We bought our land in August. And I immediately started dreaming up garden plans for next Spring (2025). I wasn’t exactly sure where I was going to put the garden and didn’t think I could pull off a fall garden without having water available. Plus I wasn’t sure how many trucks/big construction equipment were going to be driving/cruising around the property getting our land ready for the grass landing strip & our house pad.
After sharing my garden ideas with my hubs, he was like why not put one in for fall. So after brainstorming placement and water, we started hunting for a tiller for our tractor so I could get the ground tilled up.
Of course, the spot I chose (that would be away from any trucks/construction equipment) was pure Texas clay. And not the more desirable sandy loam/select fill that is the rest of my property. We picked up 6 yards of cow compost to add into the garden area + are bringing up yards and yards of the select fill from where our pond will eventually be carved out.
All that’s left is for me to get it all tilled in & then start planting. We solved the water problem: picked up a 350 gallon tank from a friend, cleaned it out really good and filled it up. Bought a water hose nozzle adapter (this one) and a battery powered water pump (this one) in case the water pressure gets too low to get the remaining water out before I have a chance to fill it all the way back up.
Fall 2024 Garden Plans
This will be the first time I’ve ever planned for a fall garden. I’ve only ever planted during spring. So, I’ve got a learning curve ahead for me. But I’m excited to experiment!
I quickly realized though, that in Texas, big box garden centers start putting away their seed stations & stop bringing in plants. Even my mom & pop nurseries in my town had limited supplies. The selection really isn’t all that great with what is available. Which is a total bummer for anyone wanting to grow a fall garden.
Here’s what I have so far:
I will be transplanting broccoli, collard greens and lettuce. I will also be transplanting flowers such as marigolds, dianthus & larkspur (delphinium).
I have seeded radish, carrots, chives, garlic chives, bunching onions, peppermint, blue lake beans, poppies, larkspur and sweet peas.
I will direct sow Texas 1015 onion seeds & garlic cloves once my plot of land is ready for planting.
Once I have these things in the ground, I’ll better understand what I need to fill in & where. Marigolds really are the bees-knees for all things garden. So many beneficial reasons to companion plant with these flowers.
I have been using the Almanac’s Garden Planner (free tool) to help me figure out spacing, etc for these plants. I’ve also found some super helpful resources via Pinterest that give a better idea for spacing per SQFT. The seed pack directions are really meant for large agriculture planting. And don’t give any information on how to companion plant, which I will also be doing.
Stay tuned for my companion planting post coming soon as I get everything figured out!!
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