A Slice of Texas - Practical preparedness, homesteading skills, food storage, emergency readiness, and everyday self-reliance from a Texas perspective.
I found this treasure at my local library for $1 in the used book section. A very handy guide on organic gardening. The author shares his philosophy on organic gardening, healthy soil, beneficial insects, and why even weeds can have a place in a balanced garden.
Book available still on Amazon I'm an Amazon affiliate and earn a small commission at no cost to you.
Why I Prefer Organic Gardening
The longer I garden, the more I appreciate working with nature instead of trying to control every insect and weed. A healthy garden is full of life. Bees pollinate flowers, ladybugs help control aphids, lizards feed on insects, and birds become natural pest managers. Every season reminds me that a balanced ecosystem often does a better job than chemicals ever could.
Organic gardening doesn't mean a garden will be perfect. There will always be weeds to pull and insects to manage, but I've found that encouraging beneficial wildlife creates a healthier and more enjoyable place to garden. Watching butterflies, bees, birds, and lizards become part of the garden is every bit as rewarding as harvesting vegetables.
For me, gardening isn't just about growing food. It's about becoming a better steward of the little piece of land I've been given and allowing nature to work alongside me whenever possible.
This video was really motivating about how gardening requires good stewardship in handling outdoor pests. When left alone, nature takes care of itself! If you're even thinking about organic gardening, watch this video! This man's garden is amazing and I really like his perspectives.
For a natural and more effective way of handling unwanted pests, Diatomaceous (pronounced - die-uh-toe-may-she-us) earth, can be used as a barrier around your home to prevent unwanted guests. This is of course, the BEST remedy, rather than using poisons that will harm ourselves, pets, and our environment. Diatomaceous Earth can be purchased at Lowe's, or your local feedstores. Some brands come in food grade, and is used for cattle consumption to ward off unwanted parasites, etc. I wouldn't use this on my plants, as the last thing I'd want to do is kill off the essential bugs - Lady Bugs, Praying Mantis, Beetles, Bees, etc.
Corn! This is the organic gourmet popcorn that I had purchased from an Amish store. Check out the miniature ears.
I have a bunch of reeds (bamboo-like) growing in my backyard, and these have served wonderfully as tall sticks for my pole beans. What I hadn't expected was the reeds to propagate! From all the watering, the reeds are now growing new leaves and enjoying their new home with the beans. I'm thinking that what I'll probably do is allow the potted reeds to continue growing, and use these for shrubbery and screens around my home. Of course in pots! Unfortunately, the reeds that are growing against my fence like to spread into my neighbor's yard! :(
Another reason why I refuse to use poison in my yard. Lizards! These are my garden's best friend. It's been a few years since we've fanatically sprayed our yard with poisons, and mosquito sprays. In some cases, we would hook up the garden hose and spray every week or so! (shudder) It is safe to say that the health of my yard is finally bouncing back. Each year my garden is improving.
My peas are blooming!
Some of my pole beans. Next year, I have plans to grow several more pots of these, doubling the size of my garden.
We are at the end of August and I can sense fall in the air, even though the temps are averaging 100 degrees. Last week, we were teased with a few cool mornings. I'm really looking forward to shutting the pool down, and just focusing on a winter garden, opening my windows, and baking fresh bread!
One of the most rewarding parts of gardening is saving seeds from healthy, productive plants. Allowing seeds to dry completely before storing them in a cool, dry location can help preserve them for future growing seasons. Seed saving not only saves money but also allows gardeners to continue growing varieties that have performed well in their own backyard.
Gardening Is Full of Challenges
Every growing season brings its own surprises. Some years it's drought, other years it's excessive rain, insects, or hungry wildlife. While it's disappointing to lose part of a crop, I've learned that gardening is as much about patience as it is about harvesting vegetables. Every season teaches something new and helps make next year's garden even better.
Even with a few setbacks, there is nothing quite like slicing into a homegrown melon that was picked fresh from the garden. Moments like that make all the hard work worthwhile.
I was forced to pick my melon early. Thankfully the Galian Israeli melons will continue RIPENING after being picked, unlike a watermelon. I also harvested a mini cantaloupe as well.
Obviously a very hungry and annoying creature likes my melon's too :(
:(
The last of the Mohicans. Undecided on whether I should just go ahead and pick it now, or see if it can survive a few more days on the vine.
The cantaloupe.
One of the surviving melons.
Delicious!
Saving seeds! Non-hybrid
After rinsed, the seeds will dry naturally in the greenhouse. Afterwards, they will be stored in a cool dry place.
This is what I'm battling. The garden seems to have reached the end of its first season. Growing (producing) has slowed down, if not completely stopped. My opinion is that it's the weather. The nights barely cool down, and we need rain. Lots and lots of it! Hoping for cooler weather!
I'm enthralled with the Asparagus - yardlong beans! They can grow 3 feet or more. Curious as to why these are growing faster than my other bean plants, I reread the seed packet and realized this bean variety LOVES sweltering hot weather.
Why I Love Growing Yardlong Beans
Yardlong beans, sometimes called asparagus beans or snake beans, are one of the best vegetables I've grown during a hot Texas summer. Unlike many garden crops that struggle through extended periods of heat, these beans seem to thrive when temperatures climb.
Despite their name, yardlong beans usually grow between 18 and 30 inches long, although some varieties can grow even longer under ideal conditions. The pods are tender when harvested young and can be enjoyed fresh in stir-fries, soups, and many Asian-inspired dishes.
Gardening Through the Texas Heat
Texas summers can be tough on a vegetable garden. Tomatoes often slow their production, lettuce bolts quickly, and many cool-season crops simply give up. That's why it's helpful to include heat-loving vegetables like yardlong beans, peppers, melons, and okra. Choosing crops that naturally enjoy hot weather can help extend the harvest even during the hottest months of the year.
Every growing season teaches me something new. Sometimes the biggest surprise isn't which plants struggle—it's discovering the vegetables that absolutely love the Texas heat.
Check out the bean on the right. It's too long for me to fit in the picture. I'm totally in love with this plant!
My cantaloupes have been battling the heat, but so far, I've spied two healthy melons.
My best plant so far is the Galia Israeli melons. I have several melons on the vine. You can see how they've changed since my last post. Once they turn yellow, they're ripe.
Bell Peppers are doing well.
This is the Fajita Bell variety. The red bell peppers are hotter than my Serrano, and Jalapeno peppers!
My onions are sprouting. This is the batch I had purchased from Whole Foods to grow my own. I have found it's sometimes cheaper to buy organic non-hybrid vegetables to cultivate my own seeds. This way not only do I get fresh vegetables out of the deal, but also more than enough seeds to save for years to come. The plant beside my onions to your left, I've forgotten what I planted. Don't you just hate that? I tend to do that a lot -- go nuts with the planting and forget where everything went.
~
My tomato plants are just plain not producing. I'm hoping that once things cool down, they will take off in the fall! This past week, I planted several pea plants, Malabar spinach, Kentucky pole beans, some more Zucchini, and for companion plants (to share pots with other veggies) I planted carrots and radishes.
