Savory Acres ‘22

[SavoryAcres]

This is my fourth summer gardening in Texas and I’ve learned a lot through all the mistakes I have made! This year I have made some changes that have helped me to have my most productive growing season yet.

The current set up my space allows is one 8x4 raised bed, 12 inches deep. It’s filled with the soilless mixture recommended for square foot gardening — coir, vermiculite, and three kinds of compost/manure.

New to me methods this year include drip irrigation, mulch, and white 50% shade cloth. I’m pruning most tomatoes to one or two stems. I also built PVC tomato cages based on the ones QAGUY has shared in his posts.

So far I have been very happy with these changes! My plants have never been so lush or laden with fruit at this point in the season. Here in San Antonio the timing has been tricky — there is potential to grow all year round and I want to take advantage of it, so wish me luck!

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Currently growing —

Tomatoes:
Cherokee Purple
Criolla Quetzaltepeque
Green Doctor’s Frosted
Green Zebra (Arizona-Hawaii Strain)
Japanese Black Trifele
Japanese Black Trifele (RL off-type)
Kitaiskiy Oksamitoviy
Lemon Drop x2
Punta Banda
Polish Pastel
Rumi Banjan
Sandy’s Chocolate Cherry
Sungold
Sunrise Bumblebee
Sunsugar
Vorlon

Peppers:
Ajvarski
Corno di Toro Rosso
Jimmy Nardello
Marconi Red
Shishito

Herbs/Greens:
Basil
Cilantro
Lemongrass (potted)
Nero di Toscano Kale
Oregano
Rosemary (potted)
Spearmint

Beans/Roots:
Beefy Resilient Grex Beans
Early Yellow Turnip Rooted Radish
French Breakfast Radish
Salmon Radish
White Strasburg 1888 Radish

Misc:
Dark Green Armenian Cucumber (in front flowerbed)
Ganjyu Bitter Melon (in front flowerbed)

Ambrosia Pomegranate (potted)
Blue Texas Giant Fig (potted)
Green Ischia Fig (potted)

[Setec Astronomy]

Wait--you've got all that planted in one 4x8 raised bed??

[bower]

Here's wishing you the luck for the year round growing!

[SavoryAcres]

Wait--you've got all that planted in one 4x8 raised bed??

Yep! Except for those few items indicated in the list above as being in pots (the fruit trees etc). Here is my planting map, each square shown is 12”x12”. I’ll go out and take some closer pics tomorrow.

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[SavoryAcres]

Here’s a view down the center of the bed, and some progress pics. Since I am keeping everything pruned to just one or two stems, I have 4 tomatoes around each cage — one trellised per side. So far, I’ve got a promising Cherokee Purple fruit, and Sunrise Bumblebee is loaded!

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[Wildcat82]

I've lived in San Antonio for 20 years and I'm still learning from my mistakes.

Your tomatoes look great considering the heat wave we're having. That shade cloth must be working.

I'll be following your Vlog closely.

[SavoryAcres]

The first ripe tomato of the season is so exciting! I created a data sheet to keep better track of my notes this year, I’m calling it the ‘Tomato Target’. I’m very pleased with it! I have it in a page protector so I can change out the variety info. There’s a link to a blank version in the bio section of my instagram for anybody else who is interested in printing it out — both US Letter size and A4 are available. Either search for my username there (@savoryacres) or scan the qr code in my avatar here.

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[karstopography]

Awesomeness. Sunrise Bumblebee is my buddy’s on Clear Lake, TX favorite “cherry” tomato. He likes it better than Sungold.

I like your ‘Tomato Target’. Nice work!

Good luck with your garden. I believe your shade cloth will be very helpful. I hope you keep tomatoes going year around, if that’s what you want. I don’t think it is a crazy idea at all. When I lived in the inner city part of Houston, I had fresh garden tomatoes all fall and winter growing outside in the ground. These big cities really retain heat when you need it. Although, your site looks more rural. Maybe you normally get frost there, but there’s always grow bags or containers that can be protected as needed during the coldest periods. Anyway, good luck.

[SavoryAcres]

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Summer has been brutal! 3 months of mostly over 100°F temps plus severe drought and watering restrictions ended my harvests early.
Sunrise Bumblebee was most prolific tomato, giving us 1 lb of fruit. The Dark Green Armenian Cucumbers I planted in a corner of the flowerbed gave 8.5 lbs before they succumbed to disease.

Now that we are past the worst of it and we’ve gotten some rain, there is hope for a fall garden.

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[bower]

Sorry to hear that the heat and drought cut into your plans... a lot of places had hotter and dryer conditions this season, so you're in good company. I personally have never spent so much time watering. It was noon every day before I was done with basic maintenance chores. All of that like the Red Queen just to stay in one place - the place where everything is stressed but not dying. We had good harvests all the same and I have a really good deep well, not subject to restrictions, so it is doable but only if you have no time for anything else!
Better luck with your winter season!