Hometown News For Orange County, Texas
Hometown News For Orange County, Texas
Sorted by date Results 51 - 70 of 70
Spring's now past, a pleasant but hazy memory with summer officially arriving June 21st. So, for the next several months, summer will be keeping us company. This means we can count on a long, hot season for the next several months. Intense sun light and high temperatures have now faded most of our spring flowers, and now is a great time to add color into our gardens for the remainder of the summer here in Southeast Texas. There are numerous flowers which can handle our hot...
Hello fellow gardening enthusiasts! Last week I discussed organic mulch basics, including why using mulch in our gardens is important, as well as the numerous types of mulch. Some gardeners make their own mulch at home utilizing a compost bin or two, then building compost by adding yard debris, grass clippings, leaves, limbs, used potting soil, dead plant materials, livestock manure, topsoil, hay, and straw. They continue adding debris to the compost bin, building in layers...
During our monthly Master Gardener meeting, I invited a fellow Master Gardener, to drop by my home Friday morning to pick nectarines from my two trees. She arrived at our agreed upon time of 9 am, as I was watering plants in and around flower beds and vegetable gardens while listening to mellow music playing in the background. This is the way I prefer to water my plants, hundreds of them. While watering two thoughts continued running through my mind; how hot it was this time...
Let me start by saying everyone leads a hurried and hectic lifestyle, that's our world and it's not going to change any time soon! As a gardener, occasionally, you need to take a step back and think about what you are adding to your garden and then ask yourself why. Sometimes the stuff you add to our garden is beneficial, sometimes the stuff you add is insignificant and not impactful, but sometimes what you add is detrimental, harming your soil and plants. Coffee Grounds For...
Numerous fig varieties grow well in Southeast, Texas climate. Different stages of ripeness, figs' herald summers' arrival. Gardeners, it certainly seems Summers arrived early this year as we've reached the lower 90's too often for us to consider this a mild spring! Several weeks remain before summer officially arrives, and while it is certainly getting hotter, this might be indicative that my all-time favorite "fruit" will be ripening sooner than usual-figs. How many of you...
First, let me begin by asking you not to use the term 'blight' lightly. Many plants, not just tomatoes, are prone to disease problems. If Blight strikes your garden, you don't just get a few discolored leaves; it's considerably more detrimental-dark brown lesions appear on the leaves and fruits. Blight is considered a "Typhoid Mary" type of disease, in that, spores of the deadly pathogen are broadcast through the air killing tomato, eggplant, pepper, and potato plants in...
Technically, we are in the middle of spring, but it seems as though summer has arrived as our daytime temperature is above 90℉ many days, yet according to the Farmer's almanac, we have roughly six weeks of spring remaining before summer begins on June 21st! This might be indicative of things to come or become much more problematic for us all once spring evolves into a hot, prolonged Texas summer. Now is a good time for all of us to focus on water conservation, before we are d...
As many of you may already know our soil in Southeast Texas, or more specifically in Jefferson and Orange County is not optimum for most plants and can be difficult to cultivate. Clay soil is a challenge for both you and your plants. Heavy clay soil drains slowly, and it retains moisture longer and when it finally does dry out, it is hard and brittle with a cracked surface. Our soil type is known as Coast Prairie Soil. So, you might ask what is needed to improve clay soil,...
Greetings my fellow gardening enthusiasts! Our wait is finally over, Spring is erupting into bloom all around us. Azaleas, daffodils, and numerous other spring plants are bursting into bloom. Now is the perfect time to enjoy our wonderful scenery and landscapes here in Southeast Texas, but it also a great time to getting outside into your own yard to create your own personal paradise. There are several gardening tasks to do during the month of April, and here a few items for...
Previously, I have spoken about selecting the right plant for the right spot in your garden, flower bed or yard. Today we're going to talk about native and perennial plants. Many times, people get them confused and often consider them to be the same, but this is not always the case. You can have plants which are native but are not perennials but also have native plants which are perennials. Let me try to explain this confusion. The American Horticultural Society defines a...
Hopefully, our recent warmer weather didn't lull any fellow gardeners into believing spring had arrived in Southeast Texas! March weather patterns are unpredictable, quickly changing from warm day time temperatures to frigid nighttime temperatures within a short period! Dramatic temperatures swings can make even the most seasoned gardeners cringe, while determining when to plant annuals, perennial flowers, and vegetables (as I too, almost planted tomato and pepper plants this...
Plant choice is one of many important steps in creating a new garden design or outdoor living area transformation. Choosing the right plants for your garden space depends on a several different factors, such as knowing the exact amount of space to fill with plants and understanding your garden's characteristics. Determining the soil type and deciding on the look you want to create. Naturally, there are numerous exciting elements to consider while determining your planting...
Another season is coming to an end and very soon winter will be nothing more than a fading memory for us all. As spring nears, each passing day becomes slightly warmer, though we may still have an occasional cool night. Our last anticipated frost date is around March 12th. Our local soil temperature remains too cold to plant tomatoes and peppers just yet, so wait until after the last anticipated frost date. Now is a great time to complete the following gardening tasks. Plant...
By John Green, Certified Master Gardener Hello gardeners! Another cold snap has now left the area and who knows, perhaps it'll be our last, but I wouldn't bet my plants on it. Many of you (like me) and can hardly wait to begin gardening. We have about a month to go before our last anticipated frost date (March 10th), so rather than risk planting tender plants now, it's better to focus on the few remaining garden tasks preparing for springs' arrival. Who knows, you may even...
Hello fellow gardening enthusiasts! We have been lucky this past week experiencing mild seasonal temperatures including a couple nights of below freezing temperatures (barely below). This got me thinking about cold-hardy plants which do well in our going environment. Strawberry plants came to mind since they are cold hardy and now is the time to plant them. Late January through mid-March is the ideal time to plant this low spreading fruit. They can be planted as early as six...
Has winter finally arrived in SETX? Well maybe, at least for a couple of cold days and frigid nights it has, making this the perfect time to review the litany of seed and gardening catalogues which have been piling up over the past several weeks. Seed catalogues are filled with detailed, useful information for gardeners and reviewing them provides an opportunity to learn new plant seed varieties available and to determine if they are a good match for our gardens. Perhaps you...
Hello fellow gardeners! 2021 is rapidly coming to an end and the new year is almost here. There are many gardening tasks which we can complete outside while we have good weather or shift tasks indoors on damp and dreary days, in preparation for springtime planting. Spring is rapidly approaching, now is a great time to get your soil analyzed for nutrients and pH levels through a soil testing laboratory. Results are usually returned within a couple of weeks. The soil analysis...
Hello fellow gardeners and Merry Christmas! Today I’m standing at the kitchen sink and beside me sits a steaming cup of coffee, as I peer outside the window mesmerized, once again witness to another dreary, damp overcast day. You see I’m pondering this week’s gardening article. Through the kitchen window I’m watching an abundance of leaves free-fall, suddenly whisked away at breakneck speed by an invisible force, driven without cause to the yard’s perimeter. Mounds of crisp...
Hello gardening friends, our local weathermen and women are predicting a warmer weather pattern for the next several days. If you are like me, making the time to perform maintenance on garden tools doesn’t rank high on my “to do list” but it is a necessary task. As most other gardening chores are now completed: lawn maintenance and fertilizer application, house plants slowly transitioned indoors, flower beds weeded and mulched, and vegetable beds growing green cover crops or heavily mulched. Of course, if you are like me-yo...
Another year is rapidly coming to an end and Christmas is close at hand and with it the joy of spending time with friends and family. Many of us will be shopping for gifts, food, and sweet treats. Why not include a bright, festive holiday plant or two for yourself or as a wonderful holiday gift! Poinsettias make dramatic focal points as holiday decorations and when placed strategically throughout your home, command attention from anyone who views them. But caring for them...
