GARDENING CALENDAR

TEXAS COOPERATIVE EXTENSION

BEXAR COUNTY  BY DAVID RODRIGUEZ

September 1, 2007

• This is the ideal time to plant broccoli transplants. Look for the newest 2007 Texas SuperStar, ‘Green Magic.’ It is the best performer for Central/South Texas
• Cole crops such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprout that are planted now should be dusted at initial planting and every 7-10 days with Dipel dust to prevent and minimize cabbage looper caterpillars. If damage occurs later from caterpillars, spray with liquid Bt worm killer in the late evening.
• Tomatoes should be supported. Whether you cage or stake them is personal preference. Regardless of the method, plants with foliage and fruit supported off the ground will produce more than unsupported plants. Caging has several advantages; it involves less work than staking. Once the cage is placed over the plant there is no further manipulation of the plant – – no pruning, no tying. The fruit are simply harvested as they ripen. In many areas, staking and pruning of the plant to a single or multiple stem, results in sunburn when the developing fruit is exposed to excessive sunlight. Other advantages of caging over staking include protection of fruit from bird damage by more vigorous foliage cover and less fruit rot. Caged tomato vines produce more fruit of a smaller size, but staked and tied plants produce less fruit which mature earlier yet are larger.
• Flowering Annuals can be transplanted now: Alyssum, asters, calendula, dianthus (pinks), flowering cabbage and kale, pansies, petunias, phlox, Shasta daisies, snapdragons, and stock. If temperatures remain unseasonably hot, gardeners would be well advised to wait until October to transplant most of these cool-season flowering plants. Incorporate 20% enriched compost at planting and feed often.
• The fall pruning of roses is lighter than in the spring and consists of removing twiggy and unproductive growth along with any crossing or dead canes. All rose foliage is left on the bush at this time, unless it is diseased or discolored. Labor Day is a good time to do the fall “grooming.” Feed roses in the ground with one cup of slow-release 19-5-9 analysis fertilizer for every three feet of height, repeat two more times in 21 day intervals.

David Rodriguez is County Extension Agent-Horticulture with Texas Cooperative Extension 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.