Vegetable Demonstration Garden

This week’s harvest includes:
Sweet peppers—1.3 pounds
Hot peppers—0.4 pound
Eggplant—12.36 pounds
Bok Choy—8 pounds
Radicchio—1.38 pounds
Kohlrabi—3.36 pounds
Tomatoes—13.71 pounds
Cabbage—9.8 pounds

A total of 50.31 pounds of produce was harvested this week. These vegetables were donated to the Caring Place, Healthy Harvest, and the Round Rock Area Serving Center . To date, Williamson county master gardeners have donated 3,608.115 pounds of demonstration garden produce to local charities.

Weekly rainfall: 0.02 inch of rainfall was measured the week ending 11/20/2016.

Summary of garden activities
Routine garden maintenance occurred in the garden this week. Strategies to manage the root knot nematode infestation in the raised beds were discussed. Maggie’s bed was seeded with Elbon rye, Sheila’s bed was sprayed with Actinovate, and beneficial nematodes will be added to Carole’s bed. Row 2 was cleared of debris and weeded. Nut-grass was removed in the asparagus bed. More weeding was completed on the decomposed granite path. A scare crow and fake snakes were installed near the fig trees to deter hungry birds! Fire ants were treated. On Friday, raised beds and the row garden were sprayed with BT. All green tomatoes were harvested in anticipation of the season’s first freeze warning for the weekend. Compost piles registered 96 and 82 degrees F. More chopped green material was added to the colder pile.

Cold weather crops are developing nicely in the row garden.  Row 3 (left pic) has red mustard up front.  Arugula, bok choy, collards, and kale are depicted in the middle pic. Rubarb, chinese cabbage and regular cabbage are enjoying the fall weather (right pic)!

November Gardening in Central Texas
The Texas A&M Agrilife Extension vegetable garden planting guide suggests the following vegetables for fall planting:
Artichoke transplants
Asian greens (seeds or transplants)
Collards (seeds or transplants)
Cool season greens
Garlic
Swiss Chard (seeds or transplants)
Kale (seeds or transplants)
Lettuce (seeds or transplants)
Spinach (seeds or transplants)
Shallots
Radish
Turnip

Come and 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:
Okra—4.36 pounds
Sweet peppers—3.02 pounds
Hot peppers— 3.39 pounds
Eggplant—24.45 pounds
Bok Choy—21.3 pounds
Tomatoes—2.14 pounds
Lima beans—5.26 pounds

A total of 63.92 pounds of produce was harvested this week. These vegetables were donated to the Caring Place and the Assembly of God Food Bank in Georgetown. To date, Williamson county master gardeners have donated a total of 3,557.805 pounds of demonstration garden produce to local charities.

Weekly rainfall: 2.5 inches of rainfall were measured the week ending 11/13/2016.

Summary of garden activities
Harvesting, clearing spent plants, irrigation maintenance, and pest management were key activities in the garden this week. Spent okra plants in row 2 and cucumber plants in row 5 were cleared. Okra trunks were removed from row 2 and trial beds. The lima bean trellis in the raised bed area was reshaped and cleared of old lima bean vines. A few remaining lima bean plants were cleared from raised beds on Friday. Asparagus plants were tied up. Broccoli was planted in raised beds.  Rabbit fencing was installed installed in rows 4 and 5.  Two irrigation repairs were made to an emitter and sprayer heads. An irrigation hole in the herb trial bed was bailed out. Trenching was also completed for irrigation in the herb bed. To control cabbage loopers, BT was applied to all the brassicas in the row, keyhole and raised bed gardens. Multiple holes in cabbage leaves are the hallmark of a looper!

Root knot nematodes were discovered in beets from the raised bed gardens. Pathways between rows 3&4, 4&5, and 5&6 were mulched. The decomposed granite pathway was weeded. On Friday, the compost temperatures were 100 and 80 degrees F in the two piles. Additional green garden material was added.

Fall tomatoes are still abundant in the garden!  Master gardeners harvest tomatoes (left pic) and the BHN602 tomato variety is loaded with fruit (right pic).

We had a bumper crop of bok choy harvested this week.  Master gardener Teresa holds two Texas-sized bok choy plants.   WOW!!!

Butterflies nectar on the African blue basil in the garden.  Looks like monarchs in the center of the plant!

November Gardening in Central Texas
The Texas A&M Agrilife Extension vegetable garden planting guide suggests the following vegetables for fall planting:
Artichoke transplants
Asian greens (seeds or transplants)
Beets
Collards (seeds or transplants)
Carrots
Cool season greens
Garlic
Swiss Chard (seeds or transplants)
Kale (seeds or transplants)
Lettuce (seeds or transplants)
Mustard (seeds or transplants)
Spinach (seeds or transplants)
Shallots
Radish
Turnip

Come and 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:
Okra—3.8 pounds
Sweet peppers—7.84 pounds
Hot peppers—5.75 pounds
Eggplant— 9.7 pounds
Turnips—15 pounds
Tomatoes—6.73 pounds

A total of 48.82 pounds of produce was harvested this week. These vegetables were donated to the Annunciation Maternity Home, the Round Rock Area Serving Center, and a new charity, Healthy Harvest. To date, Williamson county master gardeners have donated a total of 3,493.885 pounds of demonstration garden produce to local charities.

Weekly rainfall: 0.5 inch of rainfall was measured the week ending 11/6/2016.

Summary of garden activities
Soil preparation, pest management, weeding, harvesting and planting were underway this week in the vegetable garden. The east end of row 5 was amended and broad forked. American cabbage, Chinese cabbage, and rhubarb were planted in that row. The valve box was unearthed in preparation for connecting irrigation to the herb garden. Zone 18 is dedicated to the herb garden. A persistent leak in the keyhole garden was repaired by cutting the stand pipe down level to the garden and reattaching. Irrigation lines were tested. Irrigation lines were installed in Maggie’s raised bed. Then, compost and amendments were added to the bed and planted. Raised bed gardeners harvested veggies and planted Toy Choy and cabbage. On Friday, compost pile temperatures read 88 and 80 degrees F. New material including coffee grounds was added to the pile. Cabbage loopers and fall webworms were hand picked (yuck) off plants in rows 3, 4,5 and 7. Rabbit fencing was removed from row 7. The east end of row 4 was amended, broad forked and planted with arugula and bok choy (image below).

Master gardeners are picking peppers in the row adjacent to the plantings.

November Gardening in Central Texas
The Texas A&M Agrilife Extension vegetable garden planting guide suggests the following vegetables for fall planting:
Artichoke transplants
Asian greens (seeds or transplants)
Collards (seeds or transplants)
Carrots
Cool season greens
Fava beans
Garlic
Swiss Chard (seeds or transplants)
Kale (seeds or transplants)
Lettuce (seeds or transplants)
Mustard (seeds or transplants)
Spinach (seeds or transplants)
Shallots
Radish
Turnip

Come and 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:
Okra—5.95 pounds
Sweet peppers—1.81pounds
Hot peppers—1.67 pounds
Eggplant— 3.9 pounds
Lima beans—1.3 pounds
Tomatoes—0.57 pound

A total of 15.2 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 3,445.065 pounds of demonstration garden produce to local charities.

Weekly rainfall: no rainfall was measured the week ending 10/30/2016.

Summary of garden activities
Garlic seed arrived this week! So, row 8 was amended and planted with garlic seed. Raised bed gardens were also planted with garlic. Swiss chard seed was planted in row 3 and hand watered in. Row cover was removed from the fall tomato plants. No irrigation leaks were diagnosed on Tuesday but one leak was repaired on Friday. A second row of irrigation was added to the east half of row 3. That area was subsequently planted with broccoli and mustard transplants. Rabbit fencing was installed to protect those new transplants. More nut-grass was removed from the east end of row 4. Compost was added to the east ends of rows 4 and 5. Trial beds were weeded. All brassicas in the garden were treated with BT to control cabbage loopers and fall webworms. Fire ants were also treated. Newly planted garlic seed and Swiss Chard were hand watered. Raised beds containing Elbon rye grass were turned. The diversion wall project near the orchard was completed. The wall will be extended all the way to the end of the orchard area. On Friday, the compost pile temperatures read 80 and 120 degrees F. Grass clippings were added to the cold bed to stimulate some heat!

Fire ants love fall weather…
It’s a great time of year to work in our flower and vegetable gardens. Chances are you’ll find fire ants under some mulch, nesting under your fall tomatoes or crawling up your leg! Fire ants are a major problem for central Texas home gardeners. Despite our efforts with different eradication methods, those ants just pick up and move right over to your broccoli transplants! What’s a veggie gardener to do?

Like most avid gardeners, I’ve spent a lot of time employing recommended organic methods to rid my garden of fire ants. These pests get into the roots of susceptible plants like okra and cucumbers or kill seedlings before you know it! They can decimate basil and other tender herbs as well. Sometimes you’ll get lucky when those ants move and find a home in your neighbors yard. But, they will inevitably return after a rain event! I’ve recently reviewed several articles published by various extension offices with their recommendations for fire ant eradication. So, I thought I’d share some gardening nuggets with you from my research efforts!

First nugget: a garden that is frequently tilled has fewer fire ants! Tilling disturbs fire ant homes and causes them to move. Unfortunately, they’ll move to another veggie or flower plant and set up home again. So, the next option is bait!

Second nugget: before applying bait to the mound, treat the turf surrounding the garden! This is very important to do and will result in optimal suppression. There are organic turf products on the market available for ant control. A hand spreader works well for granular turf products. Baits shouldn’t be applied to wet grass or if a rain event is expected within 24 hours of application.

Third nugget: use a product containing the active ingredients spinosad and pyriproxyfen. Spinosad is a metabolite produced by Saccharopolyspora spinosa, a soil microorganism, which affects the ant’s central nervous system—fast kill! Many products with spinosad are approved for organic vegetable gardens. Pyriproxyfen is a growth regulator that reduces the production of viable ant eggs. It prevents the development of worker ants but doesn’t kill existing adults. Slower kill. Check the label on your favorite product. There are several organic products on the market to choose from.

Fourth nugget: apply bait in early morning or late afternoon when ants are foraging. When applying bait to the mound, spread the granules or liquid bait around the base of the mound first before sprinkling or drenching the top. Follow instructions on the product label.

Final nugget: during seasons when everyone in your neighborhood is battling a fire ant army, consider joining forces! If neighbors on all sides of your home treat their turf and you treat your yard, fire ant suppression is more successful!

October Gardening in Central Texas
The Texas A&M Agrilife Extension vegetable garden planting guide suggests the following vegetables for fall planting:
Artichoke transplants
Asian greens (seeds or transplants)
Beans, snap and lima
Beets
Broccoli (transplants)
Brussels sprouts (transplants)
Cabbage (transplants)
Collards (seeds or transplants)
Carrots
Cauliflower (transplants)
Cool season greens
Fava beans
Garlic
Swiss Chard (seeds or transplants)
Kohlrabi (seeds or transplants)
Kale (seeds or transplants)
Lettuce (seeds or transplants)
Onions (bunching/multiplying)
Mustard (seeds or transplants)
Spinach (seeds or transplants)
Shallots
Radish
Turnip

Come and 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

Tuesday’s harvest includes:
Okra—9.1 pounds
Peppers—14.6 pounds
Eggplant—4.3 pounds
Lima beans—1.7 pounds
Tomatoes—0.22 pound

A total of 29.92 pounds of produce was harvested on Tuesday. These vegetables were donated to the Caring Place. To date, Williamson county master gardeners have donated a total of 3,429.865  pounds of demonstration garden produce to local charities.

Weekly rainfall: 0.15 inches of rainfall were measured the week ending 10/23/2016.

Summary of garden activities
Weeding, irrigation checks, and clearing spent plants continued this week. Nut grass was weeded from rows 3 and the east end of row 4. Row 3 was amended and composted. On Friday, Swiss Chard was planted in row 3. Southern pea plants were cleared in row 8. Then, compost was admixed into that row. Rabbit fencing was installed around row 4. Gardeners removed spent lima bean vines from raised bed areas. A leak was identified in the drought tolerant garden and repaired. The compost pile temperature measured 110 degrees F on Tuesday.

October Gardening in Central Texas
The Texas A&M Agrilife Extension vegetable garden planting guide suggests the following vegetables for fall planting:
Artichoke transplants
Asian greens (seeds or transplants)
Beans, snap and lima
Beets
Broccoli (transplants)
Brussels sprouts (transplants)
Cabbage (transplants)
Collards (seeds or transplants)
Carrots
Cauliflower (transplants)
Cool season greens
Fava beans
Garlic
Swiss Chard (seeds or transplants)
Kohlrabi (seeds or transplants)
Kale (seeds or transplants)
Lettuce (seeds or transplants)
Onions (bunching/multiplying)
Mustard (seeds or transplants)
Spinach (seeds or transplants)
Shallots
Radish
Turnip

Come and 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:
Okra— 6.62 pounds
Hot peppers—6.59 pounds
Sweet peppers—4.44 pounds
Eggplant—6.39 pounds
Southern peas—0.3 pound
Lima beans plus okra mixed—4.62 pounds
Lima beans—1.83 pounds
Tomatoes—0.3 pound

A total of 31.09 pounds of produce was harvested this week. These vegetables were donated to the Caring Place. To date, Williamson county master gardeners have donated a total of 3,399.945 pounds of demonstration garden produce to local charities.

Weekly rainfall: no rainfall was measured the week ending 10/16/2016.

Summary of garden activities
Soil preparation, weeding, planting and mulching were priorities this week. Nut grass was removed from rows 3 and 4. Pak choi and collards were planted in row 4 and the raised bed areas. Carrots, beets, and pak choi were planted in the keyhole garden. An irrigation leak was repaired in row 5. Four buckets of lima beans were harvested from the raised beds. On Friday, lima bean vines were cleared from their trellis. Okra was harvested (left pic)  then the very tall plants were pulled from the garden (right pic).

Garden waste was chopped into the compost pile. Compost temperature measured 90 degrees F on Friday. Two large mulch piles were finally depleted after mulching the herb trial bed, the drought tolerant garden and veggie garden.

October Gardening in Central Texas
The Texas A&M Agrilife Extension vegetable garden planting guide suggests the following vegetables for fall planting:
Artichoke transplants
Asian greens (seeds or transplants)
Beans, snap and lima
Beets
Broccoli (transplants)
Brussels sprouts (transplants)
Cabbage (transplants)
Collards (seeds or transplants)
Carrots
Cauliflower (transplants)
Cool season greens
Fava beans
Garlic
Swiss Chard (seeds or transplants)
Kohlrabi (seeds or transplants)
Kale (seeds or transplants)
Lettuce (seeds or transplants)
Onions (bunching/multiplying)
Mustard (seeds or transplants)
Spinach (seeds or transplants)
Shallots
Radish
Turnip

Come and 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:
Okra—17.18 pounds
Hot peppers—3.12 pounds
Eggplant—2.85 pounds
Southern peas—0.61 pound
Lima beans—0.25 pound
Crowder peas—0.4 pound
Mexican mint marigold—1.16
Marjoram—0.33 pound
Sweet potato leaves/vines—1.2 pounds

A total of 27.1 pounds of produce was harvested this week. These vegetables were donated to the Caring Place. To date, Williamson county master gardeners have donated a total of 3,368.855 pounds of demonstration garden produce to local charities.

Weekly rainfall: 0.01 inches of rainfall were measured the week ending 10/9/2016.

Summary of garden activities
General garden maintenance tasks focused on irrigation repairs, soil amending, weeding, pest management and planting fall crops. The west end of row 4 was broad-forked and nut-grass removed. Compost, cottonseed meal, molasses and 6-2-2 fertilizer were added and admixed. New irrigation lines were installed. Then, kale, kohlrabi, beets, and red express cabbage were planted there on Friday (left pic). A new rain gauge was installed in the raised bed area mailbox post (right pic).

Nut-grass was also weeded from the east end of rows 3,4, and 5. Trial beds and the orchard areas were weeded. Weeds in the decomposed granite walk ways were sprayed with a mixture of 20% vinegar, Epsom salts and dish washing soap. Snap peas were replanted in the trellis row and in the raised beds. Irrigation leaks were identified and repaired in the drought tolerant garden and in trial bed areas. The hose connection in the raised bed area was repaired. Gardeners trimmed elbon rye grass in the raised beds and planted cabbage and kale in the beds. Work continued on the water diversion project near the orchard.

An extra work session was held on Saturday in the Demonstration gardens. Gardeners prepare to mulch the gardens.

Brassicas and cucumbers in all gardens were sprayed with BT for webworms and looper control.  The rose garden (left pic) and drought tolerant garden (right pic) show off their fresh mulch dressings!

October Gardening in Central Texas
The Texas A&M Agrilife Extension vegetable garden planting guide suggests the following vegetables for fall planting:
Artichoke transplants
Asian greens (seeds or transplants)
Beans, snap and lima
Beets
Broccoli (transplants)
Brussels sprouts (transplants)
Cabbage (transplants)
Collards (seeds or transplants)
Carrots
Cauliflower (transplants)
Cool season greens
Fava beans
Garlic
Swiss Chard (seeds or transplants)
Kohlrabi (seeds or transplants)
Kale (seeds or transplants)
Lettuce (seeds or transplants)
Onions (bunching/multiplying)
Mustard (seeds or transplants)
Spinach (seeds or transplants)
Shallots
Peas (English, snap, snow)
Radish
Turnip

Come and 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:
Okra—14.66 pounds
Hot peppers—4.86 pounds
Sweet peppers—0.66 pound
Eggplant—6.89 pounds
Southern peas—0.82 pound
Lima beans—1.75 pounds
Sweet potatoes—7.55 pounds
Golden crispy melon—0.42 pound
Sweet potato leaves/vines—15.7 pounds
Tomatoes—0.13 pound

A total of 53.44 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 3,341.755 pounds of demonstration garden produce to local charities.

Weekly rainfall: 2.1 inches of rainfall were measured the week ending 10/2/2016.

Summary of garden activities
Weeding, pest management, irrigation repairs, clearing beds, amending soil, and planting fall crops provided gardeners with a full agenda! The compost pile was reloaded with a lot of garden waste this week. The pile temperature measured 90 degrees F on Friday. Weeds and nut-grass were cleared from the west end of rows 4, 5, and 6 (left pic). And, hiding among the vines lies a luffa (right pic).

Sweet potato vines and golden crispy melon vines were removed from row 5. Mulch was placed in row 5. Cucumbers were trained to vine up their cages. Red Winter Kale was planted in row 7. Raised bed gardeners planted kale and kohlrabi in their beds. Rows 3 and 7 were protected with rabbit fencing. No further rat damage was observed in the garden this week so traps were removed. All brassicas in the row garden and raised beds were treated with BT. The orchard and cage storage areas were weeded or sprayed out. The irrigation system was tested and repaired (left pic). Another leak in the drought tolerant garden was identified and repaired. Irrigation tape in row 5 was replaced. Leveling sand was hauled in for the water diversion project near the orchard (right pic).

October Gardening in Central Texas
The Texas A&M Agrilife Extension vegetable garden planting guide suggests the following vegetables for fall planting:
Artichoke transplants
Asian greens (seeds or transplants)
Beans, snap and lima
Beets
Broccoli (transplants)
Brussels sprouts (transplants)
Cabbage (transplants)
Collards (seeds or transplants)
Carrots
Cauliflower (transplants)
Cool season greens
Fava beans
Garlic
Swiss Chard (seeds or transplants)
Kohlrabi (seeds or transplants)
Kale (seeds or transplants)
Lettuce (seeds or transplants)
Onions (bunching/multiplying)
Mustard (seeds or transplants)
Spinach (seeds or transplants)
Shallots
Peas (English, snap, snow)
Radish
Turnip

Come and 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:
Okra—27.95 pounds
Hot peppers—1.35 pounds
Sweet peppers—0.99 pound
Eggplant—7.15 pounds
Crowder peas—1.35 pounds
Lima beans—3.45 pounds
Southern peas—0.7 pound
Golden crispy melon—0.58 pound
Mexican sour gherkins—0.3 pound
Sweet potato leaves/vines—16.8 pounds
Sage—0.1 pound
Tomatoes—.06 pound

A total of 60.78 pounds of produce was harvested this week. These vegetables were donated to the Caring Place. To date, Williamson county master gardeners have donated a total of 3,288.315 pounds of demonstration garden produce to local charities.

Weekly rainfall: no rainfall was measured the week ending 09/25/2016

Summary of garden activities
Activities this week included removing spent plants, rejuvenating soil in empty rows, weeding, pest management and amending beds for fall planting. The west ends of rows 3 and 4 were weeded. Spent squash plants were removed from row 3. Remaining plants were infested with cucumber beetles, therefore, were removed from the garden. Cottonseed meal and molasses were then mixed into row 3 and covered with compost. Mulch from row 4 was raked off and compost added. Dead okra leaves were raked off the trial beds. Row 7 was raked and irrigation tape reset. On Friday, Early Jersey Wakefield Cabbage, Golden Acre Cabbage, Roodnerf Brussels Sprouts, Long Island Brussels Sprouts, and Cauliflower were planted in row 7. Compost,cottonseed meal and molasses were worked into the soil in one of the teaching beds and the keyhole garden. Row 2 was broad-forked then Radicchio, Rutabaga “Joan” and Purple Top Turnips were planted. Chicken wire fencing was placed on the trellis row to keep rabbits out of the newly planted area. Construction on the water diversion wall near the orchard continues.

The 12-foot tall okra plants make gardeners stretch to harvest the pods!

Sweet Potato leaves and vines
Looks like we had quite a haul of sweet potato leaves and vines this week! So, what do you do with them?  Sweet potato plant vine leaves are an excellent source of vitamins A, C, K and B vitamins. They are also packed with calcium, magnesium, manganese zinc, copper, potassium and iron. What an awesome super-food!! Sweet potato leaves and vines are commonly consumed in Asian and African cultures. Leaves are prepared like turnip greens or spinach. Boiling or steaming the vine leaves in a small volume of water softens the leaves and stems. Once they are tender enough for your palate, you can use them in your favorite recipes–much like you would use spinach or other greens. Try a stir fry combination of sweet potato leaves with garlic, topped off with some soy sauce or vinegar, then season with salt and pepper (or Sriracha) to taste. YUM!

September Gardening in Central Texas
The Texas A&M Agrilife Extension vegetable garden planting guide suggests the following vegetables for late summer planting:
Artichoke transplants
Asian greens (seeds or transplants)
Beans, snap and lima
Beets
Broccoli (transplants)
Brussels sprouts (transplants)
Cabbage (transplants)
Collards (seeds or transplants)
Carrots
Cauliflower (transplants)
Cool season greens
Garlic
Swiss Chard (seeds or transplants)
Kohlrabi (seeds or transplants)
Kale (seeds or transplants)
Lettuce (seeds or transplants)
Onions (bunching/multiplying)
Mustard (seeds or transplants)
Spinach (seeds or transplants)
Shallots
Peas (English, snap, snow)
Radish
Turnip

Come and 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