If you’re looking to spend more time outdoors this spring and aren’t afraid of getting a little dirty, gardening is a wonderful hobby to take up. Gardening not only allows you to connect with nature but provides a sense of satisfaction from watching your plants grow (and potentially even produce food)!
Here are a few tips to consider if you’re a newbie to gardening and are hoping to grow a green thumb in the Texas Hill Country.
Timing is Everything
May is an ideal month for gardening. There’s usually a healthy amount of rain, the possibility of a cold snap is in the rearview mirror, and it’s still not too hot out yet. While it’s a little late in the season to be planting spring flowers (those should have been planted in March), this is the ideal time for many vegetables.
Know Your Zone
Each part of the country is made up of various hardiness zones. These help gardeners know which types of plants will thrive best in their particular region, and Kyle happens to be in Zone 8. If you’ve been here for any amount of time, you know that hot summers and mild winters are the standard. It’s these conditions that make this area great for heat-loving vegetables.
Prep Your Garden Area
Unless you aim to grow cattails, well-draining soil is going to be a must. You’ll also want to aim for a space that offers a good amount of sun.
Once you have your gardening spot picked out, there are a few things you’ll need to do to ensure your plants flourish.
- Apply a compost layer of mulch to flower beds to suppress weeds and retain moisture.
- Plant any bedding plants, such as shrubs, and give them ample water before the weather really heats up.
- Water your plants deeply and infrequently to foster strong roots.
- Loosen up the soil before planting any vegetable seeds.
- Pull any weeds that may have popped up before they start seeding.
Grow What You Like
Some plants are going to be easier than others to grow, but regardless of difficulty, you should grow what you like. There’s no sense in growing tomatoes if nobody in your household can stand them. If you grow what you like, you’ll enjoy gardening that much more!
Vegetables that do well in Zone 8 and are perfect for planting in May:
- Beans
- Beets
- Sweet potatoes
- Eggplant
- Peppers
- Okra
- Spinach
- Cucumbers
- Herbs
- Summer squash
Because some vegetables grow faster than others, you’ll also want to stagger your plantings out rather than putting all your seeds in the ground at once.
Another key thing to consider is making sure those seeds get the right amount of water. A wooden chopstick or skewer is handy for gauging if the soil is too dry. If when you poke the chopstick in the ground, the top two inches are dry, you need to water it.
May is a wonderful month for gardening, and with so much natural beauty around Kyle, it’s a perfect outdoor hobby. If you’re looking for a home here, reach out to us to learn more about the master-planned Crosswinds community.