GARDENING CALENDAR

TEXAS AGRILIFE EXTENSION SERVICE

BEXAR COUNTY  BY DAVID RODRIGUEZ

July 19, 2008

Butterflies are attracted to overripe fruit, blooms, and mud. Make a muddy spot in your landscape for them to enjoy or place overripe fruit in a container.

Keep birdbaths full and clean. Clean water is in short supply and is essential to the birds and butterflies.

Hummingbirds will reward you with their antics if you keep plenty of sugar water in feeders for them. Clean and change the water in the feeders weekly.

Fertilize bougainvillea, hibiscus and plumeria to keep them blooming through the summer.

Remove suckers from the base of fruit trees. They grow from the root system (stock) and are a different variety from the top which is called the scion. Suckers will quickly dominate the scion if left uncut.

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.