What To Do in August

We are still in our least productive season for planting landscape plants here in Central Texas. It is still a good idea to let the landscape rest, and make the best of the heat while you plan for the fall gardening season. The exception is the vegetable garden, where it is your last chance to plant certain veggie seeds and plants.

Plant vegetable seeds. Beans, corn, cucumber, garlic, potatoes, shallot, summer squash 
EARLY AUGUST: Okra, black-eyed peas, New Zealand and Malabar spinach, winter squash

Plant vegetable seeds in pots or flats. Keep these "cool." Give them bright sun, but perhaps some shade from the hottest afternoon sun, or an "awning" made of 30% shade cloth. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, chard, Chinese cabbage, fennel, kale 
EARLY AUGUST: Rutabaga 
LATE AUGUST: Collards, endive, head and leaf lettuce, mustard

Plant vegetable plants. Okra, New Zealand or Malabar spinach, summer or winter squash

Plant herb plants. Mexican mint marigold, mints, oregano, rosemary, sage, wormwood (artemesia)

Plant annual flower/ornamental plants. Blue daze, celosias (cockscomb or plume), zinnia

Plant perennial plants. Ornamental grasses, sedum

Water deeply. Concentrate on trees, newly planted and established ones. Anytime we go for four to six weeks without at least an inch of rain, established trees need water. Trees less than two years in the ground need water every one to two weeks, depending on the soil, weather, and species of tree. Place a bubbler, a small sprinkler, or a soaker hose at the dripline of the tree (the area on the ground - a circle - corresponding to the furthest reaches of the branches above), and water for 30 - 60 minutes or more with a low flow of water.

You will need to adjust your watering schedule depending on your soil and weather conditions. Rocky, Hill Country soil will dry out much faster than clayey Blackland Prairie soil. Your finger is your best moisture meter: dig down as deeply as you can to feel the soil around the roots before watering. If you find that water runs off of the soil easily, and doesn't percolate well, use Medina Soil Activator, or Lady Bug Terra Tonic (which contains Soil Activator). These products help the soil to become more permeable, among other benefits. And don't forget the shrubs - they need attention, too.

Conserve water. Any time you water, use only sprinklers that spray the least amount of water into the air, where it is lost to evaporation. Water early in the morning or late in the evening for the same reason. In addition, the more water on the leaves, the greater the chances of fungal problems on the leaves. Even plain water on the leaves while the sun is out can also burn the leaves.

Consider investing in soaker hoses and/or a drip system. These watering systems put the water right where it's needed  in the soil and next to the plant  rather than wasting the water into the air. Of course, this saves on the water bill, too, and again - reduces the chances of diseases on the plants. While soaker hoses are easier to install in the garden or landscape, a well-designed drip system can last much longer. Ask us at The Natural Gardener for help with soaker hoses or a drip irrigation system.

Mulch, mulch, mulch! If you haven't done so already, be sure all bare soil is covered with mulch, or compost with mulch on top. Avoid putting mulch or compost onto plant stems. Use about three inches total wherever possible.

Continue spraying all plants with seaweed regularly. Seaweed, with all its trace elements and hormones, can do more to help plants survive the heat than anything else, besides water and mulch. Spray on and under the leaves, early morning or late evening.

Release Trichogramma wasps to reduce or prevent fall webworms in pecan trees. Trichogramma wasps are tiny predators which eat the webworm egg before it becomes a pest. (The wasp does not control the worms that have already formed webs. For these critters, spray Bacillus thuringensis (B.t.) on the leaves weekly). The fall webworm is often a problem in pecan trees starting around June in Central Texas, and having three to four generations a year. To prevent the webworm year-round, try releasing Trichogrammas in late April or early May, mid-June, and in early August. Because the population of webworms in August is often the most damaging, you may want to release three rounds of the wasps, two weeks apart, starting in early August.

What To Do in July

Let the landscape rest. We are entering our least productive season for planting here in Central Texas, except for the following tough summer vegetables. Accordingly, the planting recommendations are slim this month. Your best bet is to survive through the heat while you plan for the fall garden.

Prepare and plant beds for the fall vegetable garden.

Plant vegetable seeds. Chard, sweet corn, cucumber, okra, black-eyed peas, pumpkin, salsify, New Zealand spinach, summer and winter squash, watermelon EARLY JULY: Eggplant LATE JULY: Beans, cantaloupe

Plant pumpkin seeds around the 4th of July to get jack o' lanterns for Halloween!

Plant vegetable plants. Pepper, tomato

Plant herbs. Basil, oregano, thyme

Plant annual flower/ornamental seeds. Cosmos, morning glory

Plant annual flower/ornamental plants. Blue daze, portulaca, purslane, zinnia

Plant perennial plants. Black-eyed Susan, ornamental grasses, Mexican bush sage, desert plants such as agave, nolina, sotol, and yucca

Plant cover crops. Plant such cover crops as cowpeas (black-eyed peas) or buckwheat in bare-soil or fallow areas to improve the soil while preventing and crowding out weeds. Till in the cover crop - before it goes to seed - about one to two weeks before planting there again.

Mulch all bare-soil areas.

Continue to foliar feed with seaweed or seaweed/fish emulsion combinations. Be sure to spray ONLY early in the morning or late in the evening.

Water deeply, and as infrequently as possible. The only time we need to water shallowly and frequently is on newly seeded or sodded areas.

Watering in the morning is best. If you must water in the evening, avoid wetting the leaves.

Spruce up the garden. Now is the time to do low-energy activities in the garden, if anything. Prune off dead limbs. Add yard art, a birdbath or feeder, or perhaps a pink flamingo.

Watch out for diseases and insect pests, and use the least toxic solution to the problem.

FREE MTB TIME TRIAL!!!!
SANSOM PARK JUNE 23.
So, here's the plan. Wednesday, the 23rd of June, we will be racing our bikes at Sansom Park. The race will consist of ONE LAP using the GREEN - BLUE loop. Basically, this should take most riders about the same amount of time as two laps at Gateway. Don't fool yourself, this is a pretty burly trail and it might take longer than expected, but you can do it!

The format of the race will be the same as Gateway's races: Time Trial Tournament.All riders will do one lap, then the top 5 will ride one extended lap which will include the "Joel's Loop" climb. Entry will be free, prizes will be about the same(beer, gift cards and stuff). 

Colonel's Bikes FREE OAKLEY CONTEST!!!!!! Colonel's Bikes is giving away a free pair of Oakleys in a surprise contest that will be announced at the event. 

 Free Internet Resources for Texas and DFW area gardening  

• Ask Mr. Smarty Plants: Love this site! Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and expert volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. It is written in language that even a novice gardener understand.  Send in your challenging plant problems and questions or just peruse the extensive database of Q&A from others.  They do answer all questions and most responses are accompanied by gorgeous photos of the plants discussed. 
• Calloway’s My Texas Garden: This local site provides a terrific list of quick-read resources for Texas gardeners.  You’ll find everything from tips on how to discover your garden personality to choosing plants that attract hummingbirds. If you sign up for their “Garden Club” (FREE!), you’ll also get notifications of free store seminars plus links to some terrific coupons and store specials. 
• Texas A&M’s List of Texas Star Plants: I have tried several of these plants and each one gets “The Strong Shall Survive” seal of approval!
•  The Grumpy Gardener Blog:  I have been following southern horticulturist Steve Bender (Southern Living Magazine) and his tongue-in-cheek campaign against “Crepe Murder” for years.  If you have sawed off your crepe myrtles and turned them into stumps, he just might pay you a surprise visit and have a word or two :).  He now has a blog that is full of great Southern gardening tips (and as a bonus, he will make you laugh).
• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Native Plant Database &North-Central Texas list of Recommended Plants: The amount of information on each plant in this database is amazing.
• Native Plants of Texas:  This is a really handy search engine for finding Fort Worth & Dallas friendly plants with specific needs (i.e. drought or shade tolerant).  You can narrow your search by type of plant (Evergreen trees, vines, groundcovers, etc) and even color.  Most searches produce a variety of corresponding plant pictures.
• Texas A&M Horticulture’s Spring Planting Calendar for Vegetables (DFW Metroplex is Zone 8, Region III). Great guide for when to plant those veggies in our area.

amazon.com    

Okra seems to have originated in the African area that has come to be known as Ethiopia. It is found growing wild there, and seems to be indigenous to this region. The vegetable was known in Egypt, and in India, but there are no writings that mention it before the 12^th or 13^thcenturies in either culture.

The Spanish Moors were familiar with okra also, and one 12^th century traveler to Egypt even noted that it was especially tasty when rolled in meal and fried. So, as much as we Southerners want to be the okra experts of the world, in fact, we were late comers to the okra game.

Okra came to North America along with the slave trade in the 17^th and 18^th centuries. It was known in Brazil about the same time, and credit goes to the French in Louisiana, and the Portuguese in Brazil, for introducing it. The word "gumbo" is synonymous for okra in Portuguese. They dried and ground the seeds of mature okra pods to make edible oil used for cooking, and okra oil is still used in parts of Africa and the Mediterranean today.

Okra thrives in hot, humid conditions, and tolerates drought well. It contains many nutrients, and is a good source of fiber as well. The slimy texture that is unpleasant to many, is actually very useful to people with digestive problems. The okra juice coats the intestines with a natural lubricant, and relieves constipation and other problems without harsh chemicals or habit-forming drugs.

This vegetable deserves nutritional respect if nothing else. A one-half cup of cooked okra contains about 25 calories, 2 grams of fiber, 1.5 grams of protein, 5.8 grams of carbohydrate, 460 IU of Vitamin A, 13 mg of Vitamin C, 50 mg of Calcium, 256 of Potassium, and also has Magnesium and Folic acid in measurable amounts.

Not only is it packed with nutrition, but the type of dietary fiber that okra contains helps stabilize blood sugar, as it curbs the rate that sugar is absorbed into the intestinal tract.

Okra can be prepared in a number of ways, some minimize the "slime" as we Southerners call it, and some simply embrace it. When cut and simmered in stews and gumbos, the sticky juice aids in thickening them. If you like the taste of okra in these dishes, but do not care for the texture it imparts, you can quickly sear the cut pieces in a hot pan before adding it to the dish. This will not eliminate the mucilage, but will tame it somewhat. Small whole okra pods can be substituted for the cut pieces, but if the dish is cooked very long, the pods will break down and release the juice. In other words, okra is slimy, get used to it.

The flavor of okra mixed with tomatoes is almost a perfect combination, and stewed okra and tomatoes is a common dish in nearly every okra loving home during the season. Okra halves can be stuffed and baked, and the vegetable can be substituted for cucumbers in most any pickle recipe. Split pods can be dried for winter use, and are incorporated in recipes just like the fresh ones.

Okra pods should be three inches long or less. It tends to get tough and woody if harvested much bigger. It should be used within a couple of days because it is inclined to toughen up in storage too. Okra does not store well in temperatures less than 45 degrees, so refrigerate it for only short periods of time.

Since okra is a vegetable that loves the heat of summer, seeds should be planted well after the last frost, and when the ground has warmed. It is not happy about transplanting, but will tolerate it if the roots are not disturbed when doing so. Here in the South, we direct-seed our okra, but further north, transplanting seedlings may be the only option. There are several varieties of okra that have short maturity dates, so one that fits your growing season should be found with just a little research.

Give okra room to grow, as some varieties can get quite tall. I space my seeds between 8" and 10" apart, but my variety is one of the smaller ones. The seedlings need well-drained soil of moderate fertility. Okra is a forgiving vegetable and will produce a crop without much care, but average garden soil will result in a bumper crop. Few pests bother okra, and for the most part, leave the plants and fruit alone. Japanese Beetles tend to be the worst thugs in my area, but they just tend to just take a nibble, and move on when they land on my okra. I have never used any form of pest control on okra. It just does not need it.

Beautiful pale yellow blossoms form on okra plants, and as soon as they start blooming, it is time to watch for pods. Okra pods can go from flower, to over ripe pod, in about 5 days. Keep a close eye on your plants during blooming season. One of the most common failures that first time okra growers have is that they harvest pods too late, and they end up with pods that are inedible. During the summer, I check my okra every single day; the pods are easy to miss because they blend in with the foliage so well.

Depending on how favorably your family embraces okra, you may plant as few as 6 plants, or several hundred. It can be blanched and frozen or I cut it up coat it with egg mik dredge then dip it into corn meal flour mix lay it on a cookie sheet to freeze so it will not stick together and then bag it for deep frying  for winter use quite easily, so plant extra if you like to put food by for cooler weather. Each okra plant can be expected to produce 2 or 3 pods every day or two during peak season, so plan accordingly.

Okra is an ancient vegetable that is now loved by many cultures. It is prepared in an amazing variety of ways. It is a healthy, low calorie, low fat food that is packed with nutrition and health benefits. It is easy to grow, and attracts few pests that have to be dealt with. When planning the yearly vegetable garden, expand your family's horizons, and include a patch of okra. You may be surprised at the reception that it gets.

Volunteer Workday in 2 Hands Community Garden this Wed., May 26, @ 6:30 -- you don't want to miss this!

VOLUNTEER and LEARN in the 2-hands Community Plot :

• Get your volunteer hours in and see how  passive water harvesting works 
• Elizabeth will teach you a trick to planting in the heat of the season so that you do not have to irrigate but can rely on the rainwater. 
• spread fresh wood chips on the rest of swales 
• create last berm and plant sweet potato slips *****those who come and work Elizabeth will give 10 slips to (other wise 5o cents a slip for naturally grown heirloom sweet potatoes)

The next Skills Clinic will be the Dips Clinic. We will start with an easy and patient introduction to medium sized dips and progress to some pretty big dips which are a lot of fun. Then for those who want to continue, and for those who want to join us at this point, we will focus on two local dips that have given so many people a challenge, that they have been given names: "Bank Shot", and "No Brakes."

If you are only interested in the No Brakes portion of the clinic, then meet us at the Trail Head around  11am. If se are running late, come find us at Bank Shot. If YOU are running late, then just meet us at No Brakes.

Volunteers are needed and appreciated to demonstrate, to help control traffic, and to help assist attendees.

mountain biking is, essentially, learning how to overcome obstacles like dips, fallen trees, rock gardens, walls, steep descents, roots, low branches, tight turns, switchbacks, mudholes, log piles, sand, water crossings, and so on. And on another level, it is also about learning how to overcome the obstacles in your head: the inner obstacles called fear and intimidation.

These clinics are designed for two kinds of riders:

1. riders who have taken the beginner clinic, or equivalent, who are still new to trail riding, have ridden trails at least half a  dozen times (preferably more), but are somewhat athletic, ambitious and eager to learn how to handle more obstacles.

and:

2. people who have been riding for years and are very fit and quite experienced, but still can't seem to get past specific obstacles, or types of obstacles, on our local trails. They have developed a mental block with certain obstacles because they fell attempting them in the past.

How many times have you failed to ride a dip, descent, or climb because either:

a. you never attempt it and always walked your bike

b. you attempted it but failed because you held something back or had poor technique

I am not an expert mountain biker. No way. I am a mere intermediate. But I think I know how to coach. I strive to create a good, fun, and safe learning environment. I  realize that  all it takes to  clear an obstacle on the trail are 3 things:

a. some knowledge about technique

b. a lot of repetition

and...... a 3rd thing to make it even easier to overcome the mental obstacle to overcoming the physical obstacles:

c. group support

the group support from fellow attendees (and other volunteers) not only offers moral encouragement, but just as important, your classmates and volunteers will be standing on the side of these obstacles offering physical support by reaching out to grab you should you start to lose it just before the crest of a dip, for example. The group will be your safety net and your cheering section.

I used to fail at obstacles like "No Brakes" and "Glen's Wall". So then I wouldn't even try them after awhile. I resigned myself to never being able to conquer them. Then someone suggested a gearing or handling technique, and I went out there and did that obstacle over and over till I could clear them 4 times out of 5. It is a GREAT feeling to beat into submission an obstacle that has been intimidating you for a long time!

I invite you to PM me ( chainsaw ) and let me know if you have questions. Or, you can email me at CM at MANNPHOTO dot COM.

 You do NOT need to be a DORBA member to attend. We DO require that you bring and use your helmet. 

 This clinic is dependent upon good weather and trail conditions. CHECK THIS POST THE MORNING OF THE CLINIC for any changes cancellations. 

we will meet at the Picnic tables to the right of the Gazebo.

Erwin is located a couple of miles west of McKinney. For directions look here: http://www.dorba2.com/trail/erwin-park

for a map look here:  

http://tinyurl.com/3adpgdw

Pizza Hut Park

Frisco, TX
Sat, May 22, 2010 07:30 PM

Are you dreaming of starting your own biz while sitting in a cubicle? In the Anti 9 to 5 Guide, Michele Goodman shows you how to make your dreams a reality, whether it’s working from home, traveling the world, writing your first novel, or being your own boss. Even if you’ve already escaped the corporate world (or were never there to begin with) this book offers practical tips for anyone looking to build a business (and a lifestyle) outside of normal conventions.

2. The Girl’s Guide to Starting Your Own Business, by Caitlin Friedman and Kimberly Yorio

If you’re ready to start your own business, but aren’t sure about the little details like insurance, incorporation, or business planning, then The Girl’s Guide to Starting Your Own Business is for you. It gives you all the nuts and bolts of starting a business, in a straightforward, down to earth way. The last chapter offers a dose of business wisdom from two women who know what they’re talking about.

3. Craft Inc., by Meg Mateo Ilasco

If you run a business designing and making products, than this should definitely be on your bookshelf. Craft Inc. covers everything from setting up your business, to designing products, to marketing, to craft fairs and wholesale. It’s one of the best books on running a crafts business out there. (And if your focus is more on creative freelance than making products, Meg has a new book, Creative Inc, co-written with Joy Deangdeelert Cho, which is slated for release this fall.)

4. The Entrepreneur’s Guide to patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, & licensing, by Jill Gilbert

Do you know you need to protect your business’s intellectual property, but aren’t sure if it’s a trademark, patent, or copyright you’re after? Gilbert’s book breaks down the various forms of intellectual property, including securing copyrights and patents, and instructions on registering a trademark (such as your business name.) It’s a useful roadmap to the often confusing world of intellectual property law.

5. Made to Stick, by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

If I had to pick my favorite business book of all time, it would be Made to Stick. Brothers Chip and Dan Heath share their formula for making your ideas stickier. By sticky ideas, they mean ideas that people will pay attention to and share with others. This is applicable to everything from marketing to product development, and is a must for any biz lady looking to build her communication skills.

6. Inbound Marketing, by Brian Halligan, Dharmesh Shah, and David Meerman Scott

The secret to getting people to pay attention to you is to create “remarkable content”, according to the authors of Inbound Marketing. It’s a great approach to online marketing that goes far beyond search engine optimization (though it explains that too.) If you haven’t quite gotten the hang of this whole blog or social media thing, this book is a must read. But even if you’ve been doing the blog thing for years, there’s still plenty to learn from Inbound Marketing.

7. Free: The Future of a Radical Price, by Chris Anderson

Chris Anderson’s first book, The Long Tail, helped me understand the effect of larger business trends on my own small business, and his new book, Free, is even more important. Far beyond using free as a gimmicky marketing tools, Anderson shows you how, using the Internet, you can build giving things away for free into a profitable business. This new free business model affects every type of business, because even if you aren’t giving something away for free, you’ll likely compete against a company that does. Bonus: You can download the audio book of Free, for free, on iTunes.

8. anything by Seth Godin

I’m a huge fan of Seth Godin, and I highly recommend making his blog a daily read. Seth has written so many books – it was impossible to pick just one. Looking for a little more boost in your marketing efforts? Check out Permission Marketing. Stuck in a rut? Read The Dip to help you push through. Want to know how to stand out? Godin’s newest book, Linchpin, focuses on how to become indispensible.

9. Hiring Your First Employee, by Fred S. Steingold

Are you ready to make the transition from one-woman show to employer? Perhaps, like me, your dream of being able to hire some help, but aren’t sure it’s in the budget. (Plus, there are all those scary legal requirements.) Before getting into details about how to hire your first employee, Steingold helps you assess whether or not it’s time. He then guides your through the nuts and bolts of hiring, training (and maybe even firing) your first employee. Even if you think you’re years away from hiring an employee, it’s worth checking out.

10. Good to Great, by Jim Collins

If you want to take your business to the next level, then Good to Great is for you. While it’s aimed more at CEOs than small-business owners, I still found plenty to relate to running my own business. In fact, this book is so dense that you could probably read through it several times and come out with something new each time. Good to Great isn’t a resource for those just starting a business, but if your business is in full swing, and you want to see it improve, put Good to Great on your list.