We had a good run this year, a good run of cooler weather. The Texas heat finally caught us and is not looking to let up for the next few weeks. During this time, growth in the garden slows drastically and you are really watering for survival more than anything.
This is not a time to slow down, in fact, this is the best time to plan and research and plan some more.
Read, study, plan.
Glenn and I sat down and drew a written diagram of our beds. We planned what we want to plant in each bed, when we need to start the seeds, and when we need to have the plants in the ground. Two weeks before we transplant anything we knew we wanted to have the beds ready. This gives us a chance to make any amendments to the beds before we put the plants in.
This is not a time to slow down, in fact, this is the best time to plan and research and plan some more.
Read, study, plan.
Glenn and I sat down and drew a written diagram of our beds. We planned what we want to plant in each bed, when we need to start the seeds, and when we need to have the plants in the ground. Two weeks before we transplant anything we knew we wanted to have the beds ready. This gives us a chance to make any amendments to the beds before we put the plants in.
Getting our ground ready by adding compost, getting rid of all grass and weeds, is all part of preparing the beds.
To start seeds, you have to buy seeds so we spent a lot of time looking at catalogs. We knew that we wanted seeds that had not been genetically modified and were also interested in heirloom varieties. We ordered everything from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. We should have some amazing plants. We did pick at least 2 varieties so we can compare and take notes on what does well in Texas.
Reading is a big part of planning. Growing food without pesticides means you need to have some tricks up your sleeves. Reading provides more tricks. We are doing research on plants that fight off bugs, bugs that fight off bugs, even ways you can enrich your soil to make stronger plants so they can fight off bugs and disease. It's all important stuff.