Happy (belated) New Year from Gabriel Valley Farms!
I promised myself I was going to be punctual with writing a monthly blog but the year started off a bit rocky with the late December freeze only to be followed by the recent ice storm. We dealt with power outages, computer issues and tree damage clean up. Our beloved Treaty Oak Jr. suffered severe damage. If it survives it will be a skeleton of its former majestic self. Meanwhile we have been busy seeding, propagating, planting and growing. Our greenhouses are full of lots of herbs & veggies ready to roll out as the busy spring season kicks off. Our first round of tomatoes will be available the week of February 13th with peppers and eggplants not far behind. But it is still early and a good time to keep planting cool season crops (Broccoli, Collards, Kale, Lettuce, Swiss Chard) .Have you given up on plants that died back during the December freeze or the late January ice-nado? Well don’t, not yet. It could take awhile for signs of life at the base of the plant to re-emerge so don’t pull them up for another month or so.
Our featured plant of the month is Friendship Plant or Queen’s Tears (Bilbergia nutans), a hardy Bromeliad. It grows clumpish to about 1 foot to 1 ½ feet tall in shady or dappled light. It is like dry, well drained soil and low watering. It also can be grown in containers, inside or outside. Pink bracts appear on long arching stems with yellow pendants. Provide extra protection during extreme cold. Divide every couple of years.
Until next month, Happy Gardening!