Please do not forget to register for the Texas Master Gardener classes beginning April 2nd. For complete information, please see flyer link below:
*** Spring Plant Sale***
Seed Starting using Soil Blocking
By Elaine Wilshusen, Somervell County Master Gardener
If you enjoy getting a jump on starting your vegetable or flower seeds indoors, you may have heard of soil blocking for starting seedlings. I have started my vegetable seeds indoors for years using “peat pots”, seed starting soil, heating mats and grow lights. I had never heard of the soil blocking technique until recently and I am going to give it a try this spring.
Soil blocking for starting seeds involves using a specialized type of mold to form blocks of lightly compressed soil into a cube shape. The soil mixture is different from typical potting soil, as the blocks will need to hold together while the seedlings are growing. Each cube holds one seedling. There is no additional plastic container or “peat pot”. The block serves as the growing medium and container and they are placed on a tray while the seedlings germinate. The blocker molds come in various sizes and can make as many as 20 small blocks or just 4, depending on the type of seed/plant and the length of time they will need to remain indoors before planting. Ideally, they are best utilized to get the seedlings outside in the ground as soon as possible. The soil mixture is different from typical potting soil, as the blocks will need to hold together while the seedlings are growing.
I will continue to use a seed starting heat mat underneath the trays to maintain adequate heat for good germination and use a grow light while the seedlings are indoors.
The purported advantages to this technique include:
- Reduces the use of plastic and/or peat.
- The seedling roots spread throughout the soil cube more uniformly, are stronger, and do not become root bound if transplanted in a timely fashion.
- Transplants establish themselves faster.
- Takes much less space to grow many more seedlings than the alternative methods.
And certainly, being able to start your own seedlings, no matter what technique, allows you an almost infinite choice of vegetable and flower varieties instead of settling for what is available in the nurseries.
So this spring, I will try something new and continue my “traditional” method as well. …just in case! I will post for the next few months on the good, the bad, and the ugly of my experiment. Maybe it may be something you will want to try as well!
Small soil blocker…makes twenty 3/4” blocks.
The underside showing the little divot to accept the seed. A wetter, more solid soil mixture will be used to place in the mold to form the blocks.
My “traditional” supplies. Missing in action is my grow light. I will still use heat mats under the soil blocks and the grow light.
References:
www.chelseagreen.com
www.thegardenersworkshop.com
Info on “traditional” seed starting: www.seedsavers.org/starting-seeds
Warnings, Tips, and Wit for Gardeners
By Mary Ann Steele, Somervell County Master Gardener
Gardening is one of the most gratifying of all human endeavors. Some people say “Gardening is too hard. There is so much to learn and it’s hard work. I know if I plant something, I’ll kill it.”
Everyone who has gardened since Adam and Eve has killed a plant or two. That is how you figure out what will work and what won’t.
Don’t get upset when plants die. It’s not failure. Think of it as an opportunity. It’s like the Big Guy is looking down on your garden and saying “Oh, you’re going to grow THAT again? Here, let me kill it so you can try something new and more interesting.”
The most common reason that plants fail to bloom is from not receiving enough sunlight.
The vast majority of garden plants like sun and well drained soil. Tattoo this on your forearm so you will ALWAYS remember.
The best time to prune spring flowering trees and shrubs is right after they bloom. If you wait until summer or fall, you will cut off a lot of the flower buds forming for next year.
Prevent Crape Murder at all costs. You should prune your crape myrtle just about never. The older it gets, the less pruning it will need.
Many plants will wilt in hot sun even if the soil is moist. Examine your plants first thing in the morning when it is cooler. If they are wilted, water.
Power company pruning crews are not artists. If they say they are going to prune your trees, assume they will do so in the ugliest way possible. They generally wreak less destruction if you are there watching them.
No kind of grass, not even the illegal kind, will grow in full shade. So, mulch the area or plant a shade loving ground cover like mondo grass, moss, or evergreen ferns.
There are some easy ways to help prevent insect and disease problems. Start with plants that are naturally pest resistant. If you are growing tomatoes, look for the letters VFTNA after the selection name. This tells you that the plant is bred to resist most common tomato diseases.
To keep birds from pecking holes in your ripening tomatoes, hang red Christmas balls on the vines. This drives them nuts.
It is a mistake to copy what your neighbor is doing in his garden. He likely has no idea. In fact, he is probably waiting for you to make the first move.
Avoid wetting plant foliage when you water. Wet foliage encourages disease. Don’t use lawn sprinklers to water garden beds.
The purpose of a kinked garden hose is to make you stop, take a look around you, and wast precious time.
Don’t rake up fallen leaves from your lawn. Run over them with a mulching mower. The ground up particles will filter down to the soil, enriching it and attracting earthworms. Or bag the chopped leaves and use them to mulch your planting beds. They look great and stay put.
Just because a plant is native doesn’t necessarily make it better. Some of the weediest plants around, such as Virginia Creeper, hackberry, and river oats are natives that will take over.
Old and dry potting soil will not absorb water. Fix this by slowly pouring water containing a drop or two of dish soap into it and stirring with a stick or a spoon. The soil will absorb water from then on.
Butterflies are music on the wing. Some of the best plants for attracting them are butterfly bush, zinnia, lantana, marigold, salvia, purple coneflower and penta. Don’t forget host plants for your butterfly larvae to eat, such as dill, fennel, parsley and passion vine.
Fruiting veggies such as tomatoes, peppers, squash and melons need full sun. For partial sun or light shade, choose leafy greens such as lettuce, mustard, collard greens and spinach.
You know you are a true gardener if you consider a truck load of manure to be an acceptable gift for your birthday, anniversary, or even Mother’s Day!
HAPPY GARDENING!
Let’s Get to Pickin’!
Cooler months in Texas mean harvesting time for crops including cotton, corn, and a Texas favorite… pecans! With pecans being eaten raw and as a part of many delicious recipes, pecan production has become a large industry in Texas.
Yearlong cold weather in northern states make southern states the appropriate place for pecan production – In 2014, Georgia and New Mexico produced a total of 143 million pounds of pecans alone. Larry Stein, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Horticulturist, said Texas is also a major contributor to the pounds of pecans grown each year, ranking second or third nationally in total pecan production of approximately 60 million pounds. Texas’ warm climate is a haven for pecan trees, especially in the southern cities that have mild winters and can harvest year-round.
A common tool used during harvesting is trunk shakers, which shake the pecans out of the trees and onto the ground. Harvesters then come by and pick up the pecans, along with twigs, leaves and other trash. Before bagging, the crop collected by the harvesters is run through cleaners to separate the trash from the pecans.
The popularity of pecans has seen an increase over the past few years as consumers learn more about the health benefits associated with the nut. According to the USDA, pecans contain over 19 vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Calcium, and Zinc. Nutrition facts for a one-ounce serving of pecans are:
Not only are pecans high in nutritional value, but they are also essential to main dishes and desserts. AgriLife Extension’s Dinner Tonight offers a wide variety of recipes that include pecans as a prime ingredient, such as Pecan Coffee Cake, Cinnamon Walnut Pecan Bites, and Homemade Cranberry Pecan Sauce. If you plan to incorporate pecans into your recipe, Dinner Tonight recommends following these three easy steps for cracking your pecans:
For more recipes and tips, visit dinnertonight.tamu.edu
Sources:
https://www.usda.gov/
*Calling All Gardeners*Master Gardener Training*
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office of Somervell County, along with the Hood and Johnson County Extension Offices, will be offering a Master Gardener Training starting April 2, 2019. Classes will be on Tuesdays for 10 weeks and typically are scheduled from 9am to 5pm. The fee for the classes is yet to be determined. The classes held in Somervell County will be at First United Methodist Church Family Center. Somervell County dates are 4/16, 4/30, and 5/21. If you are an avid gardener or someone who enjoys learning about horticulture this is a great opportunity. Training topics will include in-depth classes on plant diseases, soil fertility, trees, grasses, vegetable production, irrigation, organic gardening, entomology and more.
You may ask yourself what exactly is a Master Gardener? A Master Gardener is an individual who has completed extensive training and has served the community by sharing their gardening knowledge through the activities of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. They are enthusiastic, willing to learn and to help others, and are able to communicate with diverse groups of people. What really sets Master Gardeners apart from other home gardeners is their special training in horticulture. In exchange for their training, persons who become Master Gardeners contribute time as volunteers, working through their Extension office to provide horticultural-related information to their communities.
If you think the Master Gardener Program may be for you, contact the Somervell County Extension Office at 254-897-2809 for more information.
Pointers for Poinsettias
From Newsletter Archives
by Merilyn Cranford, Somervell County Master Gardener
Since the weather has cooled and the calendar says it’s December, one of the flowers we all look forward to this time of year is the poinsettia. They are beautiful and enhance the looks of any home or office. But sadly they only last for just a short time. However, here are a few tips you might try if you would like to coax your poinsettia to bloom again for another year:
- Christmas: Pick a colorful plant with tightly clustered yellow buds. Protect it from hot or cold drafts, water when dry and place in a room with enough natural light for reading.
- New Year’s: Apply fertilizer. Continue light and water. The plant should remain colorful for many weeks.
- Valentine’s Day: If your plant has become long and leggy, prune to five inches from the soil.
- Patrick’s Day: Remove faded and dried parts of the plant. Add more soil, preferably a commercially-available sterile mix.
- Memorial Day: Trim off two or three inches from the ends of branches to promote side branching. Repot to larger container. Move plant outside – first to indirect, then direct light.
- Fourth of July: Trim plant again. Make sure it has full sunlight. Slightly increase the amount of fertilizer.
- Labor Day: Move plant indoors, but make sure it has six hours of direct light from an uncurtained window. Reduce fertilizer.
- First Day of Autumn: Starting on or near Sept. 21, give plant 13 hours of uninterrupted darkness and 11 hours of bright light per day. Keep night temperatures in the lower 60s. Continue to water and fertilize. Rotate plant each day to give all sides even light.
- Thanksgiving: Discontinue day/night treatment. Put plant in a sunny area, Reduce water and fertilizer. Then wait for those beautiful blooms to reappear.
I’ve tried to “save” many poinsettias, but this is the only method that works for me. Good Luck!
Winter Gardening Tips
From Newsletter Archives
by Donna Hagar, Somervell County Master Gardener
Lawn Care – if you are lucky enough to have a plethora of deciduous trees, rake leaves and either use as mulch in landscape beds or run through a shredder and add to the compost pile
Planting – Take advantage of the frequent warmish weather and plant container plants or transplants. After Christmas, get those live Christmas trees in the ground so their roots have a chance to establish before spring!
Pruning – you can cut back herbaceous perennials after the frost kills the tops if the sight is offensive to you. But remember, many perennials have beautiful color and texture so you may wish to leave them until later winter. If you do cut them back, be sure to much them well. Any dead or diseased wood can be pruned out anytime of the year.
Inside – Enjoy some couch time browsing seed catalogs and ordering seeds for your spring garden, or fruit trees and grape vines if you wish to plant them in February and March.
Outside – Again, on these nice weather days, work your onion beds by adding compost and organic nitrogen to prepare for late January onion planting.
And Mulch, Mulch, Mulch – Plants need extra warmth during winter, and mulching will act as a protective blanket for them. It will keep moisture where it is needed, and prevent weeds from taking hold, while keeping soil temperature even for tender plants. Be sure to water well if it hasn’t rained before mulching. Light rains will not penetrate thru the thick layer of mulch needed to protect plants from temperature swings. New plants that have not taken root yet especially need mulching.
Grow Bigger, Better Onions
From Newsletter Archives
by MaryAnn Steele, Somervell County Master Gardener
Onions! There is no substitute! Bulb onions are valued by cultures all over the world. Not only do they add rich, savory flavor to our culinary endeavors, but they are also a source of potent cancer-fighting phytochemicals.
The Texas sweet onion was designated the official state vegetable by the Texas Legislature in 1997. The first seed, from the Island of Bermuda, was planted in South Texas near the town of Cotulla in 1898.
Onions are photoperiodic, which means they bulb in response to day lengths. It is important for onions to develop strong roots and adequate foliage before the bulbing process begins. Each bulb is made up of layers of leaf sections. As the onion grows, it stores water and carbohydrates in the base of the leaves, which swell to form a bulb. When day length triggers the bulbing response, the larger the onion leaves are up on top, the larger the bulbs will be down below. Long-day varieties require 14-16 hours of daylight, intermediate-day varieties require 12-13 hours, and short-day types require 11-12 hours. Short-day varieties are best for our area. Popular short-day varieties for home gardeners in Texas include: 1015y Texas Super Sweet, Contessa, Yellow Granex, Bermuda, and Red Southern Belle.
Full sun and good bed preparation are important. Onions grow best in well-drained, loose soil that has been amended with 1-2 inches of compost. Form beds that are 4-6 inches high and 20 inches wide in order to provide good drainage. Also, a small amount of 10-20-10 fertilizer applied before planting at a rate of ½ cup per 10 foot row is helpful. Because onions are shallow-rooted, the recommended method to apply pre-plant fertilizer is to dig a trench 4 inches deep and 4 inches wide, sprinkle the fertilizer, cover with soil, and plant a row of onions along each side of the trench. Transplants should be planted knuckle deep (about 1 inch) and 4-6 inches apart down the row. Water as soon as planted. Be sure your plants receive 1 to 1 ½ inches of water each week, preferably from a soaker hose or drip irrigation. Apply a high nitrogen fertilizer every three weeks until onions start to bulb.
Crop rotation, sanitation, and avoiding drought stress will go a long way in preventing onion pests, such as thrips and onion maggots. Rotate all members of the onion family on a three year schedule. Be sure to remove all plant debris at the end of the season. Neem oil, insecticidal soap, and sulfur spray are effective in controlling thrips.
Onions begin to bulb as the days grow longer in spring and reach maturity in May or June. Onion tops do not need to be cut or knocked over; they will do that on their own. The tops provide energy to the bulb, and, if broken prematurely, the onion growth will stop, and the injured neck will become a portal for disease. Once most of the tops have turned yellow and fallen over, pull the onions from the soil and leave them exposed to air and sun for a few days. Then move them to shade to cure for a week or two. DO NOT WASH! After the leaves have dried, trim the roots and cut the tops to within an inch of onion neck and store in a cool, dry spot.
Master Gardener Training Set for 2019!!!
Training for new Master Gardeners are set to begin April 2, 2019. There are a few details still to be confirmed but this is what we know so far…
This will be a partnership with Hood and Johnson Counties. Classes will be on Tuesdays for 10 weeks and typically are scheduled from 9am to 5pm. The classes held in Somervell County will be at First United Methodist Church Family Center. Somervell County dates are 4/16, 4/30, and 5/21.
More details to follow!!