Care Calendar
Week-by-week from planting through fall — what to do, what to watch for.
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.
Week 1 — May 13 to May 17 (this week!)
Theme: Hardening off + shop + plant
| 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 | 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 | Drill drainage in half-barrel; mix sulfur into 3 cu ft potting mix for blackberry | ¼ cup sulfur per cu ft = ¾ cup total | |
| Fri 5/15 AM | Hardening Day 3: 3-4 hr morning sun; bring in by 2 PM | Bed prep: fill with Kellogg mix to 15" depth | 9 bags = ~18 cu ft (slight overfill OK; settles) |
| Fri 5/15 PM | Build cattle panel + T-post trellis on north side; build PVC shade frame (don't deploy yet) | 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 Cherokee Purple along trellis at 24" centers, jalapeño south end, basil + parsley + marigolds + nasturtium per the Garden Map | ||
| Sun 5/17 AM | Plant Prime-Ark Freedom blackberry in half-barrel; plant 2 surplus tomatoes in grow bags; gift remaining ~7 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; 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: soaker hose 30-45 min, every other day → wets soil to 6" depth
- 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 Berry-tone or Garden-Tone in blackberry barrel
Weeks 4-6 — June 1 to June 21 (First fruit + heat onset)
Theme: Watch for first flowers and fruit set; deploy shade cloth.
| 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 |
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)
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).
Weeks 7-12 — June 22 to August 31 (The heat-pause)
Theme: Cherokee Purple takes a fruit-set break; jalapeño keeps going; blackberry primocanes fruit.
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: heat-tolerant; continues producing all summer. Harvest peppers when 3-4" long.
Blackberry: Prime-Ark Freedom is primocane-fruiting → first fruit typically late summer / fall (August-September) on this year's canes. Watch green berries → red → black ripe (~6-8 weeks from flower).
- Watering: daily early-morning soaker; deep watering 1-2× weekly in evening to recharge subsoil
- Mulch refresh: add 1-2" cedar bag if mulch has settled below 2" depth
- Garden-Tone: every 4-6 weeks during active production; pause during peak heat-pause for tomatoes
- Pest watch: hornworms (look for 4" green caterpillars with white stripes — handpick); spider mites (fine webbing under leaves; spray underside with water 2-3× weekly)
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
- Fall fertilizer application — Garden-Tone around all plants
- Start adding fall leaves to compost bin
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
- Pick up 2nd Prime-Ark Freedom blackberry + container + acidic mix (assumed fall budget ~$80-100)
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)
- Cover tender fall crops with frost cloth or sheet for the freeze night
- Blackberry is hardy — stays outdoor
- Cilantro, lettuce, spinach, broccoli, carrots tolerate light frost (often improved by it)
Post-freeze:
- Remove tomato plants (annual; pull and compost)
- Remove jalapeño (annual; pull and compost)
- 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 height helps |