My Mott-ley Crew

Planting a garden is a never-ending learning process……experienced gardeners that lend their expertise and learned skills are invaluable.  They teach the newbies and hopefully we learn from their previous experiences.  A recent problem has been birds….they love to peck at the starfruit.  Some great advice was to get a birdbath, as the birds are trying to find water when pecking at your soft skinned fruits. (tomatoes are a particular favorite)  A solution that has seemed to work is letting the dog roam free to chase the birds and squirrels!  Comedy and success!

Another option is dangling shiny CD’s from branches to cause a distraction to the birds.  Supposedly they don’t like the shiny,flickering light.  An update on that option will follow.

Wildlife and pests seem to be the more predominant problems in the gardening world, and there is a plethera of information out there to be found.  It’s just difficult determining what fits best to the situation, as there can be many solution options.  A locally owned garden center has proven to be the most valuable for personal eye to eye informational exchange.  They are there to help, not just sell.  Your success is their success.  A withering plant leaf can be taken in and they can spot right away what is going on and what needs to be done to fix it or if it needs fixing at all.  (it’s been learned that some things are just best left alone, but only a professional can tell.)

So far, things are going well.  A concern is the Texas sun and heat.  It seems we have reached unseasonably warm temperatures rather quickly this season.  The bell pepper bushes are doing fine, but the banana pepper and anaheim pepper are feigning light yellow leaves instead of the hearty green.  The Roma tomatoes are going like gangbusters, but the Roma beans are not.  According to planting sources, the Roma bean should do well here in the south, but the leaves are crispy around the edges and are turning colors from soft green to a mottled rust and green.

Even the Blackeyes (Cow Peas) are growing slow.  My grandmother grew those as a staple in her garden……but the pole beans – Lima Fordhook and Kentucky Wonder are starting to climb and doing very well.

There has been a learning moment on the bean dilemma!  A veggie gardener at Arbor Gate had great information in regards to the crispy edges of the bean…..it’s windburn!  Who knew?  At least it’s not a fungus or bean wilt…..