Brazos County Master Gardeners

What to do in the garden in November???? Here's your answer from Stephen Brueggerhoff, Brazos County Horticulturist.

1. Celebrate Texas Arbor Day (Friday, November 1), by planting a tree in your landscape this month. Cooler weather reduces the stress of planting and allows adequate root establishment before the heat of the upcoming summer. To find out more about Texas Arbor Day and celebrations, visit the Texas A&M Forest Service website: https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/arborday/

2. Leave the leaves! Deciduous trees are just now beginning to shed leaves and the most sustainable action you can take is to mow, shred, mulch or compost fallen leaves to keep them out of the landfill.

3. You still have a window to sow wildflower seeds for a Spring showing. I recommend using native Texas species such as Bluebonnet, Indian blanket, tickseed and the like to show off Texas pride for 2025 wildflower viewing.

4. Cold weather vegetables are always a hot topic, and you still have time to sow seeds of beets, carrots, spinach, radishes, daikon and turnips. Always refer to AgriLife Extension's planting guide for Brazos County as your guide, available for download from the Brazos County Master Gardeners website: txmg.org/brazos.

Brazos AgriLife Horticulture November 2024 Programs - https://mailchi.mp/5ab414632221/brazos-extension-horticulture-news-10602851

What happening, gardening wise, in November "Around Town"???

Click the following link to find out: https://txmg.org/brazos/files/2024/11/November-2024-Around-Town-Calendar-1.pdf

While you are there, check out the rest of our Master Gardener website! It's a wealth of gardening information, https://txmg.org/brazos/

Brazos county, central and south Texas residents that need to plant a new tree in their landscape need to do it now ! The fall season is best for planting trees because it gives the roots time to grow and establish during our cool rainy season. Our ground does not freeze in a tree's root zone. Since trees go dormant during the winter months their growth rate slows down. Hibernation slows the energy consumption and metabolism. It's a great time to plant trees.
Fall gives the roots time to establish and they will grown as soon as they touch moist soil and will continue to grow as long as the soil temperature in their root zone stays above 40 degrees.
If you can find freshly dug from the field "bare rooted" trees that is a good choice because you can see the roots, assess any damage and root condition. When planted they will quickly recover and begin growing new roots.
Balled-and-burlapped is a tree lifted with a ball of soil that is then wrapped with burlap. Usually these trees have been grown in soil with some clay that holds the soil together better than lighter soils. These trees are heavy and may required that you have additional help or even machinery to plant them. When you do plant one, you do not leave the burlap wrapped around the roots. Pull it back as far as possible and try to cut off the excess. Burlap will rot over time.
Container grown are the most popular that you see in your local nursery. The soil is lighter making it easier for you to handle and plant, but it might be root bound if left in the container too long. If possible, slide it out of the container far enough to determine if the container is full of roots and the roots are growing in a circle around in the container.
When you plant a container grown tree you must stop the roots from growing in a circle or it will evidentially kill the tree. (FYI: this is true for all container grown plants.) This is called girding. Believe it or not, wash off all of the soil around the roots so you can assess them, stop the girding by trimming those roots, removing any damaged or dead roots.
For whatever type of tree you purchase spread out all of the roots in the planting hole you have prepared. Back fill with the soil you removed from the hole, watering as you go to eliminate air pockets, and tap down the soil around the roots. Don't stomp the soil down, just tap it down firmly. Then add 3 stakes with ties to add stability to the newly planted tree and remove them after about a year. Do not fertilizer. Fertilizer might burn the tender new roots. Create a berm around the outer edge of the planting hole to hold water. Large chunk mulch is recommended also to hold moisture. Water your new tree weekly when you don't get rain.
There are many great sites about the right selection of tree for your area in the state, the right planting location, the distant from side walks, driveways, house, or other structures.
When you follow instructions and tips from our university websites, you can't go wrong and you will have a beautiful tree that will create shade and added value to your landscape.

Some favorite spring bloomers, for those who love a panoply of color and a cottage garden feel to their yards, are members of the larkspur and poppy families.

These flowers are stunners - among the first bloomers to welcome spring to the garden. But if you want their beauty in your garden come next spring, then now is the time to scatter seeds!

These beauties are extremely easy to grow - just throw seeds out now in areas that have full sun. The seeds do not need to be covered, though they can be 'tamped down' in the bed using a hoe.

Larkspur bloom in pink, bluish-purple and white on long flowering spikes, and of course poppies come in many varieties, mostly red and orange - but other colors, too!

Both larkspur and poppy are annuals that re-seed prolifically. Some may see this as a hinderance, but when these flowers magically appear each year in the garden, it is akin to a gift from the gods!

Look for seed packets in our local box stores and nurseries, and sow some of these in your garden now so you can enjoy their glory in the springtime!

Further reading:
https://mastergardener.extension.wisc.edu/files/2017/06/Papaver_somniferum.pdf
https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/article/2002/6-21-2002/poppies.html
https://www.uaex.uada.edu/yard-garden/resource-library/plant-week/larkspur-6-12-09.aspx
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/delphinium/common-name/larkspur/

Message from Horticulture Agent Stephen B - Attention new agritourism and producer startups! Still time to register, but don't delay! Aggie Horticulture is presenting Harvesting Horizons, November 15 from 8:30am to 4:30pm at Waller County Community Center in Prairie View. Registration $50 for single, $65 for two. This is a workshop training basics for agritourism start-ups, lectures including site evaluation, crop selection, farm and agritourism liability, experienced growers round table, tour of Neal's Berry Farm, and more! Registration and agenda: https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/hort-ev-041

Here is a new addition to our tomato cage Halloween characters…..

A Boo-tiful Pup!

To make this cute ghost pup, you’ll need:
Tomato Cage
Foam Ball – size proportionate to tomato cage
One cardboard toilet paper tube
Clear White Wire Light Set (LED for safety-less heat)– I used 1 box - 150 bulbs
White Fabric Sheet - I used one sheet
Black Felt
Straight Pins
Flat u shaped floral pins
White zip ties (optional)

The only things I bought were the 6 inch foam ball, black felt, $.97 and LED warm clear Christmas lights. I had the rest on hand. I liked that this project required materials that are not ruined in the process, so you may still use all of them for other purposes in the future. I would suggest putting the ghost in a covered protected area such as a porch.

Steps:
1. Buy your needed materials
2. Turn the tomato cage upside down with stakes pointing up. Remove one of the wire stakes. You can do this with no tools by bending one of the stakes back and forth until it snaps off. Bend the other two so you can hold the foam ball (smaller than the hole), see the photo. Place the foam ball on top and push it in to place. Hot glue the TP tube on the foam ball. I ended up cutting a bit off the TP tube to be more in scale to the dog. I used the smallest tomato cage. I liked positioning the head to be more lifelike by having the snout (TP tube) pointing slightly down. I positioned the head/foam ball more to the front and not centered, with the snout in front and pointing slightly down, see photo.
3. Test lights, then wrap around the tomato cage. You may want to zip tie them in place, I did not. The tension from the wrapping of the lights was enough for them to stay in place. Leave enough of the wire from the lights at the bottom to be able to plug the lights in easily. Tie a knot with the wire end on a vertical part of the cage to keep the slight tension on the wire.
4. Placed sheet over the cage to your liking. These are sheets I use so I didn’t want to do anything that would ruin them.
5. I evaluated eye, nose, and ear size by printing out ovals and shapes from my printer to see which looked best, then I used that size as a pattern for cutting out the felt. I’m not good just eyeing it.
6. Use straight pins to attach the eyes. Push the pins though the felt eyes into the foam head. Use a black sharpy to color the pin heads to make them less noticeable. I used museum tack to attach the nose and floral u pins to attach the bucket.
7. Place ghost on a porch. I used a Christmas light timer that turns on at dusk and stay on for 4 hrs. then turns off. With this, you won’t need to worry about turning the lights on and off.

Have fun creating your boo-tiful pup!! Happy Halloween! Boo!!

Falling for bulbs…

Planting spring bulbs in the fall is as natural as football games and falling leaves. Bulbs are truly some of the simplest flowers to grow; easy to care for, and inexpensive.

The true kings of spring flowering bulbs; the oldest and best adapted for our area are the narcissus (flowers in white clusters), jonquils (flowers in yellow clusters), and daffodils (single yellow trumpets). These all belong to the genus Narcissus and they will return each year and slowly increase in numbers.

The recommended varieties below are from Dr. Doug Welsh, retired Landscape Horticulturist with Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

NARCISSUS bloom spikes are clusters of small white blossoms that are very fragrant-sometimes called tazetta or paper whites. ‘Constantinople’, ‘Erlicheer, ‘Falconet’, Grand Monarque’, Grand Primo’, ‘Pearl’, and ‘Silver Chimes’.

JONQUILS have bloom spikes with clusters of small yellow blossoms that are also fragrant.’Campernelle’, Geranium’, ‘Quail’, ‘Sailboat’, ‘Stratosphere’, ‘Sweet Love’, ‘Sweetness’, and ‘The Bride’ which is a double.

DAFFODILS are medium to large flowered varieties with a range of colors. Recommended are ‘Artic Gold’, Ceylon’, Dallas’, ‘February Gold’, ‘’Fortune’, ‘Ice Follies’, ‘Rijnveld’s Early Sensation’, Tahiti’, and ‘Trousseau’.

Another delightful and resilient spring-flowering bulb is the summer snowflake (Leucojum aestivum). It blooms in early spring, not summer, and is known for its delicate white, bell-shaped flowers adorned with distinctive green dots.

Most spring-flowering bulbs prefer light shade to full sunshine, 6 to 10 hours of direct light per day. They are well-suited to low-maintenance gardens, thriving with natural winter moisture and minimal irrigation during the summer months. They can also be planted around the base of deciduous trees as they will bloom and produce foliage before your deciduous trees leaf out. They get plenty of sun under the canopy of such trees, which offer dense shade later in the season.

In general, bulbs should be planted three to four times as deep (measured from the base of the bulb) as the width of the bulb. Space bulbs in the bed according to size. Large bulbs should be 3 to 6 inches apart, and small bulbs 1 to 2 inches. For best appearance, plant bulbs in masses.

By late spring the foliage turns yellow and goes dormant, allowing the bulb to store energy for the next year’s bloom. If you want your bulbs to bloom again resist the urge to cut it back. The foliage should be allowed to yellow and fall over naturally. Cutting the foliage prematurely can reduce or eliminate next year’s blooms. Consider inter-planting with early annuals, perennials, or ground cover to hide the fading but necessary bulb foliage.

Fall is a busy planting time in the southern garden but remember to include spring bulbs in your plans. You’ll be glad you did!

Further reading:

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/narcissus/

https://extension.psu.edu/narcissus-the-daffodil

https://aggie-hort.tamu.edu/newsletters/hortupdate/2012/oct/spring-flowering-bulbs.html

Don't forget to put this on your calendar! Tuesday evening, Oct. 22 at 7 pm come hear Mike Shoup, author and creator of the Antique Rose Emporium, who will take us on a creative journey with roses and the ways they complement every garden. This event is open to the public and free of charge. 4153 County Park Ct. Bryan, Tx 77802 Hope to see you there!

Thigmomorphogenesis

Mary Poppin’s got nothing on us-and this is a real word. The term was created by plant physiologist, researcher, and teacher, Mordecai “Mark” J Jaffe. He developed the field of thigmomorphogenesis and used three Greek root words, ‘thigma’-touch, ‘morphe’-shape, and ‘genesis’-origin or generation. Practice it a few times and it rolls off the tongue.

Now you sound smart, but let’s back it up with what it means. It’s the plants growth response to touch and young plants have more of a reaction than older ones. In nature it’s the touch of rain drops, wind, or insects and animals that strengthen young plants. To mimic this, when starting seeds indoors it’s helpful to provide some contact by brushing your hand over the seedlings or generate air movement with a fan. This stimulates the seedlings to increase the diameter of stems to become stockier and better prepared for the real world when set in the garden.

Another way to take advantage of thigmomorphogenesis is when staking young trees-don’t bind them tightly to the support, but give enough room so the movement generated by the touch of the wind can strengthen the trunk. An extreme example of plants growing in response to touch can be seen in trees where a constant prevailing wind alters the natural upright growth and everything leans. They have grown this way as a mechanism for survival.

For other ways that plants move that are interesting in themselves-see the February post, Plant Movement-There’s a Term for That, posted February 7. Even if you don’t want to sound like a smarty plants person, the more you know the more you grow.

Don't forget! Join us this Saturday, Oct 19 at 10 am at the Clara B Mounce Public Library in downtown Bryan (201 E. 26th St) to hear a presentation on "Gardening Resolutions". This event is open to the public at no charge. Please note that the speaker / topic are subject to change.

Brazos AgriLife Horticulture October 2024 Programs - https://mailchi.mp/6db42ebf2759/brazos-extension-horticulture-news-10602672

Are you interested in becoming a Texas Master Gardener? Brazos County AgriLife Extension and Brazos County Master Gardeners are hosting two open house seminars to learn about the 2025 Texas Master Gardener Training program.

Discover your passion for community service through gardening education. The seminars will review the Texas Master Gardener Program and will have our own Brazos County Master Gardeners to share their experience and passion for gardening education. You will have an opportunity to apply for the 2025 Texas Master Gardener Training program at the end of the seminar.

Dates are October 30 from 5:30 to 6:30 pm, and November 6 from 1 to 2 pm. We hope to see you at one of the sessions!

Art in the Garden

Art is subjective and you don’t have to like what the next person thinks is perfection. So art or ornamentation in your garden is not one type fits all. Everyone may not be able to afford original sculptures or art installations, but we can adorn our gardens with things special to us. Besides, a bronze crane sculpture or a huge mosaic wall would probably look a bit out of place in most of our more modest garden settings.

Nice plants and pleasing garden beds-kick it up a notch with ornamentation. A birdbath or small water feature that leads your eye to a far point can extend the visual feel of the space. Frame a view with an arbor-covered with vines in the growing season but still an interesting feature when all is dormant. Grouped pots with coordinated plantings or even one glazed pot in a striking color can be a marvelous focal point. Make your path distinctive with hand crafted stepping stones imbedded with material uniquely yours. Found objects incorporated into garden beds make your eye pause and are great ways to customize your space for little or no cost. Creating special pieces with kiddos is an excellent way to get them involved and be proud of their contribution. Even as 20 year olds, the grandkids still check that the cement birdbaths with their handprints are in service for the wildlife.

Placement can be key in something enhancing your garden or looking awkward. Plunked down in the middle of the lawn may look like it fell off the wheelbarrow and you just didn’t feel up to moving it. Keep an open mind-the spot you had envisioned may not be the final home of your acquisition. And the perfect location this year can change as your plantings mature. Don’t be afraid to move things around until it feels comfortable. Note how public gardens incorporate ornamentation. You may not have as grand a scale or budget-but the ideas are free.

Ornamentation or art in your garden can draw your eye to a spot, provide a surprise, but best-make you smile.

Learn how to create your own garden ornaments and see examples from Master Gardeners gardens at the Art in the Garden presentation October 17, 12:00 in the DIG-Design Idea Garden located at 2619 W State Hwy 21, Bryan TX.

Holidays are right around the corner again. Let's talk about the most popular holiday plant except for poinsettias. Is your plant really a Christmas cactus, or maybe one that blooms at Thanksgiving or Easter. Their segments are different. Stare at the picture of the three types and study the differences. It would be discouraging to work hard to get your Christmas cactus to bloom only to find out it's really an Easter cactus.
These cactus are epiphytic (growing on a tree) or epilithic (growing on a rock) in the wild.
They prefer an east facing window, bright light with temperatures between 60 - 70 degrees, out of direct HVAC drafts of course. These type of cactus are like tropical plants, not desert-dwelling cactus. Soak them good then let them dry out quite a bit to a moist condition. They hate wet feet and will die for that very reason.
Reasons why your plant is dying. #1 is overwatering, sitting in water. #2 reason is underwatering. Give them a little more water when blooming but not sitting in water. Keep them just moist. #3 is light. They want indirect light, no direct sunlight. #4 is the lack of nutrients. Apply a balanced houseplant fertilizer once a month from mid-spring to fall, and repot in well-draining potting soil every 2 -3 years. #5 applies to a too small of a pot. Crowded roots can't take in nutrients or water. Signs are wilted plants, lack of growth and circling roots. There are more reasons for dying but I just listed 5. You may need to do a little more research if these 5 reasons don't cover your problems.
So what is the best potting soil blend for these cactus.
A loose, slightly acidic, well-draining soil medium and drainage holes in the bottom of the pot to prevent too much water from sitting on the roots is best. You may need to blend this yourself using a good potting soil, orchard bark and perlite. Remember you want it slightly acidic so use a pH meter and amend until your pH range is 5.5 - 6.2. Use a slightly large pot with many drainage hole and place a coffee filter in the bottom so the soil doesn't wash out.
Hope this information helps you and you get great blooms for your holidays. Enjoy the beautiful blooms during your holidays.

NEWS: Fruit and Nut Production survey now online! Brazos County AgriLife Horticulture program is developing 2025 programs to meet our regional interest cultivating fruit and pecan trees. Browse online to the following webpage to complete this survey: https://brazos.agrilife.org/horticulture/urban-orchard/

Howdy, agritourism colleagues and producers! Aggie Horticulture is excited to offer a brand new educational program, aiming to educate and expose both current and prospective fruit/vegetable farmers to the Pick-Your-Own (U-Pick) and Agritourism model. From Extension Fruit Specialist Stephen Janak - 'At nearly every farm our Extension Specialists visit, the number one challenge faced is a shortage of labor. They have noticed an increasing trend of small to medium size fruit/vegetable/flower farms utilizing the PYO model to have the customers harvest the crop themselves. Others who have considered trying this method always have lots of questions about liability, pricing, managing customer flow, etc.

Our Extension Specialists have designed this program to answer all those questions that you may have about this process.' Come learn from the best! Registration is open until November 13th. See the flyer and agenda for more details; to register: https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/hort-ev-041.

From the Brazos County Horticulturist, Stephen S. Brueggerhoff, here are your gardening tips for October:

Increase your fall cornucopia with tried-and-true cool season crops like beets, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots and cauliflower. Now is the time to get garlic in the ground, and don't forget leafy greens like collard, kale, mustard and spinach. Spice up your plate with root vegetables like radishes, daikon and turnips!

Mark your calendar and register for the program 'Trees for Brazos County', October 26 from 9am to noon at the Brazos County Extension office. You will celebrate Texas Arbor Day early and learn about choosing, maintaining and planting the right tree for your yard. BONUS: free tree giveaway to the first 150 people! Browse online to register for this free program: https://txmg.org/brazos Smaller container grown trees, from 5 to 15-gallons, establish quite well with an October planting. Basic tips for planting include finding a well-draining spot in your yard, digging a hole two times wider than the root ball diameter and no deeper than the soil level of the container. Reserve the soil you dig out, then fill it back around the roots to complete your planting. Explore Aggie Horticulture Earth-Kind Landscaping article for more details: https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/earthkind/landscape/planting-a-tree/

What a tangled web trees weave! On this day, Texas Arbor Day, take a moment to think about how important trees are to us. Did you know that the trees around us are actually connected to one another deep underground, and depend on one another for survival?

Suzanne Simard, Professor of Forest Ecology at the University of British Colombia, has demonstrated that networks of fungi living beneath the surface connect tree roots to each other. These threadlike structures, called mycelia, allow trees to transfer nutrients such as carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, or water among themselves. 'Hub' trees, the largest and oldest in a forested area, transfer nutrients through mycorrhizal networks, via their roots, to help smaller trees.

Her experiments have shown that these fungal filigrees also help trees send warning signals about environmental change, search for kin, and transfer their nutrients to neighboring plants before they die. Take a look at the video included below for more information on how trees 'communicate'.

To celebrate Texas Arbor day, which marks the beginning of the ideal time to plant trees in the Lone Star State, student volunteers will plant hundreds of trees across the Bryan-College Station community. 'Aggie Replant' is a student group which began their annual tree planting event in 1991 and has grown to become, what organizers say, is the largest student-run environmental service project in the country. Gig 'Em Aggies!

The Secret Language of Trees: https://tinyurl.com/y64pehwd

Texas A&M Forest Service - Arbor Day: https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/arborday/

What happening, gardening wise, in November "Around Town"!

There are so many things to do. Click the following link to find out what happening in and around the Brazos Valley:https://www.brazosmg.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/November-2023-Around-Town-Calendar.pdf

While you are there, check out the rest of our Master Gardener website! It's a wealth of gardening information, https://www.brazosmg