Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds light and variable..

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds light and variable.

The Walker County Master Gardeners hosted a presentation on fall gardening tips, featuring Rhonda Hanks, Gail Warren and Lisa Howell Monday at the Huntsville Public Library.

The Walker County Master Gardeners hosted a presentation on fall gardening tips, featuring Rhonda Hanks, Gail Warren and Lisa Howell Monday at the Huntsville Public Library.

Walker County Master Gardeners Rhonda Hanks, Gail Warren, and Lisa Howell presented a wealth of information on fall gardening Monday at the Huntsville Public Library. Topics ranged from which crops grow best in the region to soil testing and how to create different types of garden beds. They also shared their experiences on promoting good bugs and butterflies, the pitfalls of planting too early, and how to use fewer pesticides.

One of the first recommendations from Hanks was to test the soil in your garden and check the ph of commercial soil you purchase. The local AgriLife extension office will provide bags and forms that anyone can use to send in samples for testing to check for nutrient deficiencies, toxic chemicals and mineral content. If you don’t have enough space for a large garden, raised beds or containers can still produce an impressive amount of fresh vegetables and herbs.

According to the Texas Gardener’s fall planting guidelines, it’s time to start planting Brussel sprouts, kohlrabi, and potatoes. October is the proper window for beets, broccoli, cabbage and Swiss chard. Leaf lettuce seeds can be planted directly into shallow soil starting October 10, with spinach, carrots, and radishes to follow in November.

For those who don’t have time to tend a garden this fall, planting ground cover helps replace nitrogen and prevents soil erosion. Piling fallen leaves, wood chips, grass clippings and pine needles over last season’s plot will also help the soil maintain its balance and moisture over the winter months. Avoid tilling the soil at the end of summer and cover it with compost.

Warren went into detail on how to rid your plants of destructive insects and the best ways to protect your plants during a freeze. She recommends removing aphids by clipping or destroying heavily infested leaves and plants. Telling the difference between good and bad bugs is not always easy, so catching them in a water bottle or glass jar can help to identify which ones help your plants and which will destroy them.

When the first frost arrives, draping blankets and frost covers over plants at sundown and anchoring them at the corners preserves more warmth than tying covers around the base or roots. Leaving plants uncovered during the day when temps rise above freezing, even for a few hours makes them more likely to survive. String lights with larger bulbs can also help warm the plants at night as long as they are not touching the plants directly.

Lisa Howell rounded out the class with a presentation on Hugelkultur, which is a low maintenance raised bed that mimics nature. It requires no digging and is drought resistant. The tall mounded shape of the bed allows the gardener to tend to it without stooping or building a perimeter. The base can be made of fallen logs, branches and leaves which retain water better than a few feet of soil. It also generates heat and slowly releases nutrients, making fertilizer nearly obsolete.

The next Master Gardeners event at the public library will cover rainwater and other water saving tips at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 19. They will hold their annual fall plant sale from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 8 at 102 Tam Road in Huntsville, which is 2 miles north of the Pilot Truck Stop on Hwy75 North.

To view the full East Texas Fall Planting Guide in pdf form, use this link:

http://counties.agrilife.org/sanaugustine/files/2011/06/east_txplanting_guide_3.pdf

For a visual map, visit https://www.ufseeds.com/texas-vegetable-planting-calendar.html

For a comprehensive to do list that explains what to do each month,

https://www.farmersalmanac.com/calendar/gardening.

For day by day gardening advice based on the age-old practice of gardening by the moon, use the calendar at https://www.farmersalmanac.com/calendar/gardening.

For more information on Hugelkultur, visit https://richsoil.com/hugelkultur/ and https://www.permaculturenews.org/?s=hugelkultur.

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