 We just passed the first quarter and the moon is now waxing gibbous going into a full moon. Now is also a time to seed-in peas, fava beans, and also plant transplants of strawberries, nut trees, fruit trees and berry bushes. Avoid planting tropical fruit trees and citrus until after the last frost. This is also a reminder to prune and trim your fruit trees while they are dormant. After February, plants start to bud and it will be too late. It’s always best to try to transplant and seed-in with the coming rains.
SEED INDOORS
DIRECT SEED OUTDOORS
TIP: For best results in germination, soak seeds overnight and then toss in a #Rhizobiumbacteria inoculant before planting in soil. TRANSPLANT: Now is also a time to plant fruit trees, graft & prune.
For more ideas on Ornamentals, Perennials, and Herbs, visit the Central Texas Gardener and The Natural Gardener lists online. Download the Texas A&M Extension Planting Chart and Varieties.  We hope you had time to relax and wind down as we approached the New Year and New Moon. As we are approaching the First Quarter and are in Waxing Crescent, it’s a good time to plant leafy greens. During the waxing of the moon (the period extending from the day the moon is new to the day it reaches its fullest point), the moon pulls moisture upwards. Seeds do well during this time because moisture is available at the surface of the soil. It’s always best to try to transplant and seed-in with the coming rains.
SEED INDOORS / TRANSPLANT
SEED OUTDOORS / TRANSPLANT
For more ideas on Ornamentals, Perennials, and Herbs, visit the Central Texas Gardener and The Natural Gardener lists online. Download the Texas A&M Extension Planting Chart and Varieties. #austinorganicgardeners #zone8b #organicgardening #lunarplanting #mooncalendar #moongardening #plantingcalendar #waxingcresent #biodynamicgardening In this video we show you how to make premium compost for your garden using recycled mushroom blocks from South Texas Seasonals. It's a great way to build hi-quality soil in just 6 months by diverting all types of organic matter from the waste stream. We are joined by Megan Lowder from Efficient Earthling at Gardopia Gardens in San Antonio. Mushroom blocks are made from sawdust and grains and organic matter that make a great amendment to soil and compost. They are what many mushroom farms use to cultivate culinary mushrooms on. After they fruit a few times and are considered spent, they can be used in many ways as we demonstrate in this video. Follow along in the video, in 6 easy steps you will be feeding the entire soil web and the plants in your garden, healthy compost. Make sure to watch through the end. Megan gives tips on the compost food chain and how to diagnose your soil for good health and take care of all the insects that gives our soil life and healthy plants. If you are in Austin, you can sign up to get recycled mushroom blocks for your garden. If you are not from Austin, find a mushroom farm in your area. STEPS:
Below are links are to other videos in the series: Part 1: How Fungi Benefits the Soil Part 2: Grow Mushrooms on Wood Chips in The Garden Part 3: Grow Mushrooms in a Straw Bale Part 4: Grow Mushrooms in Containers Part 5: Grow Mushrooms on Logs Part 6: Grow Mushrooms using Trench Composting Method  We just passed the Cold Moon, a name used by the Mohawk people, this Moon occurs when winter cold fastens its grip.
We are now going into a waning period of the Moon—from the day after it is full to the day before it is new again. As the moonlight decreases night by night, plants are encouraged to grow roots, tubers, and bulbs. It’s always best to try to plant with the coming rains which are in the forecast. DIRECT SEED SEED INDOORS
WHERE TO BUY The Natural Gardener and Cultivate Holistic Supply will have bunching online transplants in September. MORE IDEAS For more ideas on Ornamentals, Perennials, and Herbs, visit the Central Texas Gardener and The Natural Gardener lists online. Download the Texas A&M Extension Planting Chart and Varieties. This Saturday at the teaching gardens Zilker Botanical Garden we harvested and divided horseradish. Amoracia rusticana is a hardy perennial herb that had been used culinarily and for over 3,000 years. Harvesting is a simple task and the resulting condiment can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks. The leaves can also be used in many recipes. Check out Forage Chef to learn how to cook with horseradish leaves.
This spring we transplanted from a divided plant from member Better for your Body. It is ready to harvest and divide again in late fall. We divided this plant into three more. One to eat and two to replant. You can also plant roots that are 8 inches or longer. It's fine to leave the roots in the ground when harvesting as they will overwinter. Trim back the leaves. Loosen the soil with a pitchfork a foot or two along one side of the row of plants. Dig the roots from the opposite side of the row. Grab the tops of the plants and tug them gently from the soil. Trim back the foliage, leaving about an inch. Trim off side and bottom roots. We shredded and pickled it in vinegar and salt. Ready for oysters!  It’s just a phase so don’t forget to seed your leafy greens and herbs. Fall is a prime time for planting the hardiest herbs that actually grow very well in areas with mild winters. We just passed the New Moon phase and are now approaching the First Quarter and are in Waxing Crescent. During the waxing of the moon (the period extending from the day the moon is new to the day it reaches its fullest point), the moon pulls moisture upwards. Seeds do well during this time because moisture is available at the surface of the soil.
DIRECT SEED
TRANSPLANTS
❄️ Be prepared to cover in case of deep freeze 🌾 Plant cover crops in areas you want to replenish for spring. See our comprehensive guide on our website. 🌳 Plant all trees, shrubs, and perennials. 🐟 Use fish emulsion to get green growth and do weekly foliar sprays with liquid seaweed to provide plants with hormones and nutrients needed for stress and to prevent disease and pests. 🍂It’s also a good time to start composting because leaves are starting to fall. 🌷Fall is a good time to transplant, trade, or give away your divisions of daylilies, bearded irises, violets, wood ferns, cannas, and other herbaceous perennials. For more ideas on Ornamentals, Perennials, and Herbs, visit the Central Texas Gardener and The Natural Gardener lists online. Download the Texas A&M Extension Planting Chart and Varieties. This past Saturday at the teaching gardens we we harvested sunchokes. #Helianthustuberosus, members of the Asteraceae also called Jerusalem artichoke, sunroom, wild sunflower, topinambur, or earth apple, this plant is a species of sunflower native to central North America where Native Americans cultivated it as a root crop before the Europeans arrived.
Sunchokes are super easy to grow in Central Texas. We bought a handful of the smallest organic sunchokes in the produce section at Central Market and planted them in four inch pots until they sprouted. Planted in April after last frost, this plant needs 120 to 150 days to harvest. They tend to get sweeter after first frost. Tubers can remain in the ground and go dormant over winter and can handle temperatures as low as −22 °F. They also spread so keep this in mind when you choosing a spot in your garden. We planted them in our milpa with the corn because they make a good companion about the same height so they don't shade each other out. They can also grow in full sun to partial shade. They also like alkaline soil and once established can handle drought. Pruning also helps with growing larger tubers. The tubers are used for cooking and baking in the same ways as potatoes: but unlike the potato they can also be eaten raw. You can also roast, sauté, or pickle sunchokes. You can even combine sunchokes with sweet potatoes to make a delicious soup. They have a similar consistency, and in their raw form have a similar texture, but a sweeter, nuttier flavor. When eaten raw, sunchokes have a texture similar to water chestnuts that goes well in salads. Sunchokes are high in a sweet dietary fiber called inulin that acts as a prebiotic, promoting beneficial bacteria in the digestive system. Their inulin form of carbohydrates give the tubers a tendency to become soft and mushy if boiled, but they retain their texture better when steamed. Sunchokes have 650 mg potassium per 1 cup (150 g) serving. They are also high in iron, and contain 10–12% of the USRDA of fiber, niacin, thiamine, phosphorus, and copper.  We just passed the Beaver Moon. According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, Beavers can be seen along the banks of rivers and streams, collecting wood to shore up their lodges and dams before the ice sets in. This was also the time Native American tribes and later European settlers set beaver traps to ensure a supply of warm furs for winter. Because November also signals the time when bitter hard frost’s become more frequent, this month’s moon is also sometimes called the Frost Moon.
We are now going into a waning period of the Moon—from the day after it is full to the day before it is new again. As the moonlight decreases night by night, plants are encouraged to grow roots, tubers, and bulbs. It’s always best to try to plant with the coming rains which are in the forecast. DIRECT SEED SEED INDOORS
WHERE TO BUY The Natural Gardener and Cultivate Holistic Supply will have bunching online transplants in September. MORE IDEAS For more ideas on Ornamentals, Perennials, and Herbs, visit the Central Texas Gardener and The Natural Gardener lists online. Download the Texas A&M Extension Planting Chart and Varieties. 5 1/2 pounds, variety of mushrooms * 6 tablespoons bottled lemon juice 8 cups water (or as needed) 1 1/2 cups olive or salad oil 2 cups white vinegar (5%) 6 tablespoons finely chopped onions or shallots 3 tablespoons pimentos or diced red bell pepper or hot chilies 2 3/4 teaspoons oregano leaves 2 3/4 teaspoons dried basil leaves 2 3/4 teaspoons pickling salt 2-3 Black peppercorns per jar (optional) ¼- ½ teaspoon minced garlic *Mushrooms used for the demonstration were: Shiitake, Blue Oyster, Royal Trumpet, Lions Mane, Yellow Oyster and Button You can buy these mushrooms from SmallHold at HEB, Central Market or Whole Foods. You can also buy mushrooms at farmers markets and farm stands from Hi-fi Myco and Marysol Mushrooms. STEPS:
ABOUT SHEENA Sheena’s Pickles uses only fresh, organic, and seasonal produce that is locally sourced here in Austin, Texas. In 2012, Sheena received a pickling kit for her birthday. With her passion ignited, Sheena’s Pickles was born. Fast forward to 2021, and you can find Sheena’s Pickles at Antonelli’s Cheese Shop. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
January 2022
Categories |
RSS Feed