Category Archives: Horticulture
Soil Temperatures
The talk among gardeners in the spring is when to start putting out vegetable plants. If you start too early, a late frost might get your tomato plants, but starting too late could mean a shorter growing season before summer heat slows down production. There are a lot of interesting tips for planting vegetables by the signs of the moon or counting the weeks from Groundhog Day to predict the last day of winter. One of the best kept secrets of good gardening is knowing the value of… Read More →
Earth-Kind Tips for Spring
Spring is here, and I am enjoying the warmer weather and longer days! I am getting more excited to add some new plants to the landscape and do work in the yard. If you are planning to do any updates to the landscape, consider some tips from the AgriLife Extension Earth-Kind program to make your landscape environmentally friendly. One great way to improve your soil, prevent weeds, and help conserve water is to add a three-inch layer of mulch to your landscape beds. You can buy mulch in… Read More →
Spring Prep
Spring is in the air! The fruit trees are starting to bloom and I have spotted a few bluebonnets already on the roadsides. Here are a few tips and tasks for spring gardening. Begin planning and preparing your spring garden beds for crops like tomatoes, peppers, squash, and other vegetable crops. Check your irrigation system for leaks and incorporate compost into the top six inches of soil.
Spring Weed Control
The last week or two, the evening light has lasted long enough for me to piddle around in the garden when I get home. I could not help but think, “Spring is coming!” We still have the month of February to get through, so I am trying to restrain myself. There are a few late winter tasks to start thinking about, and one of those is weed control. If you have trouble with more weeds in your lawn than you would like, pre-emergent weed control is a good… Read More →
Dreaming of Spring Plants
Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the Lone Star Horticulture Forum, a conference hosted by the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association. January is a great month for plant people to get together to talk about trends in the industry, water conservation initiatives, and new pests and diseases to watch. The education at the conference was excellent, but one of my favorite parts was seeing new plants and bringing home plant catalogs! I have some empty spots in my landscape, and I have my eye on a… Read More →
Asparagus
Last week I was very excited to get an order of asparagus crowns to plant in the garden. I grew up eating fresh asparagus straight from my dad’s garden, and it is hard to beat those fresh, green spears for an early spring vegetable. Asparagus is a fun crop to grow in the garden. It is a perennial crop that can produce for
Healthy Winter Vegetables
January is just around the corner, bringing the next planting season for vegetable gardeners! We are blessed in Central Texas to have the opportunity to garden in the winter months. During the winter, I enjoy eating warm foods like soups and casseroles, so a fresh salad from the garden or some sauteed greens are a great way to add color and nutrients. In mid-January, the Williamson County vegetable planting calendar shows us that we can start planting cole crops like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflowers. These should be planted… Read More →
Christmas Trees
One of my favorite Christmas holiday traditions is finding a real Christmas tree and bringing it home to decorate. During my college years, my parents entrusted my younger brother and me to select the tree. I don’t think they expected us to come home with a 12-foot tree! The tree was so large it almost did not fit through the door, but it was beautiful! Did you know that Texas grows some great Christmas trees? Texas-grown Christmas trees are
Acorn Production
The life of a County Extension Agent is always fun. On any given day, I might get questions about lawn fertilizer recommendations, the best plants for our area, or a fungus growing on a tree. Sometimes, I get a fun question from someone who is just curious about something they observed in nature. I usually get to learn something new while I’m finding an answer! Last week, I got a call about why there are so many acorns this year. While I was tempted to offer to send… Read More →
Time for Tree Maintenance
On November 3, we celebrated Texas Arbor Day, a day when we celebrate all the ways trees enrich our lives and support the environment. Arbor Day kicks off the season to focus on several aspects of tree care in Texas. The Texas A&M Forest Service, our partner agency, recommends planting trees in the fall and even into winter in Texas. Trees are not actively growing in the winter, giving newly planted root systems time to grow and develop. This extra time allows the roots