TIMING Consistently cool air temperature, after a true cold front. BED PREP Weeds Ideally, the planting space should have been cleared of weeds well before planting time. Any emerging weeds should be removed and kept cleared. Soil The planting zone should be loosened up. For root crops, especially carrots, you want to ensure that the […]
Author Archive | Shelly & Roy
Hot Weather Vegetables For Houston
The goal: plants that can thrive and produce in the heat without constant attention. Urban Harvest guides Spring planting (PDF) https://bit.ly/2INIYjm Summer planting http://urbanharvest.org/summer-planting-guide. Best choices Sweet potatoes When: May, when it’s warm but not blazing. How: Mound up the soil in the center your bed into a nice tall ridge. Plant rooted “slips” 12 […]
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? […]
Crop Rotation
Rotating your planting scheme is one of the things that hasn’t really gotten a lot of discussion yet, but everyone should give it some serious consideration this year. Different plant families use up different things from the soil, are attractive to different pests, harbor different diseases, etc. Crop rotation helps address these issues and keep […]
Cover Crops
There are many places online (and in books) where you can read about crop rotation in depth, the whys and wherefores. One thing to note is that the bean family can be used as a cover crop anywhere in the rotation when wanted or needed. SUMMER: southern peas in the summer are a very effective […]