GARDENING CALENDAR

TEXAS AGRILIFE EXTENSION SERVICE

BEXAR COUNTY BY DAVID RODRIGUEZ

August 16, 2008

Be considerate and efficient when watering your turfgrass with a sprinkler. Make sure your sprinkler system does not water the street, sidewalks, or driveways.

Harvest okra every two days to maintain a crop of tender pods. Discard large, tough pods.

Plant budded, but not, blooming transplants of Antigua marigolds for fabulous mum-like flowers from October through November.

Does your lawn have irregular-shaped dead areas exposed to the hot sun? Chinch bugs could be the culprits. They are about 1/6 of an inch long with a triangular black mark on the wing. Treat with an approved listed pesticide. Be sure to always read and follow label instructions.

Mowing your lawn often will help prevent weed seeds from germinating. Vary the direction of mowing to avoid developing a lawn in which the blades appear to grow and lean in one direction.

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.