Growing Food
Building and keeping a food garden on Central Texas clay and caliche, through the heat and the water restrictions.
Free arborist wood chips and what to ask before you accept a load
How free arborist chip delivery works in Central Texas, the six questions to ask before saying yes, why fresh piles heat up, and when to pay for screened mulch instead.
By Shankar Bellam · 7 min read
Building a no-till food garden on Central Texas clay and caliche
Cardboard, compost, and wood chips on top of clay and caliche, without a tiller. Where chips belong, the herbicide test for hay and manure, drip under mulch, and a first-year timeline.
By Shankar Bellam · 8 min read
Watering a food garden through Central Texas drought restrictions
How to keep a Central Texas food garden alive under stage-based water restrictions, from drip under mulch and morning watering to rain barrels, swales, and honest August triage.
By Shankar Bellam · 7 min read
What to plant in Central Texas, month by month
A month-by-month planting calendar for Central Texas food gardens, from the February potato window to the September brassica season, and why fall here is the stronger of the two planting windows.
By Shankar Bellam · 8 min read