Permaculture November Newsletter Central Texas
Ethan Guion
Business Owner, Biodynamic farming teacher, Permaculture landscape Designer, organic Garden coach
November Newsletter
From One Man With a Few Gardens
It's the beginning of November, with cold fronts already on the rise with up-and-down rollercoaster weather. We are seeing our local squirrel brigade go crazy with the goal of digging in every garden/potted container, with the fall flowers blooming. This is the perfect time to be planting our winter crops, radishes, winter greens, and bulbs.
The trees are just barfing up some leaves to offer rich nutrients to go back into the soil. Let's take this opportunity to collect old leaves into piles of berms, beams, and compost to replenish the nutrients and organic matter in our local soils.
Check out the below info on the monthly to-dos, plants to plant this winter, prep for the winter season, and recommendations to be more involved in the permaculture movement.
Why is it so important to compost?
Instead of waiting a full year for the soil to recover back to permaculture health, you are adding a digestive tract to your garden that can improve soil in a matter of 6 to 9 months. All this organic waste feeds our microbes at an exponential rate and allows them to expand across the yard at a slow pace, but faster than just additional corrections to the yard in sectional areas.
We can control which compost we have, and save money on removal of limbs to be processed back into the property with our awesome microscopic alchemists in the compost.
We are beginning to correct our composts this time of the year, turning them and adding different types of meal to increase either the fungal or bacterial growth depending on our pile's makeup of composted materials. We spread soybean meal, alfalfa meal, cornmeal, or kelp meal to assist the breakdown process while increasing the effective nutrient content to create more diversity in our compost containers.
We then will begin composting with sweet molasses as well. This sticky compound when mixed into broken limbs, twigs, and leaves will speed up the composting process and introduce more bugs for birds, frogs, and lizards to snack on. Mixed into a leaf pile like a multilayer dip, vermiculite, sand or perlite is the best way to begin making homemade compost. Fruit rinds and coffee grounds are also recommended with peels from veggies.
Condensing the ground with nutrient-rich sands, and adding mulch to keep warmth in the ground for this winter season. Eventually, we may have to wrap the base of small trees with tubing materials like pool noodles, blankets, or other insulating material for pipes to protect them from another freeze.
Remember that December is right around the corner, the holidays are important to beautify the property in time for family or friends to visit, yet we need to be concerned about a possible freeze ahead. Begin preparations for winterizing pipes, and include a solar pane for our holiday wishlist to charge devices. Collecting firewood will also be important as we clean up trees this fall.
This new winter we will begin looking at incentives for next year if you have any interest in natural ways to save in Texas.
Now is the time to prepare for power outages, food shortages, water shortages, loss of communication, lockdowns, or even being trapped in your own home as we were for over a week. Texas Energy and water companies are turning a blind eye, only beginning to prep for another freeze now.
This is why I originally got into Permaculture - we were preppers and survivalists. It reminds me of what's happening right now in the world.
After working with two amazing companies I have now been able to take my knowledge to an electro culture documentary for research, research trials for chickens eating microgreens, and soil specialists for microgreens.
With all the people quitting their jobs and leaving critical roles in our supply chain, what do you think is going to happen sooner rather than later?
We are buying food storage, seeds in bulk, key supplies like rock dust and bioceramic powder, firewood, and key tools - we are preparing for these events because we've already experienced them before. We know we aren't somehow exempt and that if we aren't prepared, we could find ourselves without the ability to get help. Our manmade world is flimsy and brittle, but the natural world is robust IF given the chance to run its course.
This is what drew me to permaculture at first and it's why I'm always studying to deepen my understanding - it's not a hobby. Learning to partner with the natural world is how we survive and thrive as humans.
This is a gentle reminder to rely on your skills, and the ability to have what you want in your backyard when possible. We do not have to seed deep thoughts of fear, just nudges towards a more sustainable future.
My best advice for long-term growth or preparation?
The Best Way To Prepare Is With Permaculture!
You can begin following
The Living Soil Food Web School With Elaine Ingham
Matt Powers
Bryan Mcloed
The Becker Green Classroom
Or tune into the electro-culture movement with
The Micro Greens movement
JOIN US THIS YEAR.
Below is my to-do list for our November
November To-Do List
While some areas of Texas are colder than others right now, the main factor to take into account is whether or not your soil freezes in the winter. Generally, ours does not. That means you can continue planting all trees, fruit trees, shrubs, roses, perennials, perennial groundcover, and cool-season annuals and veggies. You can also continue planting cool-season colors such as pansies, violas, snapdragons, Gerbera daisies (yes..I'm looking at some gorgeous ones on the nursery table as I type). The plants are far more protected from winter temps in the ground than they are in pots...so if they are out on the nursery table unprotected and still look great, well then you don't have much to worry about.
Best advice on what to plant when? Go to a real garden and center. Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart are not real garden centers. A good garden center will have in stock what you should be planting, at any given time during a season. They will also have expert staff that can teach you how to grow successfully.
Here is a list of what you can plant right now (it is not by any means comprehensive, but just a basic guide)
Many other plants can go in the ground right now, but hopefully, this will give you a place to start if you're hesitant about planting. And btw...get this material in the ground now, and you'll have a much easier time getting it through next summer. It can take a good year or two for new plantings to get established. The larger the plant material, the longer that new establishment period (a 2" caliper tree, will need about 2 years to root in...a 3" caliper tree will need 3 years, etc. Shrubs, roses, perennials, etc. need a good year-2 years).
Have some frost cloth on hand to protect newly planted herbaceous plants if we're going to have a hard freeze.
Most gardeners plant their vegetables in the spring to harvest in late spring to early summer. In most areas of Texas, it is possible to have a fall vegetable garden, but it will need to be managed somewhat differently than a spring garden.
Locating the fall garden
If your spring garden was successful, the same location should work well in the fall. When planning a new garden, keep in mind that vegetable crops must have at least 8 hours of direct sun each day and should be planted where the soil drains well.
Preparing the soil for fall gardens
If you’re using an established garden area, pull out all plant material—the remains of your spring crop and any weeds that have grown up in the garden. Don’t put plant residue from a spring garden into your compost bin because it is likely to be contaminated with insects and disease pathogens.
For a new garden site, remove all the grass. Just tilling it into the soil will not eliminate all the grass sprigs; they will continue to grow and interfere with the garden. Likewise, for a raised garden, remove all turf before building the frame and filling it with soil.
Grass and weeds can be killed with an herbicide that contains salt, vinegar, soap, and vegetable oil in small amounts.
Check mulch and replenish if necessary. Stockpile leaves for mulch and composting all year. Prepare vegetable beds that won’t be planted with a mulch of leaves and compost to cover the soil completely. Take advantage of good weather to build up the soil in other beds so they are ready for winter plantings.
After removing the grass, shovel the garden area to a depth of 10 to 12 inches. Rototillers will not penetrate adequately, but they can be used to loosen and mix shoveled areas.
Spread 1 to 2 inches of coarse, washed sand and 2 to 3 inches of organic matter on the garden surface and till it into the soil to improve the soil’s physical quality. The soil will need to be improved over time rather than in just a season or two. If you are building a raised bed garden, don’t skimp on the soil. Use weed-free loam or sandy loam soil.
Adding fertilizer is the next step. You have two options:
Do not add too much ammonium sulfate, and do not put it too close to the plants. It can seriously damage them.
Horse or cattle manure may be substituted for commercial fertilizer at a rate of 60 to 80 pounds per 100 square feet of garden area. Never use poultry manure in a fall garden unless they are wild animals, like turkey or duck.
After adding fertilizer, mix the soil thoroughly and prepare beds on which to plant rows of vegetables. These beds should be 30 to 36 inches apart so you can move easily through the garden area when the plants grow larger. Pile and firm the planting beds.
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Then water the entire garden with a sprinkler for at least 2 hours. Allow the area to dry for several days, and it will be ready to plant.
Planting fall vegetables
Fall crops generally do better when started from transplants than from seed. Transplants should always be used for growing tomatoes and peppers.
The trick to establishing healthy transplants during late summer is to make sure they have plenty of water. Transplants in peat pots or cell packs with restricted root zones require at least 2 weeks for their root systems to enlarge enough to support active plant growth. Until that time, they may need to be watered every day or the plants will be stunted or even die.
Plant root crops, such as carrots, beets, radishes, and turnips in small sections for continual harvest. After seeds sprout they get their first set of true leaves, thin so they are 2-3” apart. The thinned tops are edible and can be added to salads, soups, sandwiches, wraps, casseroles, or quiche. Keep root crops well-watered for the best flavor. Plant seeds of cilantro, parsley, dill, lettuce, spinach, and fava beans. Harvest basil, parsley, and cilantro before the temperatures fall below 40°. Harvest tomatoes and other cold-sensitive veggies before the first frost. Cover and protect the soil in unused vegetable beds with mulch, leaves, straw, or cover crops. Winter cover crop options include cereal rye, hairy vetch, fava beans, clover, or Austrian winter peas.
Perennials, shrubs, ornamental (clumping) grasses; fall is the best time to plant these plants
Avoid planting cold tenBarbadoss like Pride of Barbardos, Esperanza, lantana, plumbago until the weather is slightly warmer.
this includes citrus trees Trees
Strawberries can go into the ground (best time to do it!)
Winter annuals, including calendula, snapdragon, pansy, viola, dusty miller, ornamental kale and cabbage, alyssum, stock, cyclamen, dusty miller, flowering kale, and cabbage
Early to Thanksgiving: native wildflower seeds like bluebonnets, phlox, Mexican, Indian paintbrush, and Indian blanket (gaillardia). Also, non-native poppies, larkspurs, hollyhocks
Early to Thanksgiving: spring bulbs
Plant: herbs
Perennials thyme, oregano, lavender
Cilantro transplants, parsley, dill, fennel, chervil, summer savory, borage, chives, rue
Be prepared to cover in case of deep freeze
Plant: food crops
Keep planting winter crops for successive harvest
Water weekly with liquid seaweed
Spray cabbage loopers on broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).
However, too much water is just as harmful as not enough. Soaking wet soil will cause root rotting and subsequent stunting or death. So check the soil moisture by feeling the soil before applying water. If the soil balls together, it still has enough water; if not, apply water.
Buy the largest transplants possible. Even though larger transplants cost more, their root systems will spread faster and the plants will produce more fruit sooner.
Or, grow your own larger transplants by planting small ones in potting soil and evenly mixing in slow-release fertilizer pellets such as Osmocote®. Add a water-soluble fertilizer to the irrigation water and place the plants in full sun (with shade after 3 p.m.). Keep the transplants moist, but don’t over-water them.
Plant shade-tolerant crops between taller growing vegetables such as tomatoes. Planting at the proper time is probably the most important factor in successful fall gardening, between the rain, the sun, the cold, and the days of warmth—table 1 lists average planting dates for each region.
When making planting decisions, compare the temperature extremes in the USDA Hardiness Zone Map at http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/wildseed/info/hardiness.jpeg in your area to those of the Texas zones. With these dates in mind, determine which frost-susceptible vegetables to plant when to plant, and whether to use transplants or seeds.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Vegetable Planting Guides (Central Texas) http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/travis/home-landscape/edible-gardens/growing-vegetables/
Prune
Avoid pruning shrubs right now unless you see the damage
Okay to prune live oak and red oaks through January
Okay to prune trees
Thyme
Divide/Move
Shrubs, roses, trees, evergreen spring-blooming perennials
Prep
Mulch cold tender plants like gingers, Esperanza and semi-tropicals
Select spots where you want fruit trees, grapes, or berries to plant in January; for now, prep with compost
Get that row cover ready! Do not protect plants with plastic!
Lawn
If must mow, keep high to shade out germinating weeds
It’s not a good idea to be overseeded with rye unless you have new, muddy construction and a dog!
Other tasks
Use a mulching mower instead of raking leaves off the grass. Or, use the lawnmower and bag attachment to shred leaves for the compost pile.
DISEASES/PESTS TO LOOK FOR
Watch roots or remove annuals for nematodes (knots on the roots.)
MAINTENANCE
Cut back fall bloomers like asters and chrysanthemums to the ground. Remove long, gangly shoots on shrubs. Remove dead and damaged wood from shrubs and trees to reduce debris from windstorms.
Cut basil to freeze in oil in ice cube trays to use this winter in soups and stews
Collect seeds from summer annuals to dry and store indoors until next spring
Take cuttings of tender annuals to propagate in warmth to plant next spring
Rake leaves into beds to mulch over winter and returns nutrients to the soil
Mow leaves on grass (if not taken to beds or compost) to break them down
Collect leaves from neighbors to add to the compost pile!
Deeply water new plants; keep new seedlings moist but not drenched
The average first freeze for Austin (Camp Mabry) is anywhere from November 29th through December 5th depending on the period of record. See below for other things that should be on your November gardening to-dos.
TRANSPLANT
Strawberries can be transplanted into moist soil. Cool-season annuals can be added to containers, just be prepared to protect them from frost. Keep adding bulbs and don’t forget to tuck a few into your planted containers that will be spending the winter outdoors. This is the last month to transplant container-grown roses. Add hardy vines and groundcovers so that they have the winter to develop the extensive root systems they’ll need next summer.
Let me know what fall and winter plans you have for our Texas natives, annuals, and evergreen frost tolerant.
Sincerely
One Man with a Few Gardens