A wide variety of vegetables are grown in Austin, Texas gardens.
Vegetable gardening in Austin, Texas is popular because Central Texas enjoys warm weather suitable for gardening nine months out of the year. However, as any experienced gardener knows, there is more to vegetable gardening than planting a seed and adding water. While no two gardens are exactly alike in Austin because of the different soil conditions that range from rich Blackland clay to nutrient-poor sand, successful crops of delicious fresh vegetables can be grown in Austin, Texas by following a few rules. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Find a location for your Austin, Texas garden that receives six to eight hours of direct sunlight each day. While some vegetable crops such as spinach, lettuce, beet, cabbage, carrots, kale and collards grow in partial shade, most vegetables, such as tomatoes and squash, need long periods of bright sunlight to produce a healthy disease-free crop.
2. Choose the right variety of vegetables to grow in Austin, Texas. For example, the "celebrity" and "early girl" tomato varieties are recommended for spring planting by the Texas A & M Agrilife Extension service because they set fruit before hot summer weather arrives, if planted at the right time. When daytime temperatures get above 85 F tomato plants and some other vegetables have trouble producing high-quality fruit.
3. Get a soil test to determine what soil amendments are needed for best vegetable production. For assistance with the correct procedure for taking a soil test as well as the location to send your soil sample, contact the Travis County Agricultural Extension Office.
4. Prepare the chosen garden area by removing all weeds, grasses, rocks and other garden debris with a shovel and hoe. Spread a 1-inch layer of compost over the soil along with the soil amendments recommended on your soil test results. Work the compost and amendments into the top 6 inches of soil. Rake the area smooth.
5. Choose the right time of year to plant your vegetable crop. Austin, Texas has two distinct growing seasons, spring and autumn. For example, tomatoes are planted at the end of March for spring gardens and in July for fall gardens. Consult a planting calendar specific to the region to find out when is the best time to plant the vegetable plants you would like to grow.
6. Plant recommended vegetable varieties. Carefully read the vegetable package label, if planting seed, or the plant description tag, if planting plants, to find out the correct spacing requirements for each type of vegetable. Planting vegetable plants too close together causes plants to be stunted and unhealthy as they compete for nutrients and moisture.
7. Keep the soil moist, but not wet, during the entire growth cycle of the vegetable plants. Do not allow plants to wilt or the vegetable quality will be affected. For example, cucumbers will taste bitter and tomatoes will split if moisture levels are uneven.
8. Look for insect pests and diseases that may be affecting the leaves, blossoms or vegetables. You should inspect the garden every morning, if possible. Most pests can be picked off by hand or controlled with organic pesticides designed for vegetable gardens. Diseases can be kept in check by removing diseased plants before the problem spreads to other plants and keeping the garden free of weeds.
Tags: Austin Texas, soil test, vegetable plants, Choose right, grown Austin, grown Austin Texas
