GARDENING CALENDAR

TEXAS AGRILIFE EXTENSION SERVICE

BEXAR COUNTY  BY DAVID RODRIGUEZ

January 31, 2009

Blackberry root cuttings are planted during the dormant season. Root cuttings are pieces of root about the size of a pencil, which are dug in winter, and may be stored in moist sawdust or sphagnum moss wrapped in plastic. They are laid horizontally in the ground about 2 inches to 4 inches deep and 2 to 3 feet apart in the row.

Dormant bareroot blackberry plants may also be planted during the winter. Plants should be spaced two to three feet apart in rows eight to twelve feet apart. Nursery plants in containers can be planted at any time of year, although early spring is best and watering will be critical. Look for varieties such as Brazos, Rosborough, and Kiowa.

Fall planted strawberries need to be fertilized every three weeks to accelerate growth and flower production through February and early March. Harvesting of berries from late March through late May will potentially produce one pint of delicious fruit per plant.

The fig fruit is a unique inverted flower with both the male and female flower parts enclosed in stem tissue. At maturity the interior of the fig contains only the remains of these flower structures, including the small gritty structures commonly called seeds. Look to ad some plants to your home garden at this time. Reliable varieties include Alma, Celeste, and Texas Everbearing.

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.