One of our stalwarts for the summer garden is purple hull peas. A staple for many in this area, would you believe a local grower just finished a major harvest of zipper creams, lady fingers and pinkeye purple hulls?

It is a commonly overlooked fact by gardeners that there are indeed two seasons to have a vegetable garden each year: spring and fall.

Long time pea grower, Otis Harbuck, just finished up a fall harvest last week from his pea fields just east of Lufkin. His bushels of peas are nearly all sold at a time of year that we traditionally think of pumpkins and mums.

The obvious effort was in planning for a fall garden. Harbuck re-worked the soil after his summer harvest of peas wrapped up in July. He then replanted three different varieties of southern peas in the month of August with the intention of harvesting in October.

Looking at the details of his efforts, his last picking of purple hull peas was on Monday, October 27. He planted three different varieties of purplehulls: Mississippi Pinkeye, Texas Pinkeye, and Coronet Pinkeye. It was later in the week on Thursday, October 30 he finished his last harvest of Lady Finger Cream peas and Zipper Cream peas.

While his plantings took place throughout August, wrapping up near the end of that month, Harbuck states, “you got to be ahead of the frost” for harvest.

Our average first frost for this area is mid- November. The key word is average. Sometimes it may be near Christmas, and other times it will be prior to Halloween. So when choosing what to plant, keep in mind how long it takes each vegetable to reach harvest stage

Most warm season vegetables traditionally grown in the spring/summer have a hard deadline. They must beat the frost. Southern peas normally take about 60 days. Counting backwards from a mid-October harvest puts the planting at mid-August. Pumpkins need about 90 days and radish is just over a month.

Establishing a fall garden is different as you have to work in the heat up-front. This warm soil will be to your advantage as it helps germinate vegetable plants much sooner than cooler spring soil temperatures in our spring gardens.

A school garden at Huntington Elementary plants summer squash at the beginning of the school year and have crook neck squash before Thanksgiving. Indeed, this is another summer vegetable planted in a fall garden as late as early September.

The biggest proponents of fall vegetable gardens will always brag on the harvest. Harvested produce at this time of year in milder weather are reported to taste better. The time spent harvesting, choosing which tomato or what size cucumber to pick, is obviously more comfortably done.
The bottom line is that here in east Texas our spring and fall gardening seasons are short, sandwiched between frosts and blistering hot summer conditions that cause many crops to stop production. Variety selection and proper planting time are critical to success.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Cary Sims is the County Extension Agent for agriculture and natural resources for Angelina County. His email address is cw-sims@tamu.edu

Educational programs of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin.

Lime now, but only if you need it
Our high rainfall and soil composition in our region typically causes us to have acidic soils. Speaking technically, our soils will typically be below a 7 on the pH scale. And being practical, we add lime (in one of its many forms) to the soil to make it less acidic.

Fall is the ideal time to apply lime to pastures, hay meadow, lawns and landscapes. Different soils will require a different amount of lime to adjust the soil even if it has the same pH value. The texture of the soil, organic matter content and the plants to be grown are all factors to consider in adjusting the pH value. For example, soils low in clay requires less lime than soils high in clay to make the same pH change.

How much lime is needed? I have no idea, but for about $15, you can find the exact amount needed. Both Texas A&M and SFA have a soils lab and charge $10 per sample for the basic test that will tell you how much lime is needed to correct the pH. An additional $5 is required for postage.

Soil samples should be taken now, in the fall, for the succeeding year’s crop. If test results indicate a need for limestone, it can be applied in the fall or winter months. Generally, for best results, limestone should be applied at least two to three months prior to planting to allow time for it to neutralize the acidity.

Ground agricultural limestone is most frequently used. The finer the limestone particles, the more rapidly it becomes effective. Agricultural producers needing large quantities typically have two choices, regular “ag-lime” or super-fine lime. Ag lime is currently just under $60 per ton, spread in the pasture. The super-fine lime, though higher, is a bargain as it does a better job.

Homeowners can choose from four types of ground limestone products: pulverized, granular, pelletized and hydrated. Pulverized lime is finely ground. Granular and pelletized lime is less likely to clog when spread with a fertilizer spreader over turf areas. The finer the grind of the limestone the faster it will change the soil pH value.

Wood ashes can be used to raise the soil pH, but should be used with caution. Unlike lime, wood ashes can raise the pH too high! They are not as effective as limestone but with repeated use, they can drastically raise the pH value of a soil, especially if the soil is sandy in texture.
Wood ashes contain fairly high amounts of potassium & calcium, and small amounts of phosphate, boron and other elements. Ashes should not come in contact with germinating seedlings or plant roots as they may cause damage.

Spread a thin layer during the winter and incorporate into the soil in the spring. Check the soil pH annually especially if you use wood ashes. Avoid using large amounts of wood ashes because excessively high pH values and subsequent nutrient deficiencies may result.

+++++++++++++++++++

Educational programs of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin.

Cary Sims is the County Extension Agent for agriculture and natural resources for Angelina County. His email address is cw-sims@tamu.edu.

It’s at this time of year that we clearly understand why another term for autumn is “fall”! The leaves slightest breeze brings down a shower of leaves from shade and ornamental trees. Now comes the time to decide how to deal with them.

The most fun thing to do is to rake them into big piles for the kids to jump into and scatter around again. At least it’s the most fun for the kids! The least enjoyable is raking and bagging them. What are the options?

While bagging for curbside garbage pickup is an option, it is not the best way to go. The problem is that all those bags of leaves from across the community are sent to the landfill wasting space in it and wasting a landscape asset.

One option some folks take is to do nothing and just let the leaves remain all winter. This is not good for our southern grasses. A dense layer creates a dark, damp, stagnant zone where diseases can proliferate, harming the turf.

Burning is not really the best option either. When younger, I thought it was cool to have a burning leaf pile, but neighbors who suffer from allergies or asthma often find that burning leaves aggravates symptoms and makes breathing difficult.

Mowing the leaves in place is the easiest and most simple means of disposal. Many folks seem hesitant to recycle leaves back into the lawn, fearing they will create thatch or other problems. But research done in many parts of the country has shown that mowing leaves into the lawn does not cause any problems.

The best results are obtained by using a mulching mower which cuts and recuts leaves several times. The smaller the pieces, the quicker the microbes, which are active all year ’round, can attack and break down the leaves into humus.

You may need to make 2 or more passes over larger tree leaves to get a finely shredded product. I often wait until I think all the leaves are on the ground, but that may not be the easiest method. The deeper the layer, the more difficult it is to get them all shredded.

Sheet composting is an option for garden areas where you place a layer of shredded leaves over the surface of the soil and let them decompose in place. A thin layer of cotton seed meal will speed the decomposition. Alternatively, you can also rototill the layer of leaves into the soil.
Mulching is a great way to deal with excess leaves. You can place leaves in the pathways of your garden and flower bed. They will decompose in place, reduce weed problems, and enrich the soil, all at the same time.

Another use for shredded leaves is as a layer of mulch in perennial and shrub beds, and around the base of young trees. Just make sure that larger leaves are shredded first. Large leaves when wet can mat into a nearly impermeable layer, restricting air and water movement.

For those who are blessed with an abundance of pine straw, a truly simple solution exists: rake and use as mulch. While most folks around our part of the world may think it unseemly to use in that manner, the majority of southern states, from Louisiana to the Atlantic, use it all the time.

The Angelina County Extension office will be holding a seminar on southern bulbs on Monday, Oct 20 at 6:30 pm. Chris Wiesinger will be speaking on bulbs that have naturalized and thrive in our area. Cost is $10 per person, kids come free.

+++++++++++++++++++
Educational programs of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin.

Cary Sims is the County Extension Agent for agriculture and natural resources for Angelina County. His email address is cw-sims@tamu.edu.

A commemorative tree was planted today on the grounds of the United States Department of Agriculture – Forest Service office, Tuesday, October 14, 2014, in Lufkin, Texas.

 
The Shumard Oak, donated by Steely Lumber of Huntsville, Texas, was planted in honor of the Texas Forestry Association’s 100th year and in memory of Loren Leroy Bishop, first Forest Supervisor of the National Forests in Texas and the first Executive Secretary for Texas Forestry Association.

 
“Today we specifically want to honor Loren L. Bishop,” said Lee Carroll, TFA President. “It is in honor and tribute to his early leadership that we plant this tree in his memory; for all to remember his contributions to the forest resource on public and private land. It is through his leadership that we enjoy the beautiful forests that are vitally important to East Texas.”

 
When he came to TFA, Bishop was retired from the U. S. Forest Service, where he had organized the effort to establish four national forests in Texas on more than 600,000 acres of cut-over timber land in the 1930s. By 1950, with full-time staff, TFA was considered “permanently established”, with Bishop, a stenographer and two “field” directors of forestry efforts.

 
The tree also commemorates a long history of cooperation between the U.S. Forest Service and other agencies.

 
“We have a long history of cooperating and working together, and that started with Mr. Bishop,” said Mark Van Every, Supervisor of the National Forests and Grasslands of Texas. “This tree is a good symbol of that interconnection and also, hopefully will serve as a reminder for the next hundred years and more of the cooperation we have between our two organizations.”

 
Also present were Ron Hufford, executive director of TFA, and Lufkin Mayor Bob Brown, who thanked the TFA for their continued efforts and presence in East Texas.

 
The ceremony is part of Texas Forestry Association’s ongoing celebration as the voice of forestry for 100 years, which will culminate during their annual convention, October 21-23, 2014 held at the Pitser Garrison Convention Center in Lufkin, Texas.

 
ABOUT:
Texas Forestry Association, the voice for forestry for 100 years, promotes an economic, social and political climate that will advance forestry in Texas through education, political action and public relations, as well as serving the broad needs of the forest resource of landowners, producers and consumers, and to enhance and perpetuate the Texas forest resource.