I used to be a big time gardener. I had a quarter of an acre under cultivation and grew everything from Asparagus to Zucchini. I had fruit trees and nuts trees and grape vines and I kept trying to grow figs, without much success.
But as the saying goes, the most important item to have in a garden is the gardener’s shadow. I just don’t have the time or energy any more for that kind of effort. So I have not done much, not taken care of much. But I do like the idea of the Salsa Garden, this is a small garden, it only has three ingredients, tomatoes, onions, and peppers. Of course, you can go mad even with these three ingredients and plant heirloom tomatoes, red and white onions and peppers from mild to fiery.
Tomatoes are easy to grow in Texas, but like everything else they don’t like to work in the heat of the summer. Still, you’ll get a good crop if you plant pretty early and keep them in a bit of shade. They need lots of water, but not too much water. A good soak in the morning is usually best. I like cherry tomatoes. Sweet One Hundred and Pear are both amazing producers and make great Salsa.
Onions, well, I just plant the red and white bulbs and stand back, again, as I am a bit too lazy and it gets a bit too hot where I live, my onions don’t bulb very well. But a lot of small bulbs are just as good as one really large one since I am just going to chop them into tiny pieces anyway. I have tried 10-15 sweets and not had much luck, my fault not the bulbs, they need more attention than I can give them. So I just stick with the easy stuff.
Pepper. Ok, here’s where I can have a bit of fun and go totally overboard. I have been know to plant fifteen or twenty different types of peppers. Especially if it is one I have never had before. I am crazy about Habaneros and am hoping that I will be able to get some seeds for the new super hot chili that is even hotter than a habanero. Of course, Jalapenoes are a standard in Salsas, as are Habaneros now. I also love Serranos, Tabascos, Anaheims, and Cayenne. They all make a nice addition to a Salsa, if not a great main ingredient.
All of these plants are available as seedlings in the spring, require simple soil prep of keeping the weeds out and a bit of compost in. A small four foot by four foot bed can grow enough veggies for a season of great fresh salsas.
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