Brazos County AgriLife Horticulture Archives - Brazos County Master Gardeners

Persimmon for a Fruitful Fall

December 3, 2025 by stephenbrueggerhoff

Stephen Brueggerhoff, CEA – Horticulture, Brazos County AgriLife Extension; published 10/28/2025

All images unless otherwise noted by Stephen Brueggerhoff

I am a recent convert to the delicious taste of persimmon. I have a tree in the front yard that I recently harvested the ripe fruit, offering a sweet and almost jelly-like flesh that was outstanding in taste and texture. I invite you to consider persimmon for your home orchard.

Persimmon Origins

While native varieties such as the American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) can be cultivated, varieties of Japanese persimmon (Diospyros kaki), sometimes called Asian persimmon or Kaki, are often used in space constricted urban orchards. These fruiting members of the hardwood ebony plant family are small trees that can be used both as an ornamental landscape feature as well as a food source. American persimmon can reach up to 40-feet, while Japanese persimmon varieties can be kept compact at 15-feet. They are deciduous, with dark green leaves turning brilliant colors of orange red to gold in the fall. The majority produces medium tomato-sized fruit that are more oblong than round, featuring vivid colors from cream-orange to deep red that complement bare branches in early winter.

I am interested in the history of global plant distribution. Knowing where plants originated can help broaden our global cultural and culinary understanding of one another. According to a plant profile from the Missouri Botanical Garden, Japanese persimmon is native to a broad range of the Asian continent – from India and Myanmar to China and Korea and is widely cultivated in Japan. Kaki was brought to the U.S. from Japan in 1856 by Commodore Perry, more than likely attributed to the Perry Expedition and establishment of global trade with Japan. Commercial production increased in the 1930s in California and southeast U.S., and today most of the fruit sold in broad markets across the states are from California orchards.

Cultivating Asian Persimmon

Fortunately, persimmons can grow in a variety of soil types and success is dependant on the rootstock. Rootstock is defined as one variety or species of rooted tree that is top grafted with another species. For our eco-region, American persimmon is used as a rootstock for Japanese persimmon as it is more adaptable to regional soil profiles and resistant to soil-borne pathogens. Bare-root trees can be planted in January and February. Remove half of the top of the tree to a single trunk. Pruning in this fashion forces growth to develop a framework of branches based off a central leader. Containerized trees should be planted in early spring, from late February to early April and pruned to shape. Multiple plantings should be spaced twenty feet apart on center. Fruit develops on branches growing in the current season. As with most fruiting trees, you may begin to see fruit production within the first 3 years after establishment. Most Japanese persimmons produce seedless fruit, with exception of variety ‘Eureka.’ Some varieties, like ‘Fuyu,’ are self-fruitful. Fuyu can be used as a pollinator for all varieties grown in our area.

Astringent Versus Non-astringent Varieties

While persimmons are valued for their sweet taste and pleasant texture, varieties are listed as either astringent or non-astringent. Most persimmons are astringent and must be fully ripe and soft prior to eating to reduce an unpleasant palate pucker. Variety ‘Fuyu’ and ‘Izu’ are two non-astringent, medium-sized and self-fruitful varieties that perform well in our area. Fuyu fruit is flattened in appearance with a deep orange colored rind. Keep in mind that Fuyu can be affected by sustained seasonal freezing weather. Izu looks more rounded with lighter orange-yellow tones and is colder hardy than Fuyu. Variety ‘Tamopan’ is an astringent variety that produces large and flattened, orange-colored fruit. Tamopan has a distinctive ring constriction near the middle of the fruit, providing a wow factor for the effort of growing. This variety has a vigorous and upright growth habit, so my advice is to plant it as a single specimen in the home landscape. While we were not provided with a distinct varietal list of fruit trees planted at our newly purchased house, I determined by fruit shape, size, and color that I have an astringent variety ‘Hachiya’. I patiently waited until each fruit reached anticipated coloration at full ripeness, and then gently squeezed each fruit daily until I could find a little give for each that suggested ripeness for harvest. Japanese persimmon can make a great addition to your home landscape, a fruiting tree that can be kept pruned to height for smaller yards, has great seasonal value with vibrantly colored leaves and colorful fruits that can be left to ripen on the tree in the fall. Browse online on our Brazos County Master Gardener website, txmg.org/brazos for upcoming programs that will include 2026 Urban Orchard seminars.

Do you want to become a Texas Master Gardener? You can also find out more about our upcoming 2026 Texas Master Gardener training program from the BCMG website. I am delighted to tell you Dr. Garett Slater, Assistant Professor and Apiculture Extension Entomologist, will be joining me at Garden Success, my garden radio show this Thursday, November 27 at 12 pm on KAMU-FM 90.9. Dr. Slater directs the Texas Master Beekeeper program and will be talking about his efforts cultivating professional development for commercial and hobby beekeepers. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration with family and friends, and I’ll see you in the garden.

Pecan Season Is In Full Swing

December 3, 2025 by stephenbrueggerhoff

By Stephen Brueggerhoff, CEA – Horticulture, Brazos County AgriLife Extension; published 11/11/2025

All images unless otherwise noted by Stephen Brueggerhoff

Friends, relatives and neighbors have a personal connection with pecans, a highly nutritious and prized nut that is a treasured food in home life. Pecan (Carya illinoinensis) are indigenous to southern North America and northern Mexico, a staple food for ancestral Native Americans within the plant’s natural range and integrated into contemporary culture. Historically, pecan was not commercially grown until the 1880s and with the advent of improved varieties. Current statistics list the United States producing an estimated 80-percent of the world’s commercially grown pecans annually from New Mexico, Georgia, Arizona and Texas.

Cultivating Pecan Trees

Our personal connection with pecans is motivation for growing them at home. While they often become ornamental shade trees in time, they still require special annual maintenance for quality nut production. Be aware that grafted pecans can take up to seven years to bear nuts, and seedling trees much longer. If you plant a pecan tree into your yard, keep in mind you must give them room to grow. These stately trees naturally reach to 100-ft in height and spread 50-foot or more at maturity. A modest-sized lot in the city may provide enough space to grow a single pecan variety. For commercial production, establishing a pecan orchard takes focused planning that includes space consideration for maintenance and harvest. Planting densities can range from 12 to 48 trees per acre depending on spacing. Pecan trees can be planted from late November through February. Whether locating in the front yard or out in the pasture, ensure planting them in well-draining soil as they may fail if planted in soil that regularly becomes saturated. You can build up to 2-foot planting berms to compensate, but always best to locate them in a prime spot at the onset.

Pecan Varietal Choices

There is an estimate that over 500 varieties have been developed to date, with a handful of varieties that are appropriate for home or commercial production within our region and dependent on disease resistance, cultural and environmental conditions. Also consider their flowering structure when choosing a variety. Pecans are monoecious, meaning they produce separate male and female flowers on the same plant and, depending on the variety, from mid to late-spring. Male flowers are expressed on necklace-like catkins and pollen dispersal is by wind. Female flowers are produced at the tips of emerging shoots. Varieties are identified as Type I, those shedding pollen before the female flowers are receptive, and Type II varieties are shed after the female flowers are receptive. While some varieties are described as self-pollinating, it is always best to consider planting both types of trees in your orchard to enhance the chance of adequate cross-pollination. For example, Desirable is a Type I variety, producing a medium sized, soft-shell nut and ripening late October. You can increase production chances by pairing with a late pollen shedding variety like Kanza. Texas A&M Aggie Horticulture provides fact sheets that are an excellent source to identify pecan varieties that perform in our area, as well as planting and cultivation information. We offer professional advice for entrepreneurs considering commercial production, and Aggie Horticulture offers a world-renowned Pecan Orchard Management Short Course to provide an avenue of success growing pecans February 24 to 26, 2026.

Consider Entering a Pecan Show

You may be cultivating prized varieties on your property, gaining a reputation amongst pecan experts, aficionados as well as neighbors for being a source of the best pecans in your community. You can extend that pride and gain recognition by participating in a regional pecan show. The Extension offices in Austin County (Bellville) and Washington County (Brenham) annually host pecan shows, no entry fee for submission and open to the public and producers alike. Austin County is accepting submissions through December 1 and Washington County through mid-November. Take heart, Brazos County neighbors – you don’t have to be a resident of the listed counties to compete. Contact me via email at [email protected] to explore participating in their shows or check each counties’ website to submit prior to stated deadlines. Each county has similar rules for submission that include about 50 non-mixed varieties per entry. The competitions proceed with sorting and judging classic and new division, commercial division and native division. Each county hosts a public program soon after entry deadlines and identifies winning entries that are then sent to regional pecan shows for judging this coming January. All state regional winners will compete at the Texas Pecan Growers Annual Conference and Trade Show mid-July in San Marcos.

Enjoy Texas Pecans

Pecan harvest is in full swing, and fresh cracked and in shell pecans are available at local retail outlets. Except for November 28, The TAMU Pecan Orchard hosts a weekly pecan sale every Friday, from 8 am to 4 pm, at TAMU Research Park, 1500 Research Parkway, Lot 109 on campus until December 12. I encourage you to celebrate Pecan culture and bring attention to the diversity and health benefits of our native nut. Are you interested in learning more about pecans, fruits and vegetables, and best practices in horticulture and serving your neighbors with knowledge? I am accepting applications for the 2026 Texas Master Gardener Training program. We start the classes in January, have limited seating and would I would be delighted to help improve your gardening skills. Browse online to the Brazos County Master Gardener website, txmg.org/brazos, to find out more and contact me via email posted above. Enjoy your pecans, and I’ll see you in the garden.

Trees for Brazos County

December 3, 2025 by stephenbrueggerhoff

By Stephen Brueggerhoff, CEA – Horticulture, Brazos County AgriLife Extension; published 10/28/2025

All images unless otherwise noted by Stephen Brueggerhoff

Fall is the perfect time to plant trees in your yard. By planting trees and shrubs at this time of year, we are providing an opportunity for feeder roots to get established and the plants to settle in prior to winter dormancy. Tree selection is a personal choice, whether recalling fond memories of climbing a shade tree from childhood, or bragging rights for neighborhood enhancement. Your choice may include environmental benefits such as energy conservation, stormwater runoff reduction, and creating wildlife habitat. Whatever the reason, the practical part of all this requires attention to the available space to accommodate the tree of your choice on your property.

Tree Size Dictates Attention to Spacing

Compare a tree species height and spread at maturity with a measurement from the area of your yard that you wish to place a tree. If you want a large shade tree, keep in mind that you will need adequate space between other trees and structures to accommodate their growth. On average and depending on the species, a large tree at maturity will require spacing measured approximately 50-ft from center of the trunk to any adjacent object. The footprint required for a large tree is 180 square feet, equivalent to a 12 by 15-ft space. Keep in mind that tree growth rate is influenced by local environmental conditions such as soil texture, annual precipitation, and stressors like foot traffic around the tree. You may consider the more common Post oak (Quercus stellata), a slow growing and drought tolerant tree attaining 50-foot tall. American elm (Ulmus americana) is fast-growing, known to grow annually 3 to 5-feet and reaching a height approximately 90-feet at maturity and with a vase-shaped canopy.

Redbud and Desert Willow – Small Trees for Small Spaces

A smaller tree may be a better choice for your yard. The definition of the height for small trees is those reaching up to 20 feet and only require a 60 square-foot planting area. There are small stature trees that provide interest with unique characteristics such as leaf shape and color, and some with flowers that draw our eye and entice pollinators. One such tree for consideration is Redbud (Cercis canadensis), a small stature native that hits all the marks. These beauties can reach 30 feet, are sparse-branched and produce heart-shaped leaves. A profuse number of blooms develop prior to spring leaf emergence along the branches rather than at the ends of stems, a phenomenon called cauliflory. They also provide an outstanding nectar resource for insects in early spring. Redbud will bear flowers by the fourth year after transplant.

There are three Redbud species naturally distributed in our state. Eastern redbud (C. canadensis var. canadensis) is found from the Atlantic coast towards central Texas and is more commonly available from nurseries. The Texas redbud (C. canadensis var. texensis) ranges from Oklahoma through central Texas and into northern Mexico, and Mexican redbud (C. canadensis var. mexicana) is determined to be distributed west of the Pecos River down into northern Mexico. There is a Texas redbud selection named ‘Oklahoma’ that performs quite well in our region. This species was discovered in the Arbuckle mountains of Oklahoma in 1964 and released to the public soon thereafter. ‘Oklahoma’ redbud is more compact in growth and perfect for small spaces, topping at maturity with an estimated 18 feet. The flowers are a deeper magenta color than the Eastern redbud, and the foliage retains species characteristics of thick and wavy waxy leaves, making this selection a bit more drought tolerant.

Another potential is Desert willow (Chilopsis linearis), topping out at 25 feet. The plant resembles a willow tree with long, linear leaves expressed along flexible but upright branches and with an open canopy. The most attractive feature is large lavender tubular flowers emerging at the end of the stems from May through June and sporadically throughout summer. The plant is drought tolerant and performs best in well-draining, porous soil. This tree is best used in a raised area of your landscape; ensure that the tree is not set in an area where the soil remains saturated. Commit what we call a percolation test to determine that the planting area has adequate drainage. To perform a perc test, dig a hole 2 to 3-ft deep by 1-ft wide and fill the hole with water. If it takes longer than 24 hours to drain, choose another location in your yard or another appropriate species. Texas A&M Forest Service offers an outstanding resource Texas Tree Planting Guide from website: texastreeplanting.tamu.edu. The service offers a tree selector search engine, as well as guides for tree planting and care. Establish your legacy by planting the right tree in the right place in your yard.

Celebrate Texas Arbor Day

Celebrate the benefits and beauty of trees on Texas Arbor Day and look for local events to share your time in the woods with family and friends. Brazos County Master Gardeners, and yours truly, collaborate with Texas A&M Forest Service colleagues and offer seasonal programs exploring best practices for maintaining and choosing appropriate trees for our area. I am delighted to tell you Dr. Stephanie Adams, Assistant Professor and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service tree and landscape plant health specialist, will be joining me at Garden Success, my live call-in garden radio show this Thursday, October 30 at 12 pm on KAMU-FM 90.9. You can keep up with next ongoing garden-related events from our Brazos County Master Gardener website: txmg.org/brazos. Tree cheers to you, look up and on the bright side and I’ll see you in the garden.

Educational Event – “What’s New at the John Fairey Garden?”

November 18, 2025 by janderson

Join the Master Gardeners for an educational presentation.

This event is open to the public at no charge.

Beneficials vs. Aphids In the Garden

October 14, 2025 by stephenbrueggerhoff

By Todd Riggle, Brazos County Master Gardener; published 08/12/2024

Below is an article reproduced with permission from Brazos County Master Gardener Todd Riggle (Class of 2022). All images are copyright Todd Riggle.

It all began about the last week of May 2024 with aphid hordes descending upon the cucumber vines. A week later they were sucking the life out of my melon plants in the same 5-ft x 24-ft raised bed. The leaves were looking terrible (Ex 1) and I was getting worried. I put on my reading glasses and combined with a magnifying glass, inspected the leaf undersides. Yes, there were massive amounts of aphids, but there were also a variety of beneficials starting to get a foothold. For the good guys, there were green lacewing eggs perched safely on their delicate stalks (Ex 2), lady beetle egg clusters and a multitude of tiny flies too small to get a good identification. I noticed aphid mummies, indicating the presence of parasitoids and a few Asian lady beetles moving about, munching on their average of 100 aphids a day. For management, I had 3 choices: pull out all the melons and start over (undesirable); spray water blasts or insecticide on the leaf undersides (putting beneficials at risk, also undesirable); or just let nature take its course and let the good guys battle it out with the forces of evil. Who would prevail? It was a bold move, allowing an entomological version of a Waterloo in my own backyard, but that’s what was decided upon. I felt I had the luxury of making this decision because I had just planted bed number 2 with melons and was sure to at least have some crop from that bed. More about that later.

The month of June rolled along with the leaves looking, to the casual observer, more and more like death warmed over. True, this battle cost me an early crop, but the things going on in the miniature world of insects were fascinating. I witnessed lacewing larvae (Ex 3) piling on their backs the bodies of victims and other trash to look too big to eat by another predator. More aphid mummies appeared. Aphid eating machines like syrphid fly larvae (Ex 4) and numerous lady beetle larvae (Ex 5), consuming 600 to 1200 aphids in 3-6 weeks, were happily doing what they do best. An assassin bug with an apparent attitude appeared, acting as if he’d done it all himself. V-Day occurred the first week of July with the good guys declaring total victory. New growth had started to appear, and it was aphid free (Ex 6). It is now the end of July, and the melon leaves are pristine and abundantly verdant. Not an aphid in sight and not a shot was fired. Lady beetles continue to cruise the foliage, doing last minute clean up. There are blooms galore and to date about 20+ melons getting close to “slipping” off the vine. Success!

What happened in bed number 2? The aphids descended upon that bed in a lightning blitz movement about mid-July. The plants looked horrible, and the honey dew was disgusting. I sprayed with high pressure water twice and insecticide twice, which cost me the help of any beneficials. It was a losing battle without beneficial predators and parasitoids. Without the lady beetle’s crew and cast there would have been no melon show. Bed two was cleaned out July 28 and put in the bin for collection.

Fall Flowers in the Fields

October 14, 2025 by stephenbrueggerhoff

By Stephen Brueggerhoff, CEA – Horticulture, Brazos County AgriLife Extension; published 10/14/2025

All images unless otherwise noted by Stephen Brueggerhoff

I often refer to the fall season as our second spring, with native flowering plants expressing brilliant colors in natural areas before a short winters rest. Fall is a great time for viewing the beauty of Texas landscapes, as well as prime time to plant both perennials for permanence and annuals by seed for our renowned spring wildflower season.

Seasonal Color Viewing on Your Travels

As you botanize speeding along the backroads and highway, you may see broad bands of yellow appearing like a sheen across pastures and prairies. Closer inspection reveals the brilliance of perennial Goldenrod (Solidago sp.), expressing waste high, sun yellow wands that gracefully bow in the wind. You may notice other yellow-flowering plants such as 3-feet tall coneflower (Rudbeckia sp.) Coneflower is a member of the same plant family as sunflowers, the Asteraceae. What looks like one single flower are uniform ray petals surrounding a brown, cone-shaped structure made of hundreds of individual complete flowers. Once pollinated, these plants are very successful in producing future generations via seed.

Recommended Native Vines

Benefits for using native plants in the home garden include best resource conservation practices: using less water and limited fertilization. These plants also provide food for wildlife in the form of nectar and pollen. There are quite a few native plant species that can enhance your home landscape and come in all shapes and sizes. For vining plants try Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata), a vigorous evergreen growing to 50-foot and producing large 2-inch orange trumpet-shaped flowers fading to a golden throat. The vine blooms on new growth in full sun from end of March through May and intermittent through summer. Crossvine forms paired tendrils at the leaf petiole, grasping onto structures and running along a fence or gracefully cascading over an arbor. Explore Coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), forming delicate 2-inch-long tube-shaped flowers that bloom from spring through early summer. Coral honeysuckle forms a spiraling vine rather than tendrils to hold itself and may need tying for support. Both vining plants attract hummingbirds and Crossvine appears to also be a favorite of bees.

Recommended Native Shrubs

American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) is a deciduous shrub with graceful arching stems that tolerates occasional saturated soils. Individual shrubs can reach 5 feet tall and wide, and the payoff are clusters of magenta berries clasping in bunches about 6 to 7-inches apart along outward facing stems in late summer through fall. The shrub can be grown in the understory and make sure to place it in the landscape with dappled shade exposure. For full sun and well-draining and dry soil, you may try Barbados cherry (Malpighia glabra), a native shrub that has the potential to reach 6-feet tall. It offers petite wrinkled leaves and produces clusters of small flowers across the surface of its canopy. This shrub is semi-evergreen, meaning it has the potential to retain leaves in milder climates. The shrub will tolerate shearing and formal pruning to form a dense hedge for ornament or privacy. Finally, Turk’s Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii) is a shade tolerant woody sub-shrub of our forested areas, with arching single stems that reach 4-foot tall. Unique turban-shaped and brilliant red flowers are produced in spring and again in fall, emerging as a resource for migrating hummingbirds. Texas A&M AgriLife Texas Superstar® program promotes Turk’s Cap cultivars ‘Pam Puryear’ with soft pink flowers, and variegated ‘Fiesta’ with yellow and white splotched leaves.

Garden Bed Prep for Spring Wildflowers

October through early November is a great time to plant seeds for a spring wildflower show. Preparing your yard for these beauties is a simple process: identify areas with full sun exposure, till the soil where appropriate and create open spaces where the seed can be placed in direct contact with the soil. Lightly press in and cover the seed with a very thin layer of fine soil or organic matter, then water in the seeds with a lawn sprinkler. You may have to water a few more times in the following weeks to mimic rainfall and encourage germination.

Seed Mixes

Seed can be purchased in bulk or in handy single packets. Be aware that some packets marketed as wildflower mixes may contain non-native annuals. You will have to familiarize yourself with plant names on the packet if you wish to exclusively cultivate Texas native plants. Texas wildflower mixes will contain a combination of easy to recognize wildflowers like the bright red clusters of Indian paintbrush (Castilleja indivisa). Some include pastel Pink evening primrose (Oenothera speciosa). Butterfly gaura (Oenothera lindheimeri) sports petite pink to pure white ½-inch butterfly-shaped flowers that nod at the end of a 2-foot-tall flower stalk. Winecup (Callirhoe involucrata) best describes this beauty, offering chalice-shaped two-inch wide flowers with deep maroon petals off-set by a whitish spot toward the flower center. Winecup appears to crawl along the ground up to three-feet long and attracts butterflies and bees. Bluebonnets! These lupines are the beauty we would like to bring to the ball. While you may see smaller pockets of seeded bluebonnets at local vistas, you will see higher populations as you travel west.

Our second spring is here, offering beauty and color coming out of the doldrums of summer. Time to prepare your yard and garden by sowing wildflower seeds for a true spring show. Browse online and explore Texas A&M Forest Service, using the search tool to look for the article ‘Wildflower Establishment’. Tune in your radio for my show Garden Success airing weekly, 12 pm on Thursdays on KAMU-FM 90.9 and let’s talk wildflowers. Get your garden ready for spring wildflowers, and I look forward to seeing you in the garden.