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September 30, 2024
Raised Beds, Permaculture, Hydroponics
We discovered a most tasteful strategy to launch Season 29: homegrown meals, even in containers! Since cool climate crops promise harvests galore, Liz Cardinal from Austin Edible Gardens joins John Hart to begin us off with seeds, transplants and even garlic bulbs.
We first met Liz on the Sustainable Meals Middle the place she taught new gardeners of all ages. Now on her personal, she coaches, designs, and vegetation gardens for individuals who wish to harvest their very own meals, even in condos or small yards.
Rising from seed offers us extra choices, and is actually cost-saving, however transplants are the best way to go if we get a late begin or don’t have time to nurture seedlings. From seed or transplant, we will develop all of the cole crops like broccoli, and all of the greens, together with collards, kale, spinach, lettuce, mizuna, and Swiss chard.
To begin from seed solely: carrots, radishes, beets, turnips, snow and snap peas.
Like lots of people, I began gardening with herbs, since I may cluster them in a container on the entrance porch of a rental duplex. Cool climate’s excellent for parsley, cilantro, arugula, thyme, and chives. I nonetheless develop arugula and cilantro from seed in giant containers, however I purchase parsley transplants.
Many herbs and greens are cut-and-come once more to increase your harvests.
Edible flowers are enjoyable, too, and entice pollinators on balmy winter days. Calendula’s a favourite of mine, however I’m attempting nasturtiums once more this yr. I like Lucinda Hutson’s cottage backyard the place vibrant orange nasturtiums accompany daring (and big) red-stalked Swiss chard, trailing herbs, and pastel candy peas. This shot’s from a earlier Could, the place Lucinda’s brugmansias have been in full bloom to the left of the entrance door.
When temps dip to freezing, frost material (row cowl) can defend in-ground crops or raised beds. I transfer giant containers up near the home and canopy. In prolonged onerous freezes, we have to add further layers from no matter we’ve received available. In onerous freezes, it’s safer to convey small containers inside.
Verify your native Extension workplace for planting dates by crop: right here’s Travis County Extension’s listing.
In fact, in Central Texas, summer time’s herbs and greens mingle with cool climate vegetation! In Donna Daniel’s Lockhart backyard final November, basil and summer time flowers have been going sturdy subsequent to cabbages, snow peas, and radish seedlings. “I began out eager to develop meals for my husband and I, after which I discovered I get pleasure from rising the meals for the bugs and the bees and the butterflies essentially the most,” she advised us.
Gardening was new to her, although, when she and husband Len Gabbay scooted out of Austin to Lockhart and an enthralling residence in-built 1888. They renovated its previous carriage home into a beautiful B&B, Prairie Lea Carriage Home. Raised limestone beds have been already in place, however in addition they wished gardens in a spot that had been a concrete pad.
So, they reached out to Taelor Monroe, who they’d met at a backyard speak in Austin. Taelor’s the proprietor and co-director of the Austin Permaculture Guild with Caroline Riley and founding father of The Cosmos Ranch Basis, a brand new location for APG and a group therapeutic venue.
Learn extra about their backyard. 
Daphne seems forward to how this fall’s herbs feed wildlife in spring. Parsley’s a biennial (flowers in second yr) that we will begin from seed or transplants. It’s additionally a number plant for Black Swallowtail butterflies, so if we’re fortunate, just a few caterpillars will munch their method into a brand new era. You’ll additionally discover them on rue, dill, fennel and carrot tops. Many gardeners plant extras of all these only for the caterpillars.
Peppery arugula, certainly one of my favorites, attracts bees as soon as it bolts in spring. I develop in a big container on my patio because it’s simple to snip in early twilights. Plus, I can shortly pull the resin container up near the home and canopy throughout onerous freezes.
Wild arugula, additionally known as wild rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) bolts with yellow flowers. Different widespread arugulas, additionally known as rocket arugula, (Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa), bloom white.
Daphne advised us: “Biennial flowering is called “bolting,” as a result of towering bloom stalk these vegetation shoot up, placing all of their power into the subsequent era, resulting in their very own loss of life. When biennials begin to set seed and die, many bugs transfer in to reap the benefits of the scenario, guaranteeing that the circle of life continues.”
That features cilantro! Springtime’s white bouquet heralds bees of every kind. . . and ladybugs! “They’re going for the pollen and nectar they want, and likewise any aphids that is likely to be congregating.” Daphne stated.
Hydroponics is one other method for small house gardeners to develop indoors all yr. We’re thrilled to work once more with native passionate gardener and educator Austin Davenport! This time, he touches on the fundamentals of rising in water-based nutrient options fairly than soil. A straightforward strategy to get began is with the kratkey methodology, the place vegetation develop in a internet pot substrate suspended in a glass jar full of nutrient-rich water.
Right here’s his fast demonstration to develop yummy microgreens indoors.
And, let’s give an enormous shoutout to our great sponsors: Lisa and Desi Rhoden and Diane Land and Steve Adler. Due to them (and to you, our pricey viewers), we will keep on our mission to encourage, educate, and have fun gardeners as they navigate the trail to rewarding, environmentally-resourceful gardens that develop their goals.
Watch now!
Thanks for stopping by! Linda
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