Category Archives: Horticulture
Now is the Time for Pecan Growers to Act on Walnut Caterpillars
By Boone Holladay, County Extension Agent-Horticulture, and Bill Ree, Pecan IPM Extension Specialist Walnut Caterpillars currently active in Fort Bend County have eaten all the pecan tree foliage they are likely to consume by now, but pecan growers would do well to check their groves for egg masses before a new generation hatches later this summer. The population that has been quite active during the past few weeks is most likely the second of the summer. Most are in their final growth stage and through eating. Based on… Read More →
Tapping into a Pool of Water Conservation Resources in Richmond
By Boone Holladay, County Extension Agent-Horticulture A water crisis looms in Texas, driven by population and economic growth, drought, and competition among users for an increasingly scarce supply. The crisis is affecting Texas residents today and it may take decades for the supply and demand equation to achieve balance. All of us who live in Texas have a stake in this problem, and there is something everyone can do to conserve an increasingly scarce and yet vital resource. In response to this issue, Fort Bend Extension teamed up… Read More →
Tycoon Tomato: A New Texas Superstar
Adapted from “Tycoon Tomato Named Superstar,” by Robert Burns, Published on the Website AgriLife Today Released at the San Antonio Livestock Exposition in 2011, the Tycoon Tomato has proven to be so exceptional that it has achieved recognition as a Texas Superstar, a crop that performs well for consumers and commercial growers throughout Texas. Evaluated in extensive testing by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and AgriLife Extension horticulturists, superstars must also be easy to propagate, ensuring that the plants are both widely available throughout Texas, and reasonably priced. They… Read More →
Understanding Swarms: Part of a Bee Colony’s Life
By Jeff McMullan Fort Bend Beekeepers Association A “swarm” of bees clustered on a limb is a colony of insects in search of a new home. Most of us think kindly of honey bees because of their role as pollinators and their difficult struggle with pests and disease. Nonetheless, we don’t want bees to move in with us!
Going Nuts for Pecans in 2014
By Boone Holladay, County Extension Agent—Horticulture We would like to spend a minute to congratulate local producers for their regional award winning pecans! We were well represented at the 2013 regional pecan show in Brenham.
Spotlight: The Rose Garden
By Jane Gray Landscape Director & Earthkind Specialist Fort Bend County Master Gardeners February is the month for celebrating presidents’ birthdays, groundhogs weather predicting abilities, love, and roses. A visitor to the Ft. Bend County Master Gardener demonstration gardens will observe roses in the cottage garden, around the vegetable garden, in the Earthkind garden, and around the Outdoor classroom gazebo. The garden that best demonstrates the type of roses that do well in Ft. Bend County is the rose garden in front of the Bud O’Shieles Community Center…. Read More →
Seasonal Garden Checklist: Jan./Feb.
By Dr. William C. Welch, Professor & Extension Landscape Specialist Landscape Horticulturist Make flower and vegetable garden plans now before the rush of spring planting. Time spent in armchair gardening will pay off in improved plant selection. Sow seeds in flats or containers to get a jump on plant growth before hot weather arrives. Petunias, begonias, and impatiens should be sown in early January. Warm temperature plants, such as tomatoes, peppers, marigolds, and periwinkles, should be sown in late January or early February. Apply a light application of… Read More →
Understanding and Identifying Rose Rosette Disease
By Gaye Hammond Houston Rose Society Rose Rosette (sometimes referred to as Rose Rosette Disease, “RRD”, and/or Rose Rosette Virus, “RRV”) was first described in the early 1940s and has become one of the most devastating and least understood diseases of roses. For almost 50 years after the first sighting, little progress was made to-ward identifying the cause of rose rosette disease. In 1988, scientists iden-tified a connection between the eriophyid mite, Phyllocoptes fructiphilus, and plants demonstrating RRD symptoms and that year concluded that this wingless mite was… Read More →
Fort Bend Gardener Spring Newsletter
The spring issue of the Fort Bend Gardener newsletter has been released. This newsletter covers a wide range of gardening and general horticulture topics that are relevant to the people of Fort Bend County. Articles range from seasonal issues, to timely discussion of management practices for home gardens, as well as resources for small scale agriculture producers in our region. In each issue, we’ll cover seasonal items and offer hints to make your life as a gardener much more pleasant. Each quarterly newsletter will be posted as a… Read More →
Saving Water in Your Landscape
Be a TEXAS WATER STAR! Save water by modifying just a few everyday habits and making inexpensive upgrades to technologies in your home landscape. The greatest waste of water is applying too much too often – it over waters plants; leaches nutrients deep into the soil, away from the roots; and can pollute streams and lakes by carrying fertilizers and pesticide in runoff. Water Strategically. Water your landscape early in the morning (before 10 a.m.) or late in the evening (after 6 p.m.). If you water in the… Read More →
