Grow Cilantro from Seed

Grow Cilantro from Seed Cilantro is a cool-season crop that grows best when the temperatures are between 50° and 85°F. In Central Texas we can begin seeding Cilantro into our gardens in September/October for a November/December harvest and again in February for an April harvest. When established Cilantro can tolerate temperatures down to 20°F. The leaves may freeze but the plants should grow back. Plants in the ground should be covered with frost cloth if a hard freeze is expected.  If planting Cilantro in November, December or January, planting in [...]

By |2025-12-14T10:29:58-06:00October 12th, 2024|Plants, Vegetable Gardening|
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Gardening in Clay Soils in Central Texas

Why is it hard to find information on gardening in clay soils? If you have been gardening in clay soil for very long you have probably had your fair share of failures. It is hard to find lists of plants that will thrive in heavy soil, as no one really wants to stick their neck out with recommendations in case it doesn’t work. Of course, there are many variables that need to be considered, and growing conditions are never identical, so please consider this a list of “plants to try” [...]

By |2025-05-03T08:54:27-05:00October 7th, 2024|Palms, Trees, Plants, Vegetable Gardening|
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Why are My Tomatoes Not Ripening?

Why Aren’t My Tomatoes Ripening? It’s June, and some of you have been wondering why your tomatoes have continued to remain green and are failing to ripen. The short answer is TEMPERATURE.     The optimum temperature for tomatoes to ripen is 70° to 75°F. If you were a bit late getting your tomatoes planted and/or the temperature got above 85°-90°F early this year, the ripening process slows or even stops. At these high temperatures the pigments lycopene and carotene, which are responsible for giving the fruit the red or [...]

By |2024-06-09T15:35:52-05:00June 9th, 2024|Plants, Vegetable Gardening|
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Hardy Palms for Central Texas

Let's face it, Central Texas has unpredictable winters. It seems that every 10 years or so we will get a killing freeze that separates the hardy palms from the non-hardy palms. Some non-hardy palms such as the Mexican Fan Palm will be damaged more often than that, and may or may not survive even a "normal" winter. There are palms that will survive all but the most brutal Central Texas winters, and I'd like to introduce you to them here. What is our Hardiness Zone? According to the USDA 2023 [...]

By |2024-03-27T15:29:22-05:00March 27th, 2024|Palms, Plants|
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Planting a Grow Bag Texas Mountain Laurel

Planting a Grow Bag Texas Mountain Laurel         MEASURE from the bottom of the bag to the top of the soil. (NOT to the top of the bag)               DIG a hole that is about two inches shallower than the measurement of the soil depth.             TURN the bag on its side and cut the bottom off the bag with a sharp knife.                 PLACE the grow bag in [...]

By |2024-03-18T15:57:44-05:00March 18th, 2024|Trees|
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Red Yucca Varieties

Red Yucca Varieties Red Yucca   Hesperaloe parviflora  is a versatile, evergreen shrubby perennial that is adapted to most areas in Texas. It is tolerant of alkaline to acid soils, sun, part sun or shade and while very drought tolerant it will also tolerate seasonally wet soils as long as the soil is well drained. They are winter hardy to   -20°F which makes them especially suitable for planting in pots in Central Texas. Coral to salmon-pink flowers appear on 6’ tall bloom stalks several times throughout the summer and are hummingbird [...]

By |2024-02-11T14:30:35-06:00February 11th, 2024|Succulents and Cacti|
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Hard Freeze Preparation in Central Texas

Prepare for a Hard Freeze in Central Texas: A Gardener’s Guide As a horticulturist in Central Texas, I know one thing for sure—our weather keeps us on our toes. Sudden temperature swings are common, and winter forecasts can change quickly. When a hard freeze is predicted, the best approach is simple: prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Current forecasts show lows between 15°F and 25°F, with below-freezing temperatures lasting up to 60 hours or more in some areas. Low-lying valleys often drop colder than higher elevations. Because [...]

By |2026-01-21T14:59:45-06:00January 11th, 2024|Vegetable Gardening, Fruit & Nuts, Plants, Trees, Houseplants, Succulents and Cacti, Yucca and Agave, Palms, Ornamental Trees|
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Aphids

Aphids can be difficult insects to control. But how much do we really need to control them? This article explores the aphid life cycle and some different ways to reduce their population without using toxic chemicals. Where do we see aphids?     Aphids are sucking insects which feed on fleshy new growth and the undersides of leaves. We look for them at the top of Crape Myrtles where new growth is abundant. We might find them on the flower buds of Tropical Hibiscus, new growth on any species of [...]

By |2023-11-04T12:38:57-05:00November 1st, 2023|Plants, Insects|
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Mealy Bugs

Mealy bugs are one nasty insect. You should really familiarize yourself with these destructive, hard to control insects. Catching them early may be your only chance at control.  Finding Mealy bugs any time of the year is unwelcome. If you have a greenhouse, you can depend on them showing up when the plastic goes on and the plants go in. If you find mealy bugs on your plants in late summer/early fall, get to work-you MUST control them before bringing them inside or putting them in a greenhouse for the [...]

By |2023-10-16T15:48:54-05:00October 16th, 2023|Insects|
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Lantana Flower Gall Mite

  Have you seen deformed growth at the tips of your Lantana branches this summer? If so, your plant may be infested with a mite called the Lantana Flower Gall Mite.  This microscopic mite breeds inside the developing flower buds, stunting vegetative growth and preventing flowering and seed production. The distorted growth appears as a "witches broom" at the location of the tips of the branches where the flowers usually appear. This mite is destructive to ornamental plantings of Lantana in the landscape and affects the seed availability for birds.  [...]

By |2023-10-17T10:40:17-05:00October 16th, 2023|Plants, Insects, Uncategorized|
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Corn Gluten as a Pre-emergent

Corn Gluten Meal is a by-product of the corn milling process.  It is an Organic alternative to chemical pre-emergent, and doubles as a slow-release Nitrogen source with about 9% N by weight. It is the best choice if you live near the lake or other water source or are applying it under fruit or nut trees. Again, timing is critical in order to realize the best results possible. With corn gluten meal, the wet/dry period must be managed carefully, AND, the product must also be applied BEFORE the weed emerges from the [...]

By |2025-02-08T12:36:18-06:00October 2nd, 2023|Lawn Care|
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Elaeagnus species

Elaeagnus species (aka Silverberry)     This 10’ x 10’ sprawling evergreen shrub is easily kept pruned to maintain size and shape. It is often grown as a hedge or barrier. Grow this large shrub in full sun, part sun or light shade. It requires regular irrigation to establish but survives on weekly watering even in the hot summers.         Fragrant, creamy-white flowers appear in the fall and are followed by small brownish-red edible fruit which ripens in the spring. Elaeagnus is fairly deer resistant once established [...]

By |2023-10-02T11:03:15-05:00October 2nd, 2023|Uncategorized|
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