Vegetable Demonstration Garden

The past 2 week’s harvests includes:
Red cabbage—11.9 pounds
Mixed greens—2.9 pounds
Rutabaga—9.1 pounds
Brussels sprouts—0.7 pound
Beets—1.4 pounds
Lima beans—1.33 pounds
Tomatoes ripened at home—8.17 pounds

A total of 35.5 pounds of produce was harvested during the past 2 weeks. These vegetables were donated to Heaven’s Harvest Food Bank, the Caring Place and the Round Rock Area Serving Center.  This year Williamson county master gardeners have donated a total of 3,822.285 pounds of demonstration garden produce to local charities.

Weekly rainfall: 0.04 inch of rainfall was measured during the period ending 12/31/2016.

Summary of garden activities
The arctic blast took a toll on the vegetable demonstration garden during the week of 12/20/2016. Master gardeners assembled on Tuesday, the 20th,  to assess crop damage then worked indoors selecting the 2017 summer seed portfolio. On 12/23/2016, master gardeners took inventory of garden damage in the row garden and in the raised beds. Frozen and dead plants were removed. Raised bed gardeners replaced frozen plants with Romaine Lettuce “Paris”, leaf lettuce “Black Seeded Simpson”, red lettuce, Early White Vienna Kohlrabi, Purple Vienna Kohlrabi and 1 kilo slow bolt Chinese Cabbage.  Row cover was removed from row 2.  Spinach and lettuce survived the freeze as depicted below.

However, broccoli transplants (left pic)  and Swiss chard (right pic)  didn’t make it.

Row 10 was planted with Romaine Lettuce “Paris”, leaf lettuce “Black Seeded Simpson” and 1 kilo slow bolt Chinese Cabbage. Rabbit fencing was erected, as illustrated below. The row was hand watered.

Lettuce was planted in the keyhole garden. A test of the entire irrigation system identified one leak, which was repaired. Frozen cabbage and cauliflower plants were removed and chopped into the compost along with other dead plant material.  Master gardener Sheila shows off a GIANT rutabaga—WOW!!!

On Tuesday, 12/27, survey and cleanup of frozen and dead plants continued. Kale and cabbage plants were removed and composted.  The frozen Swiss chard section of row 3 was replanted with 1 kilo slow bolt Chinese Cabbage, red lettuce and Toy choy. Raised bed gardeners replaced dead plants with parsley, Chinese celery, and 1 kilo slow bolt Chinese Cabbage. Sea Tea was applied to garlic. The middle compost pile was turned into the north bin and cottonseed meal, water, and plant material were added.

General garden cleanup including removing dead plant material filled the last workday of the year. Master gardener Radhika surveys the damage (left pic) and fills a wheelbarrow (right pic).

Whatever plant waste didn’t fit into compost bins went into the dumpster. Compost bins were mixed with the new plant material. Toppled Brussels sprouts plants were staked with T-posts and pepper plant cages-neat idea! Lima bean plants were cleaned off the trellis (image below)  in the row garden area.

Irrigation was tested and a few minor repairs were made. Cypress leaves were raked and added to the large pile.  Thanks to Master gardener Teresa and her greenhouse for replacement transplants!!

Root Vegetables
So, what do you do with a giant rutabaga, turnips, parsnips, beets and other root veggies on a cold winter day? Try this simple recipe at home. Peel and chop your favorite root vegetables (enough to fill a baking sheet) into 1-1/2 inch chunks. Toss in 6-8 peeled, whole garlic cloves. Mix the veggie chunks with ¼ cup of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of freshly minced rosemary. Line a heavy baking sheet with foil. Spread the veggie chunks out on the baking sheet. Roast in a 425 degree oven for 45 minutes, stirring the veggies halfway through the roast. Salt and pepper to taste. YUM!

Wishing y’all plentiful harvests in 2017 and a Happy New Year!

January Gardening in Central Texas
The Texas A&M Agrilife Extension vegetable garden planting guide suggests the following vegetables for winter planting:
Artichoke (crowns/transplants)
Asian greens (seeds or transplants)
Beets
Broccoli (transplants)
Cabbage (transplants)
Carrots
Cauliflower (transplants)
Swiss chard (seeds or transplants)
Collards (seeds or transplants)
Fava beans
Cool season greens
Kale (seeds or transplants)
Kohlrabi (seeds or transplants)
Leeks (seeds or transplants)
Lettuce (seeds or transplants)
Mustard (seeds or transplants)
Onions, bulbing (transplants)
Peas—English, snap, snow
Potatoes, irish
Spinach (seeds or transplants)
Radish
Turnip

Come visit us!
Our demonstration garden is located beside the Williamson County Extension Office driveway at 3151 SE Inner Loop Road, Georgetown, Texas. Master gardeners are usually at work in the vegetable garden on Tuesday and Friday mornings from 8:30 AM to noon, weather permitting. Anyone is welcome to stop by to see the garden or to ask questions of the master gardeners!
Click here for location on Google Maps

Vegetable Demonstration Garden

This week’s harvest includes:
Cabbage—4.6 pounds
Mixed greens—27.2 pounds
Radicchio—1.9 pounds
Broccoli— 3 pounds
Kohlrabi—6.5 pounds
Beets—3.9 pounds
Tomatoes ripened at home—15.5 pounds

A total of 62.6 pounds of produce was harvested this week. These vegetables were donated to Heaven’s Harvest Food Bank, the Caring Place and the Round Rock Area Serving Center. To date, Williamson county master gardeners have donated a total of 3,786.785 pounds of demonstration garden produce to local charities.

Weekly rainfall: 0.02 inch of rainfall was measured the week ending 12/18/2016.

Summary of garden activities
Garden cleanup and routine maintenance occurred this week. The last two tomato plants were removed from the trial beds and elbon rye planted. All trial beds now have elbon rye planted as a winter cover crop. Irrigation lines and mulch were removed from row 10A&B. The area was amended, including humate, and broad-forked. New irrigation lines were installed in those rows. Irrigation was tested for leaks and none were found. Garden debris was hauled to the dumpster area. On Friday, the garden was prepared for the forecast hard freeze over the weekend. Row 2 was recovered. Row 9 was cleared of mulch and broad-forked to loosen Bermuda grass growing in the row. The west end of row 6 was amended with compost, cottonseed meal, molasses and 6-2-2 fertilizer then broad-forked. Raised bed gardeners harvested their crops and covered their beds. Compost piles were cold at 62 and 60 degrees F.

The blog will return on December 31, 2016. Happy Holidays!

December Gardening in Central Texas
The Texas A&M Agrilife Extension vegetable garden planting guide suggests the following vegetables for fall planting:
Garlic
Lettuce (seeds or transplants)
Spinach (seeds or transplants)
Radish

Come visit us!
Our demonstration garden is located beside the Williamson County Extension Office driveway at 3151 SE Inner Loop Road, Georgetown, Texas. Master gardeners are usually at work in the vegetable garden on Tuesday and Friday mornings from 8:30 AM to noon, weather permitting. Anyone is welcome to stop by to see the garden or to ask questions of the master gardeners!
Click here for location on Google Maps

Vegetable Demonstration Garden

This week’s harvest includes:
Sweet peppers—1.05 pounds
Hot peppers— 2.3 pounds
Eggplant—12 pounds
Kale/cabbage/mustard mix–11 pounds
Lima beans/king of the garden beans mix—11.6 pounds
Bok choy— 3.3 pounds
Turnips—3 pounds
Tomatoes ripened at home— 9 pounds

A total of 53.25 pounds of produce was harvested this week. These vegetables were donated to the Caring Place and the Round Rock Area Serving Center. To date, Williamson county master gardeners have donated a total of 3,724.185 pounds of demonstration garden produce to local charities.

Weekly rainfall: 1.95 inches of rainfall were measured the week ending 12/11/2016.

Summary of garden activities
The arctic blast we experienced last week forced master gardeners to implement protective measures in the demo garden. A hoop house with row cover was constructed to protect the new seedlings in row 2.

Liquid seaweed was applied to plants in row 2 for added protection against the cold. Raised bed gardeners covered seedlings with pine straw. Other gardeners recovered their beds with heavier row cover to protect plants from freezing. On Friday, dead tomato plants and eggplants were removed from the row garden (left pic).  Root knot nematodes were identified on a pepper plant root (right pic).

Mulch was scraped off those rows. The wind break trellis was reassembled after the winds blew it over. An irrigation leak in the orchard area was repaired. Compost piles were cold with temperatures measuring 42 and 58 degrees F.  Elbon rye in the trial beds, image below, tolerates cold weather.  It survives even in hardiness zone 3!

Some root veggies do very well in cold weather.  Master gardener Carol shows what a Texas-sized rutabaga looks like!!

Protecting your garden in cold weather
Shrubs, annuals, perennials, trees, flowers and vegetables have hardiness zone designations. A hardiness zone is a geographically-defined area in which a specific category of plant life is capable of growing, as defined by its ability to survive the minimum temperatures of the zone.   Our hardiness zone is 8b.  The vegetables in the demonstration garden are selected with this characteristic in mind.

Central Texas usually experiences it’s first freeze around mid-November.  A freeze occurs when the ambient temperature drops below 32 degrees F. When water inside a plant freezes, it causes plant cells to burst causing irreparable damage. There is a range of freeze damage caused by dropping temperatures. A light frost or freeze occurs when temperatures drop to 28 degrees F for a couple of hours. Ice forms on the outside of the plant. Only tender plants and herbs will be harmed. Green basil leaves, for example, will  die back as temperatures approach 32 degrees. A hard freeze or killing frost occurs when temperatures drop to 25 degrees for several hours. Blossoms and foliage are damaged. Root hardy perennials and crops may be damaged. A severe freeze occurs when temperatures drop below 25 degrees for several hours. Most plants sustain damage through desiccation or drying out.

So what can we do to protect our cherished plants? When a freeze is forecast, vegetable gardeners may harvest tender crops and let them ripen indoors. Tomatoes, for example, can be harvested green and successfully ripened on the kitchen counter. Harvesting tender herbs and dehydrating them for long term storage is another way to preserve herbs as well as some vegetables. Container plants should be moved indoors when freeze warnings are posted for the area. Tender, in-ground plants including citrus and freeze-sensitive shrubs can be covered with an old sheet, blanket, row cover, or commercially available protective thermal coverings. Some gardeners hang a string of Christmas lights on the limbs of their shrubs before covering them. Lights generate heat, which is trapped under the coverings, giving the shrub some degree of protection from colder temperatures.  In-ground crops can also be protected by thoroughly watering the plants. Well hydrated plants can withstand a light freeze or frost. Applying a generous layer of mulch, pine straw, or other ground covering around the plant will also protect the root zone in freezing temperatures. Fertilizing plants ahead of a freeze should be avoided. Again, the inherent hardiness of the plant or vegetable is predictive of its survival in sub zero temperatures.

December Gardening in Central Texas
The Texas A&M Agrilife Extension vegetable garden planting guide suggests the following vegetables for fall planting:
Asian greens (seeds or transplants)
Cool season greens
Garlic
Lettuce (seeds or transplants)
Spinach (seeds or transplants)
Radish

Come visit us!
Our demonstration garden is located beside the Williamson County Extension Office driveway at 3151 SE Inner Loop Road, Georgetown, Texas. Master gardeners are usually at work in the vegetable garden on Tuesday and Friday mornings from 8:30 AM to noon, weather permitting. Anyone is welcome to stop by to see the garden or to ask questions of the master gardeners!
Click here for location on Google Maps

Vegetable Demonstration Garden

This week’s harvest includes:
Sweet peppers—0.36 pound
Hot peppers— 3.07 pounds
Eggplant—3.93 pounds
Kale—2 pounds
Bok choy—10.95 pounds
Tomatoes—6.7 pounds
Cabbage—5.2 pounds
Rutabaga—0.62 pound
Shelling beans—1.4 pounds

A total of 34.23 pounds of produce was harvested this week. These vegetables were donated to Heaven’s Harvest Food Bank and the Round Rock Area Serving Center. To date, Williamson county master gardeners have donated a total of 3,670.935 pounds of demonstration garden produce to local charities.

Weekly rainfall: no rainfall was measured the week ending 12/04/2016.

Summary of garden activities
General garden maintenance including pest management, amending beds, fertilizing,  harvesting crops, and  irrigation installation were priorities this week. Trial bed A and row 2 were amended with compost, cottonseed meal, molasses and 6-2-2 fertilizer. After broad forking row 2, romaine lettuce, spinach and broccoli were planted. The row was fenced to prevent rabbits from snacking on greens. Elbon rye was planted in the trial bed and watered in.  Elbon rye seedlings sprout in the trial bed image below.

Fish fertilizer was applied to the garlic row. On Friday, the garlic row was mulched, depicted below.

Liquid BT was applied to all cabbage family plants in the row garden area and raised bed area. Raised bed gardeners planted lettuce and spinach.  Lettuce, broccoli and cabbage are part of the row garden (image below).

Spent pepper plants were cleared. An irrigation installation tutorial was held for the herb trial bed volunteers (right pic) . On Friday, the herb gardeners finished connecting all irrigation lines (left pic).

Compost temperatures in the piles read 60 and 62 degrees F.

December Gardening in Central Texas
The Texas A&M Agrilife Extension vegetable garden planting guide suggests the following vegetables for fall planting:
Asian greens (seeds or transplants)
Cool season greens
Garlic
Lettuce (seeds or transplants)
Spinach (seeds or transplants)
Radish

Come visit us!
Our demonstration garden is located beside the Williamson County Extension Office driveway at 3151 SE Inner Loop Road, Georgetown, Texas. Master gardeners are usually at work in the vegetable garden on Tuesday and Friday mornings from 8:30 AM to noon, weather permitting. Anyone is welcome to stop by to see the garden or to ask questions of the master gardeners!
Click here for location on Google Maps