Texas Superstar® – Gold Star Esperanza

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Give Yourself a ‘Gold Star’

yellow flowers against green leaves of the esperanza shrub

The showy blooms of Gold Star Esperanza grab the attention of pollinators and humans alike!

Gold Star Esperanza (Tecoma stans ‘Gold Star’) is a subtropical Texas native. It’s a reliable perennial in USDA Hardiness Zone 9. You might also know this showy plant as ‘yellow bells’ or ‘hardy yellow trumpet. The ‘Gold Star’ variety is the most prolific flowering variety that is “a must” for a Central Texas gardener. It is a fast-growing shrub that can reach 4-5 feet tall with similar width. The actual size is responsive to the growing conditions and is a wonderful accent plant in a container. Esperanza blooms in large clusters of golden yellow bell-shaped flowers persisting from early summer until the first frost. The glossy green foliage provides an excellent background for the summer-long color. This perennial is Austin-area tough – heat and drought-tolerant, requires full sun, needs well-drained soil, and is highly pest resistant. In fact, it thrives in our alkaline soils and is an Earth-Kind selection.

Gold Star Esperanza Plant Specifications at a Glance

  • Exposure: Full sun (will tolerate afternoon shade)
  • Size: Height – 4-6 feet.
  • Plant Type: Summer perennial, or woody shrub depending upon the severity of winter temperatures.
  • Planting time: Spring, after the threat of a freeze has passed.
  • Soil type: Extremely easy to grow in alkaline to acidic, well-drained soils.
  • Suggested uses: Use Esperanza as a specimen or plant in groupings for a swath of color.
  • Special notes: Plants tolerate very high temperatures and drought, but do not tolerate poorly drained soils; Water once a week during the hottest periods to promote blooms. Trimming the seed pods will enable continuous blooms.

Texas Tough – Esperanza Persists

yellow trumpet shaped flowers

Clusters of bell-shaped flowers provide nectar for bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies.

The Esperanza is Texas Tough. Mine survived the 2019 fall rains, the 2021 “Snowmageden”, the 2022 drought and the 2023 winter freeze. This low maintenance shrub requires little care. Keep it tidy with an annual trimming of dead wood back to 6-8” from the ground. Shaping is not necessary, just trim it back when needed. This fast-growing shrub will emerge from a few sticks in February to a blooming shrub by late May.

Esperanza is a popular selection for a hedge, specimen, or in conjunction with other pollinator-friendly plants to attract wildlife all summer long. While smaller mammals ignore the Esperanza, during times of extreme drought, you might have a deer sample on the newly sprouted stems in early spring. But once the growth begins in earnest, the deer leave the plant alone to exhibit its summer show. You know it’s an easy-to-care-for plant when you see it used in parking lot landscapes.

Propagation Is Easy

Esperanza is easy to propagate by seeds or cuttings. During the blooming season, slender seed pods develop, which look like slender green beans. While a few seeds are desired, removing the pods will refocus the plant’s energy to provide the long bloom season. For the seeds you want to keep, allow the pods to turn brown and watch for the pod to split open and release the seeds. Seeds can be dried and stored in a cool, dry place to be used the next spring for propagation.

Green seed pods and yellow flowers on plant

Seed pods look like slender green beans.

If you allow some of the seed pods to remain on the plant, you won’t be surprised to see a few ‘volunteers’ sprouting up the following spring. I prefer to allow some seeds to drop and pick out the sprouted new plants to pot and give away as gifts, or to plant in another worthy spot for new color. If starting from seed, place two seeds in each pot about an 1/8-inch deep and mist slightly to keep the soil moist, but not soggy. Germination should occur in two to three weeks.

Take Cuttings Mid-Spring to Early Summer

To start a plant from a cutting, take the cutting from the top of a stem so it’s pliable and green (soft-wood cutting). Propagating in mid-spring to early summer is best to obtain the soft-wood cutting before the new growth turns to hard-wood. Consistent with cutting propagation, cut at least two nodes in length and remove all leaves but the top two to three. A node is the area where leaves have emerged from the stem. Place the cutting in a well-draining medium, keep moist (not soggy), and store in indirect sun. Within two weeks, you should see a new leaf budding out, which is the sign that roots have established. Once new leaves are developing, begin to expose the plant to greater levels of sun (harden-off) before moving to it’s new home.

What is a Texas Superstar plant?

The Texas Superstar® program was created by horticulturists to identify and select plants that can be grown across the state of Texas with high confidence in the quality and reliability of the plant. Selections for the program are based upon observations made at replicated plots and demonstration trials across the state and final selection is made by the Texas Superstar® Executive Board.

Additional Resources

Texas Superstar Plants ®

Earth-Kind Landscaping ®

About Yvonne Schneider
Yvonne Schneider, guest blogger

Yvonne was a 35+year veteran in the computer and information technology industry when she retired and moved from Houston to the Austin area. In 2018, Yvonne certified as a Travis County Texas Master Gardener to follow her passion for gardening and volunteering within the community. She has spent 20+ years enjoying gardening and working with bulbs and perennials. She now tackles the challenges presented by the Austin area wildlife, drought, and limestone soil.

Tree Damage RX

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Assisting our Dynamic Wonders

tree damage from storm

Figure 1 – Two side branches snapped near the trunk.

The tree damage from the recent ice storm continues to plague Travis County, fueled by several high wind events. Branches are now falling or hanging when they looked fine right after the storm. Our challenge now is to continue to survey and review our trees for pruning, signs of life, or terminal damage. Let’s look at several examples to acclimate to detecting damage and how best to address.

Mother Nature’s Stubs

In my last post (Trees CODIT for Ice Storm Aftermath), I discussed pruning techniques and emphasized not to leave stubs, as they increase the chance for decay in trees. Figures 1-3 depict how mother nature left a lot of our area trees with stubs, where branches broke due to the weight of ice. And now, we’re seeing more stub breaks as weakened branches are snapping in the wind. When this occurs, our best offense in ensuring a healthy tree is to eliminate the stub.

To prune, take the limb back to another limb (or trunk) that is at least 1/3 the size of the branch in question. This allows for the tree to use its natural defense walls and minimizes the wound recovery time. In Figure 1, with 2/3 of the main branches lost, it may be too catastrophic for the tree. For high-value trees it’s worth attempting to prune to determine if the main trunk can survive the ordeal.

tree limb snapped off near trunk

Figure 2 – One side branch snapped near the trunk.

tree with two branches snapped off near the trunk

Figure 3 – Two side branches snapped, leaving stubs.

Mother Nature’s Strips – 3 Cut Method Mends

Tree with major limbs stripped of bark

Figure 4 – Three major limbs stripped of bark.

Unfortunately, the storm damage included numerous stripping of branches in lieu of breaks. A strip creates an extremely large wound area and requires a longer recovery time, if ever. This type of wound breaches a tree’s defense mechanism and walls of defense. Tree variety and age will determine whether a tree can survive such a wound.

In Figure 4, three major limbs have stripped down and away from the main trunk. The trunk remains undamaged with a majority of limbs still healthy. The best pruning technique in this case is to remove the entire limb back to the trunk, using the 3-cut method. The same 3-cut method is used for the tree in Figure 5. A multi-trunk tree can survive losing a major trunk if removed down to the branch collar. In Figure 6, two limbs have stripped under the ice weight, but most of the tree remains.

tree showing one of the trunks stripped

Figure 5 – Multi-trunk tree with bark stripped.

Two limbs stripped of bark near top of tree

Figure 6 – Two limbs stripped of bark but rest of tree remains.

Large Limbs Need 3 Cuts

A 3-cut method of pruning the stripped limbs will eliminate the large surface area of damage, and help the tree recover more quickly. The key in pruning is to work with the tree’s natural defense mechanism and allow for the quickest recovery possible – especially before this summer’s heat materializes.

Illustration showing three cuts for pruning heavy branches

Figure 7 – Use the 3 cut method for heavy branches or stems.

Defend Now

While temperatures are mild and the weather forecast predicts wetter than normal patterns, it’s best to prune what’s possible now to begin the healing process. Trees will leverage the upcoming moisture to produce nutrients to assist with the healing process. We’d like to see at least ½ inch of rain per week to adequately water our Dynamic Wonders. If your area doesn’t see that level of moisture, begin watering now to assist the healing process. Also stay vigilant and remove damaged limbs as they occur.

Tree Trimming Reminders

  • Make sure that you have the proper safety gear, including gloves, safety glasses, and a hard hat.
  • Use sharp, clean pruning shears or a chainsaw to make clean cuts.
  • After you have finished trimming any type of Oak tree variety, apply a tree wound dressing to the cuts to help protect the tree from infection, such as Oak Wilt.
  • If you are not comfortable trimming a tree yourself, it is best to hire a professional arborist. An arborist will have the experience and training to trim your tree safely and effectively. Check here for the list of certified ISA arborists near you.

Additional Resources

Tree Information Center – City of Austin; https://www.austintexas.gov/department/tree-information-center

Texas Oak Wilt – Texas A&M Forest Service; https://texasoakwilt.org/

Trees and Tree Care – Texas A&M AgriLife Extension-Travis County; https://travis-tx.tamu.edu/about-2/horticulture/ornamental-plants/trees-and-tree-care/

Pruning Trees and Shrubs With a Purpose – Texas A&M AgriLife Extension-Travis County; https://travis-tx.tamu.edu/about-2/horticulture/ornamental-plants/pruning-trees-and-shrubs-with-a-purpose/

Tree Pruning Basics – Texas A&M AgriLife Extension-Travis County; https://travis-tx.tamu.edu/files/2022/10/Tree-Pruning.pdf

Find an Arborist – Texas Chapter of ISA

 About Yvonne Schneider
Yvonne Schneider, guest blogger

Yvonne was a 35+year veteran in the computer and information technology industry when she retired and moved from Houston to the Austin area. In 2018, Yvonne certified as a Travis County Texas Master Gardener to follow her passion for gardening and volunteering within the community. She has spent 20+ years enjoying gardening and working with bulbs and perennials. She now tackles the challenges presented by the Austin area wildlife, drought, and limestone soil.

Trees CODIT for Ice Storm Aftermath

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Tree – Heal Thyself!

broken tree branch, use trees CODIT for pruning

Figure 1 – Ice damage from 2023 ice storm in Travis County

With the most recent ice storm and freezing temperatures, it makes you wonder what mother nature will do next to our trees and landscapes. Think about it, we had the “Snowpocalypse” of 2021, the drought of 2022, and now the “Icepocalypse” of 2023. Our trees are definitely in a weakened state and with so many also incurring ice damage, is a large portion of our natural landscape at risk?

We have trees documented in our area that are 100+ years old. That’s before people were around to provide water, fertilizer, and regular pruning, so do the trees really need our help to survive?

Trees “CODIT”

illustration showing tree natural decay barriers

Figure 2  – Tree natural decay barriers

Whether naturally occurring, such as with recent ice storm as shown in Figure 1, or at the hands of homeowners and tree pruners, a prune is a wound. As with most living organisms, trees have a natural defense mechanism against disease and decay. “CODIT” is the acronym the forestry industry uses for “Containment of Decay in Trees”.

The tree’s bark is the #1, and outermost wall of containment, like that of the skin of human beings. The bark protects the inner trunk, or stem, of the tree just as a human’s skin protects the inner body veins, organs, and bones. As a tree grows and the trunk expands, the bark also thickens. In the interior, a tree also puts up a ‘wall’ of containment at each natural branch juncture.

Branches develop deep within the trunk of a tree to help support the overall weight of the branch, as noted in Figure 2 with arrows indicated by a ‘B’. A barrier, or second wall of containment, is formed where the branch breaches the bark wall, as denoted with the arrows and ‘A’. When a branch is pruned away, or broken, that wall is the next line of defense from decay since the outer wall (bark) is no longer present for protection. A second and third internal wall of containment around the wound is also created inside the trunk in the tree’s attempt to protect itself from the onset of decay or disease brought by insects or other naturally occurring mechanisms.

Unfortunately, these walls of defense are not always 100% fail-safe. When wounds are jagged, or excessive, the internal barriers are often insufficient to ensure protection during the healing process, which can take years. So how can we help?

Tree Pruning Optimized

tree branch with an exposed stub

Figure 3 – Avoid leaving stubs.

To assist with healing, it’s best to prune a broken branch back to another branch at least one-third the size of the broken branch to avoid leaving a ‘stub’, such as shown in Figure 3. The stub is beyond the natural defense mechanism of the tree, and the entire area lends itself to decay. As you can see by the picture, the stub eventually dies, but the process can take years, during which decay often develops.

Don’t make cuts smooth against the remaining trunk or branch. This type of cut is behind the tree’s natural wall of defense for the branch and leaves the wound open to a longer healing timeframe. Therefore, the optimum prune is a ‘natural target prune’.

tree with two properly pruned and healed branches

Figure 4 – Proper natural target pruning cut with healed branch collar.

You can only tell when you’ve achieved the ‘natural target prune’ once you see the tree heal, so to optimize a prune, look for the tree’s branch collar and branch bark ridge, as shown in Figure 4. The collar and ridge are easier to see in some tree varieties than others, but you can identify it by the raised circular pattern surrounding a branch. The collar is the portion on top of the branch.

branch bark ridge identified

Figure 5 – Branch bark ridge.

The branch bark ridge is a long-swollen pattern starting around the top and circling all around the branch. This area often exceeds the trunk by an inch or more and contains that natural wall of defense against decay. Therefore, the optimized prune is just beyond the branch bark ridge, indicated by the red arrows in Figure 5. The more you look for the growth of the branch bark ridge, the easier it becomes to identify.

Three-Cut Pruning Method

Figure 6 – Use hand pruners for smaller branches

When pruning a branch under an inch, a typical hand pruner is sufficient (Figure 6.) When pruning a branch between one-to-two inches, use a lopper. If a branch is over 2 inches, use a handsaw or better to ensure a clean cut.

Illustration showing three cuts for pruning heavy branches

Figure 7 – Use the three cut method for heavy branches

When trimming a heavy branch (over 2 inches in diameter), consider using the 3-cut method to avoid stripping, or damaging the tree trunk any further. The 3-cut method involves starting with an upper-cut (Figure 7 – A) to protect the tree trunk’s bark. The second cut (Figure 7-B) is just beyond the first cut to remove the bulk of the limb’s weight. Now you’re ready for the third cut, which is just beyond the branch bark ridge (Figure 7– C).

At completion, you’ve helped your tree begin its healing process and optimized the time it will take to complete. Congratulations!

To Paint or Not to Paint Tree Wounds

Once pruning is complete, should you paint it? Because a tree has a natural defense mechanism, painting is normally not necessary. In Travis County, it is recommended to paint prunes for oak varieties specifically due to the presence of Oak Wilt. The beetle that carries the disease is active February through June, therefore pruning of any oaks during this period is not recommended unless absolutely necessary, such as the case with the recent freeze. No other variety of tree needs to have prunes painted – just let nature take its course. Timing for painting is also a regular question. You should paint the prune immediately. If not feasible, a tree naturally seals the prune within 48 hours, so the beetle damage can only be done during that timeframe.

Additional Resources

Tree Information Center – City of Austin; https://www.austintexas.gov/department/tree-information-center

Texas Oak Wilt – Texas A&M Forest Service; https://texasoakwilt.org/

Trees and Tree Care – Texas A&M AgriLife Extension-Travis County; https://travis-tx.tamu.edu/about-2/horticulture/ornamental-plants/trees-and-tree-care/

Pruning Trees and Shrubs With a Purpose – Texas A&M AgriLife Extension-Travis County; https://travis-tx.tamu.edu/about-2/horticulture/ornamental-plants/pruning-trees-and-shrubs-with-a-purpose/

Tree Pruning Basics – Texas A&M AgriLife Extension-Travis County; https://travis-tx.tamu.edu/files/2022/10/Tree-Pruning.pdf

 About Yvonne Schneider
Yvonne Schneider, guest blogger

Yvonne was a 35+year veteran in the computer and information technology industry when she retired and moved from Houston to the Austin area. In 2018, Yvonne certified as a Travis County Texas Master Gardener to follow her passion for gardening and volunteering within the community. She has spent 20+ years enjoying gardening and working with bulbs and perennials. She now tackles the challenges presented by the Austin area wildlife, drought, and limestone soil.

Cutworms by Wizzie Brown

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It’s That Time of Year for Cutworm Damage

granulate cutworm damageGranulate cutworms are damaging in the immature, or larval stage. Cutworms can cut plant seedlings stems off at the soil level and on older plants they can climb the plant and feed on foliage or fruit. Young larvae skeletonize leaves while older larvae eat holes in foliage, feed on the surface of fruit, or burrow into fruit. Larvae are nocturnal, which may make it difficult to discover the culprit of plant damage. You may need to inspect the garden at night when larvae feed.

Eggs are laid singly or in clusters on the upper surface of foliage. Eggs begin white in color, but darken as larvae get close to emerging. Larvae are grayish-red with a brown head and light markings along the side of the body. Larvae start off around ¼” but grow to 1.5” in length. Pupae are in soil and are a dark reddish-brown color. Adults are drab brownish-gray mottled moths with a wingspan around 1.5 inches. The front wings have a bean shaped marking paired with a circular marking.

Granulate cutworms feed on a wide variety of crops including beans, cabbage, peas, celery, watermelon, muskmelon, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, peppers, spinach, carrots, cucumbers, radish, beets, turnips, and Brussels sprouts.

Management Tips

If you have had cutworm problems in previous years, you can till soil before planting to disturb pupae. Plant collars can be used to physically block larvae from clipping new seedlings. Collars can be made from cut sections of PVC pipe, fruit/ vegetable cans with both ends cut out, or aluminum foil wrapped around stems of seedlings. A key to using plant collars is that they need to be partially buried in the soil and sticking up from the ground to protect the seedling and block larvae. If you are confident that no pupae are in the soil, row cover can be used to keep adult moths from laying eggs on the leaves of host plants. If eggs or egg clusters are spotted on plant foliage, they can be squished or removed from plants.

metal can surrounding seedling to prevent cutworms

Use tin cans as plant collars to prevent cutworm damage.

Chemical treatment may consist of insecticidal soap on smaller larval stages. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) variety kurstaki is a biological product that only targets caterpillars and can help to conserve beneficial predator insects. Another biological product is spinosad which is selectively active on insect pests that feed on foliage. Both Bt and spinosad need to have good coverage on the infested plants as they need to be consumed for them to work. This would also mean that you would need to treat with these products in the evening since cutworm larvae are nocturnal. With any pesticide product, make sure to read and follow all labeled instructions and make sure that it can be used in the area that you plan to treat.

For more information or help with identification, contact Wizzie Brown, Texas AgriLife Extension Service Program Specialist at 512.854.9600.

Additional Resources

About Wizzie

Wizzie Brown
Wizzie Brown
County Extension Program Specialist – Integrated Pest Management
Email:EBrown@ag.tamu.edu
Wizzie has been with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service since 2002 and has been playing with insects since she was a toddler. She is an Extension Program Specialist with the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program. Wizzie holds a B.S. in entomology from The Ohio State University and a M.S. in entomology from Texas A&M University. The integrated pest management program provides identification, biological and management information to whomever needs help. Wizzie’s research focuses on imported fire ants, including community wide fire ant management. Wizzie also is happy to provide programs to area groups on a variety of arthropod-related topics. You can find insect and other arthropod information on Wizzie’s blog.

Container Gardening at 2023 Earth-Kind Field Day March 25th

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container gardening the theme for earth-kind field day

Container Gardening 101 Focus for Spring 2023 Earth-Kind Gardening Field Day

Come join the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Travis County Master Gardeners for our Spring 2023 Earth-Kind Gardening Field Day! It will be Saturday, March 25th from 9 am to 1 pm at the Travis County AgriLife Extension office located at 1600 Smith Road, Austin, TX 78721. Parking is available along Smith Road. The event is free and open to the public.

The spring 2023 theme is Container Gardening 101 – for indoor and outdoor gardening. The first 100 attendees will receive a free 5.5″ eco-container and saucer courtesy of Gardenio – a new kind of garden club app for food growers – to start their growing journeys.

Demonstrations and Gardening Advice

Workshops will teach participants about houseplant care, growing ornamentals or vegetables in pots, and create a composting system. Other activities focus on vermicomposting, irrigation, rainwater harvesting, and entomology. Daphne Richards, County Extension Agent – Horticulture, at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and Wizzie Brown, Extension Program Specialist- IPM will both be there too. Travis County Master Gardeners will be stationed throughout the Extension Demonstration Garden to answer questions about plant selection and care. Bring a garden tool and we’ll show you how to sharpen it!

leaf crowns

Kids can make a leaf crown.

Kids activities include a fairy garden display, insect scavenger hunt, and making a leaf crown that they can take home with them.

The schedule includes:

9:00 a.m. Compost Workshop. Learn how to turn everyday waste from your home or garden into beneficial compost.

10:00 a.m. Houseplant University. Get tips on plant selection, watering, and light to help you successfully grow indoor plants. Watch a demonstration on repotting and dividing. You’ll also learn how to manage pests – including soil gnats!

11:00 a.m. The 6D’s of Container Gardening.  Watch a demonstration on planting a container garden for your outdoor living spaces.  Get advice on types of soil, pot size, drainage, and light.

New Educational Greenhouse is Dedicated at 11:00 a.m.

Travis County Master Gardeners building greenhouse foundation

Greenhouse foundation builders Kay Angermann, Teresa Garcia, Peter Wood, Braden Latham-Jones, Dan Wittliff, Bill Happel, and Julie Nelson.

Special guests Kim and Andrew Cook from EXACO will be on hand to cut the ribbon on the new educational greenhouse that they donated to the Travis County Master Gardeners. The foundation for it was designed by Dan Wittliff and built by Travis County Master Gardener Volunteers.

Roses and Books Available for Purchase

A limited supply of Earth-Kind roses and the popular Travis County Master Gardener publications Garden Guide for Austin and Vicinity, and From Drought to Deluge: The Resilient Central Texas Garden will be available for purchase.

Additional Resources

Learn more about all of these topics here: Our Favorite Gardening Resources for Austin and Travis County

Get tips on indoor and outdoor gardening things to do on our Monthly Gardening Calendar.

Insect Life Cycles by Wizzie Brown

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chart depicting two types of Insect life cycles

In both metamorphosis stages, the insect begins the cycle as an egg. In a complete metamorphosis the insect passes through four distinct phases which produce an adult that does not resemble the larvae. An incomplete metamorphosis means the insect does not go through a full transformation, but instead transitions from a nymph to an adult by molting its exoskeleton whenever it becomes too tight. 

Two Categories of Insect Lifecycles

Wizzie is kicking off the year with some basic insect biology about metamorphosis.

Insect life cycles can be broken down into two major categories: incomplete and complete. Incomplete can then be further broken into three varying types.

Paurometabolous

Incomplete metamorphosis, also called paurometabolous, has three life stages. The first stage is the egg which hatches into an immature insect called a nymph. The nymph eats, grows and molts, going through several different nymphal stages called instars. With each successive molt, the nymph grows larger and begins to develop wings. Nymphs look similar to adults in appearance with the exception that they do not have fully developed wings. The final stage is the adult which has fully developed wings (of course, unless the insect is wingless i.e. bed bugs). Adult insects seek out the opposite sex, mate, and females lay eggs to begin the cycle anew. An example of an insect with paurometabolous metamorphosis is a cockroach.

Ametabolous

Primitive insect groups have a variation of incomplete metamorphosis called ametabolous. This type of metamorphosis also has three life stages: egg, nymph, and adult, but the immatures/ nymphs look exactly like the adults except they are smaller in size. Dissection may be needed to tell immatures from adults. An example of an insect with ametabolous metamorphosis is a silverfish.

Hemimetabolous

red dragonfly

A dragonfly is an example of hemimetabolous metamorphosis

The second variation of incomplete metamorphosis is called hemimetabolous and insects with this type of metamorphosis have an immature stage that is aquatic. Again, there are three life stages: egg, nymph, and adult. The nymphal stage of hemimetabolous insects lives in water and is called a naiad. The last nymphal instar- or the last stage before the insect molts into an adult- crawls out of the water onto a dry surface so the adult insect can emerge without getting their wings wet. An example of an insect with hemimetabolous metamorphosis is a dragonfly.

Complete Metamorphosis

The second basic category of metamorphosis is complete, or holometabolous, metamorphosis.

Complete metamorphosis has four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Eggs are laid by fertilized adult females and hatch into the second stage called a larva. Larva* look very different from the adults and often feed on different food sources than adults. Larva are often have elongated bodies, no wings, and may or may not have legs. After going through several instars, or larval stages, the insect turns from a larva into a pupa. The pupa is a transformation stage for the insect where it rearranges it’s body into the adult form. Sometimes you can see adult features in the pupal stage, but other times the pupa is within a case- like with fly or butterfly** pupa- and you cannot see development. The adult insect emerges from the pupal stage, seeks out a mate for mating, and continues the cycle.

*Larva is the general name for immature insects that go through complete metamorphosis. There are more specific names for various types of larva based on what Order they belong to.

Larva in the Order Lepidoptera that turn into butterflies and moths are caterpillars. Larva in the Order Diptera and turn into flies are maggots. Also in the Order Diptera, wigglers are the larval stage of mosquitoes (and mosquito pupae are often called tumblers). Larva that turn into beetles, Order Coleoptera, are called grubworms or wireworms (depending upon what type of beetle they turn into).

**A butterfly pupal case is called a chrysalis.
For more information or help with identification, contact Wizzie Brown, Texas AgriLife Extension Service Program Specialist at 512.854.9600.

Additional Resources

About Wizzie

Wizzie Brown
Wizzie Brown
County Extension Program Specialist – Integrated Pest Management
Email:EBrown@ag.tamu.edu
Wizzie has been with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service since 2002 and has been playing with insects since she was a toddler. She is an Extension Program Specialist with the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program. Wizzie holds a B.S. in entomology from The Ohio State University and a M.S. in entomology from Texas A&M University. The integrated pest management program provides identification, biological and management information to whomever needs help. Wizzie’s research focuses on imported fire ants, including community wide fire ant management. Wizzie also is happy to provide programs to area groups on a variety of arthropod-related topics. You can find insect and other arthropod information on Wizzie’s blog.

What’s Happening in Austin’s January Vegetable Garden

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January Vegetable Garden Checklist Tips from Paula Wolfel

January is surprisingly an exciting time for Austin vegetable gardeners because this is when the bulk of your spring garden planning can occur!

Continue to make preparations for the lower temperatures, and watch the rain because this time or year we can reduced our irrigations needs. Make sure you continue to protect all new transplants from freeze and their first frost.  If the temperatures falls below 28 degrees then cover your plants, securing them with soil, bricks, rocks, or pins.  In addition, make sure to keep an eye on temperatures near freezing and frost warnings for citrus trees: either cover them with frost cover or blankets, or if they are potted, move them inside.  And finally, take advantage of the winter lull to take care of your tools.  See below for tips on sharpening, cleaning, and oiling your tools.

Happy Year of the Broccoli!

Broccoli head Here’s some inspiration for your January vegetable garden checklist, the National Garden Bureau has declared 2023 the Year of the Broccoli.

The January Vegetable Garden Checklist

Here is what you can do in the garden this month:

FERTILIZE
  • Fertilize established plantings of asparagus late in the month to encourage healthy new shoots.
  • If you planted fall garlic or have vegetables that survived the freeze, continue to feed with a liquid fertilizer every two weeks.
WATER
  • Irrigate vegetable beds so that the plantings do not dry out. Irrigate only if the soil is dry a few inches below the surface, or in newly established seedbeds, or if you are not getting adequate rainfall. Dry plants are more likely to suffer freeze damage than well-watered ones, but plants use less water when temperatures are cool. Be careful not to overwater and always check soil moisture levels before watering.
PLANTING (with frost protection)
  • Seeds:
    • Beets (middle to late January)
    • Carrots (middle to late January)
    • Fava Beans (all month)
    • Green, cool season (all month)
    • Peas, English/now/snap (middle to late January)
    • Potato, Irish (late Jauary)
    • Radishes (all month)
    • Turnips (middle to late January)
  • Transplants:
    • Artichokes (all month)
    • Asparagus (all month)
    • Broccoli (middle to late January)
    • Cabbage (middle to late January)
    • Cauliflower (middle to late January)
    • Leeks (middle to late January)
    • Onions, bulbing (all month)
  • Seeds or Transplants:
    • Asian Greens (all month)Leafy Asian Cabbage
    • Collards (all month)
    • Kale (all month)
    • Kohlrabi (all month)
    • Lettuce (middle to late January)
    • Mustard greens (all month)
    • Spinach (middle to all month)
    • Swiss Chard (all month)
  • Indoors:
    • Start tomato and pepper seeds indoor. I usually start transplanting mine in mid- to- late March.
    • Potatoes get planted in mid-February but they need to be cut and set out to dry beforehand.
    • Start shopping seeds for the February planting season.
SOIL
  • If you’ve had a vegetable garden for a few years now, have a soil test done (forms available here). It’ll help you determine which amendments to add and what to avoid. Add organic matter like compost or aged manure, fallen leaves and pine straw to your soil so there is time for it to break down before spring planting.
DISEASES/PESTS TO LOOK FOR
  • Cabbage loopers, aphids, snails/slugs, and some beetles can remain active all winter (control methods can be found here in the Grow Green Guides)
  • Protect plants from damage and insulate from freezing weather with a layer of row cover. This can be left on all winter. Anchor the fabric in several places with u-shaped pins, bricks, stones or sandbags. Another option is to lay 4-6 foot lengths of heavy t-posts or wooden boards along the long edge of the row. They are easy to remove if you want to lift up a section of row cover to periodically check the progress of your plants.
MAINTENANCE
  • Keep up with weeds while they are young and before they have a chance to put down roots.
  • Take advantage of mild winter days to tidy up your shed and greenhouse, and take care of tools.
  • Keep up with the mulch (pine bark, hardwood mulch, pine straw, etc.)
  • Remove annuals that were killed or burned by frost, but don’t cut back perennials yet. Wait until they start to show new growth at the base.
HARVEST
  • Keep your vegetable consumption high this winter as you continue to harvest Swiss chard, kale, collards and lettuce. Use a “cut and come again” strategy. You’ll be surprised how fast everything grows.
  • Cut or twist the leafy tops off of turnips, beets, radishes and carrots before storing, and don’t overlook the culinary potential of those leafy greens. They are totally edible and nutritious, especially when harvested fresh from the garden. Their flavor is transformed when chopped up and incorporated into soups, casseroles, vegetable sautés, or dips. Carrot tops make a tasty pesto for adventurous eaters.

Additional Resources

Watch the Vegetable Gardening in Central Texas Webinar

Recommended Vegetable Varieties for Travis County

Vegetable Seed Sources

Vegetable Gardening in Austin

Plant Rotations, Successions and Intercropping

Rootknot Nematode Management

Sustainable Food Center Farmers Markets

Texas Farmers Markets

Monthly Gardening Calendar for Austin and Central Texas

About Paula Wolfel

Paula Wolfel is new to the Travis County Master Gardener program but has been gardening in Austin, Texas since 2017. She grew up in the suburbs of Chicago learning how to garden from both her father—a Sicilian vegetable and fruit tree gardener—and both her grandmothers, and then spent years in Virginia gardening. Paula loves gardening because she finds it to be a grounding force- it gets her out of her head and into the present. She loves the pride that comes with cooking a meal for her family with every ingredient coming from her garden… and then the humility she feels when she loses an entire crop because of Mother Nature. She finds gardening to be wisdom, lessons, best practices passed down generation to generation, season to season and hopes to share that with you.

Austin’s December Vegetable Garden by Paula Wolfel

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Hooray for Rain!

Colorful garden greens in the December Vegetable Garden

Add color to your leafy garden beds with an assortment of mustards and kales.

Gardening slows down a bit during this month.  As predicted, some of us had our first freeze a few weeks ago, as well as lots of rain!!   So hopefully all preparations were made last month for the lower temperatures, and the rain reduced irrigations needs. Make sure you continue to protect all new transplants from freeze and their first frost in the December vegetable garden.  If the temperatures fall below 28 degrees then cover your plants, securing them with soil, bricks, rocks, or pins.  In addition, make sure to keep an eye on temperatures near freezing and frost warnings for citrus trees: either cover them with frost cover or blankets, or if they are potted, move them inside.

Tool Maintenance

Now is a great time to reflect on the year and do a little tidying up around the garden shed. Go through your inventory of tools and see what needs to be repaired or sharpened. Dirty tools invite moisture, which leads to rust, so make sure everything is cleaned. I use an oily rag to give every tool a good polish which helps keep corrosion away. Even if your tools are stored outside, it’s a good idea to give them a little TLC to weather through the next few months. Here is a great guide to help you clean and sharpen your tools.

Your December Vegetable Garden Checklist

Even though the days are shorter, December usually gives us a lot of beautiful sunshine. Here are a few things to accomplish while soaking up some rays.

FERTILIZE
  • Continue to feed vegetables with fish emulsion or other water-soluble fertilizer every 2 weeks.
WATER
  • Water vegetable beds so that plantings do not dry out. Irrigate only if the soil is dry a few inches below the surface or in newly established seedbeds or transplants.
PLANTING (with frost protection)
  • Seeds:
    • Greens, cool season (all month)
    • Radishes (all month)
  • Transplants:
    • Asian Greens (all month)
    • Lettuce (all month)
    • Spinach (all month)
  • Seeds or Transplants:
    • Asian Greens (all month)
    • Lettuce (all month)
    • Spinach (all month)
SOIL
  • Use mild days to turn compost and build up mulch in the December vegetable garden.
DISEASES/PESTS TO LOOK FOR
  • Cabbage loopers, aphids, snails/slugs, and some beetles can remain active all winter. Protect plants from damage and insulate from freezing weather with a layer of row cover. This can be left on all winter. Anchor the fabric in several places with u-shaped pins, bricks, stones or sandbags. Another option is to lay 4-6 foot lengths of heavy t-posts or wooden boards along the long edge of the row. They are easy to remove if you want to lift up a section of row cover to periodically check the progress of your plants.
MAINTENANCE
  • Keep up with weeds while they are young and before they have a chance to put down roots. A sharp hoe makes quick work in vegetable beds.
  • Remove annuals that were killed or burned by frost, but don’t cut back perennials yet.
HARVEST
  • Keep your vegetable consumption high this winter as you continue to harvest Swiss chard, kale, collards and lettuce. Use a “cut and come again” strategy. You’ll be surprised how fast everything grows.
  • Cut or twist the leafy tops off of turnips, beets, radishes and carrots before storing, and don’t overlook the culinary potential of those leafy greens. They are totally edible and nutritious, especially when harvested fresh from the garden. Their flavor is transformed when chopped up and incorporated into soups, casseroles, vegetable sautés, or dips. Carrot tops make a tasty pesto for adventurous eaters.
PLANNING
  • Take some time to sit down with garden notes and graph paper or a computer app and plan your vegetable garden for next year. Place your order for the spring season while seed sources still have plenty of inventory.
  • Try to pencil out a crop rotation plan. It really does help with pest and fertility management. I use a rotation of potatoes to help break up compacted garden beds and add compost after I’ve dug up the crop.
  • Start shopping seeds for the February planting season.

Thinking Ahead: Preparation for Frost

Upside down nursery pots used for frost protection in the December vegetable garden

Use pots or buckets for protection – but remove them when it warms back up.

As a reminder from November’s articles, in preparation for freezing temperatures, make sure you mulch around all your plants and keep bare soil covered with mulch or leaves.

If a freeze is expected:

  • Water plants beforehand
  • Cover newly planted plants, and tender vegetables and landscape plants with row cover, sheets or blankets making sure to secure the fabric to the ground to prevent wind from blowing it up and to seal in heat from the ground
  • Disconnect hoses, wrap faucets, and drain sprinklers before the freezing night arrives

Additional Resources

Watch the Vegetable Gardening in Central Texas Webinar

Recommended Vegetable Varieties for Travis County

Vegetable Seed Sources

Vegetable Gardening in Austin

Plant Rotations, Successions and Intercropping

Rootknot Nematode Management

Sustainable Food Center Farmers Markets

Texas Farmers Markets

Monthly Gardening Calendar for Austin and Central Texas

About Paula Wolfel

Paula Wolfel is new to the Travis County Master Gardener program but has been gardening in Austin, Texas since 2017. She grew up in the suburbs of Chicago learning how to garden from both her father—a Sicilian vegetable and fruit tree gardener—and both her grandmothers, and then spent years in Virginia gardening. Paula loves gardening because she finds it to be a grounding force- it gets her out of her head and into the present. She loves the pride that comes with cooking a meal for her family with every ingredient coming from her garden… and then the humility she feels when she loses an entire crop because of Mother Nature. She finds gardening to be wisdom, lessons, best practices passed down generation to generation, season to season and hopes to share that with you.

Help Overwintering Insects by Wizzie Brown

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Provide Shelter for Overwintering Insects

If you want to help increase the survival of overwintering insects these next few months, there are some things you can do to provide them with shelter during colder times of the year.

Why Bother?

First of all, why should you provide shelter for overwintering insects? Not all insects are pests! It is estimated that less than 5% of insect species are considered pests which means the majority of insects are beneficial or just hanging around the landscape. Any of you that have heard me speak before know that I say that you can’t pigeonhole an insect as being bad or good based on what the insect is. You need to consider where the insect is located and what it is doing. Now that everyone is on board with helping insects out over the winter, let’s get into what you can do to help.

Leave the Leaves

yard showing leaves and stems left for overwintering insects

Create shelter by leaving the leaves and stems of garden plants.

The Xerces Society spearheaded a social media campaign with the “leave the leaves” slogan. Essentially, it asks people to leave the leaves that fall to the ground in the fall as overwintering habitat for various animals. I do this in my own yard- although I have live oaks and those leaves don’t drop until spring. Fortunately, my neighbor across the way has a burr oak that drops leaves in the fall and all those leaves magically blow into my yard. Leaf litter makes great habitat not only for insects but also a bunch of other ground dwelling animals. I usually rake my leaves into my beds and then mulch over top of the leaves in the late spring.

Leave the Stems

I know “leave the stems” doesn’t flow off the tongue as well as the previous slogan, but it’s of similar thought. This requires you to leave any hollow stemmed plants to allow insects that overwinter/ nest inside to have spaces that are cozy to spend the winter. I do this in my landscape as well, and if I get a letter from the HOA, I write them back with an explanation as to how I am helping native pollinators as there are numerous native bees that nest in hollow stemmed plants. Once new plant growth begins to emerge the following spring, I cut back the old stems, but I don’t throw them away just yet. I place the cut stems into a back corner of my yard for any stragglers that may be taking their time to emerge.

Bury Logs

log and branch lying on ground

Partially bury logs or branches for shelter

Partially bury a log in your yard. Do you still have logs leftover from Snowpocalypse? If so, choose one to partially bury in the yard to create a habitat for various arthropods. This is another strategy that I am using in my yard, although I think that I need to move my buried log to a location that gets better sunlight in the morning. By partially burying the log, you allow moisture in which allows it to be more habitable to a larger number of arthropods. You can have arthropods overwintering in the log, under the bark, or under the log itself.

Get an Insect House

insect hotel with cartons and sticks

Build an insect hotel with items found on your property

Create or buy an insect house. Insect houses can be as large or as small as fits your landscape and can fit any budget. I have both purchased insect houses- these are specifically native bee houses/ nurseries- and made insect houses. You can upcycle any water resistant container into an insect house by filling it with other recycled items such as toilet paper tubes, shredded paper, pine cones, twigs, leaves, bamboo, paper egg cartons, or other natural materials. Insect houses can be placed on the ground, in the crotch of tree branches, or attached to fences or other objects.

You can find more information here: https://travis-tx.tamu.edu/about-2/horticulture/our-favorite-gardening-resources-austin/#Bees

Insect-Friendly Landscape = Less Yard Work!

Providing a few simple things as overwintering areas for insects creates a more insect-friendly landscape. An additional bonus is that it’s less yard work!

For more information or help with identification, contact Wizzie Brown, Texas AgriLife Extension Service Program Specialist at 512.854.9600.

About Wizzie

Wizzie Brown
Wizzie Brown
County Extension Program Specialist – Integrated Pest Management
Email:EBrown@ag.tamu.edu
Wizzie has been with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service since 2002 and has been playing with insects since she was a toddler. She is an Extension Program Specialist with the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program. Wizzie holds a B.S. in entomology from The Ohio State University and a M.S. in entomology from Texas A&M University. The integrated pest management program provides identification, biological and management information to whomever needs help. Wizzie’s research focuses on imported fire ants, including community wide fire ant management. Wizzie also is happy to provide programs to area groups on a variety of arthropod-related topics. You can find insect and other arthropod information on Wizzie’s blog.

Leach Teaching Gardens Visit by Kay Angermann

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Entrance to the Leach Teaching Gardens

The entrance to the Leach Teaching Gardens

Texas A&M Campus-More than tailgating and football

When most folks from central Texas think about Texas A&M, they think about the days of big football rivalries, core cadets and not so funny Aggie jokes. I spent quite a few weekends at A&M with my Aggie friends in my 20’s going to bonfires, games and doing what college kids do.

greenhouses

Texas A&M horticultural school and greenhouses

I did not realize until a few recent visits how large and beautiful the Texas A&M campus is. As of 2021 it has a total undergraduate enrollment of 56,723, and the campus size is 5,200 acres. During the 2020-2021 academic year, Texas A&M University – College Station handed out 57 bachelor’s degrees in horticulture. Due to this, the school is ranked in the top 5% of all colleges and universities that offer this degree, according to College Factual. There has been an increase each year with students entering this field.

Recently Julie and I, two Longhorn fans, joined our Aggie friends for a weekend in College Station, and were treated to a field trip to West Campus where the Leach Teaching Gardens are featured. The teaching gardens are situated right next to the horticultural school and greenhouses and you will pass the impressive AgriLife Buildings at the entrance.

About Leach Gardens

Amy and Tom Leach were the lead donors of now one of the premier teaching gardens in the country. The initial phase began in 2016 and opened to the public in 2018. There are currently 21 teaching gardens and a total of 33 teaching areas to enjoy on the 7 acre development with more to come in future phases.

steel wall with butterfly silhouettes

Steel wall as a backdrop to the butterfly garden

wall of pumpkins

Fun farmers market display and photo op

irrigation in cotton

Farming and Fiber display garden complete with mock-up irrigation system

The gardens consist of bird, bee, butterfly, rose, herb, cottage, Texas Superstar, citrus, cottage, vegetable gardens and more. In addition, there are specialty heritage gardens, a farming field display (the current display is a cotton field), a farmers market photo opportunity and even a vineyard. Within the gardens you will see unique pathways, extraordinary hardscape, creeks, pavilions, outdoor classrooms, arbors, steel walls, screens and even a bird blind that all provide special focal points along the paths. There are many demonstrations for water catchment systems that are clever and intriguing. Make sure you visit the AgriLife building courtyard too. The water collection system there is pretty impressive.

water catchment along path

One of many creative water catchment areas and gardens

pink coral vine blossoms

The coral vine and milkweed in the butterfly garden was swarming with butterflies

Worth the Trip

pot person sculpture sitting on garden bench

Our new friend, “Tara” Cotta

The seven-acre area is an easy walk and is wheelchair accessible with wide crushed granite pathways and ample sitting areas and shade. I have never seen so much butterfly activity in my life and there are photo opportunities around every corner. The gardens spark great ideas and excitement for all types of gardening. I highly recommend this two hour trek to College station to explore The Leach Teaching Gardens on the A&M campus. The garden also has tours twice a week at 9:30 am. See the website for details.

Additional Resources

Our Favorite Gardening Resources for Austin and Travis County

Ornamental Plants for Austin

About Kay Angermann

East Austin Garden Fair Activities. Fun at the photo booth. Kay has been a Travis County Master Gardener since 2018. She and Julie (also a Travis County Master Gardener) have had their “Katy Bird Farm” garden featured on Central Texas Gardener.  They have two miniature donkeys, chickens, dogs, cats, and 15 different gardens on 2.7 acres. When she’s not busy on the farm, she’s out gathering vintage signs and decor for her Hipbilly business.