GARDENING CALENDAR

TEXAS COOPERATIVE EXTENSION

BEXAR COUNTY BY DAVID RODRIGUEZ

February 3, 2007

Mid-February is rose-pruning time for grafted roses. Leave four to six pencil width stems arranged around an open center. Reduce height to approximately 30 inches. Climbing roses should be shaped and trimmed after they bloom. In the spring time old-fashion or own root roses should be lightly cleaned up.

Divide summer and fall blooming perennials now before spring growth begins. This includes mallows, cannas, fall asters, garden mums, purple coneflowers, gay feather, perennial salvias and others.

Use oak leaves for mulch in the garden or add them to the compost pile. Do not throw them to the curb and fill up the landfills. This is a recyclable resource for our landscapes.

Remove browned tissues from Asian jasmine, liriope and monkey grass. Reshape lanky plants such as nandinas by pruning the tallest one-third of canes back to two-inches from the ground. New shoots will fill in from beneath.

“Pot-up” your tomatoes into one-gallon pots to maximize growth before stable weather arrives. For tomatoes, the ‘hot’ named tomatoes do well in this area. Look for the newest released tomato “Top Gun,” it is comparable to a large patio type tomato which can be grown both in the vegetable garden and in a large pot. Move the plants into a covered area if cold weather is predicted.

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