Care Calendar
Week-by-week from planting through fall — what to do, what to watch for. Updated May 13 with Sam's follow-up additions.
For all outdoor garden work in May-September Pflugerville: before 10 AM and after 7 PM. This is also when Rowan can comfortably join in.
The blackberry plan grew from one plant to four, across three varieties — two Prime-Ark Freedom, one Ouachita, one Big Daddy, each in its own 25-gallon grow bag. They don't all fruit on the same schedule: Big Daddy and Ouachita fruit on second-year wood (Big Daddy is already carrying berries; Ouachita may fruit June-July), while the Prime-Ark Freedoms fruit on this year's canes in late summer/fall. Full variety details and variety-specific pruning are on the Plant Guide. Soil for the bags: potting mix acidified with Espoma Soil Acidifier, about 5-6 tablespoons per 25-gallon bag.
Week 1 — May 13 to May 17 (this week!)
Theme: Hardening off + shop + plant. Updated for v2: compost-amended mix, jalapeño's own grow bag, blackberry's 25-gal grow bag, sunflower trap crop.
| Day | Sam | Taylor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 5/13 AM | Hardening Day 1: sproutlings outside 1-2 hr morning shade only; back inside by 10 AM | Pre-shop call to Round Rock Nursery (confirm Landscapers Pride $7.99 + Back to Nature compost $18 + plant stock) | Don't skip hardening — direct full-sun transplant on Saturday = sunburn + shock |
| Wed 5/13 PM | Sproutlings back inside | Shop trip (or Thursday) | Round Rock → Tractor Supply → Home Depot |
| Thu 5/14 AM | Hardening Day 2: 2-3 hr morning sun + partial shade | Shop trip (if not Wed) | |
| Thu 5/14 PM | Mix sulfur into potting mix for the 25-gal blackberry grow bag (~1.5 cups total for 6 cu ft of mix) | ¼ cup sulfur per cu ft | |
| Fri 5/15 AM | Hardening Day 3: 3-4 hr morning sun; bring in by 2 PM | Bed mix prep: 2/3 organic potting mix (Kellogg + Landscapers Pride) + 1/3 Back to Nature composted cattle manure → fill bed to 15" depth | This is the UMD Extension–sanctioned 1:2 ratio Sam asked about |
| Fri 5/15 PM | Build cattle panel + T-post trellis on north side; build PVC shade frame (don't deploy yet); mix soil for the jalapeño 10-gal grow bag | Photos throughout! | |
| Sat 5/16 AM | Hardening Day 4: 6 hr in dappled shade; ready for transplant evening | Final box prep + lay soaker hose | |
| Sat 5/16 PM | PLANT (joint) — 3-4 Cherokee Purple along trellis at 18-22" centers (pruned to 2-3 main stems per UMD guidance for staked configuration); jalapeño in dedicated 10-gal grow bag adjacent to bed; basil + parsley + marigolds + nasturtium per the Garden Map; plant sunflower seeds on the opposite side of the yard from the raised bed | ||
| Sun 5/17 AM | Plant Prime-Ark Freedom blackberry in 25-gal fabric grow bag with acidified mix; plant 1 surplus Cherokee Purple in the remaining 10-gal grow bag; gift remaining ~8 sproutlings to friends | ||
| Sun 5/17 PM | Apply 3-4" cedar mulch + first deep watering (soak to 6" depth) + apply 1.5 cups Garden-Tone broadcast around bed; pH-test soil samples | ||
Weeks 2-3 — May 18 to May 31 (Establishment)
Theme: Help plants recover from transplant.
- Daily AM: visual scan all plants for wilt or sunburn
- Watering — bed: soaker hose 30-45 min, every other day → wets soil to 6" depth
- Watering — containers: the jalapeño and blackberry grow bags dry faster than the bed; check daily by finger-test
- Sunflower seedlings emerge 5-10 days after planting; thin if multiple seeds came up in one spot
- Days 3 + 7: transplant-shock check — all plants firm + new growth visible by day 7 = OK; drooping that doesn't recover by evening means root or water issue
- Watch for: cutworms (chew through stem at soil line; use cardboard collars if attacked) + aphids on new growth + flea beetles on tomato foliage
- End of Week 3 (~May 31): first sidedress feeding — 1.5 cups Garden-Tone broadcast around drip line of tomatoes + watered in; ~1 cup Garden-Tone (or Berry-tone) in blackberry grow bag; ~½ cup Garden-Tone scratched into top inch of jalapeño grow bag + watered
Weeks 4-6 — June 1 to June 21 (First fruit + heat onset + leaf-footed bug arrival)
Theme: Watch for first flowers and fruit set; deploy shade cloth; begin pest scouting.
| Milestone | When | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| First tomato flowers | ~30 days post-transplant (~mid-June) | Tap each flower cluster gently in morning to assist pollination (vibration like a bumblebee) |
| First fruit set | ~14 days after flowering | Watch for ripening 30-50 days later |
| Deploy shade cloth | Daily high consistently 95°F+ (typical mid-June) | PVC frame + 30-40% knit cloth + clips; cover west + south sides especially |
| Increase watering | When daily high 95°F+ sustained | Soaker hose every other day → daily; check soil moisture at 4-6" depth; containers may need daily watering |
| Sunflower flowering | ~60-80 days from seed (mid-July typical) | Begin intensified leaf-footed bug nymph scouting on sunflowers |
| Leaf-footed bug season opens | Typically early June onward | See IPM card below |
Leathery brown spot on the blossom end of tomato fruit. Cause: inconsistent watering + excessive nitrogen. Mitigation: keep mulch deep, never let soil dry to >2" deep, reduce Garden-Tone if persistent. (Source: AgriLife)
Per Molly Keck (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension IPM specialist): "The trick is to catch them when they're immature. You prevent more damage by catching them before they become adults and stop that next generation."
Identification:
- Adults: dark brown, ~¾ inch long, leaf-like extensions on back legs, white/yellow stripe across back, full wings — sometimes confused with stink bugs.
- Nymphs: smaller, red/orange and black bodies, cluster in groups, move like spiders. These are the priority targets.
Keck's alcohol-tray method:
- Pour rubbing alcohol into a baking sheet
- Hold tray below the nymph cluster
- Flick or shake plant; nymphs fall into the tray
- Squash any that miss the tray
Sunflower trap-crop integration: Sunflowers are leaf-footed bug magnets. Scout them FIRST every 2-3 days during pest season. When clusters appear there, eliminate them ON THE SUNFLOWERS before they migrate to tomatoes. Unmonitored sunflowers can become a population reservoir — the work of the trap crop is the scouting.
Source: AgriLife Today — Protect your garden from leaf-footed bugs
Blackberry note: primocane growth visible — green canes shooting up. Pinch tips when canes reach 3.5-4 feet to encourage lateral branching (= more fruit potential). The grow bags may need daily watering once heat builds.
Weeks 7-12 — June 22 to August 31 (The heat-pause + peak pest season)
Theme: Cherokee Purple takes a fruit-set break; jalapeño keeps going; blackberry primocanes fruit; leaf-footed bugs at peak.
Cherokee Purple: typically stops setting new fruit when overnight temps stay above ~75°F (mid-June onward in Pflugerville). Existing fruit ripens during this period. Plant stays alive — new fruit-set resumes in September.
Jalapeño in its grow bag: heat-tolerant; continues producing all summer. Container actually makes heat-management easier — can move under shade or against the house wall if needed. Harvest peppers when 3-4" long.
Blackberries: the two Prime-Ark Freedoms fruit on this year's canes in late summer/fall (August-September); Big Daddy and Ouachita fruit earlier, on second-year wood (Big Daddy already has berries; Ouachita around June-July). Watch green berries → red → black ripe (~6-8 weeks from flower). Grow bags often need daily watering in peak heat.
Sunflowers: in full bloom and at peak leaf-footed-bug attraction. Maintain scouting rhythm.
- Watering — bed: daily early-morning soaker; deep watering 1-2× weekly in evening to recharge subsoil
- Watering — containers: often daily; finger-test top inch of soil — if dry, water
- Mulch refresh: add 1-2" cedar bag if mulch has settled below 2" depth
- Garden-Tone: every 4-6 weeks during active production; pause for tomatoes during peak heat-pause; continue for jalapeño + blackberry
- Pest watch — daily during outbreak: hornworms (4" green caterpillars with white stripes — handpick); spider mites (fine webbing under leaves; spray underside with water 2-3× weekly); leaf-footed bugs (alcohol-tray method — scout sunflowers first, then tomatoes)
Weeks 13-16 — September 1 to September 28 (Fall flush begins)
Theme: Cool nights return → tomatoes resume → fall garden planted.
- New tomato flowers appear as overnight temps drop below 75°F
- Fall harvest runs September through first freeze (late November)
- Plant the fall garden — cilantro, lettuce, broccoli, carrots, spinach, snow peas, beets
- Watering frequency drops back to 2-3× weekly soaker (containers every other day)
- Fall fertilizer application — Garden-Tone around all plants
- Start adding fall leaves to compost bin
- Sunflower wind-down: harvest seeds for next year if desired (heads dry on stalk; cut + hang to fully dry); compost stalks
Weeks 17-20 — September 29 to October 26 (Peak harvest)
Theme: Best gardening season in Central Texas.
- Tomatoes producing well — pick ripe daily
- Jalapeños continuing
- Blackberry first-year fruit harvest — pick when fully black (still firm = under-ripe; falls off when touched = perfectly ripe)
- Cilantro emerging in the shade area
- Lettuce + spinach + carrots growing
- All four blackberry plants are already in their grow bags — no fall blackberry purchase needed this year
Weeks 21-24 — October 27 to November 23 (Pre-freeze)
Theme: Watch forecasts; harvest before frost.
24-48 hours before forecasted freeze:
- Harvest ALL remaining tomatoes — even green ones (ripen indoors on the windowsill)
- Harvest ALL remaining jalapeños (damaged by freeze) — or move the jalapeño grow bag to the garage/covered area if hard freeze threatened
- Cover tender fall crops with frost cloth or sheet for the freeze night
- Blackberry grow bag is hardy — stays outdoor; consider tucking against the house wall for radiation warmth
- Cilantro, lettuce, spinach, broccoli, carrots tolerate light frost (often improved by it)
Post-freeze:
- Remove tomato plants (annual; pull and compost)
- Remove jalapeño from its grow bag (annual; pull and compost; reuse grow bag year 2)
- Blackberry: prune any dead primocane tips after winter dormancy; the floricanes (year-2 wood) will produce a big crop next year
- Box: rake mulch, add 2-3" compost from this year's bin, mulch over for winter
- Continue cool-season harvest through December-March from shade area
Year-round watchers
| Watcher | When it activates | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Soil moisture at 4-6" | Mulch lifted reveals dryness | Increase watering |
| Container moisture (jalapeño + blackberry grow bags) | Daily finger-test; containers dry faster than bed | Water more often than bed; daily in peak heat |
| Heat 95°F+ sustained | Mid-June onward | Deploy shade cloth |
| Hornworms | June-August | Handpick; marigolds help deter |
| Aphids on new growth | Spring + fall flush | Spray with water; encourage ladybugs |
| Spider mites | Dry heat July-August | Spray underside with water 2-3× weekly |
| Leaf-footed bug nymphs | June-August peak | Alcohol-tray method (Keck); scout sunflowers FIRST, then tomatoes |
| Sunflower trap-crop monitoring | June-August | Every 2-3 days minimum; daily during outbreak |
| Blossom end rot | Anytime fruit forming | Audit watering consistency + nitrogen |
| Forecast freeze | Mid-November onward | 24-48hr pre-harvest of tender crops |
| Lulee in garden area | Always | Visual check; tomato/jalapeño foliage = mild risk; raised-bed + grow-bag height helps; no blood meal / bone meal in our config = Lulee-safer |