Basic Organic Gardening

Spring is not the only time to plant in Central Texas. Many people are unaware of the fabulous fall planting season due to our mild winters. Some even claim that fall is the best time to plant in this region. February-March and September-October are the two prime planting times but you can plant and harvest something nearly year-round here! In order to make the most of both planting seasons, below are some helpful suggestions on how to start and manage an organic food garden. Suggestion #1: start small! You can always expand when you're ready.

Preparing Garden Beds

• Make sure soil is moist before beginning; it's easier to work when the ground is soft.
• Loosen the soil with a spading fork. Be careful not to step on the turned soil, so you do not compact the ground you have just loosened.
• Remove grass roots and weeds with seedpods from each forkful as you dig it up and break it apart.
• Decide where to place pathways. Be sure you can comfortably reach all areas of the bed from the pathways.
• Dig a trench for each pathway by shoveling loose soil out of the pathway and onto the beds.
• Place newspaper or cardboard, then 4-6" of mulch, leaves, or hay over pathways to help prevent weeds from reemerging.
• Add 4-6" of compost to each garden bed, working in into the top 3" of soil with a spading fork.

Compost

Compost is the end product of a natural process that turns leaves, weeds, grass clippings, food scraps, and other organic matter into a dark, crumbly, soil-like substance. Compost provides numerous benefits for the garden by adding nutrients to the soil. It enhances soil aeration and water retention and helps prevent erosion.

A compost pile needs four elements to successfully decompose: carbon, nitrogen, water and air. This can be achieved by layering green matter (e.g. food scraps, lawn clippings) in between layers of brown matter (e.g. leaves, paper, yard waste) and then watering it. A successful compost pile will be 30-50% green matter and 50-70% brown matter.

Turning a compost pile and adding water until the pile is as moist as a squeezed-out sponge isn't necessary, but will help speed up the decomposition process. Compost is ready to add to gardens when its ingredients are no longer identifiable. It is best to sift compost through a screen before spreading it on your garden beds.

Planting

• Follow recommendations on the seed packets for seed spacing and sunlight.
• During germination, keep the soil in your garden beds moist.
• Once plants emerge, thin your garden by pulling out plants that are crowded together.

Recommended Vegetable Varieties for Travis County* (DOC)
Vegetable Planting Calendar for Travis County* (PDF)

Watering

• Water needs vary depending upon the plant.
• It is better to soak your garden infrequently than to water it frequently, but lightly. This helps plants develop deep roots.
• WATER PLANTS AND SEEDS RIGHT AFTER PLANTING.
• Water beds gently using a spray nozzle so that you do not wash your seeds away or damage your plants.
• A layer of organic material such as compost and mulch around plants will help to prevent evaporation.

Mulch

Mulch is a layer of nonliving material that covers the soil surface around plants. Mulch helps inhibit weed growth and improve soil moisture retention. It also helps insulate plant roots from cold in the winter and heat in the summer. Materials such as compost, hay, leaves, chopped up wood, newspaper, or burlap sacks can be used to mulch.

Weeding

• Hand-pull weeds as much as possible.
• Mulch all bare soil in beds to prevent weeds from growing in those areas.
• Feed your soil with compost to improve soil health—healthy soil helps prevent weeds.
• DO NOT use synthetic herbicides.

Controlling Pests and Diseases

Not all bugs in the garden are bad. Observe your garden frequently to find out what changes are occurring and what bugs might be living there. Often insects and diseases are signs that a plant is not growing in the ideal condition. If you start to notice the following symptoms on your plants, your garden may need attention.

• Chewed up leaves, or leaves with holes in them
• Black spots, mildew, or yellowed leaves

Consider handpicking harmful insects off of plants, try soaps and sprays, or introduce beneficial insects. The best method for dealing with pest and disease problems is to improve the soil. See resources for help distinguishing between harmful and beneficial insects.