Experimenting with our Garden

We thought that we would try many things this year to see what would grow well in Texas. We planted in March, one day before a snow storm.

Peas - They came on quickly, and died quickly. But for a few weeks we had fresh peas from the pod.

Carrots - They were an after thought, but taste good in soup.

Cucumbers - The bugs left us with one plant, but that plant filled its 4'x8' space. We have been averaging one or two large cucumbers everyday. Much more that we can use.

Tomatoes - Rebecca had me cut back on these because they take over the garden. We planted three, and they still took over the garden. Our first two tomatoes were 1.1 and .95 pounds. After producing a few score they have taken a break. We should be getting our second wave beginning next week.

Onions - Rick saw a bundle for a $1. He thought that he would try them. They have produced the cutest little onions. With the tomatoes, we make a great salsa thanks to Sarah and Rebecca experimenting with last year's crop.

Zucchini - One plant was giving us a zucchini about every three days. The perfect amount. In one day the plant went from healthy to dead. We found one worm that hollowed out the stem near the root. It was a tragedy to Rebecca our zucchini lover.

Blackberries - We planted a few roots last year. They have filled their space. Berries come on the second year plant. This was our first year. We received enough to make a few cobblers. We learned that you have to compete with the birds. We created a net for protection.

Strawberries - We started with a few starts from a church friend. They also filled their space in a year. We were able to get four large mixing bowls of berries before the birds discovered them. After the birds found them we couldn't even get a single berry to eat. Next year we will need to throw a net over the blackberries and strawberries.

Green onions - The seeds were small and I forgot to tell Rebecca that I planted some. Being disguised as weeds (we have problems with wild garlic) many didn't survive. Those that did tasted great.

Radishes - Came up quickly and were very good. They were over with before most plants began to even grow.

Lettuce (green leaf) - gave us salad everyday for about 1.5 months. However, when it got very hot they turned bitter. We will try planting a second crop in September

Lettuce (iceberg) - these never came to a head. We will not plant them again.

Peppers (green, banana, jalapeno) - they seem to do well in the heat. Last year the green peppers began to look like banana peppers. This year I don't think they cross pollinated.

Blueberry bushes - we lost one. The other two are struggling. We are trying to create a more alkaline soil. We will see if that helps.

Fruit trees - We lost a peach tree because we didn't protect it against the weed eater. Our nectarine tree produces a lot of fruit for the birds and insects. We have yet to enjoy any. I need to remedy that. Our two apple trees are slow to produce.