Showcase
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Regrow Vegetables on a Sunny Windowsill
Gardening naturally lends itself to reusing and recycling — just think about compost and last year’s seed trays. So if there’s a way to reduce trash while saving money on produce, it is a wonderful thing. And a favorite way to do both is to regrow vegetables from kitchen scraps. Instead of throwing away or composting the bottoms (or tops) of vegetables when preparing them, you can grow them into leafy greens and other tasty tidbits right on your windowsill. It’s important to point out that these methods aren’t likely to produce plants that will grow well in your garden, so it is not recommended to use this method to replace…
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Saving Seeds for Next Year’s Flower Garden
Just like vegetable seeds, you can save flower seeds from your garden this year to plant the following. Here are some tips for saving your flower seeds for next year. Hybrid vs Heirloom If you want the same kind of flower or plant for next year’s garden, collect only the seeds from plants labeled as “heirloom” or “heritage.” These kinds of plants will grow just like their parent plant. Hybrid seeds with a mixture of two different parents will produce new plants, but they will only look like one of the parents. Therefore, you are taking a risk with planting hybrid seeds. Even if you expect plants to be the…
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How to Grow Garlic
It was surprising to learn recently that, according to Google Trends data gathered by AllAboutGardening.com, the most popular fall-planted crop in the United States is…. garlic. A good guess would have been kale. Possibly beets. Maybe Brussels sprouts. But garlic? Another deep dive into Google’s search trends, comparing Americans’ interest in growing garlic with interest in growing other fall-planted bulbs, like tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and crocus resulted in yet another surprise. Surely, colorful blooms would trump the spicy, pungent vegetable. No. When people used the search term “how to grow…,” garlic was again the frontrunner when compared with those spring bulb plants. Could it be that Americans have a previously undisclosed obsession with garlic?…
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All About Mint
Most mints prefer full sun to part shade (especially afternoon shade) and moist soil without having their feet wet. Too much water or overhead watering can promote diseases and pests. Keep it deadheaded to encourage tender leaves and stems with the best oil quality. If the intent is to dry leaves, then allow the flower stem to form, but not bloom, at harvest. To prevent problems of aggressiveness, plant in a pot or sunken container to limit runner and root growth that can get out of control. Remember to experiment with different ways to use it. More ideas for Growing and Using Mint: Mint in the Garden Mint Tea Mint…
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Must Have Planting Calendar for Vegetable Gardeners
Have you ever wondered when you needed to seed, sow or transplant your vegetable garden? Now you have the answer! Many veggie gardeners here in Central Texas find the fall season to be more productive than spring in our area, so check out the Veggie Planting Calendar to plan your fall veggie garden. The Texas AgriLife Extension Vegetable Garden Planting Guide will show you all the ideal times to plant in order to maximize your garden bounty! You can download a printable PDF of the calendar to post by your garden or bring with you to your favorite plant nursery.
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Supercharge your Garden with Texas Superstar Plants
The new Texas Superstar Guide to strong and stunning plants for Texans, created by Texas A&M AgriLife Research, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas Department of Agriculture, is available online. To be designated a Texas Superstar, a plant must be beautiful and perform well for consumers and growers throughout the state. Superstars must be easy to propagate, which should ensure the plants are not only widely available throughout Texas but also reasonably priced. The Texas Superstar program began as a regional program in the early 1980s and became a statewide effort in 1989. The name Texas Superstar was coined in 1997. The designation was applied to all the…
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What is Hugulkultur?
When you don’t have a giant property, it is important to strategize to get the most use of the garden you have, and that includes planting vegetables and herbs in raised beds and containers. I’ve been growing vegetables and herbs in two 4-by-8-foot raised beds built years ago, and every few years, I invest in copious amounts of compost and organic topsoil to refill them. Some friends garden in much larger beds and the cost to fill them would make your salad spin. But there is a better method: “Hugelkultur,” is said to have been used in Germany and eastern Europe for centuries as part of a more extensive permaculture…
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Let’s Grow: Bumper Crops
A lot of people daydream about starting their own garden. Whether it’s in your yard or in containers on your deck or windowsill, the idea of growing fresh vegetables and fruits seems like a delightful use of your property and time. It’s also a potential budget boon, as growing your own food can be a lot cheaper than paying for food someone else has grown, harvested, and trucked to your area. So what stops us all from having majestic victory gardens in our back yard? Gardening is a lot of work, honestly. And too many of us have had the bitter experience of trying to keep a plant alive only…
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Companion Planting for Vegetables
Make the most of your space and your efforts with this age-old technique of growing certain vegetables and herbs together for mutually beneficial purposes like soil condition, sun requirements, pest and weed control, climbing support, and more. Here are some classic vegetable companion groupings. Tomatoes/Eggplants/Peppers + Herbs + Borage Nightshades must be planted after the last threat of frost has passed. Edge the beds with herbs that like the same growing conditions, such as basil and parsley. Borage can also help keep away destructive tomato hornworms (and its periwinkle flowers taste like cucumber). Potatoes + Beans Plant seed potatoes in spring, after the soil thaws. Beans on poles or trellises…
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How to Build a Gardener’s Toolbox
Tips for finding quality tools that will last We may be a home gardener, not an arborist or full-time landscaper, but still want tools with the professional-quality performance that professionals demand. Like a chef impatient with a dull knife, we want them to cut cleanly into whatever medium we are working in, whether branch or soil. And we’d just as soon skip any implements with clunky grips or unnecessary weight. The tools that follow are the ones worth waiting for — and you may have to wait for some of them, if supply-chain snarls or shipping delays so conspire. But whether you’re shopping for gifts or your own personal use,…
