tel: 512-280-1192 Oct 7 , 2011
Nursery notes: large selection of fall annuals to choose from... snap-
dragons, pansies, violas arrived this week, along with a shipment of
bulbs. On sale this weekend: 6 packs of snapdragons for $2.49 (reg
price $3.29). 4" square pots of basil for $1.50 ( reg price $2.50)
Bougainvillea hanging baskets reg. price $25 on sale for $21.99
Corn gluten: This is the time to start applying to your grass. We have
40 lb bags for $42.99, or $1.25 per pound. Keep praying/singing/
dancing for rain everyone! 30% chance today and tomorrow!
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FREE LECTURE 2 P.M. THIS SUNDAY:
"A Moveable Feast of Greens." Former Statesman columnist
Renee Studebaker will show how to grow lettuces and greens
in metal buckets, and be ready for any kind of weather. Too hot and
sunny today? Tote your buckets to the shade. Hard freeze coming?
Move them indoors for a few days. www.reneesnewblog.com/
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Coming next Saturday - Caribbean Soul Garden Mini-Festival ,
noon - 5 p.m. Food, Music, and lots of fun with hosts Robin Marshall
and Roland Lawes. Learn how to create a delicious gumbo, and enjoy
the music of the Executive Steel Band. Suggested donation: $10 (Oct 15)
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Free Music at the nursery Sat. at 7:30 p.m. with Easy Hill (byob)
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On Central Texas Gardener (KLRU-TV): Christine and Bill Reid
(Reid's Nursery) select plants to screen a view or hide a fence, and a visit
to a San Antonio Spanish courtyard garden. Sat. noon and 4 p.m., Sun.
Growing your own Garlic
by Chris Winslow
Now is the time to plant garlic. Cloves planted close to the autumnal
equinox (first day of fall) or 5 to 6 weeks before the first freeze, will have
a good chance to develop a strong root system before the winter sets in.
Garlic (Allium sativum) is one of our oldest cultivated crops, dating back
some 6,000 years. It originated in central Asia and has become a hugely
popular global staple.
As a member of the onion genus, it is closely related to leeks, shallots,
onions, and onion and garlic chives.
Garlic is grown not by seed, but by dividing a bulb into cloves. Average
size bulbs will supply about a dozen or more cloves. When cloves are
planted 4 inches apart, the average bulb will plant about 3 to 4 feet of
row. (We have bulbs at the nursery for 50 cents each.)
These plants love soil that is loose and is at least 6 inches deep. Heaping
amounts of organic matter such as compost, mixed into the garden soil
will do the trick. They need at least 6 to 7 hours of direct sunlight. This
will help to keep the ground warm for the winter months.
To insure a healthy crop free from soil born disease, soak your bulbs in
a solution of baking soda (1 tablespoon per gallon of water) and seaweed
extract for a few minutes. After the soak and before planting, rinse or
dip the bulbs in alcohol.
Cloves should be planted 2 to 3 inches deep and 4 inches apart. This
width will insure that the newly forming bulbs will not be crowded. To
thrive, garlic needs some moisture but not too much. If it gets too wet,
it will rot. Too dry and you’ll shrink the size of the bulb, making the flavor
much stronger.
Garlic is harvested in the spring when the tops finish flowering and begin
to dry. Be careful when you lift the bulbs from the soil. Pull them out
without being cut or pierced by a trowel or shovel. Then you can store it
in a cool, dry place and you should be able to keep it for quite a while.
If you have never grown your own garlic before, please give it a try. It’s
fun and richly rewarding!
Happy Gardening Everyone!
Visit the website at www.itsaboutthyme.com Visit the nursery at 11726 Manchaca Road, Austin 78748
