Re: [gardeners] Re:Native fruit and nuts

Allen and Judy Merten (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Wed, 21 Apr 1999 21:36:53 -0500 

Vicki,
    Bastrop Co. is striped like a zebra with soil types running in bands from NE
to SW diagonally across the county. Some bands are only a few miles in width,
some are very large. One band of black land prairie runs for several hundred
miles in the NE to SW direction from San Antonio in South Central Tx. to
Nacogdoches in East Texas not far from the Louisiana border. It is known as the
San Antonio Prairie.
    Our place is divided in half by two of these belts. Half is sandy loam,
where I garden. Half is reddish clay with lots of iron ore embedded, soil is
about 4 inches deep. That is where we let it go wild. Heavily wooded with Red
Oak and Black Oak, Southern Red Cedar, Youpon Holly, American Beautyberry,
Loblolly Pines, Mustang Grapes, Flatlands Plum, Hackberry, Green briar, Poison
Ivy, Smooth Vine, Virginia Creeper, lots of wild flowers, several varieties of
native Bluestem grass and other native grasses. Lots of birds nest here or over
winter here. We have a registered Texas Wildscape with the Texas Parks and
Wildlife Department.
    I love gardening in my sandy loam soil. Yesterday I hand dug some new
potatos and I mean with my hand.
    Happy Gardening,
    Allen
    Bastrop Co.
    SE Central Tx.

PieOhNear@aol.com wrote:

> Allen,
>
> Here in Creek Co. there are far more oak trees (*Blackjacks* the local
> residents call them) but just west of here,  in Payne Co. where we are
> building, there are more Elm trees. The soil is different and the climate is
> somewhat different (more wind in Payne Co.).
>
> In Creek Co. we have sandy soil...and the grapevines are growing rampant in
> the woods behind our house. However, in Payne Co. where the soil is darker
> and heavier, there's not a grapevine to be seen. Although I have planted
> gardens for 22 years here, I'm learning that gardening in Payne Co. will be
> altogether different!
>
> We're having a beautiful, very windy day here and we're expecting rain this
> evening which is supposed to last through Sat. That should help the newly
> planted gardens in this area.
>
> Good luck on your search for those exciting trees,
>
> Vicki