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B.R Koehler Presented Mole & Gopher Control in Waller County

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B.R presenting

B.R. Koehler Mole & Gopher presentation

Mole and gopher control is a frequent topic in our area.  These animals are not only a nuisance, but they can also be destructive to lawns and gardens. When their tunnels collapse in my yard, they leave holes in the lawn making what I call “ankle-twisters,” so named from experience.  Pocket gophers also pushed piles of sand up into our well house.

Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association member B.R. Koehler gave his presentation on Mole and Gopher Control to the Waller County Master Gardener Association on February. 22, 2020 at the Waller County AgriLife Extension Office in Hempstead. B.R.’s wife, Master Gardener Charlene Koehler, gave her usual assistance with the program.

The program was considered supplemental training for the Waller County Master Gardener Training class of five.  The session was open to guests from the community for a total attendance of 35.  B.R.’s program includes circulating his “mole & gopher coffins” around the room with preserved samples of a mole and a gopher.  He does this so everyone can learn to identify them and see the difference between them.

Gopher sand in the well house.

According to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, pocket gophers are burrowing rodents which live almost entirely underground. Gophers are well adapted to their underground existence, with stout forelegs and strong curved claws for digging. They have prominent, yellow incisor teeth and large, fur-lined external cheek pouches in which food is carried. The pocket gopher’s diet mainly consists of fleshy roots of various plants, including trees. Gophers normally eat tubers such as potatoes and peanuts. They also eat green tops and seeds that can be pulled down into their burrows.

Moles are small, burrowing mammals that feed on insects. Moles have furless, pointed snouts, small eyes concealed in the fur, and no external ears. They have broadened, shovel-like front feet, webbed to the base of the claws, that enable them to dig effectively for insects. Moles have a keen sense of smell and touch but are almost blind. Moles destroy only a few plants or bulbs by direct feeding. The main damage is done when plant roots are dislodged as the animals tunnel through the soil in search of insects. Their burrowing can disfigure lawns and parks, destroy flower beds, tear up the roots of grasses and create havoc in small garden plots.

For more information about controlling moles and gophers, review material provided by Texas A&M or attend one of B.R. presentations in the future.

2020 Fruit Tree Sale!

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The Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association has kicked-off its 2020 fruit tree sale!  Only varieties suitable for growing in the Austin, Colorado, Fayette, and Washington Counties are offered.

Pick up your trees at either of these locations:

March 20-21, 2020
9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.   
1333 Downey Rd., Sealy, Texas

March 24, 2020
9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Fayette County AgriLife Extension Office
255 Svaboda Ln., La Grange, Texas   

Order Here

 

Tour of Leach Teaching Gardens

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Leach Teaching Gardens SignIt was a cold and windy day February 6, 2020 when the Bluebonnet Master Gardener 2020 Training Class toured the Leach Teaching Gardens at Texas A&M University.  Nonetheless, the class bundled up in jackets, hats, gloves and winter boots and did not let the blustery day deter their enthusiasm to get out in the gardens.

AgriLife’s Joseph Johnson, Program Manager – The Gardens at Texas A&M University, met the class in the AgriLife building atrium where he gave a brief history of The Gardens and their purpose.  He explained that the concept of the overall project, The Gardens at Texas A&M University, is for training, research and to enhance the green space on campus.  The Leach Teaching Gardens is Phase I of the 27-acre garden project on Texas A&M campus.  The Leach Teaching Gardens, which opened June 15, 2018, encompass seven-acres and are named after lead donors Amy & Tim Leach.

Vinyard

The Vinyard

Mr. Johnson explained that each garden section, or “room”, has a theme and is designed in the size of an average urban home’s yard.  This way, homeowners who visit the gardens will see design, techniques and plants that can realistically be used in their Texas yards and gardens.

When the gardens were designed, the design criteria required use of the native soil and water rather than bringing in soil or treating the water.  As the soil in the area is sandy loam and the water has a high salinity content, this presented special design challenges. One area in the garden that illustrates the challenge with the local water, is where the irrigation system sprays on the lower leaves of some young trees. The salt in the water damages the leaves, especially in warmer temperatures, so the damaged leaves fall off the trees.  Eventually the trees will grow tall enough so that the water does not spray the leaves and the trees will survive. Mr. Johnson explained that the teaching point is that a drip irrigation system is so important in the Brazos River Valley area.

Water Garden

The Water Garden

The garden areas the class toured included the Earth-Kind garden provided by donations from the Texas Master Gardener Program which includes a rainwater harvesting system, a vegetable garden, a water garden, a butterfly garden, a pollinator garden, a vineyard, bird garden, the Food and Fiber field featuring wheat (corn in warmer months), a peach and plum orchard, the Mexican Heritage Garden celebrating the many plants originally from Mexico that grow well and are common in Texas gardens, sections celebrating Texas’ rich German and Czech heritage and of, course, an Aggie Maroon & White garden.

Century OakA special section of the garden was left totally in its native condition as its center piece is a magnificent 200+ year old post oak tree, dubbed the Century Oak.  Mr. Johnson explained the measures that taken to protect this special tree from damage during the construction of the rest of the garden and the importance of not disturbing the area around the tree.  He explained that that post oak are sensitive trees that do not do well when their environment is disturbed.  Nor do they transplant well. He is working with others on a research project to try to develop techniques to grow and transplant post oak so that in the future, areas where post oak are lost due to urbanization and other disturbances to their environment may be replanted.

Although Winter may not be the most robust growing season, a visit to the Leach Teaching Gardens on a cold windy day in February clearly illustrated that Texas gardeners can have beautiful and interesting gardens year around by planning and choosing the proper plants.  Many in the tour group expressed desire to come back in the Spring to the gardens again.

The 2020 Bluebonnet Master Gardener Training Class is appreciative of Mr. Johnson’s knowledge about and passion for the Leach Teaching Gardens, and especially grateful for his willingness to bundle-up in winterwear  to provide a such a fine informative garden tour on a day most folks would rather stay indoors!

From more information about the Leach Teaching Gardens, visit: https://gardens.tamu.edu/leach-teaching-gardens/

Why I Became a Master Gardener

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By Christy Schweikhardt

For a kid growing up in Houston’s suburbs, my early love of vegetable gardening was an unusual passion. The gardening “bug” was sparked in the summer when I was about 10 years old. I traveled with an aunt and my two cousins to Oklahoma where we stayed about two weeks at the country home of my Great Aunt Joy, my grandmother’s sister.  When we arrived, Aunt Joy showed us around the place, which included a tour of her massive vegetable garden.  It was certainly massive to a kid whose family grew a few tomato plants in the backyard where the oak tree did not cast too much shade, but even today I would consider Aunt Joy’s garden an impressive in-ground home row garden.  It was luscious green, with large and small yellow blooms on plants I had never seen before and vegetables ready to harvest.  As we wandered up and down the rows, Aunt Joy identified the plants, talked about how to grow them and whispered loving encouragement to them. She showed me her compost piles and explained how they worked.  I was fascinated.

Christy’s Tomato Bed 2019

While there, every day, sometimes before breakfast, I went out with her to survey the garden and harvest.  This is still my routine in my garden now; out in garden first thing in morning. The bush green beans in Aunt Joy’s garden were coming in like gang-busters so over the first few days of our visit, we harvested bushels of them. I had never seen such piles of fresh green beans. Since most of my green bean-eating experience consisted of beans from cans, I was not a big fan.  I usually dosed them with apple cider vinegar because I preferred the taste of vinegar to the beans.  But even though I was not planning to eat many of the harvested green beans, anticipating how many beans would be ready to harvest each morning and picking them from the bush was just down right fun.  We also harvested cucumbers which seemed to double in size every night.

When Aunt Joy cooked a pot of fresh green beans harvested that morning with onion and little bits of ham; boy did my impression of green beans change!   They were fabulous, no vinegar needed, and so dramatically better than store-bought canned beans.  Even a 10-year old could taste the difference and say “yum” while eating green beans.  I thought I betrayed kids everywhere by suddenly loving green beans!

2018 Garden

As good as they were, with all of the cucumbers and green beans piling up to more than we could possibly eat right away, it was time to preserve. The beans were dumped out on yesterday’s newspaper  (yes, we actually had paper newspapers in those days) on the kitchen table and we snapped them for hours it seemed; telling stories and laughing together while we worked.  I then stood by the stove watching Aunt Joy pour hot liquid over the beans packed in jars and we set the lids and rings. After the beans were canned, next came slicing and pickling cucumbers. When we were done, jars of beans and pickles where stacked all over the kitchen.

A neighbor dropped by the house early morning the next day, before breakfast.  Her family were beekeepers and harvested honey a few days ago.  She left Aunt Joy a few jars of honey and Joy gave her a few jars of green beans and pickles.  After she left, we made some toast, spread it with butter and drizzled that fresh sweet honey on top.  I had nothing but toast and honey for breakfast that day and was full of energy. Toast, butter and honey is still a special treat for me that will take my mind back to that specific moment.   I thought it was really cool how my Aunt traded produce from her garden with the beekeeper neighbor for honey. I learned that not only do vegetable gardeners enjoy showing off their garden and eating the produce, they enjoy the special pleasure of sharing it with others even more.

When we left for home, I had a few jars of green beans and pickles to take to my mother. I was excited explaining to her how we pickled, snapped, sliced and canned.  I begged for a little sunny spot in the backyard to grow some vegetables.  My mother, who is a childhood polio survivor, had a hard time getting down on the ground and gardening due to the ravages that cruel disease did to her leg muscles but she nonetheless helped me get a little garden plot going. I did not really comprehend then how physically hard it was for her to do this but I know now and appreciate so fully what she did to help me explore my new found interest.

Over the years, life and responsibilities got in the way of allowing me to pursue my gardening interests, but once I had a home of my own in Houston, the first project was starting the vegetable garden behind the garage.  I read every gardening book I could get my hands on and had some great success and some failures.  I dreamed of taking the Master Gardener classes offered in Harris County to learn from gardening experts but the classes did not fit into my work schedule.

Christy’s Container Garden 2019

One summer, I had to introduce myself to the neighbor who lived behind me because his teenage kids were hopping the fence to smoke cigarettes and joints in my garden, hiding from their parents. I knew because they were also leaving their cigarette butts and other paraphernalia behind in the garden.  But what got me angry enough to take action was that the kids did not respect the plants in the garden and trampled them. Before going to the next block to discuss the problem, I peered over the fence into their back yard and I spotted a few tomato plants in a bed. I then went to their front door and rang the bell, a little nervous about how the parents would react to what I had to say.  When the dad answered, I first mentioned that I could not help but notice his fine-looking tomato plants covered with fruit so I hope he would understand my situation.  I then told him that I could care less about their kids smoking cigarettes and joints, that was not any of my business, and they could even do it in my backyard, but trampling my garden I could not tolerate.  I said I hoped as one gardener to another, he would understand and speak with his kids. I don’t know how he felt about the kids smoking but we saw eye-to-eye as gardeners on the trampled plants – problem solved!

Many years later, after my husband and I retired and moved out to Washington County, Texas, I finally have the time and space for a proper garden. I completed the Master Gardener Training Class in 2016 with the Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association.   I thought I knew a lot about gardening before the class, but I learned so much more and changed how I garden.  My success and enjoyment improved as well.  As a Master Gardener I continue to learn and refine my garden practices.

I was surprised that the Master Gardener program gives me not only the opportunity to share produce from my vegetable garden with family, neighbors and friends, but it gives me the joy of sharing fact research-based gardening knowledge with others.  Our lives have become more tech-heavy, hectic and with hand-sanitizer seeming to replace just plain soap & water sometimes, simply getting one’s hands in the garden soil refreshes the spirit.  As a Master Gardener,  if I help spark a passion in one child, teen or adult for gardening like my Aunt Joy did for me and help them to do it more successfuly, I will have shared the finest gift of all from my garden.

2020 Master Gardener Open Houses

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The Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association is hosting three Open House events in January, 2020.  If you are interested in learning more about the Master Gardener Program in Texas or want to sign-up for the intensive 5o- hour certficiation training class, please be our guest at one of these three events:

La Grange Open House
January 8, 2020
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon
Fayette County AgriLife Meeting Room
255 Svoboda Ln, Rm 134
La Grange, TX 78945

Brenham Open House
January 9, 2020
11:30 a.m.– 1:00 p.m.
Washington County Fairgrounds Sales Facility (Entrance on Independence St across from Sherriff’s Office)
1305 East Blue Bell Road
Brenham, TX  77833

Bellville Open House
January 9, 2020
10:00 a.m. 12:00 noon
AgriLife Extension Office – Austin County
800 E. Wendt St.
Bellville, TX 77418

The Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association 2020 Training Class will be held in Brenham.  Space is limited.  For more information and to apply online visit our Application Page.

 

2020 BMGA Mentor Program

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“With every deed you are sowing a seed, though the harvest you may not see. “Ella Wheeler Wilcox, poet.

The Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association is reviving the mentor program that was so successful in the past to help trainees achieve Master Gardener certification.  Starting with the 2020 BMGA Training Class, certified BMGA members may volunteer to mentor a trainee. The mentor’s obligation extends from when the classroom portion of the training program begins until the mentee achieves Master Gardener certification, up to one year from graduation from the training class.

Because so much information is provided during the training class about gardening, volunteering, continuing education, the relationship with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, BMGA projects, meetings and other activities, the mentor will help usher the trainee through the program. The mentor’s role is to assist the mentee as they move through the training class, help them achieve their required 50 volunteer hours within 1-year from graduation of the training program, answer questions about the Master Gardener program and simply be a friend who shares a passion for gardening.

As BMGA is a four county Master Gardener chapter covering the large geographical area of Austin, Colorado, Fayette & Washington Counties, mentors will be matched to trainees based on county of residence.

BMGA members are asked to sign-up for this important role in connection with the 2020 Training Class. If you are interested in mentoring a new trainee, please go to the Members Only Area to sign-up as mentor.

As Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.”

Earth-Kind Landscape Short Course in Somerville

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The 2019 Earth-Kind Landscape Short Course by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Horticulture Sciences Program is a continuing education program designed for professionals responsible for managing and maintaining urban green space such as residential landscapes, parks, commercial properties and golf courses.

The course will also benefit municipal, schools, city personnel and landscape businesses, particularly those interested in developing sustainable urban landscape conservation programs.

Texas Master Gardeners earn CEUs for this course.

When:
December 16 – 18, 2019

Where:
Texas A&M HortTREC
3199 CR 269 E.
Somerville, TX 77879

Speakers:

  • Dr. Mike Arnold
  • Dr. Gerald Bergner
  • Ms. Wizzie Brown
  • Dr. Becky Grubbs
  • Dr. Mengmeng Gu
  • Dr. Young-Ki Jo
  • Dr. Mark Matocha
  • Mr. Shea McLamore
  • Ms. Laura Miller
  • Dr. Genhua Niu
  • Dr. Kevin Ong
  • Dr. David Reed

Square-Foot Gardening

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Ed's Square Foot Garden Grid

Ed Eargle, a Master Gardener in La Grange, Texas, is known in the local Master Gardener community for his Square-Foot Garden.  Ed presented on the topic of Square Foot Gardening at the October 2019 General Meeting of the Bluebonnet Master Gardeners Association in Brenham.  Ed follows the method developed by Mel Bartholomew and made popular through Bartholomew’s book All New Square Foot Gardening: Grow More in Less Space first published in 1981. This technique reduces the amount of digging required to plant the garden and minimized wasting seed.  Plus, more can be grown in less space.

The general concept is to create a garden laid out in a grid with the dimensions of each grid space one square foot.    Only a certain number of plants are planted in a one square-foot area.  The number of plants per one square-foot depends on the plant and its size.

Ed uses a raised bed Square Foot Garden, primarily to grow lettuces because he said “I do not like the stuff in the store.”   He explained how to build a 4’x4’ raised bed box with 16 one-foot grid boxes inside.

For the growing material Ed follows Bartholomew’s recommendations and mixes up a batch of “Mel’s Mix”.  Mel’s Mix is fertile, has low compaction and few weeds.  There are few weeds because no soil or “dirt” is used.

Ed Eargle & his garden grid

Ed Eargle & his Square-Foot Garden 4’x4′ Grid

The recipe for Mel’s Mix is:

1/3 Course Vermiculite
1/3 Blended Compost (from many different sources)
1/3 Peet Moss

Ed cautioned to be aware of the compost sources used and not to use hay or straw in the garden unless you know for sure that chemicals that may harm your garden were not used on that hay or straw.  This is good advice regardless of the gardening method.

Once the garden is prepared and ready for planting, its time to understanding plant spacing.  Ed explanted that in the Square-Foot Garden, spacing is 1, 4, 9 or 16 plants per square foot. Larger plants, like tomato, broccoli, cabbage or peppers, are planted one plant to single square foot in the grid.  Small plants, like carrot, radish & onion, are planted 16 plants to a square foot in the grid. The Square Foot Gardening method properly spaces plants at the time of planting so there is no need to “thin” the seedlings later. This saves seed, time and work.

Here is Mel’s recommendation on spacing per square foot:

1 Plant/Sq-Ft 4 Plants/Sq-Ft 9 Plants/Sq-Ft 16 Plants/Sq-Ft
Broccoli Leaf Lettuce Bush Beans Carrot
Cabbage Swiss Chard Spinach Radish
Pepper Marigold Beet Onion

To grow plants vertically in the Square-Foot Garden, Ed attachs a trellis for plants like tomato and cucumber.  He said to put trellised plants on the north side of the box so as to prevent too much shading of the other boxes in the grid with smaller plants.

Ed Eargle is a retired history teacher.  He earned his Master Gardener certification in 2002 and is a fequent speaker at garden club meetings and other events on the topic of Square Foot Gardening.  To learn more about Square Foot Gardening, visit Mel Bartholomew’s website.

Master Gardener Online Earth-Kind Training

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Earth-Kind Logo

Earth-Kind® On-Line Master Gardener Training videos are made available by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. These videos are available to the public to learn more about Earth-Kind® gardening practices.  This program is designed to provide information on a variety of environmentally friendly (Earth-Kind®) practices for use in the home landscape and garden. As your interest and knowledge in this area grows you will have an increased awareness of the many programs, practices and activities that are Earth-Kind®.

All Texas Master Gardeners must recertify each year to remain in the Texas Master Gardener program.  In addition to the annual volunteer hour requirements, recertification requires Texas Master Gardeners to complete continuing education hours on topics of horticulture and gardening practices.  This continuing education helps Texas Master Gardeners sharpen their gardening skills and learn new fact-based and scientifically sound practices supported by Texas A&M AgriLife.

Texas Master Gardeners may select from any of these on-line modules to obtain up to 3 hours of re-certification education credits in a calendar year. Each module is worth 1 hour of credit.  Progress through the training program is tracked “on-line” and the results for each completed module are automatically forwarded to the Texas Master Gardener’s county Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Master Gardener Coordinator.

Participation in the Earth-Kind® On-Line Master Gardener Training will assist Texas AgriLife Extension Service to promote principles and practices that help conserve and protect our state’s valuable natural resources. Working together we can create a healthy and sustainable environment.

To go to the online modules, click the link below and following the instructions.

Link to: Earth-Kind® On-Line Master Gardener Training videos

Available videos are:

2020 Junior Master Gardener National Leader Training

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2020 National JMB Leader Training

 

 

 

2020 Junior Master Gardener National Leader Training Announced 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service announced registration for the 2020 Junior Master Gardener National Leader Training has officially begun! Excitingly, JMG is celebrating its 20th Anniversary and the 2020 conference will not disappoint!   County Extension Agents, Assistant Agents, Master Gardeners/Master Volunteers, Health Specialists, School Educators/Administrators and community volunteers whom work closely with local Extension offices are encouraged to visit the AgriLife Conference Services website at https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/JMG  to register, as soon as possible. Don’t miss out on this fun, engaging and valuable training opportunity!

Additionally, to learn more about the Junior Master Gardener program, access the specific details for this training, (including the conference host site/overnight accommodations) and select the registration button which leads individuals to the AgriLife Conference Services registration page referenced above,  please visit the JMG website at  http://jmgkids.us/2020jmgnlt/

The JMG program looks forward to working with a great group of conference attendees representing districts and regions throughout Texas this February 24-26, 2020 in College Station, Texas on the campus of Texas A&M University!

Hurricane Harvey Community Tree Recovery Tree Distribution

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Tree Give Away Poster

Trees available:
Live Oak
Shumard Oak
Overcup Oak
White Oak
Southern Magnolia
Mexican Plum
Baldcypress

Are you one of the many who lost trees due to Hurricane Harvey?  If so, please join us for the Hurricane Harvey Community Tree Recovery Tree Distribution on October 25, 2019 in Sealy, Texas.  All area residents are eligible to receive free trees to replace trees lost due to Hurricane Harvey damage.  The Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association is proud to join event sponsors International Paper, FedEx, Arbor Day Foundation and Texas A&M Forestry Service to distribute the trees and provide planting instructions to citizens seeking to replace lost trees.

Through the Arbor Day Foundation’s Community Tree Recovery Campaign — a partnership between the Arbor Day Foundation, International Paper and FedEx — Bluebonnet Master Gardeners Association will distribute 500 trees to homeowners in Sealy and surrounding areas on Friday, October 25th beginning at 9:00 a.m. at American Legion Hall, 1630 Meyer Street in Sealy, TX. These new trees will be free of charge for residents and will help to replace trees damaged and destroyed by the past four years of weather devastation.

Dan Lambe, Arbor Day Foundation president said, “By replanting, we strive to bring healing and hope to the people and the communities in which they live, as well as help return the beauty and the value trees bring back to their properties.”

“Through the Arbor Day Foundation’s Community Tree Recovery program, International Paper is able to contribute to the resilience of the communities where our employees live and work,” said Tom Eugate, International Paper’s Sealy Container site manager. “Our entire business depends on the sustainability of forests, and we are proud to help provide healthy trees for this community and for the generations to come.”

The Bluebonnet Master Gardener Chapter in Texas is associated with its four county Texas A&M AgriLife Agricultural Extension offices. The Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association is a four-county chapter receiving guidance from four AgriLife professionals; one from each of Austin, Colorado, Fayette & Washington Counties.

With the flooding from Hurricane Harvey, many trees in the area have been seriously affected, and they will present a decrease in tree vigor and stability. Because of the growth patterns of trees, flood damage effects are usually only expressed 2-4 years after the event. Due to the massive number of stressed trees in the area, pests will reach peak populations and present a management problem for as many as 5 years into the future.

 

Coneflowers with Aster Yellows Disease

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photo of coneflower with Aster Yellows Disease

The coneflower oddities pictured came from Sens Center Vegetable Demonstration Garden that the Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association manages in Bellville, Texas in June 2019.  Our research shows that these plants are infected with Aster Yellows disease caused by phytoplasma.  However interesting the effect, Aster Yellows is a serious garden disease impacting more than 300 plants species in 38 plant families.

The Texas Plant Disease Handbook lists the following as the most important impacted plants of Aster Yellows disease:

Crops: broccoli, buckwheat, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, endive, flax, lettuce, onion, parsley, potato, parsnip, pumpkin, red clover, salsify, spinach, strawberry and tomato.

Flowers: aster, anemone, calendula, Centaurea, China aster, chrysanthemum, Clarkia, cockscomb, Coreopsis, cosmos, delphinium, daisies, Gaillardia, hydrangea, marigold, Nemesia, Paris daisy, periwinkle, petunia, phylox, Scabiosa, snapdragon, statice, strawflower, veronica, and zinnia.

Weeds: cinquefoil, daisy fleabane, dandelion, horseweed, plantain, ragweed, thistle, wild carrot, and wild lettuce.

Yellows diseases are caused by phytoplasma.  All known forms of these small, specialized bacteria cause plant disease.  Phytoplasmas are naturally spread from plant to plant by sucking insects, particularly leafhoppers. The insects pick-up phytoplasma during their feeding on infected host plants, then spread the disease when they move to feed on other plants. The phytoplasma can overwinter in leafhoppers and on perennial host plants  and will re-emerge in the Spring.

Phytoplasmas commonly cause distorted, dwarfed, and yellowish leaves and shoots often referred to as “yellows”. Other symptoms include abnormal flower and leaf development, shortened internodes, and shoot proliferation (known as “witches’ broom”). The flowers of infected plants sometimes develop green, leaflike structures as seen the coneflower photo from the Sens Center Demonstration Garden.

Aster Yellows wreaks havoc on all parts of the plant. There are no chemical or organic treatments known to cure, suppress or kill the disease so once plants become infected, they remain infected and are a host plant for further infection throught the garden.  Failing to destroy the infected plant means it survives as a constant source of phytoplasma to be spread to other plants.  Garden sanitation is key to managing the disease.  Once the disease is discovered, all parts of the plant including the root system must be removed and destroyed.  Although heat may kill the pathogen, it is best not compost diseased plants. As with all phytoplasmas, the Aster Yellows pathogen cannot survive outside of the plant so the bacteria will not remain in the soil.

An integrated pest and disease management approach including destroying infected plants immediately upon discovery of the disease, maintaining proper garden sanitation practices and attempts to control the leafhoppers is recommended. If you believe you have plants of any kind infected with Aster Yellows or a similar disease,  contact the Texas Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab for information about diagnostic testing and recommendations for minimizing the spread of disease in your garden.

Web sources used for this post include:  Texas Plant Disease Handbook, Texas Plant Disease Diagnosic Lab, Missouri Botanical Gardens, Ohio State Cornflower Clean-up, Wisconsin Horticulture Division of the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

 

Open House Scheduled in Columbus

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2020 Master Gardener Open House Event Scheduled

Colorado County members of the Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association would like to extend an invitation to learn more about the master gardener program! The Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association is a four county chapter spanning Austin, Colorado, Fayette, and Washington Counties. Master Gardeners are volunteers, trained by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension in research-based horticulture including soils, water conservation, composting, entomology, plant pathology and related subjects.  As County Extension Service volunteers, they give to the community by extending research-based knowledge and providing solutions in one-to-one problem solving, in a demonstration gardens and educational programs.  What really sets Master Gardeners apart from other home gardeners is their special training in horticulture. The next Master Gardener certification training course will begin in January of 2020. It is an intensive 14 week course with both classroom instruction and field trips. More information on the 2020 training class can be found on our website at https://txmg.org/bluebonnet/join-us-2/.

Please join us on Saturday, October 26th from 9 am – 1pm on the Colorado County Courthouse Square in conjunction with the Columbus Country Market to learn more about the master gardener program! If you have any questions please contact the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office of Colorado County at 979-732-2082.

Open House Flyer

2nd 2019 Scholarship Awarded

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Halye Guerrero Photo

Ms. Haley Guerrero was awarded the Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association 2019 4-H Scholarship for Austin County, Texas on August 17, 2019. Ms. Guerrero graduated with a class rank in the top half from Bellville High School.  She plans to attend Blinn College and then transfer to Sam Houston State University to study Agriculture Business.  She stated:

“I am looking forward to earning a degree in Ag Business and obtain a career in an agriculture-based company.  I have not decided on any particular field or career at the moment however I am looking forward to giving back my community giving back to the programs that have supported me over the years.  A friend used to say if you enjoy what you do you will never work a day in your life, this would be the best career.”

Ms. Guerrero says her mother instilled in her how important it is to receive a degree.  She learned first-hand how hard it was for her mother to raise two kids while working full time, maintaining extra jobs and going to school.  Ms. Guerrero overcame personal challenges and used techniques and study habits to excel in Advance Placement classes and dual credit classes.

Pete Berckenhoff of the Austin County branch of the Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association presented the $1000 scholarship certificate to Ms. Guerrero.

Scholarship Awarded

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Taylor Klatte Scholarship Winner

Christy Schweikhardt, Taylor Klatte & Allen Prescott

Ms. Taylor Klatte was awarded the Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association 2019 4-H Scholarship for Washington County, Texas on August 2, 2019. Ms. Klatte’s class rank was 36 out of 359 graduating seniors from Brenham High School.  She plans to attend Texas A&M University to study Political Science with a minor in Animal Science then go to law school to study Agricultural Law. She stated:

Ag-law has become a passion of mine this past year when I completed
the Advocacy Academy through the Texas 4-H Livestock Ambassador
program.  I realized how much representation the agricultural community needs, especially everyday farmers and ranchers who need a positive
voice.  I want to become that positive voice to help the agricultural
community in the future . . . I attribute the development of my leadership
skills to my involvement in 4-H.  This transformed me from a girl in the
back of the room to a confident young woman who is not afraid to lead a meeting, voice her opinion, or work with others to achieve a common goal.

Allen Prescott and Christy Schweikhardt of the Washington County branch of the Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association presented the $1000 scholarship certificate to Ms. Klatte at the 2019 Washington County 4-H Family Night & Awards Banquet in Brenham, Texas.  Mr. Prescott told that banquet crowd of 4-H participants, their families, Washington County government officials and others how difficult it was for the scholarship committee to narrow the list of six candidates down to just one.  Mr. Prescott said “all six deserve a scholarshp but we just have one available to award.”  Ms. Schweikahrdt later said:

All six candidates are impressive young men and women who possess
the skills and building-blocks to grow into our leaders of tomorrow.
The Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association is proud that our volunteer organization can support the Washington County 4-H program with this scholarship.

Ms. Klatte certainly is no longer the girl in the back of the room. Expect to see her standing confidently in the front, and in charge, as a future leader in our community and beyond.

 

Fall Plant Sale

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Washington County Horticulture Committee
2019 FALL Vegetable Plant Sale – Now Accepting Orders (Flyer & Order Form Attached)  

Order Here

Calling all gardening enthusiasts!  The Washington County Extension Horticulture Committee is pleased to share with you an opportunity to purchase fall garden plants and support local scholarship at the same time!

For the second year the committee will be offering a selection of cool season plants including, arugula, bok choy, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale (curly and flat leaf), green leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, mustard greens, spinach, and swiss chard.  A brief description of each cool season plant being offered in this line up has been included with the plant sale flyer to help you make the best decisions when selecting plants for your fall garden.

If the great selection and confidence in knowing the offering are the best suited varieties for our area isn’t enough, we are also offering these plants at $2.50/pack of four!  Also, all proceeds from this sale benefit the youth of Washington County through scholarships offered by the Committee.  Each year the Horticulture Committee works to identify qualified graduating seniors pursuing a degree in agriculture and awards a scholarship of $500 or more in May at the respective school assemblies.

Order forms are available online at http://washington.agrilife.org/ or at the Washington County Extension Office located at 1305 E Blue Bell Road in Brenham.  All orders must be paid for when they are placed and no orders will be accepted without payment.

Online orders for the Fall Garden Plant Sale can be submitted and paid by PayPal or credit card online at https://washington.agrilife.org/plantsale/

Orders are due by September 13th so don’t delay; get your orders in today.  Plant pick-up will be on Tuesday October 8th from 10:00am-5:30pm at the Washington County Fairgrounds Sales Facility in Brenham!  All plants must be picked up at this time!

For additional information about the Fall Garden Plant Sale please call the Extension Office at (979) 277-6212.

Orders are due by September 13th!  – Don’t delay, order today!

Pick-Up will be on Tuesday October 8th from 10:00am-5:30pm at the

Washington County Fairgrounds Sales Facility in Brenham

 

2020 Training Class

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Our  2020 Master Gardener Certification Training Class is scheduled each Thursday from January 16th – April 23rd with the final graduation class on Tuesday, April 28, 2020.  Participatants from Austin, Colorado, Fayette & Washington Counties are welcome. The 64 hours of classes will be held at the Washington County Extension Sales Facility at 1305 East Bell Road, Brenham, Texas 77833 (use the Indepdance Rd entrance) , plus some field trips to be announced in class.  The updated training manual compiled by the Texas Master Gardener Assocation, is inlcuded in the $175 registration fee.  You may register online below or contact the Washington County Extension office at (979) 277-6262 for more information.

 

Bluebonnet Master Gardener Volunteer Program Application

 

2020 Training Class Flyer

Map to Open House & Class Location

2020 Training Class Flyer

Yellow Butterfly Vine Named Texas Superstar

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Source: AgriLife Today, June 13, 2019;

Yellow Butterfly

Yellow butterfly vine, also known as yellow orchid vine, a perennial, twining evergreen vine, has been named a Texas Superstar selection for its low maintenance requirements and beauty.

Texas Superstar® is a registered trademark owned by Texas A&M AgriLife Research, a state agency that is part of the Texas A&M University System. Plants are designated Texas Superstars by the Texas Superstar executive board, made up of nine horticulturalists from AgriLife Research, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas Tech University.

To be designated a Texas Superstar, a plant must not only be beautiful but perform well for consumers and growers throughout the state. Texas Superstars must be easy to propagate, which should ensure the plants are not only widely available but also reasonably priced, said David Rodriguez, AgriLife Extension horticulturist, Bexar County.

Rodriguez said the clusters of dainty flowers on butterfly vine are a brilliant yellow in the summer sun. But it’s the seed pods that give the plant its most common name.

Read Full Article

Vegetable Gardening for Health & Pleasure

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by Faye Beery, Bluebonnet Master Gardener Assocation

Garden Photo

Broccoli in front of tomatoes

Let’s face it, fresh vegetables just taste better.  As more articles appear about the need for a slimmer and healthier America, more people are paying attention to eating fresh fruits and vegetables and wondering how they can improve on what they consume.  According to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension publication,  The Vegetable Growers Handbook, web edition, complied and edited by J. G. Masabni, F. J. Dainello & S. D. Cotner (aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu), in the past, Texas ranked third in vegetable production behind  California and Florida, however, Texas produce acreage has declined to sixth place due to problems with plant diseases, droughts, and insects and competition with growers from Mexico.  Texans are showing a renewed interest in home gardening as one in every three families does some sort of gardening.  Texas gardeners enjoy a year around growing season according Texas A&M AgriLife’s Texas Home Vegetable Gardening Guide, EHT-0077 6/14.

Home-Grown Vegetables are More Nutritious

photo of Selling produce from BMGA's Sens Center Garden

Selling produce from BMGA’s Sens Center Garden


A concern is the increasing loss of nutrients in mass produced fruit and vegetables.  Most produce, with the exception of the tomato and pumpkin, can lose much of their nutritional value in the large market growing, transport and canning process. Donald Davis, PhD, while a researcher with the Biochemical Institute at the University. of Texas, Austin, led a team which analyzed the nutritional value of 43 fruits and vegetables from 1950 to 1999. He found that foods had a reduction in minerals, vitamins and proteins in 1999 than in 1950. An example is broccoli, which had 130 mg of calcium in 1950, but only 48 mg of calcium in 1999.   One possible explanation is that commercial growers select varieties for yield, growth rate, pest resistance and other attributes but are seldom selected for nutrient content.  See Changes in USDA Food Composition Data for 43 Garden Crops, 1950 to 1999; Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol 23, No 6, 669-682 (2004).  Dr. Davis further explained that intensive agricultural practices reduced the amount of nutrients in the soil which fruits and vegetables need to grow.

photo of spinach

Spinach in a container garden

Fruits and vegetables destined to be shipped are picked before they are ripe, depriving the vegetable or fruit of reaching maturity and their full nutritive value.   Buying local produce, or growing it yourself, allows the produce you eat to be grown for flavor and healthfulness rather than to remain sturdy for transport over long distances. Foods continue to breathe, or respirate, after they are picked. This also leads to flavor and nutritional loss as well as moisture loss. Eating and preserving fresh foods helps you get more nutritional value from those foods. By growing your own fresh foods, you can add compost to ensure that your soil is healthy and provide plants with adequate nutrition.  You decide on your own gardening philosophy as whether to use commercial feritizer and other commercial products, whether to grow strictly with organic methods or to use a yoru own combination of methods.  Whatever your philosophy, you know exactly what has gone into growing your food, and what has not.

How you cook your vegetables plays a part in the nutrients as well. Steamed vegetables are generally thought to be more nutritious than boiled ones, as the gentle heat softens cells making nutrients more available according to Sarah Burns in Prevention magazine. She also recommends pairing your vegetables. Food compounds can affect how we absorb their nutrients.  According to Steve Schwartz, PhD, a professor of food science at Ohio State University, a 2004 study of salsa and avocado found that these two foods up the body’s absorption of the tomato’s cancer fighting lycopene.

Gardening for Therapeutic Benefits
A search of gardening websites reveals a plethora of types of gardens, from square foot gardens to container gardens and large square gardens for large landowners.  Gardening also has therapeutic benefits, and according to the American Horticultural Therapy Association. Therapeutic benefits have been understood since ancient times.  In the 19th century, Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and considered the father of American psychiatry, reported that garden settings held curative effects for people with mental illness.  The American Horticultural Therapy Association website gives techniques of therapeutic treatment benefits for a wide range of individuals with physical and mental disabilities. In today’s hectic world, gardening contributes to a slow down and stress reduction as well as being fun and producing healthy, delicious vegetables and fruits.  Looking forward to fresh produce for the table is exciting, and introducing children to gardening and eating vegetables they grow can encourage better health habits.

How to Begin Raising Vegetables
So just how does one go about raising vegetables?  A good first start is to think about what you like to eat.  It would be a good idea to start small, and increase the number of vegetables as one becomes more proficient in gardening to be sure that you have the time and physical ability to work in the garden.  Seed packets are available in many places these days, even in the grocery store.  Nurseries and hardware stores have seed packets, as well as small vegetables ready to transplant in your garden.   If you are starting with container gardening, you can grow most anything except maybe corn.  Your garden should have good soil, and a soil test can kit can be obtained from your local county extension office.

Compost will probably be needed for the soil to provide nutrients and aeration.   The garden should have a source of water, as rainfall is unpredictable.   Basic tools, such as a hoe, shovel, rake, spade forks, and probably a tiller will be necessary to work the soil for larger gardens in order to keep the weeds out.  Soil preparation is a must.  If your garden is small, vertical gardening, with supports for climbing plants, such as beans or cucumbers is a good way to save space.  You should also decide whether you will have a spring garden or a fall garden, and will need to know which vegetables are cool weather vegetables (such as lettuce and spinach) or hot weather plants such as corn or cucumbers and tomatoes.

Get gardening help from Master Gardeners and AgriLife Extension. As an example, most insects are not harmful to gardens, and it is important to know who the good guys are and how they can help you in the garden.  If you have a problem, or a question, get help! The Master Gardener Program has knowledgeable people who can help with questions about your garden.  There are websites and books that can help also. Your County Extension office has brochures and programs that can help with gardening questions and problems and they may refer to you to a local Master Gardener in your county. The Aggie website contains much information.  A good place to start is the Easy Gardening Series published online by Aggie Horticulture.   The Horticulture Committee of Austin County, Texas sponsors two seminars, spring and late summer/early fall, on vegetable gardening and other related topics. The next one is August 23, 2019 at the Liedertafel Hall in Sealy, Texas.  Visit the BMGA Calendar for more details on that seminar.

 

Paul McClendon Recieves Rainwater Harvesting Certification

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Photo of BMGA President Keith McGraw presents certficiate to Paul McClenndon.

BMGA President Keith McGraw presents certficiate to Paul McClenndon.

Master Gardener Paul McClendon was presented  his certification in Rainwater Harvesting from the Texas Master Gardner Association at the Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association’s monthly meeting May 28, 2019 in Bellville, Texas.  After attening the Rainwater Harvesting training class, Paul volunteered 20 hours to assist AgriLife Extension Service increase citizens’ awareness of rainwater harvesting.  These 20 hours of volunteer service were on top of the annual 20 hours of volunteer time all Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association members are required to perform each year. Paul is a member of the Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association serving Austin, Colorado, Fayette & Washington Counties, Texas.

Other BMGA members with Rainwater Harvesting Advanced Training certification include B.R. Koehler and Charlene Koehler, both of Sealy, Texas.

See a complete list of BMGA members with Advanced Training certifications.

Other topics in which Master Gardeners in Texas may gain advanced  training  certification are:

2019 Summer Kids Kamp Registration is Open!

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2019 BMGA Kids Kamp Flyer

The Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association’s 2019 week long summer camp for kids is accepting registrations now. The Kids Kamp will be held in all four BMGA counties for kids ages 10 to 13 years of age:

Washington County:  June 3 – 7, 2019
Colorado County: June 10- 14, 2019
Fayette County: June 17-21, 2019
Austin:June 24-June 28, 2019

The kids will learn about worm composting, soil & gardening, nutrition & kitchen management, food preservation and good bugs and bad bugs in the garden.  They will also make garden related crafts and healthy snacks.

Christy Schweikhardt, a Master Gardener who facilitated the soil & gardening segments of Kids Kamp for two years, said, “We fill the Kids Kamp with  hands-on activities that are both fun and educational.  The kids who participated in the past two Kids Kamps were entergeitc and eager to learn, even over summer break.  For the volunteer Master Gardeners who particpate in running the Kids Kamp, it is rewarding to help AgriLife Extension Service and the State of Texas foster fact-based gardening and food knowelge in a future generation of Texas gardeners.”

At only $25.00 for the week, this may be the best bargin in summer fun.

Register Online or by Mail