Fall Gardening Prep
It’s That Time
As a general rule of thumb, right now most of your decisions and prep work should be complete for your fall garden. If you are just getting started with a new garden here in North Texas let's review what should be arriving at most nurseries any day now.
It's Planting Time: It is time to plant squash, beans, cucumber seeds and okra. These new starter plants will be arriving any day for most suppliers here in the North Texas regions. If you subscribe to a local location, be sure to check their Facebook pages and newsletters if you signed up this year. Be sure to check into herbs and spices too. They have a great growing season and harvet time.
Review Starter Plants: Remember to pay particular attention to healthy new starter plants. Full, green, with taut stems and lots of buds on select items is always a great way to begin. all the things we put in our gardens and veggie gardens none is really more important that fertilizer. It is quite literally the food to grow the food. Keep it simple, treat on a schedule, and choose a fertilizer that is right for what you will grow.
Let's Talk Fertilizer:
Many experienced gardners choose to use all natural products and fertilizer sooner and usually more often; and adding a couple of bags of compost and pre plant fertilizer a few weeks before planting is always a great idea.
"Most gardens in the North Texas area are raised beds that have a lot of compost added. That’s a good thing but compost only has about 1% nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Nitrogen is already spoken for since it’s one of the engines that drives decomposition. Adding nitrogen feeds the plants but also fuels more decomposition. This means the plants and dirt are in competition for the same resources. Nitrogen can also be washed out with a lot of rain and some types can evaporate. Compost has such small quantities of P and K that they should be considered nonexistent and should be added to the garden. A soil test will give you an idea what the garden needs." says Wells Brothers staff and while you may already realize this, you may still have questions. If so be sure to ask your favorite place for help.
Fertilizing Schedules: In some areas here in the North Texas region pre-plant fertilization can last up to 4 - 6 weeks after planting, at which time you can begin your regular schedule. If you don't have a schedule to plant, water, fertilize and remove dead leaves, be sure to set it up on a calender for easy reference. It isn't necessary to make changes in this fertilizer unless you have had previous issues. By the way, if you will be making the switch this fall from synthetic to all natural gardening, you must read up on Organic Crop Production Requirements. This guide will give you good direction on how to make the switch. There are also plenty of resources out there online as to what, when, and what size new gardens may take. Here is what Texas A&M has to say about it. This is a great article and if you have particular questions about your location.
Serving healthy meals, enjoying a special meal with friends and family, and pictures of beautiful gardens are worth a thousand words when you see a garden you love. Share your love with friends and family this fall. Take plenty of pictures to enjoy later at every step of the way. A beautiful memory table book is something that can remain with you in years to come.
