Gardens and Fruit Trees

[midlight21]

I have some questions about gardening and fruit trees for all you gardeners. I have an area in the backyard that would be good to grow a small garden of vegetables and herbs in. I live in North Texas and would like to know what would be good to plant for us. I don't have a lot of time to tend to a garden....the landscaping in the front of the house is annoying me right now, so most of my work is on it. My DH however is very good at watering the backyard regularly.

I would like some fruit trees in our backyard as well. I need some recommendations for fruit trees that don't attract too many bugs, ants in particular (or some suggestions to keep bugs away).

I'd like to do this all pretty cheaply of course.

[flash]

I'm sure someone will google Texas for you.

But two other things to try: 1. Go to your local nursery and ask. Don't buy, but ask LOTS of questions about plants, sunlight, soil, diseases, etc. 2. Call a landscape architect or landscape firm and have them give suggestions or even a proposal for your yard. Since they aren't selling just plants, they give pretty accurate info.

We paid a landscape architect to draw up our plans after we moved, since we had no idea what grew here and what diseases, etc., there were. We had her break the two acres up into five phases, and we are doing all the work and purchases ourselves. She even gave us price estimates for the plants, and we adjusted for our needs.

[midlight21]

Oh that's neat. I did make a trip to Walmart and did lots of googling myself. Still don't have all the info I need on the fruit trees but we will be growing watermelons, tomatoes, carrots and strawberries to start off with.

[Tightwad Kitty]

Originally Posted by midlight21

Oh that's neat. I did make a trip to Walmart and did lots of googling myself. Still don't have all the info I need on the fruit trees but we will be growing watermelons, tomatoes, carrots and strawberries to start off with.

On fruit trees and another plants
Take a walk around your area and have a look at what other people are growing there. Read up on fruit trees as some trees will not take too the wrong climate at all!

I live in sub-tropic here.

[contrary1]

You could check with your county extension office too, they usually have pretty good info here. Our Master Gardener program is connected to them, you might get to hook up with someone that is into fruit trees & give you some help.

[cercis]

I strongly second the master gardener suggestion. I know for a fact Wichita Falls has a very strong master gardener program (I've been to one of their conventions). Dallas and Plano are strong too.

My issue with landscape architects is that they tend to live in a dream world where things only have to look good for a year or so. I get sooo tired of going to look at a house with DH because they are having tree problems and realizing that the person they hired 1) used the wrong plant material and 2) used too much of it. One house we went to had 3 pines in an area that would hardly support 1. See, they looked good when he planted it and just 1 small one would have looked bare, so he planted for the now rather than the future. So now those homeowners had to decide which 1 of the 3 they wanted to keep and none of them were in the best spot (they were in a triangle and the best spot would have been in between the 2 outer edges - midpoint of they hypotenuse). Plus, they were a pine that was extremely susceptible to the diseases our soil carried so they were probably going to die anyway, there were other pines that are not susceptible, but they aren't as pretty, especially when small.

If you use a landscape architect, ask him to project growth for 5-10 years and then ask if you can scale it back.

[midlight21]

Nah, I won't be using a landscape architect. I planned my front yard landscaping and I can do the backyard too. I think we've decided to go with nut trees though. I might see if I can sneak some blueberry bushes in. Oh, I'm in McKinney which is north of Plano.

[cercis]

LOL - I know right where McKinney is. Did they finish the road construction out of Dallas yet?

I live in the Rio Grande Valley (down by South Padre Island) and my family lives near McAlester Oklahoma. So, I've been through McKinney a few times. Last trip we hit McKinney at about 2am after driving all day. I was driving and sooo bleary eyed that when I hit the road construction with the concrete barriers on both sides I thought I would die. I was white-knuckling it until I made it through the barriers, then I pulled over and made DH drive.

We drove through it later in the day on the way back, so that wasn't too bad.

It looks like a nice town, you know, for Texas

[midlight21]

My aunt lives in Harlingen! Are you talking about I35 where the concrete barriers are right outside of Dallas (south)? I have no idea if they are still there. They are done with construction on 75 and 635 and now they are doing construction on 75 in Plano. Oh also construction at 75 and 121.

[cercis]

I think it's 75. We take 69 out of McAlester, but I think we turn onto 75. This was last July, but in Oklahoma, those barriers would be there for the next 5 years (I'm not kidding, there was a highway in Oklahoma under construction for at least 5 years).

I know Harlingen (well, I'd have to, huh? It's the only way out of the Valley unless I drive to McAllen and up that way). I like the area, we got up into the 90s today, but it has cooled down so nicely that we just opened the windows and the whole house is cool again. And we're so close to the beach. Plus with all the winter texans, we get a lot of nice services.

[midlight21]

Oh I think it's going to be a very hot summer in Texas this year because of the mild winter. It would be soooo nice to be able to open up the windows and not die where I am. I bet you love it near the beach.

[Fern]

Originally Posted by midlight21

Oh that's neat. I did make a trip to Walmart and did lots of googling myself. Still don't have all the info I need on the fruit trees but we will be growing watermelons, tomatoes, carrots and strawberries to start off with.

wwatermelons and other melons in general require a whole lot of water. Are you sure that's a good choice for yougiven your location?

[KathyRRozier]

For the cultivation of a garden of success in Texas, you literally have to start from scratch. That is, you need to work their land so that your plants have a healthy environment to grow in Texas has a wide range of soil types and soil quality. It's rare that you start with good soil for gardening. Therefore, it is worth learning to improve their land for your plants grow healthy and strong. If you are not familiar with soil types and how to work the ground, this section is a basic introduction to creating a healthy soil for your garden.
Use companion planting
Insects are a major problem due to long periods of heat in the area. North Central Texas can experience temperatures of 80 during the month of November, which means long-term problems of insect invaders. Companion planting can reduce pest problems, while producing a prosperous harvest. That involves the placement of mutually beneficial plants near each other to maximize growth. For example, basil repels hornworms that often invade tomato plants. Dill attracts beneficial insects such as ladybugs, which feed on aphids. Marigolds around the bean plants to repel Mexican bean beetles, while planting nasturtiums can help ward off cucumber beetles.

The water in a
North Central Texas is prone to drought during the summer, but not make the mistake of watering every day. This can lead to fungal infections such as brown patch and large patch disease. Instead, the water a couple of days a week, but the water is deep, allowing water to penetrate deep into the earth. This is the will to help promote deeper root growth that allows plants to survive in times of drought.

Choose native plants
Using an herb or plant that is destined to grow in the climate of this area can lead to dead plants everywhere. The best option is to choose native plants. Indigo plants needles is a good choice for North Central Texas because of its tolerance to semidrought features. It can survive on little water, takes place in the sun and the proliferation of small purple flowers from April to November. Bermuda or Zoysia grass lawns are common to the region and thrive in direct sunlight and little water.

Prepare your soil
The website of the Collin County Master Gardeners describes the floor of the North Central Texas as "black gumbo" because of its dark and sticky consistency. Its density may smother plants and has a high alkaline content, which some plants can not tolerate. Prepare the soil by mixing compost before planting. Do not prepare the ground while wet, this will cause a decrease in oxygen. Do not add sand to clay soil, which can cause problems later. Once your garden and lawn is established, aerate once a year in the summer.