GARDENING CALENDAR

TEXAS AGRILIFE EXTENSION SERVICE

BEXAR COUNTY BY DAVID RODRIGUEZ

August 23, 2008

The fall vegetable garden should be in full gear in the next two weeks. If you have not done so, you can still plant fall tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. The fall beds should be weed free and rejuvenated with liberal amounts of manure compost.

Fertilize the fall vegetable garden a week before planting with an organic 4-2-3 analysis at a rate of two to three pounds per 10 linear feet. Side dress all established and growing vegetables with a slow-release 19-5-9 fertilizer at a rate of one cup per 10 linear feet every 10 to 14 days.

Remember, vegetables are short term crops and are heavy feeders. If you want quality and prolific yields, you need to fertilize them often.

For an efficient way to water your vegetable garden, set up a drip irrigation system under a two inch layer of cedar mulch. This will minimize weeds and conserve moisture. The less water a vegetable plant gets on its leaves, the less susceptible it is to diseases, insects, and spider mites.

Fall webworms may appear on mulberry, pecan, ash, persimmon, and other trees. The biological spray Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) provides control but a new, longer-lasting fungal metabolite is now available. It is an insect nerve agent named Spinosad. It is also labeled for use on fire ants.

David Rodriguez is the County Extension Agent-Horticulture with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service in Bexar County. For more information, call the Master Gardener “Hotline” (210) 467-6575 or visit our County Extension website at http://bexar-tx.tamu.edu.