Yesterday I received the
2010 Burpee Seed Catalogue in the mail, and I got jazzed about my garden. Purusing all the wonderful varieties, imagining the bounty sure to stock my kitchen, sure that everything will look
exactly like the pictures in the book!
But probably not, which is why this year I've decided to scale back to just the veggies that I enjoy the most and that thrive in our extreme climate: tomatoes, peppers, and zucchini mainly.
Well, that's not all actually - I'll also grow onions, spinach, lettuce, kale, swiss chard, and a variety of herbs including Italian parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, lavender, and probably some other stuff I'll no doubt be tempted to stick in the ground.
But the tomatoes, peppers, and zuchini will get the bulk of my garden real estate this year. There are lots of other great fruits and veggies to grow in our area, but these are the ones I enjoy the most and traditionally have the easiest time with.
While waiting for the temperatures to warm up (and for the snow to melt! Can you believe that??), there's still lots you can do to prepare your garden for spring.
How about turbo-charging the soil for starters?
My favorite gardening book of all time is
The Vegetable Gardener's Bible by Ed Smith. Although Ed lives up north, his tips are practical for any climate. Ed inspired me to try "no-till" gardening for weed control, improved soil conditions, and better crop producion.
I was fortunate enough to "steal" my parents' compost tumbler...
... which expedites (and contains) my compost production. There it is on the right next to some extra mulch (which is a flattened pile because my dog likes to sleep on it) and my leaf mold bin.
After removing the dead stuff from the garden (throw it in your compost pile!), put down a nice layer of compost and top it with a good layer of organic mulch. I use the
free mulch that is available through the
City of Lubbock Recycling Center.
It's not a must, but I also topped it all off with a layer of black plastic to help warm the soil underneath. Here's what it looks like now.
During the cold winter months, the compost will enrich the soil, and the mulch (organic and plastic) will help to retain moisture and regulate the ground temperature. All of this allows worms to do their job - breaking down organic matter and aerating the soil through the small tunnels they create. If the soil temperatures fluctuate too rapidly, worms risk freezing at night (they can't move down through the soil fast enough to escape freezing temperatures) - and dead worms can't do their job! The same concept applies to mulching in the summer time during which scorching afternoon temperatures can also be detrimental to worm health.
By the way, that purple ratty looking mess in the front is swiss chard that I left in place to help protect my Italian parsley (the green stuff) which seems to be overwintering a bit. This is the first year that I've grown the parsley, and I wasn't sure what it would do in the winter time. At least there's enough alive for me to have a little for cooking - delicious!
