My first garden and some questions

I find myself going overboard buying seeds, etc., This will be my first attempt at a garden, and I am building a 4 x 8.

So I noticed that with summer squash, they recommend covering it to help control insects. What kind of cover? Also here in South Texas, the sun is pretty brutal come July/August. Do I need to get some shade cloth? Will that still let enough full sun thru for tomatoes, etc?

This is my list for my 4 x 8 garden. Is there anything in this list that you experienced gardners think a newbie may be challenged with? Thanks for all your help and shared experience. I LOVE this forum ... TejasTerry

tomatoes, both heirloom and a few hybrids, i.e. Porter, Arkansas Traveler and a few cherry tomatoes for hot climates

summer squash
tomatios
bell pepper
cucumber
eggplant
okra
swiss chard
cilantro
peppers
beans (bush)
radishes

I think any cool season veggie will be a challenge in the Texas Hill Country after about Memorial Day....maybe sooner. Summer veggies should be fine. However, remember tomatoes don't set fruit well when temps get above 90°.

As for buying seeds, don't worry. Just read up on Mel's seed saving concept in the book.

TejasTerry wrote:I find myself going overboard buying seeds, etc., This will be my first attempt at a garden, and I am building a 4 x 8.

So I noticed that with summer squash, they recommend covering it to help control insects. What kind of cover? Also here in South Texas, the sun is pretty brutal come July/August. Do I need to get some shade cloth? Will that still let enough full sun thru for tomatoes, etc?

This is my list for my 4 x 8 garden. Is there anything in this list that you experienced gardners think a newbie may be challenged with? Thanks for all your help and shared experience. I LOVE this forum ... TejasTerry

tomatoes, both heirloom and a few hybrids, i.e. Porter, Arkansas Traveler and a few cherry tomatoes for hot climates

summer squash
tomatios
bell pepper
cucumber
eggplant
okra
swiss chard
cilantro
peppers
beans (bush)
radishes

No corn or Peas you sure your from Texas??



When the seed package say full sun "they are not talking to us in Texas,they mean full sun in early spring ( before end of March) then they mean shady cover until you plant a fall crop in Sept. fall crop can go back to fullsun,look outside in the moring and see where your am sun is now,remember that because in March or Apr. I'll ask again you will see what I'm talking about then:scratch: :scratch: holy smoke way didn't I think of that . every thing doesn't come from a book when your dealing with a living thing

Ok so I need to plan on some shade cloth. I just cut down some big cedar trees to get some sunny areas in the back yard....now covering it back up ..:scratch: But that makes sense.



I don't do peas (yet) or corn. I'm more into hot peppers and cilantro....I'm a white girl with a mexican soul...

You should try culantro, from what I understand it's easier to store and isn't as sensitive to heat. I'm hoping to grow some this year, although I have so many seeds left over that I struggle to justify buying more, but they're cheap, right? Here's a link to organic seeds on Amazon: culantro seed

Wow! I had never heard of that. Cilantro does bolt amazingly fast in the heat. I found this in Wikipedia (which we all know is 100% accurate but in this instance I will give it the benefit of the doubt.

Eryngium foetidum is a tropical perennial and annual herb in the family Apiaceae. It is native to Mexico and South America but is cultivated worldwide. In the United States, where it is not well known, the name culantro sometimes causes confusion with Coriandrum sativum (also in Apiaceae), the leaves of which are known as cilantro, and which culantro is said to taste like.^[1]

[edit] Common names


In English-speaking Caribbean Countries Eryngium foetidum is also referred to as shadon, shado beni (or shadow benny), or bandhania. Other English common names include: Recao (Puerto Rico), cilantro ancho (Dominican Republic), long, wild, or Mexican coriander, fitweed, spiritweed, duck-tongue herb, sawtooth or saw-leaf herb, sawtooth coriander.

[edit] Uses


[edit] Culinary



Eryngium foetidum foliage





E. foetidum is widely used in seasoning and marinating in the Caribbean, particularly in Trinidad and Tobago. It is also used extensively in Thailand, India, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia as a culinary herb. This variety of coriander dries well, retaining good color and flavor, making it valuable in the dried herb industry. It is sometimes used as a substitute for cilantro, but it has a much stronger taste.

In the United States, Eryngium foetidum grows naturally in Florida, Georgia, Hawai'i, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.^[2] It is sold in grocery stores as a culinary herb under the common names; "culantro" (pronounced /kuːˈlɑːntroʊ/) and/or "recao" (pronounced |re:`kow|).

I definently have cilantro on my list. I hate buying it in the stores because I'll only use a little, and then the whole bunch goes to waste. I guess I could try drying it...I should do that. I wonder if worms like cilantro? I will be getting my worm farm going in a few weeks.

We are taking a trip to Vegas next week (I play poker), and as soon as we get back, going to start building the boxes. I'll be starting my seeds indoors soon, so need to find the medium vermiculite for that. I have no problem finding the course here in my area.

Thanks!

TejasTerry

TejasTerry wrote:I definently have cilantro on my list. I hate buying it in the stores because I'll only use a little, and then the whole bunch goes to waste. I guess I could try drying it...I should do that. I wonder if worms like cilantro? I will be getting my worm farm going in a few weeks.

TejasTerry

Cilantro does not keep its flavor well when dried, but from what I have read, Culantro does. I have Cilantro that grows wild in my garden (has reseeded itself WELL) but I think I am adding Culantro this year so I can save some dried.

GG

Goosegirl wrote:

TejasTerry wrote:I definently have cilantro on my list. I hate buying it in the stores because I'll only use a little, and then the whole bunch goes to waste. I guess I could try drying it...I should do that. I wonder if worms like cilantro? I will be getting my worm farm going in a few weeks.

TejasTerry

Cilantro does not keep its flavor well when dried, but from what I have read, Culantro does. I have Cilantro that grows wild in my garden (has reseeded itself WELL) but I think I am adding Culantro this year so I can save some dried.

GG

Has anyone tried freezing it? Does it preserve more flavor? Hmm, I have some frozen out in the garden, I suppose I could go give it a try...

I've grown medicinal & culinary herbs for years so I'd think that cilantro would be okay when frozen. It doesn't have as much water in the cells as something like a garlic so there should be much less flavor loss. If anyone tries it let me know. I can't stand cilantro (growing up in South Texas did in my desires for that herb) but knowledge is always useful.

Rhianna78 wrote: knowledge is always useful.

+1

Rhianna78 wrote:I've grown medicinal & culinary herbs for years so I'd think that cilantro would be okay when frozen. It doesn't have as much water in the cells as something like a garlic so there should be much less flavor loss. If anyone tries it let me know. I can't stand cilantro (growing up in South Texas did in my desires for that herb) but knowledge is always useful.

Cilantro:

A little bit is good
A bit more is okay
Too much gives a grassy flavor....

My husband hates cliantro...so I was hoping that by growing it in the garden, I could pinch off a little here and there for enhancing my food.

On another note, I have so much to learn. I went to Gardenville today to buy some vermiculite to start my seeds indoors. I thought I would ask the guy a few questions, like, do I really need shade cloth for my garden here in S. Texas....he looks at me like I'm an idiot and says, "well, you'll find out this summer if you need it or not, won't you?"...Uhhhh, sorry for asking....

TejasTerry wrote:My husband hates cliantro...so I was hoping that by growing it in the garden, I could pinch off a little here and there for enhancing my food.

On another note, I have so much to learn. I went to Gardenville today to buy some vermiculite to start my seeds indoors. I thought I would ask the guy a few questions, like, do I really need shade cloth for my garden here in S. Texas....he looks at me like I'm an idiot and says, "well, you'll find out this summer if you need it or not, won't you?"...Uhhhh, sorry for asking....

Shade cloth - depends upon what you are growing... I didn't use them through the summer here in the DFW area - grew hot peppers, sweet peppers, eggplants, okra, tomatoes, sweet potatoes... my sweet peppers, egg plants, and big tomatoes didn't set any fruit during the heat - but my most of my hot peppers and cherry tomatoes did. My okra grew like something out of Jack and the beanstalk - I planted eight plants - three of them ended up being dominant and shading the others. The three big ones grew to nine feet tall... I had to gently bend the top 3 feet over to cut the okra from up there... next year I will lop off the plant at about 3-4 feet so that it creates more secondary branches and plant half as many plants

ashort wrote:

TejasTerry wrote:My husband hates cliantro...so I was hoping that by growing it in the garden, I could pinch off a little here and there for enhancing my food.

On another note, I have so much to learn. I went to Gardenville today to buy some vermiculite to start my seeds indoors. I thought I would ask the guy a few questions, like, do I really need shade cloth for my garden here in S. Texas....he looks at me like I'm an idiot and says, "well, you'll find out this summer if you need it or not, won't you?"...Uhhhh, sorry for asking....

Shade cloth - depends upon what you are growing... I didn't use them through the summer here in the DFW area - grew hot peppers, sweet peppers, eggplants, okra, tomatoes, sweet potatoes... my sweet peppers, egg plants, and big tomatoes didn't set any fruit during the heat - but my most of my hot peppers and cherry tomatoes did. My okra grew like something out of Jack and the beanstalk - I planted eight plants - three of them ended up being dominant and shading the others. The three big ones grew to nine feet tall... I had to gently bend the top 3 feet over to cut the okra from up there... next year I will lop off the plant at about 3-4 feet so that it creates more secondary branches and plant half as many plants

I will be growing about the same veggies you mentioned. Guess I will wait and see how hot it gets this summer. I'll remember that about the okra. I remember growing up in San Antonio, my mom always had more okra than anything else in her garden. That and Swiss Chard. Yummy....