In the Garden: February.

WHAT TO PLANT

Seed in Ground: artichokes, arugula, beets, carrots, chard, chives, dill, leaf lettuce, onion sets, parsley, potatoes, snap and sugar peas, turnips, winter hardy greens (bok choy, spinach, cress, mustard greens, collards)

Seed Indoors: basil, cucumbers, chard, eggplant, lettuce (head), melons, peppers, pumpkins, summer and winter squash (late), tomatoes,

Transplant:  asparagus (crowns), bok choi, broccoli, bunching onions, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, collards, kale, leeks, lettuce (head), rhubarb (crowns), strawberries, Swiss chard

***Brassicas like kale, collards, cabbage, and broccoli should have 3-4 true leaves and be about six weeks old when you transplant.***

WHAT TO DO

• Feed the soil by applying compost to plantings throughout your landscape: trees, shrubs, lawn, and all garden beds.
• By the third week of the month, plant potatoes 4 inches deep in warm soil.
• Begin sowing seeds of leaf lettuces, collards, and other greens outdoors; for continuous harvest, repeat sowings every 2 weeks.
• On Valentine’s Day, prune roses, clean up debris, and then top-dress the shrubs with fresh mulch. No roses? Plant some now!

• Continue to shop local nurseries for asparagus roots, rhubarb, strawberry plants, and fruit trees.

• Prune older fruit trees.
• Plant spring flowers:  alyssum, hollyhocks, edging lobelia, rocket larkspurs, and Canterbury bells.

In the Garden: January.

Here’s a wee little task list of what to plant and do around the garden during the month of January:

WHAT TO PLANT

Seed in Ground: artichokes, asparagus (crowns), beets, cabbage, carrots, celery and celeriac, chard, chives, dill, leaf lettuce, onions sets, parsley, rhubarb (crowns), snap and sugar peas, strawberries, turnips, winter hardy greens (bok choy, spinach, cress, mustard greens, arugula)

Seed Indoors: bok choi, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, eggplant, kale, leeks, head lettuce, bunching onions, peppers, tomatoes, summer and winter squash (late)

***Brassicas like kale, collards, cabbage, and broccoli should have 3-4 true leaves and be about six weeks old when you transplant.***

WHAT TO DO

• On nice days, prepare your beds if the weather is warm and dry enough.
• Cover prepared beds with mulch or row cover (prevent erosion on bare soil!) until you’re ready to plant.
• Shop local nurseries for asparagus roots, rhubarb, strawberry plants, and fruit trees.
• Cover root crops still in the ground with an extra layer of mulch.
• When cold temperatures are predicted, protect transplants of onions, cabbage, broccoli, and chard with a row cover.
• Sow seeds of herbs, such as dill and parsley.
• Sow seeds of annual flowers (delphiniums, snapdragons, and larkspur are good choices) anywhere you want flowers for cutting or as a background for other plants.
• Plant even more flowers! Poppies, chamomile, evening primrose, calendulas, verbena, and daisies.
• Top-dress lawns with compost.
• And don’t forget to look after your perennials – most fruit trees need pruning in winter, before they start to bud.

In the Garden: December.

Here’s a wee little task list of what to plant and do around the garden during the month of December:
WHAT TO PLANT

• Seed in Ground: carrots, cauliflower, onions, chives, spinach, mustard, peas, beets, radishes, lettuce (somewhat protected)
• Seed Indoors: bok choi, broccoli, cabbage, kale, leeks, head lettuce, bunching onions

WHAT TO DO

• Plant flowers!  Petunias, calendulas, annual candytuft (Iberis umbellata), pansies, sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima), cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus), stocks (Matthiola incana), scabiosa (Scabiosa atropurpurea), verbena, pinks (Dianthus spp.), and daisies.
• Plant bulbs, corms, and rhizomes of iris (Iris danfordiae, I. histrioides, I. reticulata), amaryllis, anemone (Anemone coronaria, A. sylvestris), calla, and liriope.
• Clean up garden debris to eliminate overwintering areas for diseases and insect pests.
• Start to build beds for spring by adding lots of compost.
• Plant bareroot trees, shrubs, roses, and vines.

In the Garden: October.

 

What to Plant:

• Seed in Ground: arugula, beets, bok choi, cabbage, carrots, chard (early), collards, cress, garlic, kale, leaf lettuce, onions, parsley, peas, radish, shallots, spinach, turnip
• Transplant: bok choi, broccoli (early), brussel sprouts (early), kale, leeks, head lettuce, strawberries (early)

What to Do:

• Set out strawberry plants.
• Sow a cover crop of winter rye (Secale cereale), purple vetch (Vicia benghalensis), Austrian winter peas (Pisum arvense), or ‘Elbon’ rye (Secale cereale ‘Elbon’) in vacant beds.
• Use rye clippings to add nitrogen to compost, speeding the breakdown of fall leaves.
• In flowerbeds, plant anemones, oxalis, and ranunculus for spring bloom.
• Also, seed annual candytuft (Iberis umbellata) in bare spots of flowerbeds for spring bloom.
• Broadcast wildflower seeds to establish a meadow.
• Plant trees and shrubs: Warm fall temps will help them get established before winter.

Meet Elizabeth Ross!

Elizabeth Ross – a recent WHRI intern – will be working closely with the Urban Gardening Coalition over the next year!

When I graduated with a degree in International Development, I never thought that would result in working in Texas — though, I suppose working in a state that threatens secession has a certain irony about it. I found myself in another land where people spoke what seemed, at times, to be another language; dressed a little different; and had a lot of love for their beloved state. Thrust into this odd, bear-loving community, I decide there was but one option — embrace it.

I began my adventure at World Hunger Relief, Inc. — learning to farm sustainably, teaching kids how to garden, educating middle school through adult on hunger and poverty issues, using composting toilets on a daily basis, milking goats, making soap, and living life in community. My “farm-ily” was everything I wanted in a community, but I was drawn to live in the city and see the community of Waco grow stronger.

I officially became a Texan, moved into the city and began working with the Urban Gardening Coalition, where I hope to continue the good fight for hunger eradication, food desert shrinkage, food security, education in nutrition and health care through healthy eating habits, environmental protection, and community strength. Gardens bring people together. Food brings people together. What better way to care for your friends and neighbors than to offer them friendship, care, and life-sustaining food? Grab a hat and a water bottle and join me in the garden.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Ross

AHEC AmeriCorps, Healthy Futures Coordinator

Urban Gardening Coalition, Events and Volunteer Coordinator

Baylor University Community Engagement and Service