Page 54 - Galveston Monthly Apr2019

hOme & GardeN | GARdENiNG

squares. Each square is planted with your choice of vegetable,
herb, flowers, or ornamentals. cArDinAl rules oF tHe GArDen
Tall plants placed in the rear section of the garden and shorter vegetables need ample sun, at least six hours of direct
plants in the front squares are recommended. Because the sunlight.
garden is raised and divided into sections, maintenance and Root crops and leafy vegetables are somewhat shade
harvesting is easier for all gardeners, including children and tolerant.
older adults. Adequate drainage is important.
Container gardening is a third option for those with limited Plant tall plants to the north or back of the garden so as
space. Many types of containers can be used in this approach, not to shade shorter plants.
from tomato plants in five gallon buckets to nursery pots and Do not plant a larger garden than you are able to easily
old whiskey barrels. care for.
for container gardening it is important to use commercial
soils that are clean and free of diseases. use water-soluble
fertilizers frequently to ensure healthy growth - and remember hornworms are easiest to spot in the morning. in small
that container gardens require more frequent watering. gardens, the best control is removal and disposal although
Also remember to add sufficient holes to the bottom of the Sevin or malathion products, as well as applications of bacillus
container to allow good drainage. thuringiensis, sold as Dipel or Bio Worm killer will help control
and prevent outbreaks.
consiDer HerBs
herbs are a natural addition to a home garden and can be veGetABles to plAnt now in GAlveston
easily grown along with the vegetables in any of the above Beans (snap, pole and bush): March-May
options for your garden. herbs need good drainage so you may Eggplant transplants: April-May
want to consider containers or even hanging baskets as an Okra: April-July
alternative. Pepper transplants: March-May
use a slow release fertilizer when planting and supplement Tomato transplants: March-April
with soluble fertilizers to keep them healthy and thriving; herbs
prefer full sun but may tolerate some shade. herbs are nearly eleMents oF FertilizinG
pest-free and quite easy to grow. npk - nitroGen…pHospHorus…potAssiuM
The ones you’ll really use - which are recommended by Plants live with their heads above ground where they can
William D. Adams and Thomas LeRoy in their publication absorb some of the nutrients they need for growth, i.e. carbon,
“Common Sense vegetable Gardening for The South” - include hydrogen, and oxygen. Other nutrients are absorbed through
basil, chives, cilantro, dill, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary and the root system. Those nutrients include nitrogen, phosphorus,
thyme. and potassium.
An interesting sub-chapter in their book suggests methods On the packages at your garden centers, you will find such
for using fresh herbs (herb butters and herb vinegars), and numbers as 20-20-20 or 15-5-10 listed, as well as many other
preserving the fresh herbs from your garden, including drying combinations of numbers. These figures represent the NPk
and freezing in olive oil (chop the herb, and add just enough ratio or the ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus to potassium.
oil to make a thick paste, freeze in small portions, and use year Select the one that best suits your plants’ needs. GM
round).

tHe toMAto HornworM
The tomato hornworm larva is green in color with L-shaped
stripes and a black “horn” appendage at its rear. it has an
appetite to match its large size (nearly four inches at maturity).
The tomato hornworm can strip a tomato plant of its leaves and
new stems rapidly. Although it prefers tomatoes, the hornworm
will also make a lunch of eggplant, potatoes and peppers.
The tomato hornworm is the larva stage of an adult sphinx
moth. The moth lays its eggs on the underside of tomato leaves
in the spring - the eggs take about a week to hatch, and the
resulting larva will feast on your plants to maturity which takes
two to four weeks. At that time, the worms burrow into the soil
to pupate.
Shortly thereafter, a new moth will emerge from the soil to Courtesy images
lay another series of eggs. Each moth is able to lay up to 2,000 Tomato hornworm
eggs.

54 | GALVESTON MONTHLY | APRIL 2019