“ When you have 98 degrees F and 95 percent humidness , it ’s spicy , ” articulate Michael Spencer , who lives on 3 Akka northwest of Houston , Texas . “ We were threefold digit for over 20 daytime with no rainfall . It was brutal . ”
Despite the 2023 drought , Spencer harvested bumper crops oftomatoes , okra , potatoesand legion vegetable , using several gardening techniques .
Tomato Time
An organic nurseryman , Spencer nab plant at the local provender store , without sleep with their varieties . He purchased three hybrid tomato works and one cherry Lycopersicon esculentum plant life , each 4 to 6 in tall , and he engraft them inside 3 - foundation - marvellous love apple cages during mid - March . To promote outgrowth , he clip all of the bottom get out off the tomato plants , leave behind only the top three sprouts .
“ I pop out clipping them when they get growing , at about three weeks , ” Spencer state . “ When they get to 3 feet marvelous , they were grow and spreading . I circle one piece of 4 - by-4 and 4 - feet - tall wire around all four pubic hair . The plants took off and diffuse everywhere . They were 6 base marvellous . Once they went over the wire and lead off flowering , I block pruning . There were flowers everywhere . ”
The Spencers get down break up tomatoes by June . Compared to former years , and their neighbors , they harvested a bumper crop .
“ Because our water has Cl in it , I attempt to avoid using it , ” Spencer says . “ I only use tap water supply when necessary . I used my rain bbl until it was dry . It ’s astonishing what happen to plants when it rains versus using water faucet H2O . ”
Oh, Okra
tomato apart , Spencer randomly snaffle Hibiscus esculentus seed mail boat at the seed store . He planted two rows , 6 inch apart , in the tomato seam .
“ I do n’t call up the pat water inconvenience the okra as much as the tomato , ” Spencer say . “ I just sustain watering . I ’ve never seen okra like this . The plants are 10 feet tall . I used a run to get into the bed , and then I would hand walk myself to the top , deform the plant life over , and pick the okra . ”
Spencer ’s okra begin produce in recent June . And he continued to glean his bumper crop during Thanksgiving week .
Taters & Onions
With an center on potatoes , he prepped his potato and onion bed . Then he covered the bed with composition board piece of music to block weeds until he planted .
Spencer says , “ You ’re reckon to plant murphy after the last frost . But I outguessed the weather and planted in mid - February . I buy a traveling bag of golden potatoes at the market . I cut cerise and gold potatoes into living quarters . I dug a 6 - inch - bass trough and buried them . And as they sprouted , I added my garden soil mix on them . “
Circling back a few years , Spencer began gardening in 2014 , when he cobble a 6 - infantry - by-12 - feet ( and-1 - foot - high ) raised garden bed . Then in 2015 , he crafted a lift layer from gloomy Hackett Oklahoma stone . Now in his 60s , all the bending over and weeding took its bell on Spencer .
So , in 2022 , he ramp up a third , 2 - metrical unit - high raised layer . Spencer used 2 - in - by-12 - column inch - by-12 - foot foresightful treat lumber , line it with black skunk barrier on the side and bottom . As well , he used 4 - by-4 ( and 8 - foundation - marvellous ) address lumber post in the corners to connect everything . Also , Spencer raised his other seam to 2 understructure high .
Spencer filled his layer with compost that included grass clippings and leaves , pull through since 2019 , packing it down to 15 inches high . Atop the compost , he contribute a garden ground mix made of soil , guts , mulch and mushroom-shaped cloud compost . A slow - release organic fertilizer , mushroom-shaped cloud compost ’s ingredients usually include various organic material and animal manure .
Meeting the Challenge
Since deer , rabbits and other critter freely nosh on his acreage , Spencer installed a gated , 8 - foot - tall telegram fence , with 2 - inch - by-2 - inch hatchway , around the beds .
Other challenges includenutsedge grass . So , after a good , hock rain in January or February , Spencer digs a foot down and get rid of the nut , which are the source of the weeds .
After harvesting the bumper craw , Spencer wash his love apple . He washes and then blanches his unpeeled white potato , steam them for two moment . Everything goes into freezer bags for freezer preservation .
Born in Alaska Territory , Spencer grew up in Oklahoma , and he says horticulture success is in his blood . His Gallic grandparents were pale yellow granger in Saskatchewan , Canada . Their huge vegetable garden plus livestock render all of their food for thought .
Spencer began picking raspberry and cuke on their farm by historic period five . After his high-flown - pére died , his rarified - mére continued gardening into her belated 90s . And she pass the shovel to Spencer ’s female parent .
Harkening to his roots , Spencer state , “ I grow up to one-half of our vegetables now , and I know what we ’re getting in our food . ”
