Winterizing Your Garden

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Winterizing Your Garden by Wayne Bowman, Master Gardener. Thalassa Cruso reminds us that “Fall is not the end of the gardening year; it is the start of next year’s growing season.” By the time you read this, it’s likely that we’ve already experienced our first frost in North Texas. Time to turn out the lights in the garden; summer’s party is over. You’ve coaxed the final tomato from the vine and your neighbors and relatives no longer smile when you say the word “squash”. An excellent time to… Read More →

Winter Planting of Onions, Garlic and Leeks

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Winter Planting of Onions, Garlic and Leeks by Byron Chitwood, Master Gardener Although onions, garlic and leeks have been around for a long time, it is not really known where they originated. Archaeologists have found evidence that they have been used as a food source through cultivation for at least 7,000 years. No doubt, the early hunter-gatherers foraged for them in the wild along with anything else growing wild that could be eaten. The earliest evidence of domestication and cultivation has been found in China, Asia and Persia…. Read More →

Planting Garlic

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PLANTING GARLIC by Karla Basallaje. Garlic (Allium Sativum), is in the amaryllis family and is native to central Asia. There are two types of garlic, the hardneck variety (the bolting type) and the softneck variety (the non-bolting type). Bolting refers to the production of a flower stalk and bulbil, in this case. Garlic is considered by many, as an easy crop to grow; however, it is best to remember the basics: know your soil, your climate and location. Choose a sunny spot to grow your garlic, most growers… Read More →

Landscape Trees

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Landscape Trees by Karla Basallaje, Master Gardener “I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree.” No doubt you have read or previously heard this famous couplet by Joyce Kilmer, and without waxing too poetic, or straying too far off topic, I agree with the poet’s sentiment. Trees are spectacular plants offering a wide range of size, color, shape and function, making them a great addition to any landscape design. Before choosing a landscape tree, determine your soil’s drainage and water holding capacity by… Read More →

Bluebonnet Seeds Are Available!

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Sharing information from the Upper Sabine Soil and Water Conservation District: Bluebonnet Seeds are on sale now with Upper Sabine Soil and Water Conservation District! The Upper Sabine Soil & Water Conservation District is happy to once again make bluebonnet seed available to the public for purchase so that everyone can enjoy these beautiful flowers, next spring. Upper Sabine Soil and Water Conservation District will be selling seed until October 31. The Upper Sabine Soil and Water Conservation District will offer 1 pound and ½ pounds bags. The… Read More →

Compost vs Mulch

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Compost vs Mulch by Wayne Bowman, Master Gardener. Not all mulch is compost, but all compost can be used as mulch. To be clear, the terms are not interchangeable. Unlike compost, some forms of mulch will never decompose– such as shredded rubber tires. Various woods are slow to decompose– like cypress or redwood. This doesn’t mean they are bad mulch products– they still keep the soil moist and at a lower temperature– but they’ll not turn into quickly useable compost. Another way to distinguish between the two is… Read More →

Making Garden Decor

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Making Garden Decor by June Morgan, Master Gardener. A beautifully planted garden often has whimsical, useful, or comforting additions to grace its landscape.  Unfortunately, many store-bought items, especially those made of concrete, are very expensive.  The do-it-yourselfer does not have to be an artist in order to make striking sculptural decor out of concrete. Hundreds of different shapes can be made with this medium, such as spheres and leaves of all sizes which can be used for projects such as fountains, stepping stones, and wire sculptures. Molds for… Read More →

Fall Vegetable Gardening

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Fall Vegetable Gardening by Karla Basallaje, Master Gardener. As we approach fall with its mellow days, cooler nighttime temperatures, and pretty autumn colors of red and gold, our thoughts turn to our fall garden. Even as we are still enduring hot rainless days, it is the perfect time to plan and to plant. The fall vegetable garden offers a great opportunity to repeat successful spring and early summer plantings or to re-try an attempted but failed crop. We learn by our mistakes! So whether we need to change… Read More →

Fall Tomatoes – Part 2

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Fall Tomatoes – Part 2 by Byron Chitwood, Master Gardener. You can still make a fall crop of tomatoes in your garden. For best results, they should be planted in July. Depending on variety, they take 60 to 90 days to produce. Start garden plants from transplants that you purchase through your favorite nursery if available. Start indoors with seeds or cuttings from some of your favorite spring tomatoes. After planting in the garden, protect them from direct sun by shading with shingles or cardboard. Keep the ground… Read More →

Rainwater Harvesting

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Rainwater Harvesting by Wayne Bowman, Master Gardener. The collection of rainwater, or rainwater harvesting as it’s termed nowadays, has been around for centuries. Archeological digs have documented the building of cisterns for more than 10,000 years. All water is rainwater. Rain falls from the clouds and runs into creeks and rivers, where municipalities use the water for drinking or sanitary purposes and then return it to streams. Streams flow into lakes and oceans where it evaporates and again forms clouds and rain to complete the cycle. I’ve read… Read More →