Hello from San Antonio TX

My name is Ben, I have just started the SFG method and am glad to see so many other people interested in it as well.

Hi Ben and welcome to the Forum.

I was born at Lackland AFB, went to Basic Training there and then was stationed in that area for 13 months. We owned our first house there. Good memories.

Have you had the chance to get your copy of the All New Square Foot Gardening book yet? It is FABULOUS!

You should have a lot of fun here on the Forum.

Kim

Welcome! I'm a few hours south of you. I'm starting on my third year of SFG and loving it!

I do have a copy of Mel's book, but it is the 1981 edition....

My grandfather was always gardening and I grew up picking peas it seemed. He always had a traditional garden that seemed to put out more and more every year. I was surprised when I found this book in his library of how to manuals. So I figured, my wife and I have changed our diet to an 80 % or so veg diet, the farmers market here is pretty good but still supplies from commercial outlets ( which kinda defeats the purpose of going) so even though eating out less and eating less meat and dairy has helped our health and wallet, I want to take it even further. My plan, since we have a small yard, is to eventually offset our weekly fruit and vegetable expense by 50%.

Because we are getting a late start, we were not able to start everything from seed and have had to buy a few sprouts and plan to add more later. I have started a few fast growers from seed today though. lettuce and cucumbers.

We go through A LOT of carrots, cucumbers, and tomatoes, kale, and spinach. Second by broccolli, sugar snap peas, celery, and lettuce. If I can grow these in abundance all i have to buy is fruit. Oranges apples, etc. Eventually my mother wants to start a small orchard in her large yard though. So here's to hopin'!

I'm thinking that with your climate, and with the help of one of the cloches on your bed(s), you might be able to grow some of those veggies year 'round. Lettuce, carrots, parsnips, cole crops, green onions all come to mind.

yep, I plan on having cattle panel for 16 squares on the back of the beds and the fence, and planting a lot of carrots and lettuce and cucumbers. Im thinking late November to late February may be the only time the garden is not producing much, but Im open to any ideas for winter crops for south Texas. Especially if they juice well.

I used the original method too - and really resisted changing.

LOL then when I DID change, I wondered why I was so stubborn.

If you can get a copy of the All New book (maybe at the library) you'll see just how much simpler it is.

LOL Forgot to tell you that I'm going to do a double take very time I see your name. The town next to mine is . . . Linthicum.

Hi Ben,

I'm at Canyon Lake. Work in San Antonio and was raised there.

This is also my first year gardening, and I thought the SFG was the way to go, as we have solid rock up here at the lake...so raised beds seemed the best thing.

I did get my seedlings going early this year, and have a lot of heirloom tomatoes, tons of peppers too. If you need plants, let me know in a few weeks and I can hook you up.. (assuming everything keeps going so well, lol)

This is a cool forum, I have learned lots.

You must be in Maryland. I believe it was established by Raleigh Linthicum, the first known immigrant to use this spelling of the name. Ironic that I lived in Raleigh NC for many years.

Thanks
So far so good, there is definately no shortage of tomatoes and peppers in the market. we went looking for more sprouted plants today and it seems that is about all there is. we happened across one broccoli sprout and some strawberries but are going to have to seed the rest.

Welcome I'm not sure of your zone but here in zone 9a I grow lettuce, spinach, chard, collards,mustard,brussel sprouts, and peas in the winter.

Just wanted to post an updated picture of our first garden. Im so proud of it. I have an ongoing fight with cut worms and other pesky insects, but I did manage to attract several lady bugs that are helping with some mite-looking things on the okra. Found some organic iron phosphate for the cutworms/catapillars. Seems to work but have to reapply after a few waterings. The holes in the leaves start reappearing.

Does anyone know how long it takes for carrots to grow? I have a bunch planted but they are still only about an inch long, but the green part looks mature.

Seems everything has been taking off, not producing much, just a lot of growth.

I have harvested broc. and looks like the spinach is about ready. Thought I would have okra and tomatoes by now, but no such luck they are just starting to bud and I have small little tomatoes (still green)

Hi Ben:

I have visited San Antonio twice, once in 1982 when my DH and I went to the wedding of an American friend of ours based at Lackland, and I went again in 1982 so I know what your climate is like. The second time was in late April and I left the snows of British Columbia for the 72F heat of S.A. What a contrast.

Look forward to seeing your progress.

Thanks!

We have been getting tons of rain the last few days, very atypical for us here this time of year but I welcome it. It always seems rain does a better job than watering from the hose with city water. Could be the pH or has more nutrients or just no chlorimines, I'm not sure.

Wow, still had snow in April? How far north in BC were you? Or is that normal for all of BC?

If you ever want to come back down and sweat a few pounds off and find out what a tan is, San Antonio welcomes all our international neighbors.

Welcome!

I'm in Austin. Not sure what conditions are like in San Antonio at the moment, but keep an eye for fungus in your garden. I've been having all kinds of trouble in mine and took some leaf samples to the nursery. Almost every single plant was diagnosed with fungal infections.

As for the cutworms, I've found the Bt works very well. We had a HUGE infestation several weeks back. One application solved the problem for about a month. I'm starting to see the next generation of cutworms coming out, so I'll be reapplying this weekend. If it ever stops raining.../sigh.

Best of luck!