Hunt County Master GardenersTexas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Greenhouses

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Greenhouses by June Morgan

The growing of plants in a covered house or artificial conditions is essentially a northern hemisphere phenomenon, and the first attempts go back to early classical times. At first were only simple unheated orangeries for protecting citrus fruit, but by the 17th century these had reached a fair degree of perfection. The unheated orangeries were followed by conservatories for protecting tender plants and became the greenhouses of today.

The three major types of greenhouses are the lean-to, the attached and the freestanding. The lean-to is usually small, and opening from an existing house window. Its major drawbacks are a lack of space and a tendency to heat up and cool off more rapidly than desired. The attached greenhouse is an extension of one’s home and often incorporates a living or seating area into the larger space. It provides more control over humidity and ventilation. The freestanding greenhouse is unattached on all four sides. More expensive to construct, it offers maximum light and the best control. In very cold weather it might be a challenge to get out to a freestanding structure, while having it attached can utilize the house electricity and water systems.

The gardener’s first decisions are what he wants his greenhouse to do and where he wants to do it. Will there be raised beds using the ground soil and/or containers on the floor and shelves? Will it be primarily a place to winter plants, start seedlings, raise food, or, at different times, all of these tasks? Since just one greenhouse cannot do everything at once, scheduling according to the seasons and needs of the plants is at least, a partial answer.

Three main types of greenhouse environments are cool, warm, and tropical. The cool season is from mid October to mid March. Then, leafy lettuce and roots thrive between freezing and 50 degrees. This is the time to start seeds. If too early, the seedlings will suffer from transplant shock, be root bound and stunted. If too late, there will not be enough roots to handle the transplant stress. Both warming and grow lights can be raised and lowered to augment the light and temperature by suspending them from the ceiling with chains and S hooks.  Some seeds, like peppers, require extra heat in order to sprout, so thermometers and humidistats are useful tools.

As the temperature warms, the greenhouse can be a resting place for tender plants waiting for the last frost date before planting outside. Before transplanting, pick off the blooms and harden plants gradually by giving them just enough water and fertilizer to keep them going. When the really hot weather arrives, consider putting most things outside in a protected place with watering easily available unless the energy bills are of little matter. Fans and shading help, but most people abandon the greenhouse until later.

Fall is the time to bring in small healthy annuals and non -hardy citrus, plumeria, etc. for overwintering, being careful not to bring in pests. The greenhouse should have been washed down and cleaned of extraneous material such as spider webs and made ready for the new cycle of planting.

Excellent books that go into much more detail about building, measuring light, plant choices, etc. include GREENHOUSE GARDENER’S COMPANION by Shane Smith, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF THE GREENHOUSE by Ian G. Walls, and ORTHO’S ALL ABOUT GREENHOUSES.

 

The gardener should not think it mandatory to fill the greenhouse with everything possible or hard to maintain exotics. It is there for  gardeners’ enjoyment on their terms.

 

Rainwater Harvesting

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Rainwater Harvesting by Kim Quimby

Rainwater Harvesting is becoming more popular for many reasons, but the number one reason is to save money. You can save money by collecting and storing rainwater and using it to irrigate your trees, shrubs and lawns.

Efficient water use is increasingly important to Texas. With the state’s limited supply of both groundwater and surface water, Texans must use water wisely. Rainwater harvesting is an innovative approach anyone can use.

Rainwater harvesting captures, diverts and stores rainwater for later use. In many communities, 30 to 50 percent of the total water is used for landscape irrigation. If that demand for a limited natural resource can be reduced, everyone benefits.

Harvesting rainwater for use in the landscape saves you money by reducing your water bills. It also reduces demand on the municipal water supply, makes efficient use of a valuable resource, and reduces flooding, erosion and the contamination of surface water with sediments, fertilizers and pesticides in rainfall run-off.

Rainwater is good for plants because it is free of salts and other minerals that harm root growth. As rainwater percolates into the soil, it forces salts down and away from root zones, allowing roots to grow better and making plants more drought tolerant.

Rainwater harvesting can be used both in large-scale landscapes, such as parks, schools, commercial sites, parking lots and apartment complexes, and in small residential landscapes. Whether you landscapes large or small, developed or new, installing a rainwater harvesting system can help you save money on your water bills while reducing the demand on the municipal water supply.

For more information on designing and building rainwater harvesting system, go to http://rainwaterharvesting.tamu.edu/

Square Foot Gardening

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Square Foot Gardening by Pat Abramson

Don’t like getting your hands dirty, but love those homegrown veggies?  Don’t like bending or kneeling to tend your garden?  Don’t like to sweat much?  Hate having to be out in the sun longer than you have to?  You can order or build a waist-high garden bed  put on legs with wheels so your back and knees won’t complain.  The “square foot gardening” method allows you to plant 16 different vegetables or annuals in a small plot a little bigger than a card table!  The method is billed as “planting 5x as much in 1/5 the space, cutting watering at least in half, and eliminating weeding.

Square foot gardening requires no tilling.  No need to even use your own (disappointing!) soil.  If you don’t want to build or order the waist-high garden bed, you can create a bed ON TOP OF your own soil in an area no bigger than 4’ x 4’.  You only plant what you want to eat (or can, or give away).

An engineer and efficiency expert, Mel Bartholomew’s book “All New Square Foot Gardening” book explains why you may want to rethink planting in long rows that create too many weeds that produce more than you can eat, and where you thin or throw away 90% of what you plant.

Mel’s only tool need is a trowel.   “Mel’s (soil) mix” is equal parts of compost, peat moss, and vermiculite.  (In our area, NK Lawn & Garden Seeding Mix will work better).

Preferably close to the house, your garden “box” plot will be 4’ x 4’ on each side,  6” deep.  Want to plant more than 16 varieties of veggies or annuals?  If so, space each additional box 3’ apart from each other.  Wet 5 – 6 layers of newspaper on the bottom of your box, then fill it with the modified Mel’s mix described above.  (If you’re installing a waist-high box to eliminate bending or kneeling, make sure to drill holes in the bottom of the box for drainage.)

 

Place on top of each box frame a permanent “grid” that divides the box into one-foot squares.  This grid is what makes the whole system work.  (Use wood, string, or even Venetian blinds.)  Secure your grid to the sides & bolt them where they cross.)  You now have 16 squares for up to 16 different vegetables.  In each 1-ft. square you can plant:  16 carrots, 9 spinach, 9 beets, 4 lettuce, 1 cabbage, 1 broccoli, 1 pepper, 1 tomato, 2 cucumbers, 8 pole beans.  On one side of your box you will trellis plants like tomatoes vertically.

No room for weeds, and your plot is so small, watering is now manageable.  Each time you harvest a plant, add a cup of compost and plant something new.

A manageable, square-foot garden is ideal for schools.  (Utah approved installing one in every elementary school in the state!)

“Square Foot Gardening” is available at bookstores and at the Harrison Library.  The waist-high box as well as other information and products are available at www.squarefootgardening.com.

Plant Warm Season Crops Now

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Plant Warm Season Crops Now by Byron Chitwood.

Maybe not right now, depending on when this article appears in your local newspaper but from March 17 through the last of April is the time to plant the last vegetables for the spring season.  If you started early, broccoli, cabbages, onions, potatoes, garlic, beets, etc. should be sprouted and starting to look like you didn’t have a crop failure after all.  You still have a few days left to plant the really early crops such as beets, chard and collards and if you don’t have the first six vegetables mentioned above planted, get them into the ground as soon as possible.

One of the favorites to plant is green beans.  The master gardeners ran a test a few years ago to determine which variety produced the best in our soil.  The winner was the Contender variety.  As a matter of fact it wasn’t even a contest.  If you have a fairly large garden, plant about a third of your planned green beans about March 17th .Then, plant another third when the first planting sprouts in about ten days. Make the final planting in another ten days.  Even a few plants per planting will produce enough green beans to satisfy your craving for garden fresh green beans.

Set up a trellis for cucumbers and be ready to plant them from March 20 through May 1.  Trellises are a great way to grow cucumbers when space is limited.  It also keeps most of the fruits off the ground and away from some insects and soil borne diseases.  If you are one who likes to make pickles, plant some variety that is recommended for pickling and another for table fare.  Be sure and have some dill planted for making dill pickles.  The varieties for table fare are ones such as straight 8 and some of the long English cucumbers.  Nothing beats sliced cucumbers and fresh garden onions in a bath of vinegar, cold water seasoned with salt, pepper and chopped fresh dill.

Squash can be safely planted between March 20 and April 15.  Plant a few “hills” each of zucchini, yellow and white squash. Any one of these is delicious when steamed or stir fried along with sweet basil or chopped dill for seasoning.

About the first of April, tomatoes, peppers and eggplants can be safely planted.  Plant a large variety of tomatoes since some will do better than others.  The small and medium varieties are recommended for our area.  There are thirty five or more diseases that attack tomatoes so more varieties planted will insure production from these various diseases.

For a copy of “PLANTING BY SOIL TEMPERATURE, DEPTH AND DATES” visit the AgriLife Extension office at 2217 Washington Street in Greenville or email me at: Chitwood@geusnet.com.   And for more gardening information and events, see our website at http://huntcountymastergardeners.org

Gardening with Native Plants

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Gardening with Native Plants by PJ LaRue Smith.

Landscape designers with an eye toward a more cost efficient, water-wise, landscape for their customers are incorporating more native plants in their designs.  A “native” plant, is one that evolves in a local area with no human intervention, particularly, that it grew in that location prior to European contact.  Such native plants have evolved with animals, fungi, and microbes to form a complex network of relationships.  As such, these plants are the foundation of native ecosystems, or natural communities.

Why native plants?  Simply put, they are acclimated to a given geographical area, its amount of rainfall, heat, winter temperatures, storm levels, soil type, soil depth, and pH.  These plants will naturally be resistant to the local fungal, viral, and bacterial pathogens that other, non-native plants, may not be.  Economically, they benefit the homeowner (and community) in that, once established, these plants will require little, if any, supplemental care or water to thrive and look beautiful in the landscape.

 

This time of year, if you look closely while driving in your local area, many trees and small shrubs are in bloom in the woods or along fence rows.  Native crabapples, plums, redbuds, and blackhaws are the first to display their blooms in spring and are quite spectacular when used in the landscape.  Native trees that bloom later in the spring are magnolias, sophoras, and privets.  Wild rose bushes (five-petal, pink, once-blooming), and honeysuckle, can be found blooming along fence rows in early summer.

The Texas native tree/shrub list is quite extensive.  To illustrate, some of the tree species that can be found in various wooded areas of Hunt County include varieties of:  Ash, Cedar, Elm, Cottonwood, Crabapple, Oak, Hackberry, Hawthorn, Hickory, Holly, Juniper, Locust, Maple, Mesquite, Mulberry, Pecan, Persimmon, Redbud, Sophora (Eve’s Necklace), Walnut, and Willow!  While all of these trees or shrub species are not necessarily desirable for use in the home landscape (for assorted reasons), many of these can and do make wonderful additions to the landscape.

How do you acquire these native plants?  This author enjoys hiking through the woods, identifying the various plants and harvesting seeds to grow at home.  For those who would rather “cut-to-the-chase” there are several Texas nurseries that specialize in native plants.

It is important to note at this juncture a criteria that must be remembered when looking for native plants to grow in the home landscape – soil type and pH.  Hunt County has many types of soil – sand, loam, silt, and clay or some combination of these.  Just as there are various types of soil, there is also a wide range of pH levels that are associated with those soils.  If you do not know the type of soil, or its pH, it is recommended that you perform a soil test.  Testing information and bags are available from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension located at 2217 Washington St., in Greenville.

If you would like to know more about the above listed tree/shrub species and what might be suitable for your landscape, visit the http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/natives/ website.  Listed there you will find detailed descriptions, photos, soil type preferences, water needs, and other caveats for native Texas trees and shrubs.  Explore and enjoy!

Time to Plant the Spring Garden

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Time to Plant the Spring Garden by Chris Probst

Believe it or not, it is time to plant the first vegetables of the season. Those you plant this time of year will need to be cold hardy and able to withstand both frost and the occasional later than normal ice storm. If using the square foot garden method, it will be easy to protect the plants in the event of a cold snap. If not you need to plan ahead for how you will protect your plants in the event of extreme cold. Planting dates for most early vegetables is February 1 through March 15, but you should always read seed packets for specific directions.

Asparagus is a fun plant to have in the garden. Beds are prepared by deep tilling and amending of the soil with plenty of organic matter, such as composted leaves, four to six inches deep. When planting, lay asparagus roots one foot apart and cover with two inches of loose soil.  Do not harvest your asparagus for at least the first two years. With proper care and in a suitable climate, an asparagus bed  can last 15 to 25 years. Varieties recommended are Jersey Gem and Jersey Giant.

           Beets are good to sow as soon as the soil can be worked. Beets can be grown in part shade and grow best in deep, well drained soil (8 – 10 inches). Mix organic matter into the soil to enrich it. Fertilize according to a soil test when plants reach four to six inches. Recommended varieties include Detroit Dark Red and Warrior.

           Broccoli,  Cabbage, Cauliflower and Brussels Sprouts do best in full sunlight when grown in sandy loam soils with lots of organic matter. They prefer soils with a pH of 6 to 6.5.  For these vegetables, dig the soil deep (10 to 12 inches), then add a three-inch layer of organic matter, and turn the organic matter under the soil. Mix fertilizer into the soil two to three inches deep.

             Carrots can, and should be, direct sown as soon as the garden can be worked.   They will grow in some shade .You can make successive plantings until late summer.  Place the carrot rows one to two feet apart. Varieties that do best in Texas include Big Shot and Cheyenne.

Collards grow best in cool weather and need as much sunlight as possible. They need a deep soil that is well drained and well prepared. The roots of a collard plant easily reach depths of two feet of more. Space transplants 18 to 24 inches apart.

             Onions are a cool-season crop and can stand temperatures well below freezing. They may be planted from seeds, from small bulbs called sets, or from transplants. Onions grow best in full sunlight and well-drained soils. Plant onion transplants or sets ¾ inch deep and three inches apart.

Parsley requires 70 to 90 days from seed to a harvestable plant. Plant in late winter for spring and early summer harvest. 

 

             English Peas thrive at 50-60 degrees. Plan accordingly and get the seeds in the ground as soon possible, covering plants from hard freezes.

Potatoes are very easy to grow, but for best production, they need full sun. They do best in a loose, well drained, slightly acid soil. Before planting potatoes, work the soil into beds 10 to 12 inches high and 36 inches apart. For a spring crop, cut large seed potatoes into pieces weighing about 1½ to 2 ounces, about the size of a medium egg. Plant covering with two to three inches of soil.

Radishes prefer light, sandy loams with pH 6.5 – 7.0, but will tolerate a wide range of soil types. Radishes are one of the easies vegetables to grow and will produce a lot. Consider planting a few radishes several days apart, so your entire harvest is not ready at one time.

Spinach, Swiss Chard and Kale grow best in well-drained soil with lots of organic matter. They prefer full sunlight but will tolerate partial shade. They grow best when given plenty of fertilizer. Apply a general garden fertilizer such as 10-10-10.  Mix fertilizer into the soil about 3 inches.

            Turnips are a dual purpose crop. Varieties developed for root production can be harvested for greens. Royal Crown and Royal Globe are recommended for our area. Plant turnips in full sun and well drained soil.

Starting Seeds Indoors

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Starting Seeds Indoors by Pam DeCeasar.

If you would like to get a head start on your landscape and/or vegetable garden the time is nearing to begin your plants from seeds indoors.  The amount of time needed for germinations differs from plant to plant but a good rule of thumb is 4 to 8 weeks.  Check the seed packet for the amount of time needed for the particular plant or plants you are starting from seed.

Starting with a good quality, loose planting medium is the first step to success, and these are readily available at nurseries.  You can mix your own but unless you will be needed a very large quantity, purchasing it premixed is probably your best bet.

There is a wide variety of seed starter containers that can be purchased and any of them will work fine.  But, you can also use most any wood, metal or plastic container so long as it is   clean and at least 2 or 3 inches tall.  Other items to consider would be egg cartons or foam cups.  Just be sure that whatever you use that there is drainage holes in the bottom.

Fill the container with soil.  I like to dampen the soil before sowing seeds because it is very loose making it difficult to manage the seeds, especially very small ones, but that’s not necessary.  If you are using the containers designed for individual plants, sow one or two seeds in each compartment.  If you are using a large container such as a wooden box, sow the seeds about 2 inches apart.  Cover each seed with just enough soil that it is not visible.  The seed packet should have information telling the correct planting depth.  Water gently so as not to wash away the seeds then cover with plastic wrap or place containers in plastic bags.

Most seeds do not need light to germinate but once they begin to emerge they will need full exposure light.  However, temperature is very important during this period.  Cool soil retards germination, so you want the soil to be around 70 – 75 degrees during the day and 60 – 65 degrees at night.  If you only have a few, you might try placing them on top of your water heater… just don’t forget them.

When the first few true leaves appear the plants are ready to transplant.  They are young and very tender at this point and have been in a controlled environment so it will be helpful to keep them shaded for 2 or 3 days to give them a chance to acclimate to their new home.

Starting seeds early is really great fun and so very rewarding as you watch the little seedling poke through the soil.  I hope you’ll give it a try.

Turkey Bone Soup

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Turkey Bone Soup by Byron Chitwood.

This soup reminds me of “Stone Soup”, a book that was written for children.  If you have young children or grandchildren, be sure and get the book and read it to them.  They will love the story and learn the value of sharing which is involved in the theme of the story.

When you carve a turkey, be sure and save all the bones to make this delicious soup.  Also if you cut all the boney pieces off before you roast your turkey, save them too.  All these can be frozen for later use in making soup.  Another good idea is keep all the skin from the carved turkey for later use.

First, if you did cut the boney pieces and save them, you can either skin them or boil them with the skin on.  Put all the bones in a large stock pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for several hours.  Take all the solids out of the broth and strip and save the meat from the bones.

Throw all the fat and skin in a skillet and fry until crisp.  Remove and drain the liquid fat.  Then chop the crisp skin in to fine pieces.

Strain all the broth to remove any of the small bones that might have settled in the stock pot and then pour the broth back into the stock pot along with the bits of meat and crisply fried skin pieces.  Taste of the broth and season with salt and pepper (both black and some red pepper flakes).

There is something lacking in your “bone soup”.  It would taste a lot better if you added some of the following that you probably grew in your vegetable garden: Onions, carrots, potatoes, celery, turnips, parsley, Roi Tel tomatoes, garlic, cabbage or collard greens and whatever other vegetables that you have available.  You can literally clean out the refrigerator when making “bone soup”.  This soup goes best with cornbread. See below.

CORNBREAD

 Put a 9X9 inch square skillet or equivalent round one in the oven set at 450 degrees F.

Mix 1 ¼ cup cornmeal with 1 cup white or wheat flour, two teaspoons baking powder and one teaspoon of salt.  No sugar please!

Mix 1 ¼ cup buttermilk, 2 eggs, and ¼ cup cooking oil.  If you have it, add some chopped dill weed, celery, cilantro and chopped jalapeno peppers (if you like your cornbread hot).  Don’t add the jalapeno pepper if you are entertaining small kids.  Stir until well mixed and pour into the dry ingredients.  Mix them together.

Take the iron skillet from the oven and brush well with cooking oil.  Pour the mixed ingredients into the skillet and place back into the oven.  Bake for about 25 minutes and serve hot with the “bone soup”.

Read the book “Stone Soup” to your youngsters and then play act the story when making “bone soup”.  The kids will love helping making the soup and they will also learn to love vegetables.

Nature’s Revenge

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Nature’s Revenge by PJ LaRue Smith.

Several species of poison ivy are listed under the Toxicodendron Mill. (Poison Oak) Genus, a member of the Sumac family.  In the Hunt County area, the predominate type is eastern poison ivy.  This form can be present as a low (6 to 18”), spreading “carpet” on the forest floor, as a climbing vine, or as a bush.  All parts of the plant contain the allergy-producing chemical urushiol, with the heaviest concentrations located in it’s root system.  Depending upon a person’s sensitivity, poison ivy dermatitis (rash) can appear anywhere from a few hours to 7 to 10 days after contact with the urushiol oil.

Poison ivy can be found growing in the woods, along fence rows, and in the yard.  It can sprout from seed (waxy white clusters of berries), aboveground vines, rhizomes, and root crowns.  Seeds are dispersed by animals and birds, and, as they are buoyant, via waterways as well.  Birds and animals partial to poison ivy berries are also fans of hackberry, juniper, Virginia creeper, and blackberries as well.

Many myths abound when it comes to poison ivy.  Myth – Poison ivy is contagious: Fact – Urushiol is an oil, remaining on clothes, shoes, tools, etc. and transferrable until removed with soap and water.  Myth – One can “get” poison ivy by simply being near the plant:  Fact – Urushiol must come in contact with the skin in order for dermatitis to occur. This can happen through direct contact with the plant: secondary contact with an object, person, or animal that has been in contact with the plant; and airborne contact due to burning the plant or during mowing, weed-eating, etc.  (Note: For those who are highly susceptible to the affects of urushiol, smoke inhalation can result in a life-threatening situation requiring immediate medical assistance.)  Myth – Don’t worry about dead plants, they are harmless:  Fact – Urushiol oil can exist on a surface, including dead plants, for up to five years.  Myth – Someone who has “rolled in poison ivy” with no allergic reaction is “immune”:  Fact – Upwards of 90% of people are allergic to urushiol, the number of times exposed and the length of exposure are key factors in developing the allergy.

Protecting oneself from coming into contact with urushiol has several components.  Educating yourself on what the plant looks like in ALL seasons is the first element.  One of the first to leaf out in the spring, poison ivy is also one of the first to turn orange or red in the fall.  Check out the vines growing up that tree you’re about to lean on – does the vine have fine hair-like roots growing from it (poison ivy) or is it smooth (grapevine)?  Are the leaves in sets of three (poison ivy) or sets of five (Virginia creeper)?

Prepare for potential exposure by wearing long sleeves, boots, socks, pants, gloves, glasses/goggles when hiking or doing yard work.  Products, such as Ivy Block®, create a barrier between skin and oil, however, taking a shower after exposure is still required to prevent urushiol transference to other objects or unprotected skin.

The longer urushiol remains on the skin, the greater the potential for reaction. If exposure is likely, follow these steps to minimize the risk of an allergic reaction: 1. Wash all tools thoroughly with soap and water.  2. Remove all clothes, shoes/boots, gloves, sunglasses, belts, cell phones, etc. in the garage, or mudroom (wash everything with soap and water before using/wearing again).  Wash hands in soap and water, then head to the shower.  Poison ivy washes, such as Tecnu®, can remove urushiol that has been absorbed into the skin.  Soap and water will remove oil that remains on the surface of the skin.

It is essential that everyone follow these procedures in a household, even when not allergic themselves, in order to protect those in their family (and visitors) that are sensitive to urushiol.  Vehicles are also a vector of contamination, and should be washed down accordingly as well.

If a reaction does occur, seeking medical attention as quickly as possible will shorten the time of discomfort.  Once a person has become sensitized to urushiol, each subsequent exposure will result in a swifter, more pronounced allergic reaction.  Taking precautions can certainly make “nature’s revenge” less vengeful!

Cover Crops

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Cover Crops by Byron Chitwood

There are many different plants that can be planted as cover crops in a vegetable garden. The main purpose of these crops is to add nitrogen to the soil, be used as a green manure, control erosion and as a control for weeds.
Plants that add nitrogen to the soil are commonly referred to as legumes. Legumes form an association with soil borne bacteria to capture atmospheric nitrogen. Some of the legumes are alfalfa, all of the clovers, vetch, beans and peas. Alfalfa loves deep soil such as that found in “bottom land”. It puts down roots as deep as 20 to 30 feet and in some cases deeper. The roots transport minerals from these depths to the top growth. When properly harvested and cured, alfalfa is outstanding cattle, poultry and rabbit feed. It has been stated that an acre of alfalfa can capture 250 pounds of nitrogen from the air. It will come back year after year. The vegetable gardener will want to plant alfalfa as a fall crop and then turn it under in the spring. Crops planted for this purpose are called “Green Manure” and are especially beneficial to the soil without the inherent problems associated with animal droppings.
All of the peas and beans such as English Peas and green beans are legumes and add nitrogen to the soil. Green beans get along with about everything else grown in a vegetable garden except onions, garlic and fennel. They are my favorite cover crop for spring, summer and fall plus the gardener gets the benefit of their production. After they have quit producing, the plants should be pulled, shredded and either tilled back in the soil or added to the compost pile.
English peas can be planted as early as February 10 through March 1 in the spring garden and as late as all of September in the fall garden. Not many vegetables out of the garden can beat the taste of English peas. After the peas pods have been harvested, shred and turn the plants back into the soil.
Southern peas such as purple hulls should be planted April 1 through May 20 for spring gardens and during August for the fall garden. There are many other varieties of peas and beans that can be planted for their crop bounty as well as soil builders.
There are other crops other than legumes that can be planted for soil protection and as green manure crops. Some of them are annual rye grass, buckwheat, oats, rape and winter rye. All of them are annuals meaning that they have to be reseeded every year if you desire some of their benefits. These crops act as cover crops. Winter rye should be planted in the late summer. It is winter hardy and grows well in the early spring. It should be tilled under before planting spring vegetables.
There is a wealth of information available on the internet pertaining to cover crops. Also two books that contain information on the subject are Rodale’s “All- New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening” and Louise Riotte’s “Carrots Love Tomatoes”.