tel. 512 280 1192 July 12, 2018
Nursery notes: Our final weeks are upon us. The 25% sale on
remaining plants continues - and in the gift shop you will find
some fine cookbooks and some beautiful estate sale items for a
reasonable price. Please drop by for one last visit! ❦
Newsletter update
It has been such a great pleasure to publish this newsletter for the
past 12 years (writes editor Darrel Mayers), and I must offer a big
THANK YOU to writers Chris, Amanda, David and Mick Vann for
sharing their knowledge and wonderful work. Thanks to them the
readership has grow to its current number of 3,000 plus.
But while the nursery is closing, the newsletter is going to be re-
launched with a new format in September. It will have a new name -
The Austin Garden - and will continue to offer informative garden-
ing articles and links, and will also keep eveyone in touch with all
of the ventures that the current staff are developing.
You will read about Jerry's gardening business, David's exciting
Grandpa's Gardens ATX, and Chris and Diane will let us know
what's up in Rockport. There will also be a summary of weekend
sales and events happening at the top nurseries in the area. Thank
you to Diane and Chris and all at the nursery for your friendship
and support. . . and lessons in gardening over the years ; - ) ❦
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Raw, veggie salad: Chop up a big batch of this healthy salad and
keep it on hand for quick meals or snacks. There is a cool video tut-
orial to watch with Chef Eric Wilson who is quick to emphasize
the rustic: 'If it's all perfect,' he says, 'it's less intriguing.'
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Container gardening class (free) this Sat. Travis Co. Master
Gardeners are sponsoring this event at Zilker Botanical Gardens
from 10 a.m. to noon. Kirk Walden will talk about design, soil,
irrigation and sunlight neccessary for success. Zilker Garden ❦
Central Texas Gardener: Elizabeth McGreevy examines why
a total gravel landscape disrupts the water and nutrient cycle. In
Hudson Bend, Bruce McDonald responded to drought by replacing
his front lawn with waterwise plants. See the show on Saturday
4 p.m. Sunday 9 a.m. or click here: KLRU ❦
Planning for Fall Tomatoes
by Chris Winslow
Early July gets me in the mood to plant fall tomatoes. Texas
A&M's Vegetable Garden Planting Guide advises gardeners to
get their fall tomato transplants in the ground between July 7 and
August 7.(Larger transplants in 1 gal. pots or larger can be planted
as late as Sept.1.)
I prefer to plant determinate, heat-set tomatoes for fall. Varieties
such as Bob Cat, Celebrity, and BHN 444 can crop in under 80
days, making them perfect for fall planting. Celebrity, an all-time
backyard favorite, acts as a semi-indeterminate, producing longer
if frosts come later than average.
July is also the perfect time to plant cherry type tomatoes – which
have no problem setting fruit in the heat. My favorites are Sweet
100, Juliet and Sun Gold. Rarely do they make it to the kitchen!
For your fall tomato garden, choose a sunny location with good
drainage, and be sure to shovel in lots of compost and slow re-
lease organic fertilizer.
At Urban Farm they mix up a fertilizer of bat guano, mycorrhizae,
humic acid, crab shell, worm castings, kelp, soy meal, and com-
posted poultry litter, making it a great choice for gardeners. Adding
dolomite lime (calcium and magnesium) also helps to prevent bloss-
om end rot, a common tomato fruit malady.
Keeping your newly transplanted seedlings watered is a must. Moist
but not soggy is the ideal. I like planting in trenches or craters. This
helps to direct water down to the root zone instead of running off
and away from the plant.
Providing the newly transplanted seedlings a bit of afternoon shade
for the first two weeks can really help them to establish a strong
root system. I place some frost guard cloth on the west side of the
plants, suspended with bamboo stakes to give some temporary
shade. 'Works great, and is easy to do.
A weekly spray of seaweed and fish emulsion can also give the
plants a boost. Both are known to help with stress from the summer
heat. If you have never grown fall tomatoes before, why not give
it a try? Happy Gardening Everyone! ❦
