Farm Stand Marfa

Peach-like, pineapple-colored, purple, nearing to black, golden, vermilion, cherry-red and hues of green; round, pear-shaped, striped, smooth; small as pearls and as large as grapefruits, tomatoes make our mouths water and our hearts beat faster. 

It’s time to plant them.

Plant heirloom tomatoes. These seeds have been saved and passed down for generations.  Preserving genetic diversity in this way protects the tomato from being lost to plant epidemics and pest infestations.  You can find heirloom plants at farmers’ markets and nearby at One Way nursery in Alpine.

Heirlooms are open-pollinated. Seeds from open-pollinated varieties produce plants and fruit that are identical to their parents. 

Indeterminate fruit is produced not just on the ends of the stems but all along the vining branches.  These are large, bushy plants with long reaching vines, heavy with fruit.
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Plant cold-hardy spring vegetable seeds now.

Spring is in the air.  Male skunks are traipsing through the yards and crossing the roads looking for mates.  Fortunately, the turkey vulture, an avian scavenger, is busy keeping the highway clean of road kill, even the skunks. (See below for Skunked Dog Bath.)
South of us along the Rio Grande, the bees have already worked the creek willows and the cottonwoods. Wilborn Elliott, life-long beekeeper tells me, “With the fresh nectar the old queen starts laying new eggs and building up the hive.”
Here in Marfa in west Texas it’s time to dig in and uncover last year’s bed or start a new one. You can do it today.  Here’s how:
Partial shade beds will work well for many plants as the months heat up, but right now look for a sunny spot.  Mark out a bed 2-3ft wide by however long you want to make it.  Using a digging fork, turn over the soil at a depth of about 6 inches, working backwards down the bed so you don’t step on turned soil and compact it.  Once turned and worked avoid walking on your beds.

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Tags: cold hardy vegetables, marfa, planting, row cover, seed sources, skunked dog remedy, spring