tel: 512 280-1192 thursday, october 8, 2015
Nursery notes: we are well-stocked with Fall Veggies - cabbage,
lettuce, broccoli, Brussels sprouts... all the usual suspects. Also
Winter Annuals are here: pansies, violas and snapdragons for
$4.99 a 6-pack. $1 off chrysanthemums (reg.$7.99) Please drop
by for a visit!
Robot Farming: from Japan comes the distressing news that by
2017, a company called Spread plans to open an enormous vege-
table factory ___near Kyoto which will produce 10 million heads of
lettuce a year - and will be operated entirely by robots, reports
Ranunculus: flower power for Texas winters: this amazing bulb
produces these ethereal beauties tightly packed with petals... and
now is the perfect time to plant them. In her excellent blog, the
Experiential Gardener tells us how to grow them. Thanks to reader
Grania Patterson for the question - and look for a general guide to
bulbs in next week's newsletter. experiential gardener
___________________________________________________
Central Texas Gardener: Sustain beauty, wildlife and resources
with native plants. Visit a four-season wildflower prairie. On Sat.
4 p.m., Sun. at 9 a.m. KLRU
Of Cabbages & Greens
by Chris Winslow
One of the most versatile of the fall and winter vegetable families
is the Cruciferi – also known as the Brassica family. This includes
broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, horse-radish,
mustard and collard greens, turnips, radish, and kohlrabi.
They are easy to grow, taste wonderful, and many doctors consider
them a critical component in our bodies fight against toxins and
cancer.
To be successful all you need is garden soil enriched with compost,
and kept reasonably moist. Keeping these plants watered is the key
to success here . . . especially during lingering warm days of fall.
If you top dress the plants with a balanced garden fertilizer, compost
or granulated fish emulsion three weeks after they are set out, it will
give these moderately rich feeders a boost.
By now (October), garden starts should be readily found in the local
nurseries. Here are some varieties to look for:
Broccoli - Waltham, Green Comet, Emperor, Premium Crop
Brussels Sprouts - Jade Cross, Catskills, Valient
Cabbage - Globe, Early Round Dutch, Red Rock (red)
Cauliflower - Snowball, Snow Crown, Snow King
You can grow these Brassicas from seed. Some varieties to look for:
Mustard Greens - Tendergreen, Florida Broadleaf
Collard Greens - Georgia, Vates, Blue Max
Turnips - Purple Top White Globe and Seven Top
Radish - Cherry Belle, Early Scarlet Globe, White Icicle
Kohlrabi - Grande Duke, Early Purple Vienna.
The most common insects you will encounter are cabbage loopers
and aphids. Gardeners can control these quite easily with the organic
B.T. and a little All Seasons oil.
I hope you enjoy great success with your fall garden, and that you
will want to replant these fine garden plants again in the spring of
2007.
_____________________________________________________
Question: Is it possible to grow ginger from the rhizomes that are
in the grocery store?
Yes, it is pretty easy. Pick out roots (rhizomes) that are fresh and
without bruises or soft spots. Plant them in a rich loamy potting soil
and water them in.
Gingers like a warm shady spot to grow in. They will thrive during
the hot summer months and begin to turn yellow in the cooler months
of fall. You can then harvest the whole rhizome. Ginger can be
stored in the fridge for short term and frozen for long term.
___________________________________________________
Question: Some of the leaves on my tomato plant appear to have
little, irregular tunnels carved on the upper surface. Is this an
insect and how can I get rid of the critters?
It sounds like a case of leafminers. We see many varieties of plants
infected with leafminers, from gerbera daisies to tomatoes to citrus.
Happy gardening everyone!
Please contact newsletter editor Darrel Mayers (pictured above)
with any ideas for articles or interesting links:
internationalrain@yahoo.com
(hitting 'reply' to this email won't work)Visit the website: Its About Thyme facebook
Visit the nursery: 11726 Manchaca Road, Austin, 78748
