The kale from Whole Foods tastes very much like the kale snipped from its stalk in any Westbury Community Garden bed. And many other garden fresh veggies are comparable in taste, if not in nutrition, to the ones bought in stores. Except tomatoes. There is no comparison between the sun-ripened deliciousness of a fresh, homegrown […]
Archive | Gardening
Wishing For Cooler Weather? Time To Plan Your Fall Garden
Tomatoes, squash and peppers are done and it’ll soon be time to prepare for fall planting. Fall seed packets are available for $12. Ask a garden member or contact Seed and Plant Chairperson, Ray, to get your seeds. The 2015 seed packet includes these herbs and vegetables, selected especially for the Houston winter climate. Arugula […]
Black Rot Disease in Brassicas
What is it? Black rot is a bacterial infection that affects the vascular system of members of the Brassica (broccoli) family. It is caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris. Which plants are affected? All cruciferous crops are susceptible including arugula, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage (including Chinese cabbage), cauliflower, collards, garden cress, kale, kohlrabi, mustard (including mizuna), radish, rutabaga, and turnip. NOT AFFECTED seems to be nasturtium (it must be far enough away on the family tree). Where did it come from? We don’t know the origin of our current outbreak. The bacterium infects all parts of host plants, including seeds, so it could have come in on a seed or on a commercial transplant. There are also some Brassica family weeds that can harbor it in the wild. Why is it such a problem now? We have had the perfect warm, humid weather for it to spread and multiply these past few months – temperature has been between 50-75, it has been breezy and wet. It wasn’t until Wayne saw the same pattern on several of his plants that he brought it to Ray’s attention. We’ve probably been living with it for months without realizing it, which allowed it to spread widely. How is it spread? […]
How To Make Decisions On What Vegetable Varieties To Grow
By Education Committee members, Wayne Slaiku and Ray Sher Figuring out what vegetable varieties to grow is a fun and interesting thing to do, but it takes a lot of time, and seed catalogs always make every variety sound good. To sift through the information, there are key things to look for, which makes decision […]
Winter Wonders
Just a quick peek at what’s growing in our gardens…
Orchard Maps
The two orchards at Westbury Community Garden include over 40 citrus, fig and other fruit trees. Have you wondered what varieties have been planted? Can you help fill in the details on the numbered trees on the maps? Mouse over each dot to see tree info. Front Orchard North 40
Radishes
Ever wonder what to do with those huge radishes that seem to want to grow above the ground? Did you know you can cook them? I’ve tried steaming them and serving with salt, pepper, and butter–yummy! Sort of like a mild turnip. And they can be sliced thinly and sauteed with other fresh veggies for […]
What’s cooking? Turnips!
Root crops are one of the fall garden’s bounties. On a recent trip to the garden, I harvested about 3 lbs of turnips and had to do some recipe research to decide how to fix them. I not only had a big bowl of the roots, there was a sink-full of the nutritious greens. As a transplanted southerner, […]
Plan Your Fall Garden – Get Seeds Now
Seed packets are ready for purchase! Do you have yours yet? The seeds have been chosen by gardeners who have years of experience growing in the Houston climate. There are 40 varieties of vegetables in this year’s seed packet. The cost is $12. If purchased individually the seeds would cost over $100. In addition to […]
An Open Letter From Bert and Diana Gonzalez
Dear WCG members, We are so glad we decided to join this growing (literally and figuratively) organization! We have found so many helpful, friendly, knowledgeable and generous Westbury residents through the 2 1/2 years we’ve been members. What a great discovery for us. It really does give both Bert and me a better sense of […]