Planting a Fall Garden in Texas
Are you feeling the urge to grow your own food? Me too! And the urge to grow more just keeps growing. Empty store shelves, rising prices and government instability give me the push I need to teach you what I know about gardening so that you too can grow your own food.
Get your garden beds ready. Pull out any old plants that are no longer producing, pull weeds and nurture your soil. What does nurture your soil mean? If you are using a deep mulch method of gardening your garden is naturally, organically feeding itself. Just add on more mulch where it’s needed. If not, you may need to add on a layer of organic compost or a good quality organic fertilizer.
Decide what vegetables, fruit and trees you're going to plant this season. Fall is the perfect season for planting trees, shrubs, perennials, vegetables and fruits. When choosing food to plant for your family, choose what your family likes. Don’t go buy every vegetable on the list, that’s a waste of your time and your money. Buy what your family will eat. The list above is everything you can grow this fall in Texas, start there.
Purchase any mulch or compost that you may need. You must be careful to get good quality compost, made from natural materials that will feed your garden. The same goes for mulch or wood chips. Get the good stuff. I have more information on deep mulch gardening, my preferred method, HERE. One option for both compost and mulch is your local dump or recycling center. This is a very affordable option if you aren’t able to find good quality materials in your area.
Make a plan. Where in your beds will you plant each vegetable or fruit? What companion plants fit into the plan and where? Planning all of this ahead of time will save you so much work later. Choosing the right companion plants for your fruit and vegetables will help naturally fertilize them and help keep pests away. Gardening this way helps me tremendously! You can learn more about Companion Planting HERE.
