HoustonVegetableGarden.com

Last week the Houston Chronicle launched a new gardening web page, www.chron.com/houstongardening.  It is a good source of information and a handy way to look up various gardening information that has appeared in the Chronicle.

Grub worms are creating havoc with the broccoli in my Houston vegetable garden.  So far 4 plants have been cut down.  I found the culprits by digging around the fallen plants.  They have only been in this one bed and have not bothered other plants elsewhere in the garden.  Unlike President Bush I, perhaps they just like broccoli.  Something also ate all of my little lettuce plants in one bed.  I do not think it was snails because no remnants were left behind.  Probably a rabbit or some other animal is the culprit.  I have not seen any around but a surprisingly large number of wild animals live right here in the middle of Houston.  A couple of years ago a raccoon got under the house and then into the chase and furr downs.  I trapped 16 coons and possums (live traps) before I got the one getting in the house.  Back to grubs, I do not know of any remedy for them (short of some mass poisoning) except to always have a few extra plants.  Grub worms are the larva stage of another Houston favorite, the June bug.

The Chiogga beets and carrots came up well.  A lot of volunteer parsley and cilantro plants are appearing.  When I plant small seeds like carrots and lettuce, I have the sprinkler come on for five minutes a day.  Normally, I use only the drip system for watering.

The beans, planted rather late around October 1, are now in full bloom.  I should get a good crop if a freeze holds off for a couple of weeks.  The surviving spring tomato, Sweet Chelsea has a lot of blooms but no fruit yet.

I got my order in for Contessa onions from Dixondale.  They are a must for Houston vegetable gardening and should be planted in early December.