GARDENING CALENDAR

TEXAS AGRILIFE EXTENSION SERVICE

BEXAR COUNTY BY DAVID RODRIGUEZ

May 28, 2011

Lilacs can not be grown here. However, the Texas Lilac Vitex which has 8-12 inch long bluish-lavender flower spikes would be a close South Texas substitute.

Tomatoes are physiologically mature and can be harvested when they change from a dark green to a light green-white color at the stem attachment. For maximum production, pick them early and let them ripen on the kitchen counter before the squirrels and birds find them.

Harvest Irish potatoes by pulling up the plant and probing into the soil for any stragglers.

Before adding mulch material to flower beds and shrub borders, water the area first. Then apply a thin two inch layer of a finely shredded native hardwood or cedar material and water once more.

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.