User Name
Password
 |
|
       |
What are the lastest Landscaping Trends How to Plant Fruit and Nut Trees How to care for Holiday Plants How to care for Mother's Day Gifts What are common Shrub Diseases
Problems growing Tomatoes in hot weather Herbs and Late Spring Gardening Tips
|
January Gardening Tips Herbs such as Lamb's ear, Lemon Balm, Mint, Society Garlic, Rosemary, and Lavender can all be planted now along with Parsley, Thyme, Dill, Cilantro and Oregano. Vegetable plants to plant now are asparagus, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, Swiss chard, collards, kohlrabi, lettuce, English peas, and radish. It's ok to plant potatoes now, but I prefer to wait a few more weeks. All of these plants will survive the deep freeze that is sure to come before the last average frost date which is March 25. I actually saw some tomato plants at a department store recently, which underscores the lack of knowledge most big stores have about the product they sell. Look for a nursery that employs a Texas Certified Nursery Professional to get good information as well as better value for your money. This is a great time to get your soil tested. Contact your local extension office and get the information you need to get your soil in great shape for warmer weather ahead. This is true even if you are only growing a lawn. The best reason for a soil test is so you won't add things, especially chemicals, to your soil if you don't need them. Never add sulphur or lime to your soil unless recommended by a soil test. You can do long term damage to your soil. The soils Central Texas can change dramatically over a very short distance. Just because your neighbor adds something to their soil doesn't mean you should. Our soils are so diversified that you may find that the reddest clay is actually very alkaline. Adding too much lime to the already alkaline soil in blackland soil will even kill Bermuda grass. It never hurts to add organic matter like decomposed leaves to any soil whether sand or clay. If you have a compost pile that you've been working on for the past year, now is the time to spread 1-2 inches of compost over your planting beds. Lots of organic matter will help your soil hold moisture and protect the structure of the soil. If you have established beds, don't till them every year. Microbes that live in the top of the soil won't survive being buried 6 inches below the surface, so gently work in any amendments. Also, if you turn clay in which you've added organic matter over the last several years, you will hasten the decomposition of the organic matter and the clay will begin to bind together again. It's always best to add organic matter instead of gypsum to improve clay soils. Gypsum should be considered a short-term solution for clay soil improvement and not a substitute for organic matter because it can change the Ph of the soil. Remember that adding sand to clay will make cement, as many gardeners find out. Improved sandy soils can be a dream to work in, but don't leave them exposed for long. If you have sandy loam beds you are not using, cover them with a cover crop such as rye grass in the winter or field peas in the summer so the topsoil won't blow or wash away.
|
Subscribe to our on-line Newsletter by sending us your E-mail address here.
New Roses, Compost and Grasshoppers Epazote, Gotu Kola and St. John's Wort Central Texas Fall Planting Guide Gardening for Birds and Butterflies How to grow Apples in Central Texas
|
|
|
| Feature Articles | Feature Articles | Featured Articles |
| Read all my Articles on E-how.com | Read all my Articles on Gardenguides.com | Read all my Articles on Examiner.com |
 |
 |
 |
| Copyright © 2009. The Big Lump Gardener. All rights reserved. |
| Home | Find an Article | Ask a Gardening Question | Privacy Policy | My Favorites | Blog | Contact Us |
Cooler weather has created perfect conditions for planting trees and getting the garden in shape for spring in areas of the country where the ground doesn't freeze such as Central Texas. If you seeded annual wildflowers like cornflower, larkspur, or bluebonnets, you should see them begin to come to life about now. Be able to identify the small plants so you won't confuse them with winter weeds. If you are buying instead of seeding native perennial wildflowers such as Coreopsis, Gaillardia, Cutleaf Daisy or Winecup, buy them when they are small, not when they are in bloom, so you will get the most for your dollar. The moisture we now have in the soil should allow you to easily create a new bed or two to accommodate some native Texas perennials.
