Galveston

Cole Crazy: Broccoli For a Fall and Winter Garden

stephen.brueggerhoff — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 16:21:45 +0000

Right about this time of year comes unpredictable weather. We hope for a little temperance with our daily and nighttime temperature. I’ve grown up with the brag ‘if you don’t like the weather, just wait a minute’, a saying that sounds great when joking about Texas Gulf Coast fall and winter. I am highlighting one vegetable that is a cold tolerant trooper in the garden and one of my favorite to grow in the fall and winter: broccoli. There are similarities in growing conditions when comparing cole crops... Read More →

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Fall Flowers in the Fields

stephen.brueggerhoff — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 16:17:02 +0000

I often refer to this season as our second spring, fall flowering plants expressing brilliant colors before a short winters rest. As you explore your local horizon, you may see broad bands of pink or yellow appearing as a sheen across pastures and coastal prairies. Closer inspection reveals a striking brilliance of species like Goldenrod (Solidago sp.), 4-foot-tall sun yellow wands that gracefully bow in the wind. Fall is its season to shine, indicating cooler weather is on the rise. You may notice other yellow-flowering plants such as... Read More →

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Patio Citrus

stephen.brueggerhoff — Sat, 30 Sep 2023 17:03:19 +0000

Last December’s hard freeze set back homeowners reestablishing citrus trees. A few residents that I have talked with swear they will never grow citrus again. My advice is to not give in to the vagaries of old man winter, to continue planting in-ground and consider cultivating citrus in containers. There are a number of advantages with container grown citrus: flexibility relocating plants before freeze events; great for homes with limited outdoor space; and cold sensitive varietals cultivated outside of their natural range. Basics of Growing Citrus: Container Size... Read More →

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Citrus Leaves Looking Bad: Asian Citrus Leaf Miner

stephen.brueggerhoff — Fri, 21 Jul 2023 20:12:59 +0000

There are many reasons to love gardening along the Texas Gulf Coast, one being the ability to successfully grow a variety of citrus trees in our landscape. Urban gardeners to small-scale orchard operators in Galveston County have natural resources of temperate weather and access to full sun to entice sun-colored fragrant fruit from their trees. Citrus is a general term for fruit that includes the familiar lemon, key and persian lime, the unusual thick-skinned citron, the delectable sweet orange, easy to peel tangerine, huge pomelo, grape-sized kumquat and... Read More →

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Garden Preparation Before the Freeze

stephen.brueggerhoff — Thu, 22 Dec 2022 21:51:21 +0000

The first bite of the 2022 Winter (December 22, 2022) is nigh on the horizon as I write, and temps are predicted to drop to low 20-F overnight for two nights running. Fortunately, daytime temps at our Extension office in La Marque, TX are predicted to raise just above freezing and in the 40s-F right before Christmas Day. December’s cold weather is always welcome like an old friend that briefly visits for a few months, reminding that we have thick layers of fabric in reserve to ward off... Read More →

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