Greening Austin Daily

Moderate Gardening Success: 17 Tomatoes and Some Peppers

29th July, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

Here’s an update on my recent gardening success:

• Tomatoes are finally starting to do well and produce more. Right now I count 17 little green tomatoes – still probably not enough to can my own pasta sauce like I planned, but maybe in the fall they will continue to do well.

• Of my 7 okra plants, one is doing really well and getting very large. I’ve never seen an okra plant before so I don’t know how tall it will get before it starts producing fruit.

• Our chili plant is doing really well and our little jalapeño plant is also doing well.

• And I have some butternut squash starting- hopefully they will do better than my summer squash.

Moderate Gardening Success – 1 Beet

15th July, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

Small and sad looking, but very tasty when roasted. Little beet, I hope there will be more like you!

Book Review- Texas Organic Vegetable Gardening: The Total Guide to Growing Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs, and Other Edible Plants the Natural Way

14th July, 2010 - Posted by katherine - 1 Comment

I have been using Howard Garrett’s book “Texas Organic Vegetable Gardening: The Total Guide to Growing Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs, and Other Edible Plants the Natural Way” ever since I started getting semi-serious about gardening this summer. It’s very useful- every common vegetable and fruit are covered alphabetically, and for each one, the book describes when to plant, what kind of soil treatments to use, and has a page of common problems for that particular plant (for example, plant not producing fruit, or plant covered in white spots), with the possible causes listed for each problem (for example, a certain disease or pest), followed by a solution (often treatment with materials you can easily find or make in your home, like compost, garlic, and red pepper).  The book also has a section on organic additives, a section on common pests, and a section on beneficial insects.  I found it very helpful and liked it so much that I am going to buy a used copy online (I checked out my copy from the library). 

Even if you’re not totally committed to organic gardening, it’s useful if you’re new to gardening in Texas because it has Texas-specific planting times and Texas-specific pests, which I found very helpful.

not my garden, but so pretty!

photo credit

Update on Landscape Conversion Rebate

13th July, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

Earlier I posted that beginning July 1, the city of Austin was starting a new water conservation program where city residents can get rebates for converting turf areas to native landscapes/non-irrigation. I found more details about the program:

• Applications are accepted June-August, and again December-February.
• Applicants can either convert turf area to native landscape, or turf area to non-irrigated landscape.
• The rebate for converting to native is $20/ 100 sqft.
• The rebate for converting to non-irrigated is $30/ 100 sqft.
• Applicants can participate in both prgrams.
• A minium of 500 sqft must be converted.
• You must send in this application, plus a site plan and photo of the planting area.

Check out the application for more details.

photo credit

10 Uses for Old Coffee Grounds

24th June, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

I’ve recently been having an ant problem in my garden, and a friend had mentioned that when she was having insect problems in her garden, she spread coffee grounds around her plants and the problem went away. I google searched “insect repellent and coffee grounds” and found that along with indeed being an effective insect repellent, used coffee grounds have several other uses.  You can find the top 10 here, which include flea repellent and pet hair softener,  deodorizer, and cellulite reducer.

Coffee grounds are also great to add to your compost bin – at the city of Austin composting class Carsi and I attended (which counted toward me getting a rebate from the city on my composting bin), we were told that the soil in Austin tends to be basic (as opposed to acidic), so adding coffee grounds to your compost and then eventually adding that compost to your soil helps to neutralize your soil.

photo credit

Moderate Gardening Success Part 5

23rd June, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

I’ve still been really enjoying gardening, although I haven’t had a ton of success. But I’m learning a lot about when to plant things in Texas and all about organic methods, so hopefully I will have a nice fall garden.  Here are some pics of what’s going on now in the garden, along with some facts and tips I’ve learned from reading this book:

My lettuce is doing  well, but I’ve realized from my reading that lettuce does not like hot weather.  My gardening book suggests planting lettuce August 10-September 30th for a fall garden, so I am going to try that too.  I tasted a leaf from this plant though, and it was pretty good – not bitter at all, just slow growing.

My Serrano pepper plant is doing really well, which is expected in hot weather in Texas. I had at least 10 little peppers on my plant before I took off these 3 which were the largest. I used them on Sunday to make an Indian dish for dinner.  We also harvested 1 jalapeño pepper already from another plant, which was very spicy and delicious.

This plant is the best of my beets. Apparently beets don’t love hot weather either, preferring either to be planted in very early spring or late summer.  My gardening book suggests August 1-September 30th for fall beets, and I have plenty of seeds left so I am going to try again.

My tomato plants are doing ok – out of 7 only 3 have fruit, but 1 more is close to getting fruit.  In Ohio, it’s so easy to grow tomatoes – I feel like they just go crazy with very little attention, so I’m a little disappointed. I’ve also never grown roma tomatoes before though, so maybe the plants just don’t get as big. I also think I waited too long to plant them, but tomatoes also can be grown in the fall, so I am going to leave these plants in and see if they start to do better in the fall.  I’ve also planted some tomato plants inside that I’m starting for a fall crop, and they are a bigger variety, so maybe they will do well. My gardening book suggests planting for a fall crop between July 1st and August 5th.

On the squash field, things are more disappointing.  I started 8 plants from seed, and have had a lot of flowers which never turned into fruit. Then I realized after reading my gardening book that I was having all male flowers! Every single one has been a little guy, destined to fade out and produce nothing. I don’t really know if it’s just bad luck or if there’s something about the conditions they are in that they aren’t producing female flowers, but I”m going to try again with a fall crop of a different variety.

eggplant coming up

2 of my 7 okra plants

I started these guys recently as some of the few vegetable plants that are supposed to really thrive in the hottest days of summer, so I’m excited to see what will happen.

Green Rooftop Study in Austin

22nd June, 2010 - Posted by carsi - No Comments

Check out this Austinist post about how City Council will vote on Thursday to  consider funding research by UT and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center on vegetated rooftops. This will be the first study that looks into the impact of green rooftops in a central Texas climate. Green rooftops can be cooling for a building and can clean water.  Mark Simmons, a researcher at the Wildflower Center, told News 8 Austin that “Globally, there is so little research done in warm weather systems. We’ve attracted a lot of attention from around the world just because we’re looking at green roofs in hot climates.”

Fall Tomato Tips

15th June, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

One of the great things about gardening in Texas is the long growing season.  If you’re interested in trying to grow some tomatoes for this fall, Renee Studebaker of the Statesman has some great tips from her gardening blog:

— Growing tomatoes in the fall can be a lot easier than growing them in the spring. Fewer bugs and more moderate temperatures. Set out transplants in late July so you can harvest before the first frost.

— Choose an area that gets plenty of sun. Keep in mind that the fall sun will be lower in the southern sky, so try to situate your plants so that they will still get about 6 hours of direct sun even in October.

— Give your seedlings a good start with a couple of big shovelfuls of good compost worked into the soil around the planting hole. (If you’re putting in a new garden, consider a layered-bed approach instead of tilling. For more details, visit my previous posts on tomatoes.)

— You will need to give your young plants a steady supply of water and a bit of afternoon shade to help them get established during the heat of late summer. Try to keep the soil evenly moist, but not soggy. A 30-40 percent shade cloth draped over the western side of your tomato cages or stakes will help keep the plants and the soil a little cooler. A couple of inches of mulch around each plant and a weekly spraying with a dilute seaweed solution will help too.

Zilker Botanical Garden Free Summer Events

26th May, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

The Zilker Botanical Garden has a number in interesting summer events coming up, including a flower and vegetable show and sale, basic landscape design principles, and  a seminar on rainwater harvesting.

This Saturday is a free seminar about becoming a garden detective. Here’s  the description:

 Saturday, May 29, 2010 10am-Noon. Just when you think you’ve done everything right by your plants, one of them starts to go downhill. One of the biggest challenges for gardeners is correctly diagnosing plant problems and finding effective, safe solutions. Is your plant dying because of an insect, environmental or disease problem? Join us to learn the causes of plant problems, the process for diagnosing plant problems, and preventive garden management techniques.

For the full schedule, check here.

Guess Who Got a Composter for Her Birthday?

24th May, 2010 - Posted by katherine - 2 Comments

I did! And I’m really excited about it!

Why is composting green? Because food scraps that are put in your garbage go to a landfill, and once at the landfill, those materials become part of a huge pile of waste that doesn’t get any oxygen, and thus those materials never break down.  Because they never break down, the nutrients from those materials don’t ever go back into the ground.  And if you put your food scraps down the garbage disposal, energy is used up by the disposal unit, water is used up to work with the garbage disposal, and the water utility company has to use more energy and water to clean that water. But by composting, you can keep all of  those great nutrients for your own garden and avoid sending your food scraps to the landfill or down the sink!

On to my composting system – I had wanted a new compost system for awhile and got a really nice one for my recent birthday from my husband. Most people would not want a composter as a birthday present, but I have always been fascinated by watching things decompose. Since we have a house now I feel like it’s easier to become more involved in gardening and make longer term plans about my garden, such as how awesome the soil is going to be once I have some compost (3-4 months) to add to it.  When we were renting an apartment or house, I did a little gardening but I just never got into it as much, in part because I didn’t want to have to move a lot of heavy pots and gardening equipment (like a composter) once we eventually moved.

My new composter has 2 separate compartments so you can start one batch of compost in one compartment, and then once that compartment is pretty well along you can start in the other compartment. The whole thing can also be spun, which is supposed to mix it pretty well (which helps things decompose faster) without needing to use a pitchfork.

I’ve had the composter set up for about a week and things are looking good.  Here’s a pic of the leaves and yard waste and cardboard scraps I started off with: Since then I’ve been putting all of our non-meat and non-dairy food scraps in as well. The ratio of “dry” material (like leaves, grass, and cardboard) versus wet material (food scraps) is supposed to be about 60-40 or 70-30.  The compost is supposed to have the consistency of a washcloth you’ve gotten wet and then rung out – it should be a little wet but not too much. (I learned these facts and more and the composting class I took with Carsi a few months ago.  Now if you take those classes and agree to switch to a 30 gallon trash can (if you don’t have one already) you can get a $75 rebate on a composting system. Check here for more information on the city of Austin program. )

Moderate Gardening Success Part 3

19th May, 2010 - Posted by katherine - 3 Comments

I’ve had some more moderate gardening success since my last gardening post – It’s been very exciting to watch the veggie plants I’ve grown from seed get bigger.  Here are a  few pics:

a beet plant

a not-as-successful beet plant

summer squash

another summer squash grown in different soil than the first one - you can see it's not growing as fast

lettuce!

Pepper plants and lettuce

tomato plant

close up of tomato flowers - I count 12 so far!

Wildflowers in Peak Season

6th May, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

Last weekend I went to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center with my parents.  If you’ve never been before, now is a great time to visit – there are tons of wildflowers in bloom and it’s not super hot outside yet.  The Wildflower Center is off of Mopac, fairly far South, so it can be a bit of a drive if you live in North Austin, but it’s well worth the trip and a good group activity.  Before last weekend, I had only been to the Wildflower Center in December, so it was very different to see it in April. Tickets are normally $8, ($7 for seniors, $5 for children 5-12, and free for children under 5) but when I went with my parents last Friday, it was free for some reason.

Here’s some pictures I took:

(a very informative display of common wildflowers in bloom now in Austin)

(A lot of the plants inside the courtyard area had descriptions, which was very helpful)

Some of the beautiful flowers growing naturally along the trails:

bluebonnets

more bluebonnets

Indian paintbrush (I think)

(not sure what this is)

winecup

some false foxglove

Before I took this trip I could only identify bluebonnets, so I think I learned a lot about native plants. And it was neat to see example of gardens that use native plants and therefore don’t need to be watered as much.

Also, the Wildflower Center has the following information about this event coming up, which might be fun for families:

Nature Night: Plant Conservation

Friday, May 21, 2010, 6-9PM

• Hit the trails of the Wildflower Center and learn about rare and endangered plant species in Texas. We will explore hard to find plants, what makes them rare and endangered, lead you on habitat hikes and share programs that help you make a difference! $1 admission for non-members.

So check out the Wildflower Center – it’s an Austin treasure!

Moderate Gardening Success Part 2

21st April, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

I’ve gone from this to this basil, cilantro, and onions – plants purchased from store

grape tomato plant from store

all plants

close up of planter my husband built – mostly plants started from seeds with the exception of onion plants

pepper plants from store

Squash plant started from seed

Onions from store and beets started from seed

Hopefully I’ll get some tomatoes and peppers in the next few weeks from the plants I purchased from the store.  Some of the leaves on my squash and tomato plants look a little yellow so I may be watering them too much – check back to see if I kill them all accidentally!!

Urban Land Sharing Organizations Produce More Local Gardens

16th April, 2010 - Posted by carsi - No Comments

I have often thought how useless grass yards are–unless you’re a kid who likes to jump through sprinklers they typically don’t get used much, they don’t provide food, they require a lot of water and upkeep, and they are generally just kind of boring. Some Austinites are trying to change all that. Check out this Statesman article about a few local land sharing organizations that are turning Austin yards into urban farmland. Property owners with extra land, such as a back or front yard, can join the organization, and other members use the land to grow veggies that they share with the land owners. This is a great way to use valuable land and get local fresh food to more people. Keep an eye out next week for the official launch of Shared Earth, a social networking site that connects land owners to farmers and gardeners in need of land.

Gardening Tidbits

15th April, 2010 - Posted by carsi - No Comments

Since April is National Garden Month, I thought it’d be nice to post a few tidbits about gardening in Austin.

• If you haven’t already, now is the time to get to planting those spring and summer veggies like chard, okra, and summer squash. Have a look at the Travis County planting calendar if you need some direction on what to plant and when. It’s a really helpful list.
• When you’re starting your garden, consider making it as green as possible with these drought-tolerant landscape templates.
• For inspiration, check out this blog on the Statesman’s website. Renee, the woman who writes the blog, has an impressive front yard garden with veggies, flowers, and herbs, and she gives some helpful tips for your own edible garden. At the very least, click through for some really nice pictures.
• These upcoming seminars with Travis County Master Gardeners include topics like plant propagation, growing vegetables from seeds, and rainwater harvesting.
  
• If you don’t have a yard but still want to grow your own veggies or flowers, a community garden is a great option. The Coalition of Austin Community Gardens has a lot of info about community gardens around  town. I went by the Blackshear Community Garden on Sunday to drop off some compostable items for their compost pile, and they told me they have two plots of land open to whoever wants to adopt them! You can find contact info for all the community gardens on the Coalition’s website, and some also have plots available.
• If you’d like to get to know your community gardens better before joining one, the first annual Austin Community Garden Tour will be on Saturday, May 1st 2010 from 10am to 4pm with food, demonstrations, and activities.

East Urban Farm Tour This Weekend

8th April, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

If you’re interested in gardening, you should check out the East Urban farm Tour this Sunday, 1-5.  Here’s the official link for more detials.  Apparently there are 4 farms just east of I-35 near downtown that are in close proximity to each other.  Tickets are $35 advance, $40 at the door, and children under 5 are free.  However, there is a charge because this is a fund-raiser for the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, but many of these same farms are open for free visits during their market days. If you would like free admission, they are still seeking volunteers – email region2@tofga.org to volunteer.

And if you’re not interested in visiting the farms but would like to learn more about them, check out this Chronicle link.  They also have info on each farm (Boggy Creek Farm, Rain Lily Farm, Springdale Farm, and HausBar Farm).

Super Cool Article about Window Farming

5th April, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

This is a neat story from NPR about window farming – the article explains that “window farmers use recycled 1.5 liter water bottles, clay pellets, plastic tubing and inexpensive fish tank air pumps to create their indoor gardens.”

Check out the link for pictures of the window farms, but basically it’s a really cool way to grow leafy vegetables in an apartment with a series of clear bottles hanging down your window –  it’s just this really pretty display of bottles and greenery, and the materials for a start up system are around $30.

Cherrywood Plant and Book Swap

1st April, 2010 - Posted by carsi - No Comments

Over at east austinite, check out info on the Cherrywood Plant and Book Swap, which is happening this Saturday from 9am-noon at Cherrywood Green (Cherrywood Rd. & E.34th).  Bring plants you don’t have room for anymore and books you’ve finished reading and swap ‘em out for something new!

Green Gardening

29th March, 2010 - Posted by carsi - 1 Comment

This website, published by the City of Austin, is a great resource for info about how to make your garden greener by using less water and chemicals. It includes scaled drawings of nine plant bed suggestions and info about installation, irrigation, and how to hire a professional if you don’t want to go it alone. Demonstrations of the garden templates can be found at several locations around town, including Zilker Botanical Garden, Howson Library, and City Hall, so you can check out what the project will look like before you plant it in your garden.