April 23, 2021
RSVP by April 20, 2021
Cost: $30 (in-person)
$20 (virtual)
Ask an Expert is now Ask Extension
Ask an Expert is now Ask Extension. This service offers one-to-one expert answers from Cooperative Extension/University staff and volunteers within participating Land-Grant institutions from across the United States. Before posting a new question, you may also search previously answered questions in the Knowledgebase catalogue.
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Frozen Plants? Aggie Horticulture Facebook Live Events
Texas A&M Extension Horticulture faculty are using their weekly Facebook live events and one additional event to talk about the freeze and what to expect with plants. The schedule will be as follows:
Wednesday 1:00 p.m. Ornamentals & Vegetables
Friday 1:00 p.m. Fruit
Friday 4:00 p.m. Turf
These events can be found on Facebook on the Aggie Horticulture page and will be useful information for Master Gardeners and the public. All events are free and open to the public.
Protecting Landscapes & Horticulture Crops from Frosts & Freezes
As temperatures drop below freezing in our area, gardeners may need to take action to protect their plants and landscapes. Luckily, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s Monte Nesbitt and Robert “Skip” Richter give advice on protecting landscapes and horticultural crops from frosts and freezes. For the full version of this paper (9 pages) please click this link: Protecting Landscapes and Horticulture Crops from Frosts and Freezes
Washington County Spring Lawn, Landscape, and Garden Soil Testing Campaign
The Spring Lawn, Landscape, and Garden Soil Testing Campaign is underway in Washington County and will run January 25 – February 26. This campaign is made possible through the support of the Multi-County Ag Committee and in cooperation with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Soil, Water, and Forage Testing Lab in College Station. Link to Event Page
Soil sample bags and submittal forms for the soil testing campaign are available at three locations including:
- The Washington County Extension Service located at 1305 East Blue Bell Road in Brenham
- Brenham Produce located at 1103 South Market in Brenham
- Plants-‘N-Things located at 3900 Highway 36 South in Brenham
All soil samples, forms, and payment must be returned to the Washington County Extension office to receive the discounted pricing. Full payment by check payable to MCAF is due when the samples are submitted to the Extension Office. Extension Office staff will deliver your samples to the testing lab. Sample results will be returned to the County Extension Office and then distributed to submitters via email or regular mail.
Soil Campaign
This Soil Testing Campaign offers homeowners and gardeners the opportunity to have their soil tested to determine its current fertility and receive a recommendation to improve the fertility required to maintain and produce the best possible outcome for their garden, lawn, or landscape. This campaign is only intended for soil analysis on non-agricultural land; only samples from lawns, landscapes, and gardens will be accepted.
The cost for a routine analysis will be $8.00 and a routine analysis with micronutrients will cost $15.00.
In exchange for the reduced testing cost, some information regarding your management practices will be asked on the soil testing form. The information you will be asked to provide includes the last time the area was fertilized, a description of previously used fertilizers, and whether or not the soil has been sampled in the past.
If you have any questions concerning the Spring Lawn, Landscape, and Garden Soil Testing Campaign, please contact the Washington County Extension office at (979) 277-6212 ext.2.
Frost/Freeze Protection in Small Raised Beds
By Paula K. Trahan, BMGA Master Gardener
As our Texas fall has turned into a real winter including snow in Bluebonnet Master Gardener’s four counties, we are all seeking to protect our precious plants we put into the soil in September and October. Depending on the size of garden you have, there are options to shield your investment and not lose much, if any, plant stock.
In past seasons, I have not been vigilant in covering my small, raised beds and just taken my chances. This stance has cost money (losing future production and plant material) as well as extra work (all the wilted plants are a mess!). Social distancing has given me time to design a frost/freeze protection system that can be deployed easily and removed for use this year and next. With an up-front cash outlay of less than $100.00, the coverage is approximately 160 sf (two raised beds, 4×20 feet each).
The structure consists of several 1/2” pvc pipes, 10’ long. Each pipe is bent in an arch across the raised bed and tucked inside along the raised portion of the bed’s 2×10’s. The interval is about 4’ apart. With a bed width of 4’, this arch is around 4’ high giving plenty of height for your growing plants. As the bones of the system doesn’t interfere with the garden itself, you can leave these in place until the danger of frost is gone in spring.
Planket installed over raised bed for the recent freeze in Cat Spring, Austin County.
The product to cover and protect was readily available at a local do it yourself store. The brand purchased was Planket. It comes in various sizes and variations such as round and rectangular. The application for my garden needed 2 packages of 10×20’. These were cut in half resulting in four 5×20’ pieces. This was easier for one person to handle when installing, especially on a windy day. Each piece was laid lengthwise across the skeleton of pvc pipes then clipped together with colorful binder clips and then attached to the pipes themselves with small plastic clamps.
Clips holding the fabric on to the pvc skeleton.
The clamps are perfectly sized, and the fabric doesn’t blow apart or in the case of recent sleet and frozen precipitation, it won’t sag and touch the plant material inside.
With our unpredictable weather it may be necessary to remove after only one or two days. It is quite simple to take the Planket off and store for the next frost warning. Just unclip all the fabric, lay it out lengthwise on the grass and roll each piece onto the cardboard tubes in which they were purchased. Rolling them at a two-foot width allows for storage in a plastic tub along with the binder clips and clamps. Plus, storing them in a roll makes for trouble free use in the future.
After several hours of freezing weather, the brussel sprout leaves are unfazed. Very easy to check on the status of your plants by just unclipping at various places.
Brussel sprouts looking good. Ready to harvest soon.
Broccoli plants are still producing from side shoots, so we are protecting them.
As it is early January, you can still get a couple of months use out of a system such as this. Considering the cost of plant loss and replanting, it can still be cost efficient for your garden. We all remember those late Easter freezes and now you won’t be caught off guard! For more information on larger garden frost protection, please consult your local BMGA Master Gardener.
Deadline for Tomato & Pepper Plant Orders
Deadline to place your order is TODAY.
Washington County Horticulture Committee Tomato & Pepper Plant Sale – Now Accepting Orders
Calling all gardening enthusiasts! It’s that time of year again and we wanted you all to be the first to know that the Annual Tomato and Pepper Plant Sale is officially here and we are ready to take orders. The varieties featured have all been selected by Washington County Horticulture Committee Members and are suitable for our area.
This year the lineup features 13 tomato varieties including one new option. In addition to some new tomato varieties we will be offering basil, cilantro, dill, and parsley as part of the sale! Also included in the selection will be bell peppers, banana peppers, poblano peppers, jalapenos, eggplant, squash, and zucchini! A brief description of each tomato variety is included on the back of the flyer; we have put some basic information together to help you make the best decision!
If the great selection and confidence in the proper varieties for our area is not enough, we are also offering these plants at $2.50 per pack! Plus, all proceeds from this sale benefit the youth of Washington County through the annual AgriLife Extension – Horticulture Committee Scholarship Program. Each year the Horticulture Committee works to identify graduating seniors pursuing a degree in agriculture who are deserving of a scholarship and will award these scholarships in May at their school assemblies.
Order forms are available online at https://washington.agrilife.org/plantsale or at the Washington County Extension Office. All orders must be paid for when they are placed, and no orders will be accepted without payment. For more information on the Tomato and Pepper Plant Sale please call the Extension Office at (979) 277-6212.
Orders are due by March 12th! – Don’t delay, order today!
Pick-Up will be on Tuesday, March, 23 from 10:00am-5:30pm at the
Washington County Expo Sales Facility in Brenham!
Tomato & Pepper Plant Sale – Spring 2021
Washington County Horticulture Committee Tomato & Pepper Plant Sale – Now Accepting Orders
Calling all gardening enthusiasts! It’s that time of year again and we wanted you all to be the first to know that the Annual Tomato and Pepper Plant Sale is officially here and we are ready to take orders. The varieties featured have all been selected by Washington County Horticulture Committee Members and are suitable for our area.
This year the lineup features 13 tomato varieties including one new option. In addition to some new tomato varieties we will be offering basil, cilantro, dill, and parsley as part of the sale! Also included in the selection will be bell peppers, banana peppers, poblano peppers, jalapenos, eggplant, squash, and zucchini! A brief description of each tomato variety is included on the back of the flyer; we have put some basic information together to help you make the best decision!
If the great selection and confidence in the proper varieties for our area is not enough, we are also offering these plants at $2.50 per pack! Plus, all proceeds from this sale benefit the youth of Washington County through the annual AgriLife Extension – Horticulture Committee Scholarship Program. Each year the Horticulture Committee works to identify graduating seniors pursuing a degree in agriculture who are deserving of a scholarship and will award these scholarships in May at their school assemblies.
Order forms are available online at https://washington.agrilife.org/plantsale or at the Washington County Extension Office. All orders must be paid for when they are placed, and no orders will be accepted without payment. For more information on the Tomato and Pepper Plant Sale please call the Extension Office at (979) 277-6212.
Orders are due by March 12th! – Don’t delay, order today!
Pick-Up will be on Tuesday, March, 23 from 10:00am-5:30pm at the
Washington County Expo Sales Facility in Brenham!
Online Horticulture Learning Could Never be Easier
So many online horticulture learning opportunities you don’t know where to start? This guide can get you started learning from horticulture experts.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension recorded many of their programs for viewing on your own schedule. These recorded presentations are free to the public.
Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association members may claim Continuing Education Units (CEU) for these all AgriLife programs that pertain to gardening and horticulture; live or recorded. Just watch the presentation and record your time as CEU. BMGA members, remember to get your CEU credits recorded by December 31, 2020 to apply those hours to your re-certification requirement. For 2020, you need 6 CEU credits.
Below are links to some of these programs to start learning from our Aggie experts.
Gulf Coast Gardening Online Series
There are 22 videos for more than 24 hours of learning. Topics include:
Young Tree Care – Video #5
Earth Kind Pest Disease & Weed Control – Video #10
Texas Superstar Plants – Video #19
Horticulture & Gardening Webinar Series with David Rodriguez, County Extension Horticulture Agent, Bexar County
There are currently 17 of these recorded sessions for more than 13 hours of education. Topics include:
Getting Your Lawn and Landscape Ready for Summer Heat – Video #9
Tomato Basics 101 – Video #13
Butterfly Gardening – Nectar Plants – Video #5
Aggie Horticulture Facebook Live Recordings
There are 55 horticulture recorded events. Wow! You do not need a Facebook account to watch. Topics include:
Homeowner Greenhouses- Video #41
Transitioning to a Fall Garden, Two Parts – Video #40 & #45
Toys for Vegetable Gardening – Video #50
Fall Blooming Flowers & Biennials Planted in Fall – Video #51
Growing Blueberries in Containers – Video 18
2021 Colorado County Master Gardener Open House
A History of the Sens Activity Center Demonstration Garden
A History of the Sens Activity Center Bluebonnet Master Gardener Demonstration Garden
By Faye Beery, Master Gardener
Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association
Sens Garden produce
The original garden was started by then Master Gardener Judy Mead in 2001. It was a program started with the Boys and Girls club at the old Bellville High School. Due to planned construction, around 2003, the garden was moved to the jail with the help from then Sheriff Dewayne Burger, and was called the Jail Garden. Members decided that a more appropriate name would be the Chesley garden when the garden was moved from behind the jail to beside the jail on Chesley street. Ed Linseisen, Larry Miller, Harry DeFoy, and Marvin Schindler, along with other members, were instrumental in getting the garden established.
The garden remained at the Chesley street location until 2015. Many interns earned their hours there as well as learning about vegetable gardening from Master Gardeners. Vegetables were given to the food pantry; some were sold to the Farmer’s market and some brought to meetings for sale to the members. Some were given to the inmates for use in the jail kitchen. Many hours of friendship were forged working in the beds and learning from one another about vegetable gardening.
In 2015, Sheriff Brandes announced that the sheriff’s office would be constructing a new building where the garden was located and asked that the garden be moved. The board of directors at Sens Activity Center had contacted me for help with the landscaping at the Center. The Center had adequate land for a garden and access to water, which was not included in other sites that had been explored for a garden. In December of 2015, Garry Kroeger submitted a proposal to the City of Bellville to use the Sens Center land for a new Master Gardener demonstration garden. In return, the Master Gardeners would care for the flower beds around the Center. The city agreed to provide the necessary water and parking space. In 2016, Garry and a team of Master Gardeners and community help moved all the bedding materials and the shed to the Sens Activity Center.
Garden under construction
Many hours of hard work went into plowing the land and establishing the beds. The first year, deer and rabbit, and probably other small animals also found the garden rewarding. Unfortunately, some vandalism also occurred, and it was decided that a fence would be built around the garden. This provided security for the garden, and no further crops were lost to marauders. Garry Kroeger had been instrumental in finding a good site for the garden and had also done much of the work including using his own tractor to plow the land, and has spent many hours working to see that the garden is as productive as possible.
Garry’s Garden sign
The Master Gardeners decided to name it Garry’s Garden, and Elery Kimes, also a Master Gardener, made the sign to put on the fence in his honor. Pete Smith has also been instrumental in working the garden, and fortunately lives in the subdivision, giving him easy access to working there. Pete has been managing and directing efforts to pick and prepare vegetables to be sold at the Farmer’s Market on the square in Bellville.
The garden has been extremely prolific under Garry’s and Pete’s direction. It is still giving interns and Master Gardeners opportunities to work for their hours and to develop friendships and knowledge. Usually, around 5 to 7 people work the garden each Wednesday starting around 7:00 to 8:00 am. In 2018, 1,208 lbs. of vegetables were harvested from the garden. Some were sold, some were given to the food pantry, some were taken to meetings, some were taken home by those who worked there. In 2019, 1,505 lbs. were harvested from the garden. Vegetables included beans, peas, corn, blackberries onions, chard, cucumbers, okra, eggplant, cabbage, turnups, carrots, broccoli, squash, potatoes, peppers, bell and jalapenos, cantaloupes and some herbs.
Volunteers weighting produce
Pete Smith working in the okra
Next year will be the 20th anniversary of the garden. Hopefully, we can have some sort of a celebration and educational activity to let everyone know about the history and successes of the garden. Everyone is welcome to come and work with us in showing what can be done to raise your own produce and lessening dependence on outside sources. Not only does local produce taste better and is better for you, but it reduces transportation costs and reduces waste.
Hope to see you there!
Gardening on the Gulf Coast-September 2020 Online Schedule
Live Lunch and Learn Gardening Series
Live Lunch and Learn Gardening Series – August 2020
Time: 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Central Time
Join Horticulturist David Rodriguez and Entomologist Molly Keck for their Live Lunch and Learn Gardening Webinar Series. Learn about your landscape and vegetable gardening. To join, click the link below and put in the meeting ID and Passcode at the date and time of the presentation.
Join the Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 990 2593 9574
Passcode: Garden2020
Schedule:
August 11: Tomato 101: Growing Basics
August 12: Pests of Tomatoes
August 18: Lawn 101: Turfgrass Basics
August 19: Lawn 101: Turfgrass Pests
August 25: Growing a Fall & Winter Vegetable Garden
August 26: Managing Cool Weather Fall Veggie Pests
Time: 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Central Time
For more information, contact David Rodriguez, dhrodriguez@ag.tamu.edu
2020 Fall Veggie Plant Sale
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!
2020 Fall Plant Sale Order Packet
For the third 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 $1,000 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 Friday October 2nd so don’t delay; get your orders in today. Plant pick-up will be on Tuesday October 13th 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 October 2nd! – Don’t delay, order today!
Pick-Up will be on Tuesday October 13th from 10:00am-5:30pm at the
Washington County Fairgrounds Sales Facility in Brenham!
Tomato 101: The Basics of Growing Tomatoes – Online Course
Tomatoes are the most popular garden edible crop in Texas according to Joseph Masabni, Assistant Professor and Extension Horticulturist, The Texas A&M University System. Although the jewel of the Texas garden, many home gardeners have disappointing results with tomatoes.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s online course Tomato 101: The Basics of Growing Tomatoes teaches the basics of growing tomatoes in your garden. You may cover the material at your own pace and on your own time schedule so begin when you’re ready. This course was first developed for Texas gardeners. However, most information is suitable for other regions.
The cost of the course is $20.00
See all available AgriLife online courses under the Plants and Garden.
Gulf Coast Gardening Online Series – Free
Join Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Horticulture agents and specialists as they discuss gardening in the Gulf Coast Region of Texas. Mark your calendars for these CEU opportunties.
Register to attend live events: 
Link to recorded past events CLICK HERE
July 2020
July 1 at 10:00am – Home Citrus Growing by Ginger Easton-Smith, AgriLife Extension Ag and Natural Resources Agent in Aransas County
July 8 at 10am – Young Tree Care by Boone Holladay, AgriLife Extension Horticulture
July 15 at 10am – Cacti & Succulent Varieties by Kevin Gibbs, AgriLife Extension Horticulture
July 22 at 10am – Fabulous Figs for the Gulf by Stephen Brueggerhoff, AgriLife Extension Horticulture Agent in Brazoria County
July 29 at 10am – EarthKind Pest, Disease & Weed Control by Robert “Skip” Richter, AgriLife Extension Horticulture Agent in Brazos County
June 2020
June 3 at 10:00am – Annuals in the Summer Heat by Paul Winski, AgriLife Extension Horticulture Agent in Harris County
June 10 at 10:00am – Olives on the Texas Gulf Coast by Stephen Janak, Extension Program Specialist
June 17 at 10:00am – Gardening in Containers by Skip Richter, AgriLife Extension Horticulture Agent in Brazos County
June 24 at 10:00am – Turf Irrigation Audit by Michael Potter, AgriLife Extension Horticulture Agent in Montgomery County
Aggie Horticulture Live Facebook Events!
Join Aggie Horticulture on Wednesdays & Fridays at 1 p.m. Central time on the Aggie Horticulture Facebook Page to watch Facebook Live events!
Aggie Horticulture Live Facebook Events
Upcoming Events:
- 5/22/2020 – Friday 1:00 pm – From Garden to Glass DIY Mocktails/Cocktails
- 5/27/2020 – Wednesday 1:00 pm – “Some Like it Hot” – Growing Vegetables in Summer
- 5/29/2020 – Friday 1:00 pm – TBD
- 6/3/2020 – Wednesday 1:00 pm – Check your crape (and other plants) for scale
Qualifies for Master Gardener CEU Credits.
Prior Live Event Videos Available on Aggie Horticulture’s Facebook page:
- Raised Garden Beds, Location, Soil Mixtures and more!
- Starting vegetable seeds at home
- Planting vegetable transplants or direct seed into your garden!
- Home Fruit Production – Tips for Success!
- Small fruits for the backyard
- Floral Designs from your backyard – Growing, Cutting, Using your flowers and shrubs!
- Growing Herbs: Basil Bounty
- Backyard Grapes/Vineyards
- Pecan Grafting
- How to Prune Your Trees
- Lawn Care & Fertilization
- Drip Irrigation Essentials
- Grapevine Planting & Training Demo
- Tidying up your Irrigation System
- Keys to Successful Peach Production
- Indoor Gardening
- Growing Blueberries in Containers
Lunch-N-Learn Series Fayette County-Fall Garden – CANCELED
Lunch-N-Learn Series Fayette County – Growing Tomatoes Successfully
2020 Small Farms & Vegetable Conference
Hosted by: Austin County Horticulture Committee.
Registration 8:30-9:00 a.m.
Program: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
With spring around the corner, it is now time to start preparation for your spring gardens!
The Horticulture Committee of Austin County would like to invite everyone to the Small Farms and Vegetable Conference. There will be a variety of local vendors on site to assist with any questions or needs you might and provide the latest up to date technology and products available. In addition, this year the conference will offer topics covering a wide range of areas including: pond management, spring time gardening, mole and gopher control, garden bugs: good vs bad, and toxic plants to animals, ID & control. If you are a private applicator in need of CEU hours, you can also obtain 5 CEU credits by attending the conference; pending TDA approval.
The program is set for Friday, February 28, 2020 at the American Legion Hall at 1630 Meyer St, Sealy, Texas 77474. Registration will begin at 8:30 am and the program will begin at 9:00 am. There is a registration fee of $30.00 payable at the door. If you have any questions, or would like to RSVP for the event, please call the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service – Austin County at 979-865-2072 or visit us on the web at austin.agrilife.org.
Small Farms & Vegetables Flyer (Updated)
2020 Master Gardener Open Houses
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.
Square-Foot Gardening
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 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.
Spring Tomato & Pepper Plant Sale-Washington County
Coneflowers 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.