San Antonio Texas Growers experience

[mdvpc]

My son is buying a house in San Antonio and wants a garden. I am interested in finding out:

1. When to plant out tomatoes, eggplant, herbs, lettuces, sweet peppers;
2. What sources are there for buying plants for him since I might not be able to do his starts for him in time.

Any information would be appreciated.

[Worth1]

I live about 70 miles north east of SA and the growing season is a little different but not that much.
I would suggest putting out tomatoes about 12 to 18 inches tall in the first week of march.
This said, this year looks a little colder than most so plant out times may be a little later.
SA is also a big place and the weather is a little different in the north east from the far south west.
As for the other stuff you mentioned.
Lettuce can be grown all winter along with mustard greens, egg plant can be put out along with peppers and other herbs after the last frost and rosemary will not die out so it can be grown as a shrub.
I haven’t a clue as to where to buy tomato plants of our caliber in SA as I live around Austin.
All in all SA and my area is a great place for gardening as long as you realize winter here is just another time to grow plants most folks wait till spring to grow.
Swiss chard will last for years down here if taken care of.
Some years we might get one frost but this year we have had several cold snaps into the 20’s so you just never know what the season will bring.

Worth

[mdvpc]

Worth

Thanks for the info. Sounds like the plant out days are the same as in El Paso-I plant out my tomatoes first week of March usually. Sounds like I can do the starts for David the same time as mine-tomatoes, eggplant, peppers.

[DeanRIowa]

What kind of soil do you both have down in Texas?

Dean

[mdvpc]

Dean:

No idea yet, but I suspect it wont be very good and will have to be amended.

[Worth1]

Wow we have all kinds of soil, some people think we live in a sandy desert thanks to the movies but it is not so.
We have some of the richest soil around.
Regretfully the Dallas Fort Worth area is covered in concrete where some of the best soil around is.
Here in Bastrop county alone we have river bottom land sandy loam red clay and sand and black gumbo.
In SA it depends on where you are at, you can have much of the same thing as we do.
Depending on where you live you can have a rich black clay/loam or a pile of rocks as there are many streams in the area that laid down a rich top soil for thousands of years in the corresponding valleys.
There is a strip here where I live that is starting to grow olives as well due to the micro climate we have.
It runs from the southwest to the northeast across central Texas.
I have read that the mission olive is doing well here.
So to answer the question what kind of soil we have.
We have just about everything including climate, terrain and soil.
PS you should try some of our fine award winning wine from here in central Texas.
Worth

[mdvpc]

Nice map of Texas, Worth!