With Punxsutawney Phil predicting an early spring this year (independently verified by Canada's Shubenacadie Sam), it's time to start getting that backyard, side yard, or community garden plot ready for a bountiful spring and summer. If you're like us at JBG, your hands are itching with the urge to get out and fill that garden with new plants. But before you start planting, we've got a few tips to ensure your 2016 garden is productive and healthy!

Be sure to check out the details for our Annual Transplant Sale, as well as a special gardening workshop with Brenton, at the bottom of the page!

Check your Tools

It happens to the best of us - tools lying around, rain barrels getting a little slimy, trellises falling apart. Now is the best time to get everything clean and ready for you to hit the ground running when your pick up your organic transplants! Organize that shed, clean your tools, fix any broken fences or irrigation, and get ready for a great year!

Clear your Garden

Whether you put in a winter cover crop, or you have leftover fall crop residues, or even if your garden has filled up with grass (hey, we'll count that one as a cover crop too), it's time to clear that bed and get ready for new plants. We recommend cutting whatever is left in your garden down to ground level. You can compost the residues or dig them right into your garden to decompose.

Aerate your Soil

Next, you'll want to start getting your soil ready for the growing hungry plants you're about to put in there. First things first, it's time to loosen the soil. Over time, water, gravity, and sedimentation slowly compact your garden soil. Compacted soil is not as productive - your plants need lots of oxygen around their roots and plenty of space for water to trickle down. You can use a digging fork to loosen the soil, or use the double digging technique. If you have rocky or poorly aerated soil, consider building yourself a raised-bed garden to give those plants the fluffy soils they need to thrive.

Ok, maybe not this much compost.

Compost compost compost!

Your next step is to make sure your soils are healthy and fed! We recommend applying a few inches of compost to your garden every year. This provides your garden space with nutrient rich organic matter and a host of microorganisms. Not only is compost a fantastic, natural, slow-release fertilizer, but it will increase the water-holding capacity of your soil, and decrease erosion.

You can go a step further and get your soil tested - this will tell you if you need to add any micronutrients or amendments to your soil. Here at the farm we test with a number of laboratories to attain the best possible soils we can, but for the casual home gardener, this step is not as necessary.

You can also find a comprehensive, month-by-month list of tips for central Texas from our friends at The Natural Gardener.

Alright, you're ready to start planting, now what?

Come to the Annual Transplant Sale

Our greenhouses are filling up with spring transplants for your backyard! This year's Transplant Sale will be held at our Garfield Farm greenhouses on March 5th and March 12th. Transplants will also be available for pickup at any of our farmers market locations and we're planning a fun pop-up sale with some friends of the farm!

Our selection this year includes tons of Tomatoes (heirlooms, cherries, traditional red slicers, paste tomatoes), tomatillos, sweet & hot peppers, basil, eggplant, squash, zucchini, watermelons, spinach, cilantro and more!

Learn from a Pro

Our very own farmer Brenton is the king of taking a backyard garden to the extreme. This March, he's going to share some of his knowledge to equip all you Central Texas gardeners with the education needed to make sure your families are well fed this year. Join us on Saturday, March 12th for the Organic Backyard Gardening Workshop w/ Brenton Johnson.

When: Saturday, March 12th 10 am  - 12pm

Where: Our Garfield Farm! 4008 River Road, Garfield TX, 78612

Tickets: Available now!

Brenton's teaching a gardening workshop - don't miss it!

Nitty Gritty:

• This workshop is designed to equip Central Texas gardeners with the tools they need to plan and execute a successful spring vegetable garden, and is designed for novice and experienced gardeners, alike.
• Topics will include: site selection, soil prep, soil fertility, irrigation, planting guidelines, variety selection, and pest management.
• Workshop instructor will give useful, hands-on demos of proper planting, watering, and harvesting techniques, with a special focus on tomatoes.
• Participants will have an opportunity for an open discussion and Q&A session with Brenton

 

Backyard Bonuses:

• All workshop participants will enjoy 10% off their entire transplant order
• Following the workshop, participants are invited to go on a walk-about with Brenton, where he will give a tour of a portion of the farm
• All workshop participants are invited to bring a picnic and enjoy the Spring farmscapes
• Participants will also receive a special discount to our CSA, as a type of crop insurance in case their backyard garden is less than bountiful :)
• If you bring your kiddos, we will have a JBG volunteer there to bring them on a farm walk-about and some sand pile exploration

Sign up for the gardening workshop at jbgorganic.com/workshop - we've got a limited number of slots available!