Seiridium Canker of Leyland, Arizona and Italian Cypress

With the increased use of these three evergreen members of the Cupressaceae family in Central Texas, it is inevitable that we have begun seeing increased incidences of this common canker disease. Although Italian Cypress seems to be the most common species to be affected due to its prevalence in the landscape, this disease can also infect juniper and arborvitae. Leyland Cypress is now showing more symptoms in Central Texas, most likely because it is planted in soil that is not as well-drained or as high in organic content that the [...]

By |2023-02-28T08:31:43-06:00February 4th, 2022|Disease|
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Onion Varieties for Central Texas

Short Day Onion Varieties for Central Texas: “Short-day” onion varieties quit forming leaves and begin forming bulbs when the day length reaches 10-12 hours, and are best for Southern Gardens. The following varieties have proven to be the best for Central Texas.     1015Y:  This globe-shaped onion up to 6” wide is named after the ideal date the seed is planted (October 15). The off-white flesh is sweet and great for cooking, salads, etc. It takes  about 115 days from planting to harvest. Storage potential is 2-3 months. Photo [...]

By |2022-01-25T11:02:41-06:00January 25th, 2022|Vegetable Gardening|
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Growing Carrots in Central Texas

Growing Carrots from Seed Carrots can be a rewarding crop to grow in Central Texas. Soil preparation and proper planting time will ensure a good harvest. We have a fall planting time from late August to early November and a spring planting time of mid-January to early March in Central Texas. If you take advantage of both growing periods you will have a long harvest of delicious carrots to enjoy.   Carrots require a deep, well-drained soil to thrive. Adding 3”-4” of organic matter and a light application of organic [...]

By |2023-02-28T08:31:56-06:00January 5th, 2022|Vegetable Gardening|
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Tree Care and Maintenance

Tree Care and Maintenance Watering: -Water your tree religiously for at least one year using the following guidelines, and subsequent years during the hottest months or if we experience high heat or drought conditions. It can take approximately 1 year per inch caliper of the tree for the tree to fully establish. Careful monitoring of watering during this time will ensure a healthy tree.  -At the time of planting the tree needs to be deeply watered. Two days after planting the tree needs to be deeply watered again.  You can [...]

By |2023-02-28T08:32:12-06:00January 5th, 2022|Trees|
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Ganoderma Butt Rot

The presence of a “fruiting body”, or conk, at the base of a tree or palm is a sign that the tree may be infected by a species of fungus called Ganoderma. There are several species of this fungus that affect different hosts. This one is Ganoderma sessile, and it affects oaks, maples, honeylocusts and other hardwoods. The conks appear annually in summer and fall at the base of the tree or on a lateral root close to the trunk. The fungus enters through wounds in the trunk commonly made [...]

By |2023-02-28T08:32:25-06:00January 4th, 2022|Disease, Trees|
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Germinating Parsley from Seed

Parsley is an essential in the herb garden.  High in vitamin A and C, as well as calcium and iron, it is a biennial plant usually grown in Zones 5-9. Italian, or flat-leaf parsley, is used more in cooking while curly leaf parsley is used more as a garnish. Many herb books include an adage about parsley going to the devil and back seven times before germinating. This obviously refers to the long germination time-often up to 6 weeks-which parsley requires! Seed should be sown indoors about 6 weeks before [...]

By |2023-02-28T08:32:36-06:00December 27th, 2021|Vegetable Gardening|
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Moving Houseplants Inside in the Winter

Most houseplants are from tropical locales where cold temperatures are rare and temperatures average 72°F. Although they do well in our yards during the summer, they will need to be moved inside before temperatures reach the 40’s to 50’s at night. Ideally, if your plants are in sun or part sun outside, such as Bougainvillea or Tropical Hibiscus, they would benefit from being moved to light shade for a week or so before transitioning them to the indoors. This will cut down on the stress that causes their leaves to [...]

By |2022-01-15T12:04:46-06:00November 4th, 2021|Houseplants|
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Redbuds-Harbingers of Spring

Redbuds are an excellent indicator of warmer days ahead. From the bean-like seed pods, we can tell that they are in the Legume (or bean) family. Their flowers come in a range of shades of deep rose, pink, purple and white, as well as a range of forms such as single trunk, multi-trunk and weeping. Although we often see the native Redbuds growing and blooming in full sun, they also do quite well as an understory tree, tolerating partial shade very  well. To avoid the ever-present “leaf-scorch” in late summer, [...]

By |2022-03-13T10:16:36-05:00September 15th, 2021|Trees|
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Khaki Weed Control

Khaki Weed (Alternanthera caracasana) is a perennial weed from tropical America that has invaded the southern U.S. at an alarming rate. Because it has a tremendous tap root, it is difficult to control in its mature stage. Repeated sprays and use of surfactant is necessary. Surfactants (spreader-stickers) break down the surface tension on the leaf and allows the herbicide to penetrate better and be more effective. The best control is to not let the plant go to seed. If it does go to seed, pre-emergent control can be effective. The [...]

By |2022-01-15T12:06:02-06:00September 4th, 2021|Lawn Care|
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Rose of Sharon

Rose of Sharon (aka Althea) Hibiscus syriacus Native to China and India, Rose of Sharon was introduced to the gardens of Europe in the 16th century. The specific epithet “syriacus”, refers to it having been collected from gardens in Syria. It is propagated by seed and cuttings, and many new cultivars have shown up in recent years. Many of these cultivars produce little to no seed. Rose of Sharon is a deciduous, multi-trunk woody shrub to small tree that is cold hardy to Zone 5b (-15°F). It tolerates heat, poor [...]

By |2021-08-21T13:44:43-05:00August 21st, 2021|Plants, Trees|
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Vegetable Planting Guide for Central Texas

We all know that Central Texas can be a challenge to grow a vegetable garden in. Fortunately, we have the opportunity to plant in both the spring and fall, so if the weather goes awry in the spring, we can try again in the fall. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension agents have put together a wonderful planting guide for vegetable gardening in our area. Pay careful attention to the "seed" or "transplant" recommendations. If the guide says "transplant" and you plan on starting your own from seed you will need to [...]

By |2024-01-06T12:53:07-06:00August 18th, 2021|Vegetable Gardening|
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Crape Myrtle Bark Scale

What are the signs of Crape Myrtle Bark Scale? When a customer calls or comes in with black sooty mold showing up on their Crape Myrtle leaves, trunks or even plants underneath the tree, the first thing we look for is aphids. The second thing we look for is Crape Myrtle Bark Scale. Although this introduced species from China, Japan and Korea is not as common as aphids on Crape Myrtles, we are seeing it more and more frequently in recent years. Like aphids, this scale insect has sucking mouthparts [...]

By |2024-06-13T11:29:56-05:00August 10th, 2021|Insects, Trees|
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