by Jes-c French, Somervell County Master Gardener Intern

This was my first year to try vegetable gardening. Living somewhere without a yard of my own, I had a suspicion that the landlord wouldn’t appreciate my digging up their flawless landscaping. In a world full of apartments, however, I am far from alone in this struggle, and a quick look to the internet turned up endless articles and suggestions for people who want to garden but have no space. The most frequent recommendation I saw was to use containers for growing plants, and that is just what I decided to do.

As I began researching, I attempted to take the things I learned about gardening in general and apply them to container gardening. I quickly found that a good plan is crucial before you even start the physical gardening. According to Joseph Masabni and Patrick Lillard, “Planning includes selecting the garden location; deciding on the size of the garden; determining the types and varieties of vegetables to plant; and planning where, when, and how much of each vegetable to plant in the garden.”

Being a first time gardener, I spent a great deal of time on the planning phase, and now that I’ve made it through my first harvest I have a few ideas of my own for future plans. When I picked out containers for my garden early this year, I ended up with a variety of sizes. One container in particular was too large for me to move once it was full. When this spring brought seemingly unending rain, I could take advantage of the fact that most of my garden was portable. In the future, I will probably do away with the oversized container and stick to ones that can be moved. After all, with all the unpredictable variables in gardening, why not take advantage of having a little extra control over how much rain my plants are getting?

I’m almost embarrassed to admit the other big thing I learned the hard way, because it seems so obvious now. With many days of rain, I obviously wasn’t watering the vegetables as often. Several days could go by without my bothering to check on the garden, and while its water needs were being met, its other needs were not. It was during those times that caterpillars took over and also that I missed out on harvesting some of the vegetables that were ready to be eaten. In the future, even if I’m not going out to water, I’ll make a point to check on the garden, addressing any pest concerns and picking vegetables that are ready.

Reference:   http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/vegetable/files/2010/10/E-289_planning.pdf,

by Sheryl Kleinschmidt, Somervell County Master Gardener

Swallowtail Butterfly caterpillar on parsley

If you were around in the sixties, you are most likely  familiar with Simon & Garfunkel’s folksy tune, “Parsley,  Sage, Rosemary and Thyme”.  My eldest brother thinks  this is an actual recipe and won’t grill a steak without  these four ingredients!

I’m not a fan of sage, rosemary and thyme as spices, but  parsley is at the top of my “must have” herbs in the  garden.  Late last fall I was concerned that my parsley would not survive the winter and divided my plant into two parts.  One part stayed in the herb garden on the south side of the house and the other I put into a pot and brought inside.

This particular plant is the curly variety and was very healthy at the time it was divided.  At the onset of winter, the outdoor parsley waned a bit and I assumed it would eventually succumb to the elements.  The indoor pot was alive but turning yellowish even though it was in a sunny window.

Much to my surprise, though, even after a snowfall, the outdoor parsley remained green and did not die.  When spring finally did arrive, that little plant jumped into action and thrived.  It has now sent up several long stems which have greenish/white flowers on them.  My research tells me that after the seeds mature, the plant generally dies.  I’m going to miss my parsley, but intend to plant the seeds.

These two plants have generated enough leaves for all my culinary usage for almost two years now.  I especially like the flavor in soups, stews and chicken recipes.

Information from Wikipedia says that garden parsley (Petroselinum crispum) grows as a biennial.  In the first year, it grows numerous leaves and a taproot which it uses as food during the winter.  After flowering, as I’ve already stated, it generally dies.  In subtropical and tropical areas, it grows as an annual.

Parsley grows best in moist, well-drained soil in full sunlight.  It is happiest in mild temperatures (72-86 F).  It is a host plant for the swallowtail butterfly and bees are attracted to the flowers.  Finches enjoy the seeds.

Leaf parsley comes in flat-leaf as well as curly-leaf.  Flat-leaved (also called Italian) is a little more tolerant of weather conditions and has a stronger flavor.  It has also naturalized in some places such as England and Scotland where it grows on old walls and rocks.

Like many of our herbs, parsley originated in the Mediterranean countries and was brought to the Americas by our ancestors.  I, for one, am thankful.

There once was a wonderful wildflower site near Aledo, Texas, along Iona road. It was a cattle-range field that I would drive past each spring to watch the glorious diversity of Texas wildflowers color the landscape in rainbows of bluebonnets and orange paintbrush, and a dozen other wildflowers all blooming in natural diversity.

One year I noticed stands of bright yellow pop up here and there – tall airy globes of yellow sparsely scattered in the acreage. The year after that the field was solid yellow; if there were other wildflowers, they were hidden under the onslaught of this one aggressive plant. While the kaleidoscope of Texas wildflowers normally run just a foot or two tall, in two short springs this field was taken over by Giant Mustard growing three to five feet tall and shading out all the native flowers.

It happened that fast, and it is happening all over Texas. Giant Mustard, Bastard Cabbage, Wild Turnip-weed — they are all the alter egos of the bully of the mustard family, Rapistrum rugosum, also known as RARU to the invasive plant hunters from its official USDA designated symbol.

This year has been especially splendid for the wildflowers, with huge stands of bluebonnets lining the roadsides. But in so many locales, the fields of deep blue are edged with tall borders of the airy yellow waist-high hedges of RARU. As the bluebonnets flourish, so do the invasives. However, the native bluebonnets disappear after their spring show. The RARU drops its seeds and develops a basal mat of dense leaves that out-competes native species and quickly forms a monoculture. With the ground well-mulched by the RARU rosettes, other seeds in the soil have no chance of germinating next year. The RARU wins.

What you can do

The easiest way to control RARU is simply to keep it mowed to prevent it making seeds. It is an annual plant which only lives one year; stopping the seeds from forming stops next year’s crop. If the stand of RARU has not spread too far, you can also remove the entire plant, including the tap root, to control it. In the late fall or early winter, the rosettes can be sprayed with herbicides. (Always use herbicides only according to directions.) Once the RARU is removed or killed in fall, over-seed with natives. Gaillardia/Indian Blanket is an especially a good choice for over-seeding against RARU.

If left uncontrolled, RARU spreads fast and far. Wherever the ground is disturbed, by new construction or wildfires, drought-stricken fields or parched lawns, road construction or laying new pipes, RARU seeds will take hold and block native grasses or flowers from germinating to fill the void.

We should all be on the lookout for this noxious plant and do what we can to eradicate it!

Source: Excerpts taken from an article published by NPSOT Invasive Crowds Out Wildflowers by Marilyn Sallee  We should all be on the lookout for this noxious plant and do what we can to eradicate it!