Didn't do much gardening last fall, as we were still getting over the shock of quitting working, and we had no fence around the lot. No fence, and people will park their cars on your lot. Sometimes signs will keep them away, sometimes not. I'm hot enough already.
from the South Padre Parade, a gardening update from R. Lewis Landscaping, which does seem to exist, somewhere. I post this here so I can easily find it again.
The third week of September officially
starts the fall garden season in the Rio Grande
Valley. Now that we finally got some rain,
well that just makes it better. It is a perfect
time to plant basically everything. Last week
I mentioned herb plants, fall color plants and
tomatoes and vegetable plants. This week
let’s spend more time on these topics.
For most practical purposes, this is the
best time to plant herb plants. In our region
of the country the fall/winter temperatures
are ideal for herb plants. This does not mean
that you do not need to protect your plants
from cold weather extremes like we had last
winter, but even with that, just bringing your
herb planters into the garage or adequately
covering herbs that were planted in beds
would have been enough to save them. Basil
plants should be grown in smaller pots in
order to bring inside the house for extreme
cold fronts or a freeze. If you bring them
in once you may decide just to leave them
indoors by your brightest window and enjoy
them as houseplants.
How many times have you
planted cilantro in the spring
season just to be disappointed
by their “bolting” and going
to seed almost immediately?
This time of year, for us
is truly their season. Plant
them now, or stagger
plant them through the
next few weeks and you
should enjoy cilantro at any
time from now until the spring
season. Again, you many need to protect
them from extreme cold like last year.
Either protect them by covering them
or plant in pots and move them
to the garage for protection. Herb
plants like chives, dill, lemon grass,
mints, oreganos and rosemary should thrive
through our normal winters, but if they get
hurt by cold temperatures, just cut them
back in springtime and they will continue on
growing.
Tomato plants and most vegetable plants
that are considered spring vegetables will
do well planted in the late summer/fall
season. Again, you must think of how you
can protect them if we have an early (midNovember)
cold blast. Floating row cover
usually offers good protection or even an
old towel or sheets will help, but you need to
have a plan in place because this can happen.
At this time you can be planting seeds of cold
weather crops like lettuce, broccoli, kale,
cauliflower and onions, if not transplants of
these are available later into October.
For annual color, I always say that petunias
give you the best bang for the buck. Most
independent nurseries will have these fall
plants in now. Petunias do wonderfully in
beds, pots or even hanging baskets. Usually
the nurseries will have begonias, impatiens,
geraniums, etc in stock now as well. Watch
the watering on these now as it is
still warm and don’t let these
get bone dry, but as we
get into late October and
the cooler months it is
overwatering that you need
to be concerned with.
Hopefully that’s enough
to get your fall gardening
activities started. One last
thing is the farmers markets
in our area will soon be full of
beautiful locally grown product.
They will be at their peak from October
into and through next spring. Please support
your local independent nurseries and your
local farmers markets. You will get your
best information and plants from them.
R. Lewis T.C.N. #132
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