This article is part of a series in Summer 2012 in the pages of Green Source DFW covering landscaping and sustainable and organic gardening. For more see -     

Tips on Firewise Landscaping or 

Advice on Making Composting Part of Your Gardening Plan     

By Minnie Payne     

Though North Texas has already endured blisteringly high temperatures, Wednesday was the first official day of summer. While the Old Farmer’s Almanac states that the best time to start an organic garden is after Good Friday or the last frost, any time during the summer months that the “green thumb bug” bites you and you yearn for mouth-watering home-grown produce can act as the right time.  And according to Master Gardener Ray Powers with the Dallas County Extension Service, when you’re eating healthy popular vegetables in two to three months, you’ll be glad you made the effort.

As with any successful project, you need a plan.  How big is your garden plot, and how much time do you have to take care of the plot?  The larger the garden space, the more work you have to do.  Does your spot drain well, and is it accessible to water?  Is it sunny or shady?  Vegetables need full sunlight.  If you’re planting from seed, buy quality climate oriented seed and simply follow the directions on the package; the same thing goes for transplants. 

The first thing you want to do is clear your space of all weeds, digging them up until you’re sure they’re all gone.

If you will send your county extension office a soil sample, they will test it for you.  When you get the results back, you’ll know how much nitrogen, phosphorus and/or potassium to add.  Some areas of Texas are famous for clay soil and if this is the case, you may need to add an inch of sharp sand. 

About a month before you plant and after all the weeds have been removed, mulch with shredded pine bark or other organic material. 

During the winter months, if you’ll start a compost pile, using leaves, grass clippings, other yard debris, and kitchen waste, it will serve as an excellent/natural fertilizer. 

The beauty and joy of gardening is spending time each day scratching out weeds before they take over and watching out for insects and diseases so they don’t become a problem.

A stitch in time saves nine and if you see a problem developing, contact your county extension agent or local garden club.

The prevention of pesticides, of course, is prohibited in organic gardening and here again, your county extension agent or local garden club can help you.  We read and see every day about eating food that has been exposed to potentially harmful chemicals and what it does to our bodies.  It’s no wonder that according to a 2008 USDA report, 372 certified organic farms existed in Texas and 14,540 in the United States.

Collecting the seed of any plant, whether a vegetable, flower, herb, tree or shrub, completes a cycle that begun when the initial seed was planted.  Ancient practices in growing and collecting seeds have played a critical role over generations in the preservation of food, medicine, fiber, fuel and ornamental plants.  Saving seed and replanting them in your garden from year to year allows future plants to adapt to your particular location. 

Minnie Payne is the food reporter for Green Source DFW, focusing on DFW stories that include agriculture, the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, sustainable wines, green grocers, community gardens, green restaurants, etc. She’s open to all food story suggestions from readers. She was a writer for Pegasus News and presently freelances for Living Magazine and Frisco Style Magazine. She can be reached a tjdpmap@verizon.net