Author Archives: katherine.whitney
New Planting After the Storm
Spring is in the air, and it is hard to believe that we were in a winter storm just one month ago! I have been preaching patience this spring as our plants recover from the freeze, but I think we are safe to get to work in the landscape now. Many of our plants seem to be recovering from the freeze as temperatures warm up with some exceptions. Viburnum, wax myrtle, and pittosporum did not fair very well in many landscapes around Williamson County and continue to droop… Read More →
Freeze Recovery
The top question on everyone’s mind is, “What do I do about my plants?” Winter Storm Uri has done damage to our lawns and landscapes, but it is too early to tell the full extent of the damage. The most important thing to do now is give your plants time to recover. Texas has not seen an extreme freeze like Winter Storm Uri since the 1980’s, and we experienced temperatures below freezing for several days. That’s tough on plants! I have been taking walks to check out plants… Read More →
Recovering from the Winter Storm
What a winter storm! The best word of advice I have for you as you work to clean up your landscape is patience. The initial ice damage that we experienced at the beginning of the winter weather took out a lot of branches and limbs on trees and large shrubs. Before you pull out the chainsaw, take some time to assess the damage to your trees. Did you lose major branches or the main leader branch? If many major branches are gone, the tree might not recover. Generally,… Read More →
Williamson County Wins Big at Pecan Show
Have you picked up your fresh pecans yet? Our Williamson County pecan growers harvested pecans from October through December, and the harvest was fantastic! Be sure to stop by a local farmers market to get some pecans soon. In case you don’t know, the pecan is a nutrition powerhouse loaded with vitamins and minerals that are good for heart health and disease prevention. With fiber, protein, and mostly unsaturated fats, pecans are a hearty, satisfying snack low in sugar and carbohydrates.
Pre-emergent Weed Control
Now is the time of year that it seems like everyone is talking about weeds! The winter weeds are actively growing and being a nuisance, and we need to start thinking about preventing warm-season weeds.
Pruning Trees
I took the opportunity during the sunny weather last weekend to do some pruning on my trees. Actually, I recruited my dad to help me do some pruning. I pointed and he cut, and I certainly got the better end of the deal. January is a great time to prune because many of our trees have lost their leaves, making it easy to see the limb structure. Late winter is a good time to prune for the health of the tree because it is right before they put… Read More →
Red Tip Photinias
This week, I received a question from a concerned home gardener about a disease on red tip photinia. Before I saw the pictures included in the email, I had a good hunch about the culprit. Red tip photinias became popular in the 1960’s as a privacy screen. This large shrub has beautiful spring color and can be found lining many fencerows in older homes. Unfortunately, red tip photinia faces a devastating disease issue called entomosporium leafspot.
Texas Onions
Nothing starts the new year off right like a good conversation about onions! Onions are fun to grow and even more fun to harvest. If you want to give them a try in your garden this year, now is the time to start preparing! Did you know that Texas is well-known for its onion crop? The Rio Grande Valley, Winter Garden area, High Plains, and far West Texas had 7,000 to 7,500 acres of onions in 2020. Sweet yellow onions like the Granex and Texas 1015 are well… Read More →
Possumhaw Holly
During the winter months, there are a few plants that really get a chance to shine when our deciduous trees and shrubs shed their leaves. I enjoy seeing the bright green leaves or pops of red from various hollies. One of my very favorite small trees in the winter is the Possumhaw holly. I love a plant with a good name, and this certainly has one. The “haw” part of the name comes from the reddish fruit that looks similar to hawthorn fruits. The “possum” part of the… Read More →
Growing Citrus
One of my favorite parts about wintertime is the fresh citrus available. Have you ever received a box of Texas grapefruit for a Christmas present? Those are a great treat! The Lower Rio Grande Valley is known for citrus production. Orchards were established along the coast as early as the 1880’s. The Ruby Red grapefruit was developed in the late 1920’s and patented in 1934, leading to a rise in the Texas citrus industry. At its height in the 1940’s, the Texas citrus industry had more than 100,000… Read More →
