GARDENING CALENDAR

TEXAS AGRILIFE EXTENSION SERVICE

BEXAR COUNTY  BY DAVID RODRIGUEZ

September 11, 2010

Fall planting season is here. With cooler weather approaching our area, this is an optimal time to plant trees, shrubs, vines, groundcovers, and perennials. For a complete listing of Extension recommended plant varieties for this part of the state, please visit the bexar-tx.tamu.edu Horticulture site.

Now is the time to fertilize your lawn with a natural based organic formulation consisting of a 4-2-3 or 8-2-4 analysis at a rate of 15 to 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Otherwise, wait till mid- October to apply a conventional 3-1-2 ratio like 15-5-10 or 18-6-12 at a rate of 5 to 7 pounds per 1,000 square feet. The option is yours.

Plant healthy well established strawberry transplants such as Chandler and Seascape. Make sure from now to the end of December, that all flowers and long shoots are pinched off. This will put energy back into the plant’s crown to produce up to one pint of fruit per plant starting in April of next year.

Many insect populations are in “full swing” and their populations “full blown” by now. For further identification of what bugs you have and how to control them, see: http://citybugs.tamu.edu.

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.