Written by Jan Green

What a busy month this has been at the garden! There are always things to do, but this time of year we have to prioritize and make sure at least the most important items get marked off of our list.

The first week of the month we took a chance (due to unpredictability of the weather) and planted squash and cucumbers that had been growing indoors for the last several weeks. They were getting a bit leggy and were begging to go outdoors and get into the ground where their roots would be able to roam freely rather than being squeezed into tiny little 4 inch pots. So, in the ground they went, and wouldn’t you know it, shortly thereafter another cold front made an uninvited visit. We thought the plant covers had been put away for the last time, but that was not the case. Once again we dragged them out of storage and found ourselves covering plants, this time with three layers of protection in hopes of keeping the young squash plants safe- leaves or straw, row covers, and sheets. Then, on April 7th, the temperatures plunged below 30°. These warm season plants did NOT approve! Once the covers were removed, we realized our hopes of keeping the plants cozy warm were not 100% effective. Although they were not completely lost, it was evident the cold had hit them. Warm weather returned quickly (of course). This IS Texas, and sometimes we seem to skip spring entirely, going all too quickly from winter to summer. Fast forward to April 21st when we were thrilled to harvest our very first squash of the season. By the 27th, we were harvesting enough to begin making deliveries to Good Samaritan and Salvation Army to help feed the hungry.

Now that the cold is behind us, we focus on controlling the squash pests on those same plants that days earlier we were trying to protect from the cold. When you have this many plants this early, every cucumber beetle, squash bug, and vine borer from miles around gets the memo and they all seem famished and anxious to come chow down on our plants. First to arrive were the cucumber beetles. Beneficial nematode and a couple weeks later a bio insecticide were applied to the soil, all organic, to help control these pests. In addition, when rain was not forecast, we sprayed the foliage with kaolin clay. This doesn’t kill the pests, but it makes the surface unpleasant and discourages them. Then, by April 30th, we saw our first vine borer. These bugs can be the death of a squash plant in short order. Along with the kaolin clay which should help keep the vine borers off the plants, we plan on injecting the plant stems with Bt. If the borers DO get to the plants, the Bt should kill the borer that has worked its way into the stem, thereby saving the plant. It’s the same old gang of pests that come to visit every year, but we have learned a bit about controlling their numbers along the way.

April brought some sad news about our plum trees, a harvest that many people anxiously look forward to each year. The trees had bloomed beautifully, and we could almost taste the sweet, juicy morsels. Upon inspection of the trees shortly after they bloomed, we realized there were just a very few plums scattered here or there. Our suspicion is that the last freeze damaged the newly forming plums. It was NOT a good day.

Asparagus, squash, and strawberries were being harvested while peppers and tomatoes were going in the ground. The tomatoes took off like a speeding bullet. Soon we began pruning and caging them in preparation for harvests down the road.Cucumbers are being pruned and trained to grow vertically. Although they didn’t quite make the list of produce harvested in April, we hope to get our first one by the first week of May.

So harvesting, planting, fertilizing with our homemade worm casting tea were on our “to do”list. Let’s see, then there was weed eating, weed pulling, leaf shredding for mulch, five garden beds rebuilt, pruning squash for vertical growth, and pruning both the cucumbers and tomatoes to maximize production. Peach trees have also been pruned, thinned, and sprayed more than once. The 80 or so pepper plants still need to be caged and secured in place. Along with the cucumbers, onions should be ready to harvest in May. Once the onions are out, there is room to plant a favorite of many here in Brownwood – OKRA!

I’m exhausted thinking about all that was accomplished in April and hoping things slow down just a tad in May. But when you walk into Good Samaritan with a box of produce picked fresh that morning, and they tell you what you grew is the only fresh produce they have to give out that day, or Salvation Army asks when they can get more produce, well it’s a warm feeling to know that you’re part of a worthy cause. As mentioned last month, we could definitely use help. Nothing has changed in that regard. Be part of a worthy cause and a part of our team of volunteers. Feel free to visit sometime before noon after which the heat can get a bit too intense to comfortably and safely be outdoors. By then we’ve had plenty of fresh air, sunshine, and exercise. In other words, we’re hot and tired. Hectic? Yes. Rewarding? Absolutely!