Use Winter Hibernating to Plan Next Year’s North Texas Garden

With winter’s threat of ice and snow keeping North Texas gardeners indoors, thoughts turn to next year’s vegetable garden. In late fall, Texas gardeners cleaned out dead plants for the compost pile or turn disease-free leaves and stems into the top layer of garden soil. Now the garden sits like a canvas ready to be painted.

Deciding What to Plant and Preparation

Think back to last year’s vegetable garden. Remember which varieties were most productive; choose those first. North Texas early heat – sometimes beginning in May – requires selecting crops that mature quickly. The favorite crop for Texas home vegetables gardens remains tomatoes. Since tomatoes require a great deal of space, start planning there.

It is best not to plant tomatoes where they grew last year or where there were other members of the nightshade family, such as potatoes, eggplant and peppers grew. Winter is the time to start tomato and pepper seeds indoors for transplanting in mid-March.

Once the location for tomato plants is selected, the remaining space can be divided into plots for other vegetables. If potatoes go into the garden, follow the same rules as those for tomatoes in site selection. Several types of garden vegetables, such as salad greens and peas, can grow, mature and die in spring allowing the gardener to plant other crops in the same area.

Once the garden is laid out, select cultivars recommended for North Texas vegetable gardens. Texas A&M University offers varietal suggestions for common home gardening crops including asparagus, beans, broccoli, peppers, and tomatoes. Their recommendations are based on research in their test gardens and suggestions from North Texas Master Gardeners.

Extend Growing Space with Vertical Supports

If garden space is limited, several favorites can be grown on vertical supports using much less space. Attractive trellises from local nurseries support cucumbers, peas, and pole beans. With a bit of extra support, tomatoes, melons and squash can grow on vertical supports. Because spring weather in North Texas can bring severe storms and high winds, secure the vertical support with anchors on each side. Wood stakes or rebar work well and can be removed after harvesting.

When to Plant Vegetables in North Texas

Planting begins in February for potatoes, peas, lettuce, spinach and beets as well as frost tolerant vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower. Lettuce needs protection with a frost cover when temperatures drop below 29 degrees Fahrenheit. Select early maturing varieties to harvest in May and early June.

To give tomatoes as much time as possible to produce fruit before the temperatures research the 90s, plant as early as mid-March and offer additional protection for cooler nights. Place a cover over the seedlings or a gallon milk container filled with water on the north side of the plant. The milk container warms during the day and then radiates warmth to the plant at night.

North Texas vegetable gardeners enjoy two growing seasons – spring and fall. Use down time in winter to plan and organize the garden space. Plant early and be willing to add protection to plants when the late winter weather fails to cooperate.