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Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Keith Hansen

Posted 12:16 am  Thursday, May 17, 2012


Easy Steps To Summer's Delight
Almost every East Texas household sets out at least one or two tomato plants during spring so as to enjoy nature's "delight" in their summer salads -- even the apartment dweller has a container of tomato plants on the patio. Tomatoes come in a variety of sizes and shapes and now even a variety of colors. However, the little cherry tomato is still a favorite for small or container gardens. It has been said that everyone and anyone can grow cherry tomatoes. Well, if you are that person who doesn't fall into the "everyone and anyone" category, here are some hints to keep in mind for growing cherry tomatoes.

When shopping for your plants, go to a reputable garden center, and run your hand across the tops of the plants to check for Whiteflies. You don't want those plants! Choose plants that are the stocky and fuller rather than leggy. If you end up with leggy plants, pinch off the lower leaves and plant most of the stem, leaving only the top four sets of leaves above ground. Roots will develop along the stem and you will have a much stronger, studier plant. You will have to stake the plants when they are about two feet tall so it is a good idea to set your stakes before you plant rather than damaging the roots after the planting. Staking keeps the plants from falling over on the soil and becoming susceptible to diseases. If your plants outgrow the stakes or cages, snip off the tops and pinch off some of the blooms. This will allow fruit that has already set to mature quicker.

Don't use overhead watering. Use of a soaker hose or drip irrigation in your small gardens or a watering can for your container pots is better for the plants. If your tomatoes look wilted in the morning then they need watering. Don't forget to mulch, mulch and mulch. Add at least two to three inches of mulch to each plant.

Get ready for a bountiful harvest.


Susan Wiggins
Smith County Master Gardener
Texas AgriLife Extension Service


Succulent Wreath
A succulent is a plant that has the ability to store up water for long periods of time, thus making it not only drought hardy but able to survive some neglect. I've been working on a collection that lives in baskets and clay pots near the entrance to my home. The baskets work like a welcome wreath hanging just below shoulder height so all the plants can be seen. Several varieties of sedum grow randomly around the edge of the container with Echinacea, Ghost Plant, and hen and chick (Sempervivum tectorum) near the center. Differing shapes, colors and growth habits all mingle into one dramatic display.

The Sedum tetractinum "Coral Reef" also known as Chinese sedum fills up one corner. It has pale pink foliage shaped like a flower that grows best in full sun with dry conditions. Sedum divergens has shiny green flower shaped leaves. Sedum reflexum "Blue Spruce" is fast growing and easy. Its blue color shows up nicely beside the dark red sedum "Voodoo." Sedum "Angeline" has golden yellow foliage and Sedum spurium "Tricolor" has variegated foliage that almost appears pink, white and green. All these plants will thrive as ground cover and are winter hardy in our area. Colorful, cold hardy and drought tolerant! You can't beat that.

Alice Adams
Former Smith County
Master Gardener
Texas AgriLife Extension Service


Drought Tolerant Plants & Flowers
If Texas has another drought like last year, and you like having flowers and color in your gardens, you might want to brush up on the following list of drought-tolerant plants. If you don't recognize a certain plant, be sure to ask your local garden center or nursery about the plant's hardiness for your zone. While the following may be considered drought tolerant, most will still need occasional watering during a prolonged dry spell.


Drought Tolerant Annuals
Ageratum, Blanket Flower, Calendula, California Poppy, Cockscomb, Cosmos, Creeping Zinnia, Dusty Miller, Flowering Tobacco, Foxglove, Geranium, Globe Amaranth, Madagascar Periwinkle, Marigold, Lelampodium, Moss Rose, Ornamental Kale, Ornamental Pepper, Pansy, Petunia, Salvia, Snapdragon, Spider Flower, Statice, Sweet Alyssum, Zinnia.


Drought Tolerant Perennials
Ajuga, Artemisia, Baby's Breath, Baptisia, Bee balm, Black-Eyed Susan, Butterfly Weed, Candytuft, Chrysanthemum, Columbine, Coneflower, Corabells, Coreopsis, Daylily, Gaillardia, Gaura, Gazania, Gerbera daisy, Goldenrod, Hardy Ice plant, Hellebores, Hosta, Iris, Lamb's Ears, Lantana, Liatris, Lily of the Nile, Mexican Sunflower, Peony, Perovskia, Phlox, Red Hot Poker, Salvia, Sedum, Shasta Daisy, Stokes' Aster, Verbascum, Verbena, Veronica, Yarrow.

With selection of drought-tolerant plants, it is possible to have flowers and foliage that look good in July and August.


Neysa Mueller
Smith County Master Gardener
Texas AgriLife Extension Service


Slow Release Fertilizer
As the weather warms and our lawns start greening up, it is time to think about fertilizing. A soil test is a must to know what the lawn needs. Once you have the results of your test or if you have tested in the last three or four years, you'll know what specific ratio of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium) is needed. The next question to consider is conventional or slow-release fertilizer.

Turf grass can take up nutrients continuously. An efficient way to balance this ability and have a healthy lawn fed over a longer period of time is to apply a slow-release fertilizer. When looking at the advantages of slow- release, the fewer applications means less work and will offset the higher cost. The low burn potential of the slow release outweighs conventional fertilizers' greater potential for burning.

While conventional fertilizer is fast-acting, long-term effect of slow-release is worth a wait of a few days. Release rates of slow release are dependent on the fertilizers' characteristics. They may contain materials that dissolve slowly, materials from which nitrogen is released by microorganisms, or granular materials in which nutrients' are coated to control the rate the nutrients are released.

These three release systems may be combined to optimize the rate of release. Another concern with conventional fertilizer is that nitrogen leaches readily, shortening the length of time available for the grass to take up the nitrogen as well as a potential harmful run-off problem.

So when you buy the fertilizer for your lawn, consider the advantages of slow release over conventional fertilizers.


Barbara Romine
Smith County Master Gardner
Texas AgriLife Extension Service


Drip Irrigation
Think Ahead Before the Summer Heat Comes

Now is a good time to plan ahead for summer heat and water conservation. Consider drip irrigation.

Drip irrigation is a slow, effective application of water. It gets water to the root zone, maintains good moisture levels, and conserves water that might be lost due to runoff, and evaporation by the sun and wind. Water is applied only when and where it is needed. You can go as simple as a soaker hose winding through the bed or with the more precise method of individual drippers connected to a hose that applies water to each plant. Drip irrigation is a wonderful time saver as well and you don't have to worry about watering in the heat. It is also beneficial in drought conditions. Add a programmable timer and the system takes care of itself.

There are many sources available for drip irrigation, most home stores have supplies available and there are numerous websites with complete starter kits and supplies. So study some of the websites and examine where you could benefit from using a drip system.

I have had a drip system for 4 years and the vegetable garden grows well and my container plants and hanging baskets do great and I save a lot of time not manually watering.

So, now is a great time to research drip irrigation systems. Do a survey of your landscape and determine where you would benefit the most. In the end, you will be glad you investigated it and you'll be amazed at the time you save and how wonderful your plants look even in the heat of a Texas summer. Plants are happy plants when they are watered at metered levels on a regular schedule.


Trudy Menke
Smith County Master Gardner
Texas AgriLife Extension Service

Keith Hansen is Smith County Horticulturist with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service.



Here is an easy way to add color, interest and pizazz to any home. It’s ideal for locations where there is no room for a traditional garden, such as an apartment, deck or yard with limited space. But it’s also great for adding dramatic accents to larger properties, such as this grouping of containers of mixed annuals, located strategically on a deck for maximum viewing pleasure.
(Courtesy Photo/Keith C. Hansen, Smith County Horti)
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