Tom Butler's Blog (11)

Hey folks, Tom your Garden Buddy here, wanted to share my…

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Hi Folks! Tom, your Garden Buddy here! I saw this as I was browsing and wanted to share this guide with you all! The organic vegetable garden will very quickly become one of your very best investments. Not only will you save money on your food bill, but you will also be able to give yourself or your family healthier choices at the dinner table. But before you begin your journey into this world, these are just some of the…

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Hey Folks!! Tom your garden buddy!!

Things are really turning green here at the house. Just planted 113 tomatoes, one of my cash crops. My 80 ft. fence row of vietnamese string beans is really look great. I have been clearing alot more ground for veggies. I have about 6000 sq. ft. of garden space. I have 24 raised beds 2x8 ft. long. Will grow all greens and herbs in them. This year, I will plant alot of fruit bearing trees and bushes such as:…

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I need to tell you folks, I have been working on a plan for cucumber cages. I'm focusing on growing up not out. Age wise, I'm not a fan of growing up, but when it comes to the garden growing up is THE way to maximize space. So many people have limited space so every square inch counts. I will be building some cage prototypes and posting pictures soon! I plan to build them out of cedar. Cedar is great, it holds up nicely to the elements and I really like the way it looks. Beauty and… Continue

Hey FOOGs Folks-



Time to get your soil ready for Spring planting! If you have an existing garden, turn over your soil or till it with a tiller. Turning over your soil is done exactly like it sounds - insert your shovel into the soil and flip it over. This keeps your soil soft and workable. This is a good time to amend your soil with compost, manure, etc. Mix in well. I recommend turning over your soil one more time before you plant in March. You don't want to plant until after last… Continue

Hey folks!



A little story to share….



Picture it, Spring 1958, Northern Michigan. My mother telling my dad, “Harley, I just can’t find any heavenly blue morning glory seeds. My dad, knowing how determined she was, knew she would find them and, of course, she did. She loved them so much and grew them every spring. I was only 7 at the time, but I remember it well.. all that fussing over some seeds.



As I was planting my own garden this Spring, I thought of my mom,… Continue

What a great time of year! Everyone is eager and excited about the upcoming Spring season of gardening. I was even more inspired after attending the Citizen Gardener Potluck this week. It was awesome!



This post is primarily in response to question about raised bed gardening. So here is raised bed gardening 101.



It's really quite simple, first decide how big of a garden you want and where you want to build it. As a rule of green thumb, it needs to be built in an area that… Continue

OK, so today I want to talk to you about Simple Soil Mix, as I like to say. I like to mix 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 manure of choice (I like horse manure), and 1/3 plain generic soil. This "generic" soil can be existing soil from your yard. Mix well, and you're ready to plant. Use bag manure from a garden center, rather than fresh manure directly from barnyard. Fresh barnyard manure, I have found, is too strong and will burn your plants or dehydrate them. Typically, raw manure would need to be… Continue

Hey Folks it's Tom, your Garden Buddy!



I really enjoyed blogging to you about gardening last week. This week, I just wanted to share a "gardening fun" story with you.



Last May, I rode my Harley to Home Depot. As I was strolling through the garden center something caught my eye. The sign read, "Giant Beans 26 inches long". Like many of us, my mind slipped off to the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, in my case Tom and the Beanstalk. Before I knew it, I was on my Harley… Continue

Hey folks! If you don't already have a garden in progress, now is the time to start prepping for a Spring garden. So roll up your sleeves and let's get gardening.



First things first - location, location, location.

Choosing your location is very important. I recommend selecting an area that gets 5-6 hours a day of direct sunlight. Due to the rocky terrain in Austin, topsoil is next to non-existent therefore, I love raised beds for gardening. 6-8 inches of soil is… Continue