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Author Archives: sheryl.williams
Leaffooted Bugs Common in Summer Vegetable Gardens by Wizzie Brown
Leaffooted Bugs and Stink Bugs Closely Related Leaffooted bugs are sometimes mistaken for stink bugs, which are a closely related insect. However, Leaffooted bugs are larger than stink bugs and have an elongated body. Some leaffooted bugs have an expanded region on their hind leg that looks similar to a leaf, hence the name leaffooted bug (Figure 1). Identifying Traits Adult insects are fairly large and grayish-brown. Immatures, or nymphs, look similar to adults, but may differ in color and lack the expanded region on the leg until… Read More →
Fall Armyworm Populations Active in Austin Area
Fall armyworm larvae, or caterpillars, are light tan to light green with a brownish-black head. These caterpillars have a white line between their eyes that forms an inverted Y-shape. Larvae have yellowish and black banding along their body as well as four large spots at the end of the abdomen. Adults are small moths with a wingspan of 1.5 inches with mottled brownish-grey wings. Fall armyworms overwinter in the pupal stage in south Texas. Once adults emerge from the pupal stage, they migrate northward during spring as temperatures… Read More →
Tomato Time – Join us for an EPIC Tomato Talk
Plant or Plan – Think About Next Tomato Crop Now Savvy Central Texas Gardeners know that we actually have TWO gardening seasons here in Austin. The first starts around February 25th and ends with the arrival of summer. The second garden season starts in late August or September and ends with the arrival of the first frost on about November 29th. Unfortunately, our summers are just too hot for most plants and gardeners. There’s a Reason Your Tomato Harvest Dwindles in the Heat Tomatoes are a good example… Read More →
Beat the Heat by Watering From the Bottom Up By Kirk Walden
Reservoir Planters Help Beat the Heat When I moved to Austin in 1998, our first house had a balcony outside our master bedroom. I was delighted that I would be able to wake up every morning to a beautiful array of flowers arranged in pots right outside our windows. It worked well in March. By June, I was watering the pots twice a day. By August, I couldn’t keep anything alive. That’s because the balcony faced due west and had no roof. I gave up until fall. It… Read More →
In the July Vegetable Garden by Patty Leander
It’s Time to Take a Break in the July Vegetable Garden For most gardeners July is a slow month in the vegetable garden, some might call it a dormant season. The heat and lack of rain can adversely affect growth and pollination, so after the tomato harvest winds down, the beans peter out and the squash succumbs to heat and pests, it’s a good time to take a break and focus on the upcoming fall season. Start Planning the Fall Garden Check your seed inventory and peruse seed… Read More →
Mosquito Repellents by Wizzie Brown
Mosquitoes are out in masses and since they are capable of disease transmission, it is important that you protect yourself when spending time outside. Of course, you can wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt in light colors to reduce the number of mosquitoes that can reach your skin when outside, but this is not always the option people choose with temperatures on the rise. Another option to protect yourself is mosquito repellent. How to Properly Apply Mosquito Repellent Apply repellent only to clothing and exposed skin; do… Read More →
In Austin’s May Vegetable Garden by Patty Leander
Hurray for the May vegetable garden! The rush of spring planting has passed, the chance for unexpected cold snaps is over and we are headed toward summer and the much-anticipated vegetable harvest. May Vegetable Garden Checklist WATER Conserve water by using drip irrigation or soaker hoses to deliver moisture to the root zone and avoid overhead watering which may encourage disease. If you have automatic irrigation, be sure to turn it off when rain is in the forecast. FERTILIZE Help vegetable plantings along by providing consistent moisture and… Read More →
Micro-Orcharding in Urban Growing Spaces by Reed Burnam
Micro-Orcharding: Stacking Edible Diversity into Suburban and Urban Growing Spaces “Micro-Orcharding” is a high-density planting technique that allows for maximum diversity in fruit and nut crops in smaller planting spaces. This method works well in the city and suburbs where space is at a premium, but is useful anywhere. The concept is simple – you plant trees closer together than recommended. Then you keep the size of individual trees smaller year on year. This helps to maintain spacing and light whilst maximizing fruit diversity. Consistently reducing the size… Read More →
For the Love of Roses by Carolyn Williams
The love of roses is a subject that captivates gardeners and poets alike. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “There is simply the rose; it is perfect in every moment of its existence.” This is my fourth post on roses. I hope I’ve answered a few basic questions in order for you to have enough rose knowledge that you can either plant a new rose or help an older established one produce better sweet smelling roses. Fertilizer Basics Have your soil tested so that you know how much fertilizer you should… Read More →
Maintaining Roses by Carolyn Williams
Maintaining Roses is Easy Maintaining roses is one of the easiest things to do in the garden. The trick is to select roses that do well in our climate, plant them at the right time, and give them enough light. Best Time to Plant Roses Most container roses, especially Earth-Kind® or antique, can go into the ground most anytime as long as they have supplemental irrigation. But the best times to plant roses in the Austin area are early fall through early spring. Roses need to establish roots… Read More →