North Texas Vegetable Gardeners Forum
General => The Lounge => Topic started by: Brian Gallimore on September 29, 2014, 03:28:23 PM
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9/29/2014"
Hello Veggie Gardeners and Organic Folk,
Oh I love this time of year, cool nights, and balmy days. And as the leaves begin to change and I dig out my old flannel shirts I am reminded of years gone by.......For some reason Fall always makes me feel nostalgic........My grandfather and I racking leaves, the smell of woodsmoke, the clanking of mason jars getting cleaned for canning, my grandmother and I turning the garden to prepare for the late season of Collards, carrots, beets, kale, broccoli, turnips and garlic.......
Autumn is not about the 'Dying" of a season, but just another part of the cycle of all life......
I have to remember not to be sad for missing them so, but to be happy and grateful for all the memories and wonderful pearls of wisdom they gave me.----I'm a lucky girl
Fall Fertilizing
Speaking of the seasons turning, it's time to fertilize the yard and perennial beds. It is so important to feed everything now. During the dormancy of winter, plants juice up for next years growth. They might not look like they are doing alot on the surface but their roots are collecting food and moisture, and need a good food source to happy and healthy.
Organic fertilizers are the best choice, they don't 'Push' plants into new growth like synthetic / chemical counterparts do, and they're safe and beneficial around trees and
Composting
Soon the leaves will begin to change and fall----Those of you who have compost piles will need this wonderful gift, so bag some up, or just create another bin to store your leaves in......every time you throw in those kitchen scraps you'll need to put a layer of leaves over them.........to make good compost you need to follow the rule of 4 parts brown-{leaves or other dry materials}, to 1 part green-{kitchen scraps, grass clippings}........and if you don't make compost, mow the leaves over a few times so their nutrients can help replenish and protect the soil.
For those that want to plant a crop of Garlic,...... IT"S TIME..........I've got some beautiful seed garlic for sale this year---Organic, Early White, Soft Neck----It's one of the best varieties for our area.
Also it's time to start considering winter cover crops like hairy vetch, clovers, annual rye, perennial rye, and elbon rye, These are referred to as "Cover Crops or Green Manuring".......This is practice that old farmers have been using for centuries---and still do!!!!......it helps keep the garden soil that worked so hard for you this year, recover and rejuvenate, and it looks like a lovely putting green all winter!!!!!
For over seeding veggie gardens....
The "Why's" of using cover crops ......
#1 to protect and encourage soil life.......The main rule to successful organic gardening is to remember your soil Is Alive, and needs to be nourished and protected, cover crops serve both these purposes and more.
#2 to prevent soil compaction.....Their root systems of the cover crops do this
#3 to keep out weeds---if your garden doesn't have any bare soil then the weed seeds won't have a place to nest and germinate--All Seed must touch soil in order to germinate....
#4 It looks like a beautiful green oasis all winter--these cover crops are evergreen......
#5 In the case of rye grass , it helps capture and replenish nutrients that would other wise leach away, it accomplishes this by pulling the nutrients and minerals up, once the season has ended-{ 1 month before Spring planting begins}, you'll turn it under and allow it to decompose that's when the food that was pulled up makes it back into the soil.
In the case of clover and vetch-- {legumes}, their deep root systems help "Fix" nitrogen in the soil.....
For veggie gardens I like to use a 50/50 mix of rye and clover, let it grow, and then in late Jan. or early Feb. I get out my shovel and turn it all under. I just take a shovel full and flip it over, I go along the bed doing this-- scoop, flip, scoop , flip, until I've got it all turned..........I don't like using a roto tiller because it doesn't necessarily put all of the vegetation "Under", it just flings it willy nilly---the rye and clover need to be submerged in order to decompose back into the soil properly.....Besides roto tillers will destroy a percentage of your soil life....You need to turn it in at least 3-4 weeks before you plant.....adding a dusting of dry molasses will speed up the process by ramping up the microbial activity, and you'll need to water it every couple of days if there's no rainfall.....It's kinda' like making compost, things don't decompose if they're dry..................Before you plant take a handful and notice the texture difference in your soil---It will be gorgeous!!!!
" When" to do it.....if you have a dormant bed you can do it right now......I always do my tomato / pepper bed when it starts to get too cold for them to produce.....My peppers are still happy so I'll wait another 2 weeks or so..............My fall / winter bed will have crops like broccoli, collards, root crops, arugula, and cilantro in it most of the winter, so I don't use a winter cover crop in it.
The "How" to do it successfully......#1 clean out all dead or declining plant material.....#2 remove the mulch---you can always move this to another area to give added protection to other plants, or you could bag it up and use the bags to stack up against things you may have in pots to help insulate them, or if nothing else put it in the compost pile.#3 after the soil is exposed rake it out evenly and get it wet---this will help the seed stick better.....#4 sprinkle out your seed evenly and water it gently--try not to hit it with a harsh spay of water, or it will move the seed around........#5 you'll need to keep it damp while it's germinating, this will usually take 10-14 days, after that just supplemental watering if we don't get any ran.
There is a bonus to using Elbon Rye if you have nut grass issues---clear the surface of the area, get it wet and sow the Elbon Rye heavily.....it can choke out nut grass!!!!!!---just remember to water it regularly...... I had a horrible nut grass problem in my tomato bed, I pulled, I dug, I even threatened it , and it just kept coming back, and then I heard about Elbon Rye and gave it a shot---I sowed the rye very thickly and low and behold it worked!
For over seeding lawns.....
Imagine having a lush evergreen lawn all winter......
You can over seed with Rye for sunny spots--I recommend Perennial Rye, it's blades are thicker and it stays shorter--usually 3-4", the Annual Rye is thinner and gets much taller, but it's good for gardens or large open spaces......Use Fescue for part sun to shade areas............The best fescue for our area is Crossfire or Sun Country
Important---if you have dead thatch, {grass}, in spots you'll want to rake it out before you put seed down---Seed must touch soil in order to germinate!!!!
Here's some things you may need to know...
#1 Rye and Fescue are cold season grasses, they're beautiful during the winter and early spring, but as the heat moves in they will disappear, they're so fine bladed you won't have to worry about pulling or digging or anything, and as they're dying your lawns will be waking up, so you won't even notice it...........
#2 There are many varieties of fescue---I carry one called "Crossfire", it is the absolute best for our area, it tolerates our soil type and takes warmer temps than most varieties.
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Common Cover Crops for North Texas
Crimson Clover – legume - 5 lb per 1000 sq ft./ $3.00@lb. or $165 for a 50lb. bag---use in gardens to help fix nitrogen.......Also if you have some acreage and want to throw some out as wild flower seed the bunnies will love you, it's one of their favorite foods, and the striking red flowers really set a field ablaze!
Hairy Vetch – legume - 1-2 lb per 1000 sq ft./ traditional garden and farm field cover crop, aides in "Fixing" nitrogen in the soil---Really good for our clay alkaline soils.
Crossfire Fescue- 5 lb per 1000 sq ft./$1.60@lb. or $80 for a 50lb. bag---use for shady lawn areas, beautiful dark green carpet, stays short.
Annual Rye – 10 lbs per 1000 sq ft./$1.50@lb. or $50 for a 50lb. bag---use this is gardens and sunny lawns......fine thin blade, gets taller than perennial rye
Perennial Rye - 7-10 lb per 1000 sq ft./$3@lb. or $150 for a 50lb. bag---use this in gardens and sunny lawns---most people prefer this one when over seeding lawns because it has a thicker more upright blade, and stays shorter than annual rye, so it requires little, if any, mowing-
Elbon Rye - 7-10 per 1000 sq ft/.75¢@lb. or $33 for a 50lb. bag---Use primarily to fight against "bad nematodes" and Nut Grass.
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On to the Moon News.....
Fri.9/26, Sat.9/27 and Sun.9/28 the moon will be in Scorpio---a water sign, and we're still in the New Moon phase........This is an absolutely wonderful time to put in your fall gardens ! Plant your broccoli and cabbage and the rest of that Brassica family. Seed the lettuces, greens, and arugula----don't seed the root crops though--like carrots and beets, if you do those in a water moon they're more likely to rot. Get out there this weekend and play in the dirt.
Mon.9/29 and Tue.9/30 the moon sweeps through Sagittarius---a fire sign----This is a 'killing' time and could be used wisely by weeding, mowing, or just giving your back a rest after working in the garden all weekend.
Wed.10/1 and Thur.10/2 the moon moves through Capricorn--an earth sign, and the First Quarter moon phase begins----This is the time to get in those root crops, as well as anything else you'd like to get in the ground.......If your over seeding your lawn with winter grass this would be a good time to do it----It might even rain Thurs or Fri, we gotta' take advantage of what Mother nature throws at us.
Fri.10/3 and Sat.10/4 the moon goes into Aquarius---an air sign.....This isn't the best for playing in the garden, but if it's the only time you have I'd say go for it. It's a much better time to get the fertilizer out.
Sun.10/5 and Mon.10/6 the moon swims into Pisces---a water sign---Now we're talkin', this is a great time to do some planting....
Tue.10/7 and Wed.10/8 the moon will be in Aries---a fire sign and the full moon comes in Wed. too.........Mow, weed, or fight with the unwanteds.
Thur.10/9 and Fri.10/11the moon stomps through Taurus---an earth sign, and with the full moon energy this is a GREAT time to plant some root crops---Get those carrots, beets, radishes, and turnips in the ground----don't forget the rutabagas !!! Try them cooked and mashed like potatoes---Yum Yum.
Sat.10/11, Sun.10/12 and Mon.10/13 goes through Gemini--an air sign but still a good one for playing with the plants.....Get out there and enjoy these beautiful fall days, we all know they won't last for long....
Tue.10/14 and Wed.10/15 the moon crawls through Cancer---a water sign....This is probably my favorite moon for planting, seeding, and trimming back to encourage new growth, so if you have some time to be in the garden "Go for it"....
Thur.10/16, Fri.10/17 and Sat.10/18 The moon will be in Leo---a fire sign, and the Last Quarter Moon phase begins.......This is a super "Killing Moon Time". So step away from the garden, and put your energy towards mowing, or weeding, or maybe digging at that poison ivy patch that's been making you loco.
Sun.10/19 and Mon. 10/20 the moon floats into Libra--an air sign, normally a "middle of the road" moon but because we're in the last quarter I'd hold off playing in the garden till the New Moon gets here on the 23rd.
Happy Gardening, Val