GARDENING CALENDAR

TEXAS AGRILIFE EXTENSION SERVICE

BEXAR COUNTY BY DAVID RODRIGUEZ

August 30, 2008

Plan a better vegetable garden for fall. We are very fortunate to have two distinct gardening seasons in South/Central Texas. The fall and spring seasons offer us 11 to 12 months of successful and fun vegetable gardening. Consider starting a journal, marking down notes with illustrations. Look back at this journal in time to help make your garden better or to improve any aspect of your landscape.

The prolonged hot and dry summer in combination with a few recent rainy days has caused percolation of the alkalinity from the soil. This is showing up on turfgrasses as a light yellowing. Frequent applications of iron sulfate (Copperas) as a foliar spray or a direct application may he needed to correct this deficiency. Greensand or Iron-plus can also be used.

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 at 21 day intervals.

Clean up German Bearded iris beds and thin out clumps if crowded. They can be transplanted and divided from now until October.

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.