GARDENING CALENDAR

TEXAS AGRILIFE EXTENSION SERVICE

BEXAR COUNTY BY DAVID RODRIGUEZ

September 13, 2008

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.

The first planting of cool weather vegetable transplants like ‘Cheers’ cabbage, ‘Green Magic’ broccoli, ‘Snow Crown’ Cauliflower, ‘Vates’ collards, and ‘Prince Marvel’ Brussels sprouts should be planted in a six to eight hour sunny location. A second planting is done in mid-October.

Consider adding Mexican mint marigold (Tagetes lucida) to your fall herb garden. This plant has a wonderful licorice fragrance and blooms with dainty orange-yellowish flowers which often attract butterflies.

Other plants which attract numerous butterflies to your landscape this fall include, mist flower (eupatorium), lantana, butterfly weed (asclepias), and indigo spires salvia.

If disease issues persist in your St. Augustine turfgrass, treat with a listed granulated fungicide like Fungaway, Terraclor or F-Stop. Always read and follow label instructions. Gradually replace troublesome areas with the more disease resistant Flora-TAM St. Augustine grass.

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.