Gardening Tips

The Leaves Are Falling?

February 4, 2020 by grecker

The Leaves Are Falling?

Georgette Recker

Somervell County Master Gardener

Autumn is the time of year when leaves wither and fall to the ground. We expect it, and some of us even look forward to the event. However, if you are noticing leaves dropping from your live oak trees now that we are anticipating spring, you may be having very different feelings. As Texas is experiencing the ravages of oak wilt, seeing any of our well-loved, prized beauties dropping their leaves to the ground can be concerning especially when we think of live oaks as being evergreen.

Live oak trees are not true evergreens, and it is normal for them to drop their old leaves in spring. Although oak wilt may attack live oaks in late winter or early spring, the symptoms of the fungus are usually not apparent until summer.

Signs of normal live oak leaf drop include yellowing of leaves and/or brown or black spots or blotches. Some leaves may even have veins that turn brown while the remainder of the leaf stays green. While these signs and symptoms may mimic oak wilt, they are typical of a spring time process called senescing – or the dying off of old leaves.

There are some things you can look for to determine if the leaf drop your live oaks are experiencing now is normal and healthy. Check the dying leaves for new buds at the leaf petiole. These new buds will start small then will grow as the older leaves die. Once the old leaves drop off you should see tiny new leaves develop. Seeing these signs should assure you that your tree is likely experiencing a normal yearly cycle. If, on the other hand, you do not notice the buds, check for dead branches by breaking a small stem on the tree. If it breaks with a snap and has a brown interior, the branch is most likely dead. Healthy trees will usually have some dead branches; however, if more than 10% of the branches of a tree are dead, you should seek the help and advice of your county Extension agent.

Ong, Dr. Mark. “Live Oaks Dropping Leaves.” Texas A & M Agrilife Extension. Texas Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab, 24 March 2008 Web. 3 February 2020.

January Checklist

January 28, 2020 by grecker

Planning

___ Increase humidity for house plants by placing on trays of pebbles with water added being careful that water does not touch the bottom of the pots.

___ Plan your vegetable garden.

Planting

___ Plant/transplant perennials, roses, shrubs, and trees. Do not plant right after rainy weather or before a freeze in the teens.

___ Start Spring vegetable seeds indoors.

Watering

___Water perennials as needed only if temperatures have been mild/dry.

___ Thoroughly water new trees after planting.

Pruning

___Cut back and remove dead upper portions of perennials.

___ Prune fruit trees such as apples, pears, peaches, and plums.

Fertilizing

___ Fertilize heavy feeder, cool season vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, and other greens.

Month-By-Month Gardening in Texas by Dan Gill & Dale Groom

Please Don’t Cut Me Down Yet!

October 4, 2016 by Donna Hagar

As the Fall sets in and perennials start to die back, the temptation to trim that ‘ugly’ death matter down to the ground can send us searching for the pruners. But WAIT! There are many reasons you may want to wait until late Winter to remove what you perceive to be unacceptable appearances.

First of all, if you have perennials with an abundance of seeds that will quickly take over in the Spring, by all means take those off and give them to some unsuspecting friend – or better – enemy! Seriously, for those perennials who love to multiply, move those seeds to the trash. They may survive in a compost bin so be very careful if you choose to compost. Also, if you have diseased plant material, move that out as well. Many diseases and critter infestations can survive a winter, so that needs to be trashed as well.

But for otherwise healthy perennials, please consider the following reasons why you might want to leave them in place.

Free bird seed – Flower heads from many perennials are a great source of food for our feathered friends! Echinacea, Sunflowers and many ornamental grasses can sustain many birds over the cold months! Let them eat seeds!
Winter Interest – yes, some of these plants actually can add beauty to the landscape over the Winter! Many of the ornamental grasses in particular are very showing in the otherwise desolate chilly garden! And you can get some really cool pictures when we get those dreaded ice storms!
Butterflies – Yes, even in the Winter months, we need to be thinking of the fluttering beauties. Many lay their eggs on perennials or can even have cocoons over winter on dead foliage and branches. If you remove them to the compost heap, they likely won’t survive!
Mulch – Yes, the dead matter of the plants can actually help provide the much needed mulch for both moisture retention and temperature fluctuations.

So this is one time it may actually be best to procrastinate on some of those gardening chores! Your plants, the birds and butterflies may just thank you!

April Gardening Tips

April 3, 2016 by dhagar

by Donna Hagar, Somervell County Master Gardener

We’ve had quite an interesting “sorta” winter. The mild temperatures and abundant rains have brought on excitement for the Spring garden as well as a plethora of weeds to add to the chore list.

If you haven’t yet set out tomato plants, now is the time to get them in! Be prepared to cover if we do get a goofy late freeze! Use tomato cages to help support the plants as they grow. Be sure to wrap them with some sort of wind break (row cover fabric or bottomless buckets work great) until the plants are at least a couple feet tall and can withstand high winds. Pepper plants can go in mid-month, too, as well as most herbs (wait another month for basil).

Most squash seeds can be sown directly in the garden now, as well as beans, peas and radishes. Late in the month, sow seeds of melons, okra and cucumbers.

Annual flowering plants can go in now. Consider planting flowering plants among the vegetables such as nasturtiums, marigolds and various herbs. Many help repel unwanted pests! (but that’s an entirely new article!)

Don’t forget to mulch, mulch, mulch!! A several inch-thick layer will help keep those pesky weeds from taking over your newly planted veggie garden. Be sure not to mulch where you have sown seeds until seedlings have several new leaves and are several inches tall.

Local nurseries are getting in great looking landscape plants and plant sales will be popping up in the area this month as well. This might be a great time to spruce up the landscape or just make some desired changes. Container plants of all kinds can go in now but don’t wait too much longer. You want to get these in before the heat of the summer hits so they are well established and able to tolerate the potential hot/dry days. Again, heavy mulching will go a long way to help retain moisture and keep roots cool on the scorching days.

If you haven’t done spring maintenance on your lawn equipment, you had better get to it! These warm temperatures mean grass will be growing quickly. If you are like me, you’ve already had to mow the weeds!

Prune trees and shrubs (except live oaks) but make sure to wait for spring blooming shrubs and vines to finish blooming before reshaping.

Gardening Tips and Hints – February 2016

January 29, 2016 by lheideman

By Shirley D Smith, Somervell County Master Gardener

Don’t know about you, but the sap is starting to flow in my veins and I am ready to start gardening seriously – NOW! But, this is Central Texas and I know from experience that I had better wait just a bit before planting anything outside (unless it is located in one of those microclimates we all have around our homes).

So, I will sit here reading my seed catalogs and gardening magazines making grandiose plans for the upcoming Spring. In the meantime, I would like to share with you some tips and hints that might make things a little easier on you as you garden.

Bunnies eating your winter veggies? When you trim your rose bushes (which date is coming up very soon), put these trimmed, spikey canes around those veggies the rabbits seem to favor to discourage them.

Do you have a stash of smaller (lunch size) paper bags? These make great vessels in which to start seeds. Before you add the soil, first brush the inside of the bags with canola oil, let them dry, then fill with soil. Now, they are ready to accept your newly purchased plant or seeds. When it is time to plant these into the garden, leave the seedling or plant in the bag and plant the entire bag directly into the prepared soil. The bags will decompose over time and the plants take root.

Those big red plastic Folger coffee cans make wonderful catch-alls for using around the garden. They can even be used for plants (after poking several drain holes in the bottom). Free! The built-in handle make them easy to carry.

For those of you who have a wood-burning fireplace, save your cooled, clean wood ashes in a covered trashcan. In early spring, mix 4 dry gallons of ash with ½ cup Epsom salts and sprinkle ½ pound of the dry mixture per 100 square feet of soil around your awakening bulbs. Apply only once a year. Wood ash contains calcium (35%), phosphorus, and potassium. Epsom salts are high in sulfur (13%) and magnesium (10%) which are rapidly utilized by plants.

Are you lucky enough to have asparagus? Spray an awakening bed of asparagus with a mixture of 5 ounces sugar and 1 tablespoon yeast in 1 quart of water to feed the soil and attract beneficial insects that do battle with the injurious asparagus beetle.

Need sun protection for your arms? Take a pair of old, holey socks and cut the foot off. Now, slip them over your wrists and arms to protect not only from the sun, but also to keep anything off your skin that might cause irritation or small cuts.

Keep bunches of long twigs or small branches around to be used as a trellis or stake for your plants and enjoy them as free-form garden sculpture.

“It’s better to know some of the questions than all of the answers.” –James Thurber

Source: Trowel & Error – Over 700 Shortcuts, Tips and Remedies for the Gardener by Sharon Lovejoy

Gardening To-Dos in January

December 31, 2015 by lheideman

by Zachary Davis, Somervell County Texas AgriLife Extension Agent

January is a good maintenance month for Texas gardens. This can be a great time for you to survey your lawn and garden and see what you would like to change in preparation for the coming spring. You can also use this month to prune trees, especially fruit trees, and possibly plant a new tree or shrub.

Proper maintenance can include pulling young tree seedlings in unwanted areas, working compost into your garden site, protecting tender plants from frost, planting tulip and hyacinth bulbs. You can also check for signs of unwanted insects by looking for live scales, spider mites, and mealy bugs. Spraying for these insects can be done as long as temperatures are above 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you do decide to plant a new tree visit Texas A&M Forest Service Tree Selector at: http://texastreeplanting.tamu.edu/ This selector tool allows you to select the county you’re in, what kind of space you have for your tree, the size of tree you want, and what you’re looking for in a tree. Pruning existing trees can be very beneficial or very damaging to a tree depending on proper pruning. Remember to use sharp tools and try to thin your trees versus topping them. You can remove dead or damaged limbs, and prune to mold young trees to grow properly.

Planning for spring can include looking at what worked or didn’t work last year and setting your goals for the upcoming year. Look at seed catalogs and start growing some of those spring plants indoors for later transplant. Plants to begin indoors include broccoli, cabbage, and lettuce.

Remember there is never a bad time for a soil test, although most people don’t think of it this time of year. You can prepare your soil and avoid missteps in the coming spring when it can be too late.

For additional information, contact Zach Davis, AgriLife Extension agent in Somervell County 254.897.2809.

Gardening Tips for November

November 1, 2015 by lheideman

by Linda Heideman, Somervell County Master Gardener

Fall is a great time of year to plant wildflowers in our area, especially bluebonnets and poppies. These plants will germinate in the mild weather of fall and go through winter as small plants until time for their annual spurt of colorful growth in the spring.

Cool season vegetables may be harvested in November. It is important to harvest when they are at peak quality. For example, broccoli should be harvested when the heads are still tight and prior to buds loosening to prepare for opening their yellow flowers. Harvest beets and other root crops while they are still young and tender. Fully mature, they will not have the same taste and eating quality.

Leaf season is here! Those tree leaves that are littering your landscape contain 50-75 percent of the nutrients that the tree took up during the year. Don’t throw them away! Gather them for mulching and composting. Think of them as nature’s own slow release fertilizer and as free mulch.

Fall is the absolute best time to plant trees, shrubs, and woody vines. Fall planting gives the plant all winter to settle in and start to establish new roots, which helps it become better prepared for next year’s hot summer weather.

Clean out the remains of your summer annuals and till in some compost to prepare the soil for your favorite cool season flowers. Set out transplants of pansies, violas, snapdragons and ornamental kale and cabbage. Dusty miller is a good foliage plant that is hardy. A thick mulch layer helps protect these favorites from an early freeze.

Choose berrying plants at the garden center now while they have berries on them. Holly species, such as yaupon and possumhaw, have separate male and female plants. So you’ll want to make sure your plant is a female, if you want to enjoy berries in your landscape.

Plant perennial spring-blooming bulbs soon to allow time to become established before spring. However, wait until early January to plant tulips and hyacinths. Buy these bulbs now, but keep them in the refrigerator (away from produce) until time to plant.

(Researched in the Texas Gardener Magazine, November/December 2015 issue, by Skip Richter.)

What to Do With Your Summer Lawns

May 30, 2015 by lheideman

by Zachary A. Davis, Somervell County Agricultural Extension Agent

Glen Rose – With all the moisture we have had in the past month maintaining your lawn can be a challenge. Is the grass dry enough? How often should I mow? Where are these weeds coming from? I find myself asking all these questions.

According to Matthew Elmore, Assistant Professor and Extension Turfgrass Specialist in Dallas, don’t get in a huge hurry. “It will be important not to run heavy equipment (including lawn mowers) across the lawn while the soil is saturated. Regular mowing is important, but try to find a day where the soil is not saturated.” Compaction can become a problem if you do much driving on wet soil. This will cause the plant to be unable to get oxygen.

The wet weather may cause some of your pre-emergence herbicide to fail so annual crab grass and other annual grassy weeds can be a problem according to Elmore. “Keep an eye out for weeds and control them with herbicides or by hand before they get too big.” Other problems that come with wet weather can include fungal diseases such as take-all patch and large patch but they should go away with some drier weather.

One day when we get some sunshine, lawns will grow at a faster rate. Elmore says with some drier weather fertilization and aerification can be good management practices. “Aerification will reduce soil compaction and increase oxygen available to your roots and will provide season-long benefits to your lawn. Fertilization is important to increase the vigor of your lawn, especially in areas where the turf is thin, said Elmore.

Frayed Grass Blade

Once the regular mowing begins be sure to keep an eye on those blades. Your grass blades can tell a lot about the sharpness or quality of your mower blade. “When the ends of a grass blade are frayed, this is a sign that blades need to be sharpened or replaced”, according to Elmore. For a typical lawn this might be once or twice a year. Finding an ideal time can be good for you and your lawn, usually around the first or second mowing in the spring. Small sticks, acorns and other debris can be left in your yard over winter so it’s good to wear those older blades out first.

For additional information, contact Zach Davis, AgriLife Extension agent in Somervell County 254.897.2809.