
Next Event ---> Lakehills Artisan Village & Produce
Saturday February 8, 2025
124 Center Street, Lakehills TX
You are more than welcome to call or text for goodies
in between events - The cell is 210-260-2323
Last Updates :: Monday January 13, 2025
Updated available quantities after last even on Sat Jan 11, 2025





Tips & Hacks In No Particular Order
ADJUSTING pH LEVEL DOWN ::
1 ) Add 1.5 pounds of elemental sulfur per 1000 square feet, be careful to add only once a year
2 ) Add Canadian Sphagnum Peat to the soil. I am using about a half a bag per 12'x4' raised bed.
3 ) Add other carbon rich organic materials to to top of the raised beds - this is slower but still effective.
4 ) Overwinter the beds by adding cow manure after last harvest.
5 ) Run dried leaves through the shredder, then mix into the top few inches of soil.
ADJUSTING pH LEVEL UP ::
I am on a limestone rock and so do not have a need to increase pH.
MULCH ::
I save all my pruned materials, and run them through the chipper shredder to make my own mulch. This mulch will decompose over time, adds organic carbon to my beds, helps retain water and keep the beds evenly moist. I also use sawdust that Tom creates with his woodworking. I will never again use grass clippings because they deposit their seeds into my raised beds.
COMPOST ::
The smaller the scraps, the faster compost is achieved.
The rule is: If we won't eat it, and the chickens won't eat it, and the red wiggler worms won't eat it, we compost it.
I use a 2:1 ratio ( I know, that is not right, it should be 20:1, but that is hard ) For every bucket of food scraps, I add 2 buckets of dead leaves or whatever.
HOMEMADE ROOTING SOLUTION ::
1 Cup Warm Water
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp White Vinegar
Seal for 48 Hours to Ferment
Ready for Use - just water into the seed starts
Plants will root quickly & soil is improved so this promotes plant growth
5 TYPES OF WATERS ::
Soaking soybeans in water produces nitrogen fertilizer which promotes the growth of new shoots
Soaking banana peels in water produces phosphorus fertilizer which helps plants to bloom
Fermented rice water is a potassium fertilizer that strengthens roots and prevents root rot
Soaking orange peels in water is a remedy for sciarid flies
Also known as fungus gnats, they crawl all over my seed starts in the green house, when disturbed, they seem to swarm
A more effective solution is one part hydrogen peroxide and six parts water, water the plants but avoid the leaves
Spraying diluted beer is just as effective as foliar fertilizer making leaves shiny and green
Mist the Stomata on underside of leaves either at dawn or at dusk, not during heat of day, best before it gets to 72 degrees
The Stomata starts closing up at that temperature, so won't absorb as much, which means less effective
Spray about every 2 weeks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=wHyflvaVuIM <-- Link to a good "how to" about foliar spraying
produced by The Executive Garden
PERLITE versus VERMICULITE ::
Neither one are fertilizers
Perlite ::
is larger than vermiculite
improves soil structure by increasing aeration & water drainage
helps plant roots breath, gets the water to flow, which means healthy root development
great for all potting mixes but especially compact soil
Vermiculite ::
improves soil structure by retaining moisture & nutrients
acts like a sponge, so is great for containers that dry out quickly, plants that need extra moisture & plants that are heavy feeders