the money spent to keep it that way.
Growing up, I pulled many weeds in our garden. I even chopped weeds in the fields a little bit. My mom would load us up during summer break and head to the fields. We would get there early enough that our pant legs would get wet from the dew on the leaves. The air was cool, and heavy with the smell of the soil. You could smell the freshness of the plants, and even the weeds that we were chopping with our hoes. Kind of like fresh mowed grass, only better. Earth has a different smell in the morning after she has rested for the night. No matter where you live, mornings will smell better than later in the day.
My dad would wage war with Johnson Grass in the corn field, and still does. Johnson Grass is a very persistent weed, and if you turn your back on it long enough it will come back. If allowed to go to seed, it will produce thousands of seeds that will all germinate. My mom waged war against common Bermuda Grass in her flower beds.
Our front yard was lush, green, and withstood a lot of foot traffic. My parents did not water the lawn, fertilize, or use harsh chemicals. We did spread cotton bur occasionally, and mowed frequently, but that was it. My parents were organic gardeners before organic was cool.
As an adult, I have waged my own war against weeds. I have used chemicals, but have learned that weeds will always come back. I have also let some weeds grow right along side my vegetables. I have used some weeds as a living mulch of sorts. Like purslane grown under tomatoes. Purslane grows to a nice mulch, covering the soil under the tomatoes, never growing more than six inches tall. It retains moisture with less watering, and keeps other weeds from growing. Which meant less competition for the tomatoes. The tomatoes did not seem to mind the purslane, and performed nicely.
I am now committed to an organic approach, and will only use vinegar sparingly as a last resort. Hand pulling is my preferred method. Last week as I looked at my weed filled garden, I had thoughts of Roundup. Don't worry, I did not follow through. A few days later, I spent two hours pulling weeds, and I'm glad I did. I actually enjoy pulling weeds. It is a very relaxing, and calming task for me. When I get in a rhythm, I can easily pull weeds for a couple of hours non stop. It is a good way to clear my mind, and not think of anything. The key to pulling weeds is to be gentle, and forceful at the same time. It's almost like coaxing them out of the ground, force them too much, and they snap off, leaving the roots in the ground. If the soil is moist enough, I can feel the roots release their grip on the soil. And after all that is our goal, pull weeds, roots, and all.
I could have saved myself a lot of work by staying ahead of the weeds, which I did not do. It is usually easier to pull weeds when they are smaller, and have not developed a good root system. You can also use a hoe at this stage, and simply cut them off at, or just below ground level. Now that I have clean beds again, I hope I can stay ahead of the weeds.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Anyone Can Garden
It has been nearly a month since my last post. This is the time of year when many gardeners retreat to the comforts of their homes and leave their gardens to fend for themselves. I am guilty of this myself, and my garden shows it. With recent rains and plenty of heat, the weeds have really taken over. It's time to take my garden back!
Lately I've been thinking about the food we eat, and where it comes from. Although this years garden supplied tomatoes, green beans, onions, peppers, and fresh cut flowers, there is so much more I could have planted. Fresh vegetables are a delicious addition to our diets. It does not require a farm out in the country to have this produce. All it takes is a small garden in the back yard, a few pots on the patio, or even a flower bed filled with herbs instead of landscape plants. I believe anyone can garden, and enjoy some fresh tomatoes. Many people are doing just that. In our own history, many of our parents, or grandparents, probably did this. I recently read a book, " Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer " by Novella Carpenter, that has inspired me. In this book she describes her life as an urban farmer in the city of Oakland, California. On a small, abandoned lot, she planted a garden, and raised her own animals for meat. I know this would not be for everyone, but it shows what we could do to eat the very best food we can have. Food that we can feed our family with, and knowing what went into growing this food. Better yet, knowing what didn't go into it, or on it. Reading this book brought back many memories.
Growing up, we always had a garden where we grew many vegetables, and herbs. We raised animals for meat, and on neighboring property, we grew corn, cantaloupe, pumpkin, cucumber, and hay. We did shop for things we did not grow, but we grew as much as we could on half an acre. I remember going to the small town of Staples, Texas to do our shopping. And I remember going out to the garden with a salt shaker to eat fresh tomatoes for a snack. Not many chips, or candy around our house those days. I remember butchering our animals to fill the freezer, my younger sisters and I could kill, pluck, and clean chickens all by ourselves. This was all a process of preparing, and preserving food for the coming months. This was a tradition my parents, grandparents, and their grandparents had done for many years before me. I hope to share that knowledge with my children.
As time draws near to start a fall garden, my mind wanders with thoughts of raising animals and expanding my garden. Raising animals will take more planning, and may have to be a future project. The garden is something I can work on now. I plan to have a greater diversity of food in my garden from now on. I vow to keep gardening, keep volunteering as a Master Gardener, and to keep learning. Gardening keeps me connected to my family, my ancestors, and the earth.
For anyone interested in starting a garden, I say go for it. There is a world of information on the internet, and many books on the subject. There are also many organizations that are very helpful like the Extension Service, Master Gardeners, and Urban Harvest to name a few. There is probably someone in your neighborhood already gardening that has years of experience. Introduce yourself, and ask questions. Gardeners are always willing to share information, and possibly plants , or seeds.
Eat local, eat fresh, support your local farmers by visiting farmers markets, and sample food as good as if you grew it yourself. Support local businesses, and get involved in your community, like volunteering at a community garden. Of course you can always stop by Off Texas Avenue Garden, and I will help you any way I can.
Lately I've been thinking about the food we eat, and where it comes from. Although this years garden supplied tomatoes, green beans, onions, peppers, and fresh cut flowers, there is so much more I could have planted. Fresh vegetables are a delicious addition to our diets. It does not require a farm out in the country to have this produce. All it takes is a small garden in the back yard, a few pots on the patio, or even a flower bed filled with herbs instead of landscape plants. I believe anyone can garden, and enjoy some fresh tomatoes. Many people are doing just that. In our own history, many of our parents, or grandparents, probably did this. I recently read a book, " Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer " by Novella Carpenter, that has inspired me. In this book she describes her life as an urban farmer in the city of Oakland, California. On a small, abandoned lot, she planted a garden, and raised her own animals for meat. I know this would not be for everyone, but it shows what we could do to eat the very best food we can have. Food that we can feed our family with, and knowing what went into growing this food. Better yet, knowing what didn't go into it, or on it. Reading this book brought back many memories.
Growing up, we always had a garden where we grew many vegetables, and herbs. We raised animals for meat, and on neighboring property, we grew corn, cantaloupe, pumpkin, cucumber, and hay. We did shop for things we did not grow, but we grew as much as we could on half an acre. I remember going to the small town of Staples, Texas to do our shopping. And I remember going out to the garden with a salt shaker to eat fresh tomatoes for a snack. Not many chips, or candy around our house those days. I remember butchering our animals to fill the freezer, my younger sisters and I could kill, pluck, and clean chickens all by ourselves. This was all a process of preparing, and preserving food for the coming months. This was a tradition my parents, grandparents, and their grandparents had done for many years before me. I hope to share that knowledge with my children.
As time draws near to start a fall garden, my mind wanders with thoughts of raising animals and expanding my garden. Raising animals will take more planning, and may have to be a future project. The garden is something I can work on now. I plan to have a greater diversity of food in my garden from now on. I vow to keep gardening, keep volunteering as a Master Gardener, and to keep learning. Gardening keeps me connected to my family, my ancestors, and the earth.
For anyone interested in starting a garden, I say go for it. There is a world of information on the internet, and many books on the subject. There are also many organizations that are very helpful like the Extension Service, Master Gardeners, and Urban Harvest to name a few. There is probably someone in your neighborhood already gardening that has years of experience. Introduce yourself, and ask questions. Gardeners are always willing to share information, and possibly plants , or seeds.
Eat local, eat fresh, support your local farmers by visiting farmers markets, and sample food as good as if you grew it yourself. Support local businesses, and get involved in your community, like volunteering at a community garden. Of course you can always stop by Off Texas Avenue Garden, and I will help you any way I can.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Singing Cicadas
The other day, I was sitting in the back yard listening to the cicadas singing in the trees, and it reminded me of summers on the San Marcos River. When I was a child, my dad would take us to the river when ever he had a day off on the weekend. My sisters and I would fish, splash around in the water, my dad would grill something for lunch, and my mom would worry about us going out too deep. I know it's hot right now, but is it really hotter than it used to be? I was hot then also. Or is it just that we are getting older? I think with all the stress of everyday life, work, raising a family, we want to just relax on our off time, but the heat makes it uncomfortable. I think my comfort level is more sensitive than when I was a kid.
Speaking of cicadas, I unearthed a cicada nymph while digging a hole for my dog poop composter. I had never seen a cicada nymph before. I've seen many exoskeletons on tree trunks, fence, or plants, but not one still underground. Cicadas live underground for two or more years feeding on tree, and grass roots before emerging as winged adults in May or June. Nymphs may stay in the ground as long as 17 years. Adults feed on tree sap, but don't pose any real threat. The singing you hear are the males trying to attract females for mating purposes. Females lay their eggs in tree twigs, and after several weeks a small nymph will hatch, drop to the ground, burrow in the soil, and start the whole cycle again. Many animals prey on cicadas from birds, snakes, frogs, to insects. I have even seen a cat capture, and eat a cicada. The most interesting predator is the Cicada Killer. They are large, solitary wasps that hunt cicadas to provide food for their young. Cicada Killers sting cicadas, paralyzing them. Then they drag them to their burrow in the ground, lay an egg on it's body, and seals the burrow. The egg will hatch and the larvae will feed on the cicada, then will overwinter in the soil before emerging as an adult the next summer.
Sitting there that afternoon, I imagined myself sitting in a lawn chair, my feet in the cool flowing water, cold beer in my hand, and the smell of the river in the air. I love that smell. Enjoy your summer, and may the singing of the cicadas take you to some relaxing place.
Speaking of cicadas, I unearthed a cicada nymph while digging a hole for my dog poop composter. I had never seen a cicada nymph before. I've seen many exoskeletons on tree trunks, fence, or plants, but not one still underground. Cicadas live underground for two or more years feeding on tree, and grass roots before emerging as winged adults in May or June. Nymphs may stay in the ground as long as 17 years. Adults feed on tree sap, but don't pose any real threat. The singing you hear are the males trying to attract females for mating purposes. Females lay their eggs in tree twigs, and after several weeks a small nymph will hatch, drop to the ground, burrow in the soil, and start the whole cycle again. Many animals prey on cicadas from birds, snakes, frogs, to insects. I have even seen a cat capture, and eat a cicada. The most interesting predator is the Cicada Killer. They are large, solitary wasps that hunt cicadas to provide food for their young. Cicada Killers sting cicadas, paralyzing them. Then they drag them to their burrow in the ground, lay an egg on it's body, and seals the burrow. The egg will hatch and the larvae will feed on the cicada, then will overwinter in the soil before emerging as an adult the next summer.
Sitting there that afternoon, I imagined myself sitting in a lawn chair, my feet in the cool flowing water, cold beer in my hand, and the smell of the river in the air. I love that smell. Enjoy your summer, and may the singing of the cicadas take you to some relaxing place.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Dog days of summer...
Why do they call it Dog Days Of Summer? My dogs are sitting on the sofa, in the A/C, taking a nap. I guess not all dogs have it this easy. It does'nt matter, it is very hot, and it is early June.
Your garden may be suffering right about now, but there are things that still need to be done. Watering is of course at the top of the list, along with weeding. I have been watering my container plants daily, and today had to mow around the garden. It is amazing how fast the grass will grow in just a few days. The sunflowers look great, towering above me to about 8 feet. My cherry tomatoes are still setting fruit and may continue with plenty of moisture. Zinnias are still blooming, but need to be deadheaded to keep new flowers going.
This week I had several people ask me about their squash and cucumber plants. The first question was that squash plants were rotting at ground level. Although he had harvested several squash, and the plants looked nice and green, now the plants were falling over and the stem was rotten. After further investigation, it appears that they have fallen prey to somre sort of root rot. The extra moisture from recent rains has enabled the disease to spread rapidly. It is time to pull all the plants and dispose of them in the trash, don't put them in the compost pile as this will spread the disease later. Practice crop rotation, which means don't plant the same vegetable in that location for 2 to 3 years. Buy disease resistant varieties, and keep your garden clean.
The other question was about cucumber plants not setting fruit. Cucumbers require pollinators to pollinate the flowers which will result in baby cucumbers. There also has to be male and female flowers for this to happen. In this case, no female flowers had appeared yet. Female flowers are identified by having a swollen bulb bellow the flower, while male flowers are just a flower on a long stem. Pollen is transfered from the male flower to the female flower by insects such as bee's and fly's. Female flowers appear several days after male flowers and need to be fertilized within one day. Many things can prevent this from happening, like no pollinators in your garden to incliment weather preventing pollinators from doing their job. You can intervene by hand pollinating flowers your self. Use a small brush or Q-tip and harvest pollen from a male flower and deposit it on a female flower. Swab the center of the female flower and then wait for the cucumber to start growing. If not successful, the female flower will wither and fall off. You may also remove a male flower and brush the center of a female flower, depositing pollen on two or three flowers with on male flower.
You may only have to do this a few days, once there are plenty of pollinators and, plenty of male, and female flowers, nature will take over. This technique will work on squash, and pumpkins as well.
Try to work in your garden early in the morning or late in th evening, it is much cooler then. Drink plenty of water and rest frequently. Happy gardening.
Your garden may be suffering right about now, but there are things that still need to be done. Watering is of course at the top of the list, along with weeding. I have been watering my container plants daily, and today had to mow around the garden. It is amazing how fast the grass will grow in just a few days. The sunflowers look great, towering above me to about 8 feet. My cherry tomatoes are still setting fruit and may continue with plenty of moisture. Zinnias are still blooming, but need to be deadheaded to keep new flowers going.
This week I had several people ask me about their squash and cucumber plants. The first question was that squash plants were rotting at ground level. Although he had harvested several squash, and the plants looked nice and green, now the plants were falling over and the stem was rotten. After further investigation, it appears that they have fallen prey to somre sort of root rot. The extra moisture from recent rains has enabled the disease to spread rapidly. It is time to pull all the plants and dispose of them in the trash, don't put them in the compost pile as this will spread the disease later. Practice crop rotation, which means don't plant the same vegetable in that location for 2 to 3 years. Buy disease resistant varieties, and keep your garden clean.
The other question was about cucumber plants not setting fruit. Cucumbers require pollinators to pollinate the flowers which will result in baby cucumbers. There also has to be male and female flowers for this to happen. In this case, no female flowers had appeared yet. Female flowers are identified by having a swollen bulb bellow the flower, while male flowers are just a flower on a long stem. Pollen is transfered from the male flower to the female flower by insects such as bee's and fly's. Female flowers appear several days after male flowers and need to be fertilized within one day. Many things can prevent this from happening, like no pollinators in your garden to incliment weather preventing pollinators from doing their job. You can intervene by hand pollinating flowers your self. Use a small brush or Q-tip and harvest pollen from a male flower and deposit it on a female flower. Swab the center of the female flower and then wait for the cucumber to start growing. If not successful, the female flower will wither and fall off. You may also remove a male flower and brush the center of a female flower, depositing pollen on two or three flowers with on male flower.
You may only have to do this a few days, once there are plenty of pollinators and, plenty of male, and female flowers, nature will take over. This technique will work on squash, and pumpkins as well.
Try to work in your garden early in the morning or late in th evening, it is much cooler then. Drink plenty of water and rest frequently. Happy gardening.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Work Day in the garden
I believe summer is upon us. Our weather has gone from nice spring to scorching hot. No gradual increase in temperature so we can get used to it, just straight to the 90's.
With these hot temperatures, our gardens may begin to suffer. Adequate moisture will be critical if we don't get timely rains. Water early in the morning or late in the evening. This allows the plants to absorb water, less evaporation, and less water use. It's also cooler for the person watering. Plants in pots may need daily watering as these tend to dry out faster. Keep up your feeding schedule with your fertilizer of choice, I am watering in liquid sea weed once every two weeks, and have been happy with results so far. Weeding is of course a never ending chore, apply more mulch as needed. Monitor plants for bugs or disease, early detection is the best strategy. Take frequent breaks, drink plenty of water, and enjoy some fresh food.
This past weekend, we had our first work day in the garden. With the help of family and friends, the last four beds were filled with soil. Two were mulched with alfalfa hay, I will have to get more to finish the rest. We transplanted 10 volunteer chile pequin plants from another bed, I hope they survive the move. If they don't, I have many more. The "wailing wall" was restacked, and repositioned to make it more stable. It looks great. We had a lot of fun, although it was very hot, and shoveling 4 yards of soil is hard work.
As we left that afternoon, the garden looked different, but it also felt different. I felt tired, but relaxed, and had a great sense of accomplishment. But what I felt the most was a sense of peace, and love. A feeling of community. I believe that comes from family, friends,and community coming together to take care of each other. It's parents teaching their children how to take care of themselves and others. It's all of us caring for our family, our community, our planet. This garden has been touched by many loving hands, and I hope many more will join us next time.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Slow Gardening
This week I learned about Slow Gardening. In a Austin Statesman blog, "Renee's Roots", Slow Gardening is described as a style of gardening where gardeners relax, don't rush things, and follow the seasonal rhythms of nature instead of doing everything at once. Don't overwhelm yourself by going for a big garden. Start small, perhaps a few pots on the back patio, whatever you are comfortable with. Grow something you can eat.
Off Texas Avenue Garden was concieved with that same approach in mind. From the begining I have tried to recycle all I can, like building beds from salvaged fence pickets, reusing soil, and collecting leaves for composting. My time spent in the garden has been scheduled as I have time, and I do what I can while I am there. When I leave there, I have a clear mind, feel relaxed, and don't worry about what I didn't do. The garden has grown in just a few months, and I have not rushed anything. I believe that sweating is good for the body, mind, and soul. I believe we should all grow something to eat, and teach our children how to do that. Gardening is like raising children, you can't rush either. If we provide both with what is necessary for growth, guide in the right direction, hold boundries, sometimes letting go, sometimes holding back, we will be rewarded with the greatest joy.
Now that the garden is begining to mature in the first season, I am very pleased with the results. I will continue to recycle, and encourage everyone to do the same. I will continue to educate anyone that will listen, especially children. I will continue to share my knowledge here and as a Master Gardener. And yes, I am a Slow Gardener. Maybe, I'm even a Slow Parent ??
Off Texas Avenue Garden was concieved with that same approach in mind. From the begining I have tried to recycle all I can, like building beds from salvaged fence pickets, reusing soil, and collecting leaves for composting. My time spent in the garden has been scheduled as I have time, and I do what I can while I am there. When I leave there, I have a clear mind, feel relaxed, and don't worry about what I didn't do. The garden has grown in just a few months, and I have not rushed anything. I believe that sweating is good for the body, mind, and soul. I believe we should all grow something to eat, and teach our children how to do that. Gardening is like raising children, you can't rush either. If we provide both with what is necessary for growth, guide in the right direction, hold boundries, sometimes letting go, sometimes holding back, we will be rewarded with the greatest joy.
Now that the garden is begining to mature in the first season, I am very pleased with the results. I will continue to recycle, and encourage everyone to do the same. I will continue to educate anyone that will listen, especially children. I will continue to share my knowledge here and as a Master Gardener. And yes, I am a Slow Gardener. Maybe, I'm even a Slow Parent ??
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Garden Trial...
Where has time gone? May is upon us, and I have beds that are still empty. Up till now I have done as much as I can one or two hours at a time. There never seems to be enough time. This week is going to be different. I plan to spend several hours throughout the whole week at the garden.
My first task is to have some top soil delivered and fill as many beds as I can. I am going to use sifted top soil and then ammend with cow manure, cotton seed meal, and add a little Microlife fertilizer. I am conducting a trial of sorts in the garden. The first three beds were filled with sifted top soil. I ammended these beds with cow manure, and cotton seed meal, but without the fertilizer. The next two beds were filled with soil relocated from my garden at home. This soil came with volunteer tomatoes, peppers, and many earth worms. Last week I filled three beds with a prepared vegetable mix. This soil has lots of mulch, sand, a little chicken manure mixed with top soil. I don't like all that mulch in the mix, but felt that I was running out of time to get beds ready for planting. After shoveling two yards of this mix I decided to go back to the sifted top soil and ammend with what I like. The vegetable mix tends to be drier and requires more watering, and will take at least one growing season to mature. The mulch ties up nitrogen due to the decomposition process and is unavailable for the plants. These beds will have to fertilized regularly to keep the plants thriving. I will keep you posted as time goes on, and have results of the trial later in the year.
Meanwhile, "On" Texas Avenue, there has been some activity in the past few weeks. A portion of the Brunson Theatre at the back of the building was demolished, and the front entrance has been boarded up more securely. The car show was a success, even though it started a little wet, and we even had a few people walk through the garden admiring the plants. Or perhaps wondering what the hell is this. Visitors just the same. Then last week Channel 39 did a segment on the revitalization efforts by the city and their plans for the future. Exciting news for property and business owners on Texas Avenue, and the community. Thanks to all who honk or wave as you drive by, or shout out "I like your garden". It keeps me motivated. Visit any time.
My first task is to have some top soil delivered and fill as many beds as I can. I am going to use sifted top soil and then ammend with cow manure, cotton seed meal, and add a little Microlife fertilizer. I am conducting a trial of sorts in the garden. The first three beds were filled with sifted top soil. I ammended these beds with cow manure, and cotton seed meal, but without the fertilizer. The next two beds were filled with soil relocated from my garden at home. This soil came with volunteer tomatoes, peppers, and many earth worms. Last week I filled three beds with a prepared vegetable mix. This soil has lots of mulch, sand, a little chicken manure mixed with top soil. I don't like all that mulch in the mix, but felt that I was running out of time to get beds ready for planting. After shoveling two yards of this mix I decided to go back to the sifted top soil and ammend with what I like. The vegetable mix tends to be drier and requires more watering, and will take at least one growing season to mature. The mulch ties up nitrogen due to the decomposition process and is unavailable for the plants. These beds will have to fertilized regularly to keep the plants thriving. I will keep you posted as time goes on, and have results of the trial later in the year.
Meanwhile, "On" Texas Avenue, there has been some activity in the past few weeks. A portion of the Brunson Theatre at the back of the building was demolished, and the front entrance has been boarded up more securely. The car show was a success, even though it started a little wet, and we even had a few people walk through the garden admiring the plants. Or perhaps wondering what the hell is this. Visitors just the same. Then last week Channel 39 did a segment on the revitalization efforts by the city and their plans for the future. Exciting news for property and business owners on Texas Avenue, and the community. Thanks to all who honk or wave as you drive by, or shout out "I like your garden". It keeps me motivated. Visit any time.
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