Extension Educationin Williamson County

The rainfall over the last couple weeks has been a blessing in Central Texas after a dry fall and winter.  According to the national drought monitor, 72.19% of Williamson County is abnormally dry right now.  In abnormally dry conditions, producers begin supplemental feeding for livestock, planting is postponed, forage germination is stunted, hay cutting is reduced, and grass fires increase.

I usually like to write about happier topics than drought, but I am concerned about the long-term forecast for a dry summer. Not everyone is a farmer and needs rain to make a crop, but we all use water in our homes and landscapes.  We can all take steps to conserve water.

During the springtime, we typically do not need to water our grass.  You can usually wait to begin watering until June when we do not have much rain and temperatures get hot.  Even then, be sure to run your irrigation system only when your lawn needs water.

The Soil and Crops Sciences Department at Texas A&M University has developed a great Water-Wise checklist for Texas home lawns and turfgrass areas.

• Mow at the upper end of the appropriate mowing height for your grass species. Taller grass means your grass will develop a deeper root system that allows the grass to access water deeper in the soil.  You can find the mowing height for your grass species at http://aggieturf.tamu.edu/.
• Follow the 1/3 rule. Mow frequently enough that you never remove more than 1/3 of the total grass.  Cutting off too much of the grass will stress your grass.  Stressed grass is less tolerant to heat and drought and more vulnerable to pests and diseases.
• Water deeply and infrequently. Try to water to a depth of approximately six inches each time you water.  This means the water should penetrate six inches in the soil.  Watering deeply encourages deeper, denser root growth.
• Wait to water until visual wilt occurs, and water late at night or early in the morning. Watering during the cool hours of early morning or late evening will reduce losses from evaporation and improve water-use efficiency.
• Monitor your irrigation equipment. Broken heads or pipes can waste water and create dry spots in your lawn.  Replace broken heads and consider an irrigation audit by a licensed irrigator.
• Take advantage of rain. We have been blessed with rain, so save water by turning off your irrigation system until the lawn needs to be watered again.

For more information about lawncare or water use, contact Kate Whitney, Williamson County Extension Agent for Horticulture, at 512-943-3300.

This week the Master Gardeners found a whole herd of lady beetles in the demonstration garden.  Beetles or other insects are not always a fun find in the garden, but lady beetles are a good friend to have.

Did you know there are more than 450 different species of lady beetles in North America, and more than 5,000 worldwide?  They come in all sizes and color patterns.  The twice-stabbed lady beetle is black except for two red spots, and the spotted lady beetle is dark pink with large black spots.  The multicolored Asian lady beetle is a bright yellow color with black spots.  They look so cheerful and happy!

Lady beetles are very beneficial in the garden because they eat aphids, scale insects, mites, caterpillar eggs, and other soft-bodied insects.  Some vegetable growers purchase lady beetles and release them on a particularly bad infestation of aphids.  This works well until the lady beetles decide the aphids look tastier on the other side of the fence.

Lady beetles are true beetles in the Order Coleoptera because they have chewing mouth parts, go through a complete metamorphosis, and have the first pair of wings hardened to protect the body and hind wings.  Bugs, on the other hand, are in the Order Hemiptera and have sucking mouth parts, a gradual metamorphosis, and have the first pair of wings partly hard and partly transparent.

Female lady beetles lay yellow oval-shaped eggs in clusters near infestations of aphids or other pests.  Sometimes you can spot the eggs sitting on a leaf in a little cluster. Larvae hatch and go through several molts until they pupate.  The process from egg to adult takes two to three weeks.  I have to admit, lady beetles do not have cute larvae, but the adult “ladybugs” make up for it!

Enjoy the spring weather by doing a little scouting for lady beetles this spring.  It’s always fun to find a beneficial friend in the garden.  For more information about garden and landscape questions, contact Kate Whitney, Horticulture Extension Agent, at 512-943-3300.

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 with brown leaves.  You might do one final scratch test on the bark to see if you can find living tissue, then pull out dead shrubs.  Sago palm is another plant that did not survive.  Check the growth point in the center to see if you can find living tissue; perhaps the microclimate of your lawn helped protect your sago palm.

As you begin to remove dead plants and plan for replacements, I have a few tips that might help in your plant selection.  If you are anything like me, spring fever takes over when I am at the plant store, and I need either a detailed list or a strong-willed friend who ensures I do not buy too many plants!  Hopefully, these tips will help you make a plan before you start shopping.

Consider the USDA cold-hardiness zone of the plant.  Williamson County is in Zone 8b, which means the average annual minimum temperature is 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit.  As we just experienced, it can get colder, but that gives us a good idea of where to start.  You might not want to purchase plants that are labeled for Zone 9 or higher because they will be damaged by cold weather at some point.

Try to choose plants that are native or adapted to our area.  Native or adapted plants are always a good idea because they can usually handle our high and low temperature swings, have fewer pest problems, and are accustomed to our average rainfall amounts.  You can find a copy of the Grow Green: Native and Adapted Plant Guide for Central Texas online or at local nurseries.

Pay attention to the spacing recommendations for plants.  Be sure you pick the right plant for the height and width of the space you have available.  A plant that outgrows your space will cause future headaches as you try to prune it back to size, whether it’s a tree underneath a powerline or a crape myrtle under your eaves.

The Williamson County Master Gardeners are hosting their annual Plant Sale Fund Raiser at the end of the month.  The sale opens online on March 23-26, and plant pick-up is scheduled for Friday, April 2, at the Georgetown Community Center.  This plant sale helps fund our educational events and demonstration garden throughout the year, so be sure to get your order in to support the Master Gardeners.  You can find more information on our website at https://williamson.agrilife.org/.

For more information about freeze damage or other lawn and garden topics, contact Kate Whitney, Horticulture Extension Agent, at the Williamson County AgriLife Extension Office at 512-943-3300.

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 in my neighborhood to see how things are looking so far.  Sidenote: if you see me creeping in your yard with camera in hand, please do not shoot.  I am only checking on your plants.  I put together a short list of observations and tips. (more…)