Vegetable Demonstration Garden
Last period’s harvest included:
Beets—2.2 pounds
Eggplant—0.39 pound
Yellow Squash—19.3 pounds
Bermuda onions—9.01 pounds
Zucchini Squash–0.58 pound
Leeks—17.06 pounds
Kohlrabi—1.15 pounds
Tomatoes—179.05 pounds
Red onions—10.3 pounds
Cucumbers— 27.74 pounds
Radicchio—0.64 pound
Green beans—0.55 pound
Over the last 2 weeks, 267.97 pounds of produce were harvested! These veggies were donated to the Caring Place and Heaven’s Harvest Food Bank. To date, Williamson county master gardeners have donated a total of 1,415.532 pounds of demonstration garden produce and canned goods to local charities.
Weekly rainfall: 1.33 inches of rainfall were measured the period ending 06/04/2017.
Summary of garden activities
Besides a sizable harvest of assorted summer veggies, gardeners worked hard weeding, controlling pests and varmints, and amending the row garden. Broad forking, image below, is integral to healthy soil structure.
Compost piles were moved between different bins, left pic. Repairs being made to compost bins, right pic.
Epsom salt was added to several rows and raised beds. Visible “bad bugs” were hand picked off plants in different areas of the garden. Ant bait was placed in several areas as well. BT was selectively applied to the cinder block bed. Peas were planted in row 5. Rabbit fencing was placed around them to protect from rabbits. Okra was replanted in the trial beds. Seems the wildlife has been munching on the new seedlings just emerging! Sweet potatoes were planted in row 9. Sugar baby watermelons were planted in the Hands on Garden. The pear tree near the picnic area was pruned and weeded. Cucumbers are thriving in the garden, left pic. Raised beds, pic below, enjoy the heat!
A Colorado potato beetle (left arrow, left pic) and tomato horn worm (right arrow, left pic) are commonly found pests in the garden. Irrigation repairs, right pic, are ongoing.
The last of the garlic was harvested for drying. It will join the garlic hanging from the rafters, pic below, already in the drying process.
Blossom End Rot
Blossom end rot (BER) is a condition seen in tomatoes that results in a brownish spot on the end of the tomato where the blossom used to be. As the tomato matures, the spot darkens, becoming leather-like in nature. BER is most commonly caused by uneven watering or a lack of calcium uptake by the tomato plant. In alkaline soils, calcium is bound tightly and the plant may not get adequate concentrations during growth periods. Magnesium sulfate, commonly known as Epsom salt, added to the soil, can improve calcium uptake in alkaline soils. Some gardeners add egg shells to the soil or grind up a Tums antacid tablet dissolved in a gallon of water then apply to area around the plant. Peppers, squash and eggplant can also develop BER under periods of uneven watering or during heat stress periods. Be sure to have your soil tested regularly to ensure calcium concentrations are optimal for your garden!
Blogger’s Note–It has been a pleasure sharing all the demonstration garden accomplishments with you over the past 2 years. Hopefully, you’ve learned new things to try in your own garden. This is my last garden blog. Wishing you plentiful harvests!
June Gardening in Central Texas
The Texas A&M Agrilife Extension vegetable garden planting guide suggests the following vegetables for summer planting:
Cantaloupe
Warm season greens
Okra
Pumpkin
Sweet potato slips
Southern peas
Winter squash
Watermelon
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 9:00 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