Summers in Texas are hot, and many seasoned gardeners make plans to close the garden for a few weeks to escape the heat of July and August.  One look at our Williamson County Vegetable Planting Guide shows that the options for planting in June and July start to get slim.  However, if you are willing to endure the heat, we have some heat-loving vegetables that you can plant in June.

Two of my favorite vegetables grow great in the summer heat

, okra and southern peas!  You can also plant cantaloupe, Malabar spinach, and sweet potatoes in June.

Okra is a southern staple, and it will produce through the fall.  I love it fried, roasted, and even grilled, but boiled okra is an acquired taste that I am still trying to acquire.  The old faithful okra variety is Clemson Spineless, a favorite of gardeners for more than 80 years.  Also try Emerald, Lee, or Cajun Delight varieties.  Okra needs to be picked every one to two days to maintain production.  Pick the pods when they are young because okra can get tough and stringy.

Southern peas are another favorite of mine, and we have so many great varieties for Central Texas.  Try Crowder, Pink Eye Purple Hull, Lady Cream or Texas Cream 40.  My personal favorite is Zipper Cream, and it was one of the top picks in the Master Gardener variety trial in 2019.  The two problems we encountered with southern peas was an outbreak of aphids and a rust fungus.  The aphids were treated by knocking them off with a water hose, and we used a copper fungicide for the rust.  I have Zipper Cream peas already planted this year, and I cannot wait for the harvest!

Sweet potatoes are a fun crop to grow but be prepared to give them lots of space!  You can purchase sweet potato slips or start your own at home.  A sweet potato slip is a rooted sprout that grows out of a sweet potato tuber.  To start your own slips, fill a foil pan or other flat container with a moist potting soil or water (either one will work), then cut a sweet potato in half lengthwise and place it cut side down in the soil or water.  You want at least half of the potato sticking up out of the water or soil and be sure to not let it get dry.   The sweet potato will produce several sprouts or slips that you can twist off or cut off when it has roots and several leaves. Plant sweet potato slips by the end of June for a harvest in the fall.

Enjoy some summer Texas gardening with these delicious summer crops!  For more gardening information, contact the Williamson County Extension Office at 512-943-3300.

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Insect problems can be a frustrating part of gardening, especially when we can see the damage but cannot see the bug causing the damage!  How can you fix a problem that you cannot see?  One way to track down insect pests is to investigate

the damage from the insect.  Some insects chew holes while others siphon plant juices out of the leaves.

Chewing damage is some of the easiest damage to spot.  It’s hard to miss shotgun holes in leaves, half eaten leaves, or even a missing plant.  I still have a hard time talking about the petunia massacre of 2018 when snails ate every single bit of my newly planted petunias overnight!  Insects that chew leaves have a mouthpart with two opposing mandibles or jaws.  Chewing insects cause ragged leaves, foliage consumption, or mining in the leaves, stems, or trunks.  Caterpillars are often the culprit in the garden when you see chewing damage, but cockroaches, grasshoppers, most wasps, beetles, slugs, snails, termites, and pill bugs also chew on plants.

Other insects pierce the plant surface and siphon plant sap through a proboscis.  The tiny holes are not visible, but the plant will show white, red, or brown spots where the sap was removed.  Insects that pierce and suck include aphids, mealybugs, scales, squash bugs, leafhoppers, thrips, mites, and plant bugs like chinch bugs or stink bugs.

Some sucking insects inject a toxic secretion into the plant which further damages the plant.  Chinch bugs are one example of this when they attack turfgrass and secrete a toxin that yellows and kills the grass.  Aphids, scales, and mealybugs leave a sticky, sweet substance known as honeydew after they feed.  A black mold called sooty mold grows on the honeydew, causing the leaves and branches to turn black.  You might see this on crape myrtles and pecan trees in the late spring and summer.

If you see damage from insects in your lawn or garden, do some good investigation to determine which pest might be causing the problem.  Once you know the particular pest, you can decide on a treatment plant.  Aphids can be knocked off with a good blast from the water hose (check the bottom side of the leaves).  Or you can pluck off caterpillars and drop them in a bucket of soapy water.  A total infestation might require a stronger approach.  Check out the Grow Green guides online to find out the least toxic methods to control your bug problems.

For more lawn and garden information, contact the Williamson County AgriLife Extension Office at 512-943-3300.

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The bluebonnets are starting to fade into the background, but if you get close to the plants you will notice that the plants are producing seed pods.  Bluebonnets are in the legume family, so they produce a pod that looks like a peapod.   The pod starts out green, then turns yellow and then brown.  If you leave them alone, the pods will pop and spread the seed on the ground.

If you have some bluebonnets nearby, this is a great time to collect some seed

to expand your bluebonnets for next year or share them with a friend.  The first step to collecting seed is to ask permission from the landowner.  Never collect on public land or parks.  When you collect seed, collect only ten percent of the seed so you leave plenty of seed for the site to maintain its stand.

Bluebonnet pods are mature when the pods look dry and begin to change from yellow to brown.  The seeds inside the pods should have a dark color and be hard.  Remove seeds from the pod, then store in the refrigerator in a paper bag to ensure good air circulation.  Bluebonnet seeds are planted in the early fall.  The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center has an excellent guide to planting bluebonnet seeds.

If you collect other kinds of wildflower seeds, remember these tips for cleaning and storage.  Dry the seed pods for a few days to make sure the seeds are thoroughly dry.  Try to remove as much plant material such as pods from the seeds as you can to reduce storage space and prevent mold or insects.  If the seed is in a pulpy fruit, be sure to clean off all the pulp and dry it to prevent mold.  Threshing the seeds, or even shaking them in a big bowl, can help separate the seeds from the plant material.

Store seeds in paper bags in a cool, dry location.  The idea temperature is 50 degrees Fahrenheit or less with less than 50 percent humidity.  The refrigerator is the best place to store seed.  Do not store in plastic or non-breathable containers unless the seeds are thoroughly dried first.  Be sure to label the seed and collection date.  I always think I will remember a variety name or date, but that I rarely can remember six months down the road!

Enjoy the wildflower season and take some time to collect a few seeds for your own wildflowers next year!  For more lawn and garden information, contact the Williamson County AgriLife Extension Office at 512-943-3300.

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One topic that is coming up a lot this spring is problems in the lawn.  St. Augustine grass took a hard hit in many lawns this winter, and it is very slow to come back this spring.

This winter, we had relatively warm weather until the hard freeze in January.  Many St. Augustine lawns were still green in January and had not had enough cold temperatures to go dormant.  During the hard freeze on the weekend of January 13, we had temperatures down to 17 degrees.  That is a big temperature drop for St. Augustine grass that has not gone dormant yet!

If you have St. Augustine grass on a north-facing lawn or a north-facing slope, that kind of cold weather can severely damage the grass.  Be patient this spring and see if the St. Augustine grass comes back to life as soil temperatures warm up.  We have still had nighttime temperatures in the 40’s over the last week, so give the soil a little more time to warm up before you give up all hope.  If the grass does not green up in the next few weeks, you might need to consider replacing it.

Another common spring problem in St. Augustine lawns is Take All Root Rot.  I have not seen much of this fungal disease yet, but the cool, rainy weather we are experiencing could kick-start the fungus into action.

The symptoms of take-all root rot usually appear in spring and early summer with yellowish grass that eventually turns brown and wilts.  The turfgrass thins and leaves brown patches that range in size from one foot to more than 20 feet in diameter.  As you can imagine from the name of this fungus, the roots of infected grass turn black and rot.

Take-all root rot lives in the thatch layer of turfgrass, the layer of roots, stolons, and decaying plant matter that lives at the soil surface.  The fungus is always present but takes advantage of turfgrass that is under stress from environmental conditions like too much shade, water, or extreme temperatures.

Good lawn management practices can help with Take All Root Rot.  Water only when the grass needs supplemental irrigation.  We have had enough rain this spring, that you do not need to turn your sprinklers on yet.  Conduct a soil test to determine how much fertilizer your lawn needs.  Too much fertilizer will contribute to fungal growth, so only apply what is required.  Grass clippings and an application of compost might be all the fertilizer your lawn needs.

You probably need to apply a fungicide this spring if you have had Take-All Root Rot in your lawn in the past.  Try to apply the fungicide containing azoxystrobin, myclobutanil, or propiconazole before new symptoms appear this spring.  Follow the label instructions and water the product into the lawn.

If you have had trouble with Take All Root Rot or Large Patch in the past, consider aerating your lawn with a hollow-tine aerator to increase oxygen availability to the roots and improve water infiltration.  Follow up with a top-dressing of ¼ to ½ inch of compost to the lawn to add organic matter and nutrients.

For more information about trees or other lawn and garden topics, contact the Williamson County AgriLife Extension Office at 512-943-3300.

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In the Master Gardener Demonstration Garden in Georgetown, I have learned a lot from the Master Gardeners as they try out new plants and design ideas over the years.  Another great thing about gardening is learning from your garden friends!

We have a section of the vegetable garden that is now dubbed the “backyard garden.”  There you can find

a wide range of vegetables, herbs, and flowers planted together that make a neat display.  No matter the season, there is always something growing.  In the summer, a section of yellow and orange cosmos grows next to a few squash plants, and a few feet down you’ll find an eggplant growing in a large container surrounded by basil.  In the winter, you might find carrots, parsley and radishes sharing a space.

I love this idea of a mixed-use garden where edible vegetables and herbs grow along with cut flowers.  And I can tell you with certainty that the pollinators love this type of garden!  We find so many native bees and beneficial insects enjoying the variety of plants.

I am trying to add this kind of variety into my own garden spaces.  We planted rows of vegetables this spring, but I added basil, borage, and chamomile into the rows.  These are all great pollinators and have good culinary uses, too.

I am also working herbs into my landscape beds near the house.  Rosemary makes a great evergreen shrub, and I love to add comfrey for the long-textured leaves and great purple foliage.  The bumble bees love to visit comfrey, and the leaves are a great addition to the compost pile when it dies back in the winter.  I’m hoping to add some African blue basil to the garden also.  The plant is beautiful, and the flowers attract so many bees you can hear the hum from nearby when it is in full bloom.

Stop by the Demonstration Garden sometime to see the ever-changing array of plants in our backyard garden, veggie garden, and herb garden.  We try to label every plant so you can learn more about the plants and find inspiration for your own gardens.  Please don’t pick anything since we try to save seed and donate the vegetables.

Have fun experimenting and learning new plants this spring!  You might find some pretty new herbs to add to a salad or vinaigrette that look great growing next to a salvia plant.

For more lawn and garden information, contact the Williamson County AgriLife Extension Office at 512-943-3300.

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There are a lot of interesting tips for planting vegetables by the signs of the moon or counting the weeks from Groundhog Day to predict the last day of winter.  One of the best kept secrets of good gardening is knowing the value of checking soil temperature.  Use a soil thermometer, or even a kitchen thermometer, to test

the temperature of your soil.  Test the top one or two inches for planting seed, and test four to six inches for planting vegetable transplants.

Soil temperature is the most important factor to consider for good seed germination and seedling growth.  Soil temperature for vegetable seed growth is classified into four categories: the minimum temperature for seed growth; the optimum temperature; a realistic temperature; and the maximum temperature for germination to occur.

The minimum soil temperature is the lowest temperature the soil can be for seed germination.  Some cold season crops like beets, cabbage, chard, radish, and turnip have a minimum soil temperature of 40 degrees F.  If we plant at the minimum soil temperature, we might have slow germination and weak seedlings.  The maximum soil temperature is the highest temperature at which the seeds will germinate.  Seeds planted at the maximum soil temperature or higher will not be likely to germinate.

The optimum soil temperature is the best temperature for seed germination.  The optimum temperature for seed germination of cucumber, okra, and watermelon is 95 degrees F.  At this temperature, we will get the best germination.  Unfortunately, if we plant those seeds when the soil temperature is 95 degrees F, the summer heat will stress the plant and reduce plant vigor and yield.

Gardeners want to hit the sweet spot of the realistic soil temperature.  This is somewhere between the minimum and optimum temperature so the seeds will germinate and have the best chance for growth.  For example, the optimum soil temperature for seed germination of lettuce is 75 degrees F, and the minimum soil temperature is 35 degrees F.  The realistic soil temperature to plant lettuce is 45 degrees F so the lettuce has a good chance to germinate, and the plant will have plenty of time to grow before the weather gets too warm.

Soil temperature affects more than just vegetable plants.  Our warm season turf grasses like Bermuda, St. Augustine, and Zoysia need soil temperatures of 65 degrees Fahrenheit for significant growth of rhizomes, roots, and stolons.  The optimum soil temperature is around 80 degrees F.

Soil temperature helps us to know when we might start to see grass start to actively grow in the spring.  You can hold off on fertilizing your lawn until you get good, active grass growth.  You can also wait to begin watering your lawn until temperatures get much warmer and the rain stops coming.

For more information about lawns and gardens, contact Kate Hajda at the Williamson County AgriLife Extension Office at 512-943-3300.

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One great way to improve your soil, prevent weeds, and help conserve water is to add a three-inch layer of mulch to your landscape beds.  You can buy mulch in bulk from many local landscape supply stores or check with your local city about free mulch pick-up.  Bagged mulch is also a great option if you don’t have a way to transport a bulk order.

Water conservation is a big priority in Central Texas,

and you can do your part to conserve water by planting native and adapted plants in your landscape beds.  Native and adapted plants can handle drought once they are well established, and they have very few pest problems.  Newly planted native plants do need to be watered consistently to establish a good root system in the first year, but they should do well with minimal water after that.

Did you know that your outdoor landscaping can affect your indoor energy conservation?  Planting trees on the west and southwest side of your house to provide shade in the summer can lower the indoor temperature of your home by as much as eight to ten degrees.  Shading your air conditioner unit can reduce inside temperatures as much as three degrees.  Trees add so much beauty to the world, but the added cost benefit to our homes makes them even more valuable!

Groundcovers and grass in your landscape are a great way to also add a cooling effect.  The temperature above groundcovers and grass is at least 12 to 15 degrees cooler than asphalt or concrete and as much as 37 degrees cooler than artificial turf.  Plants will reduce the amount of heat reflected to your home from hard surfaces such as pavement.

Living plants provide that cooling effect through a process called transpiration, so we get the benefit of oxygen and cooler temperatures when we have more plants in the landscape.   Plants also help water to infiltrate the soil when we have a rain, preventing runoff and erosion that can occur on bare ground or paved surfaces.

This spring, think about where you can incorporate plants into your landscape to add beauty and provide a cooling effect to your home environment.  You can find great native and adapted plants at the Master Gardener Plant Sale on April 6 at the Georgetown Community Center!

For more information about lawn and garden topics, contact Kate Hajda at the Williamson County AgriLife Extension Office at 512-943-3300.

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Begin planning and preparing your spring garden beds for crops like tomatoes, peppers, squash, and other vegetable crops.  Check your irrigation system for leaks and incorporate compost into the top six inches of soil.

The average last freeze date for Williamson County is March 4, so we are very close to time to plant vegetable transplants in the garden.  I like to wrap my tomato cages with frost cloth to protect the tender transplants from wind and full sun for the first few weeks in the ground.

Early spring-blooming shrubs like spirea, quince, and forsythia should be putting on a show of blooms soon, if they are not already blooming.  Remember that these shrubs should be pruned after they bloom if you need to do any shaping or size-control.

Spring is the time of year that many crape myrtles are severely pruned back or topped.  Do not do this!  We call this “crape murder,” and it is not a good horticultural practice.  Severe pruning or topping of crape myrtles will lead to a weak branching structure and invite pests.  If you need to control the size of your crape myrtle, try selectively cutting out branches that are rubbing against a house or roof.

Winter weeds are making a strong showing in many of our lawns.  Keep these weeds from forming flowers and seedhead by mowing them frequently or hand-weeding to prevent more weeds next year.  Now is the time to apply a pre-emergent herbicide to prevent any summer weeds from germinating.

March is a great time to check your lawn irrigation system for leaks or damaged heads.  We do not need to start watering turfgrass yet because it is still dormant.  You can wait to turn on your sprinkler system until you have actively growing grass and weather conditions get dry.  Hopefully we get enough rain this spring to delay the need for supplemental watering.

Now is a great time to submit a soil sample for testing to see if you need to apply fertilizer to your lawn.  Remember, we apply fertilizer in mid-April after the lawn has started actively growing.  You do not need to provide nutrients to your lawn now while it is still dormant.  Wait until you have green, growing grass to supplement any nutritional needs of your lawn.  Find information about a soil test at soiltesting.tamu.edu/.   You can apply a top-dressing of fine compost to your lawn this spring.  That’s a great practice every year to improve your soil and provide slow-release nutrients to your lawn.

The Williamson County AgriLife Extension Office and Master Gardener Volunteers have several great opportunities for you to learn more about lawns and gardens.  Check our calendar at williamson.agrilife.org/ for more information about the Lawn & Garden 101 series, Green Thumbs Up, Hands on in the Garden, and the Master Gardener Monthly Meeting.  And mark your calendar for the Master Gardener Plant Sale in Georgetown on April 6.

For more information about lawns and gardens, contact Kate Hajda, Williamson County Extension Horticulturist, at 512-943-3300.

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Snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) originated in southwestern Europe and have been enjoyed in gardens throughout Europe and the United States for decades.  The genus name antirrhinum is from Greek meaning like a

nose or snout, which is a great description of the snapdragon!

Snap dragons are a cool season annual in Texas, and they come in a variety of colors.  We can plant them in the fall for color throughout the winter, but it is not too late to get snapdragons in the ground if you would like to enjoy some bright yellow, red, pink, orange, or white.

I enjoy snapdragons in a pot on the porch, as a landscape border, or mass plantings for a bright pop of color.  Snapdragons can range in mature height from 6” to 36” so select a variety that will grow to the right height for your space.  Snapdragons need at least six hours of full sun and good drainage.

We have some time to enjoy snapdragons this spring, but they will die back as the temperatures get warm later this spring.  Fortunately, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension has a relatively new Texas SuperStar plant with a similar look to snapdragons that you can grow in the heat!

Angelonia Serena is often called a “faux snapdragon” because of the tubular shape of the flower, but it originates in South America and can withstand the summer heat of Texas.  Angelonia can be planted outside in the spring as soon as danger of frost has passed.  It blooms throughout the summer in a pretty show of purple, pink, white, or pink-lavender flowers.  Angelonia grows 12-18” tall, needs full sun, and needs regular watering.  You can shear the plants to rejuvenate flowering, but I found Angelonia to be an easy plant to maintain.

Enjoy some fun snapdragons this month, then start looking for Angelonia to plant for the summer months.  You’ll have showstopping color all year!

For more information about lawn and garden topics, contact Kate Hajda, Williamson County AgriLife Horticulture Extension Agent, at 512-943-3300.

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If you have trouble with more weeds in your lawn than you would like, pre-emergent weed control is a good way to prevent weeds before they get a chance to grow.  Pre-emergent herbicides work when weed seeds are

just beginning to germinate by stunting or deforming the tiny seedling so that it cannot emerge as a healthy weed.

Pre-emergent weed control products are good options for controlling challenging annual weeds like crabgrass or annual bluegrass.  Many pre-emergent products are safe to use around established plants in the landscape, and they can reduce post-emergence herbicide applications later during the year.  Prevent the weed from getting started, and you will not have to spray or physically remove it later.

The best time to apply pre-emergent products in the spring is based on soil temperatures.  Apply pre-emergent products when soil temperatures reach about 55 degrees Fahrenheit for four or five days.  You can use a soil thermometer, or even a meat thermometer, to measure soil temperature in the top one inch of soil in your yard.

To find the best pre-emergent product for your lawn, determine which types of weeds you need to prevent.  Use the Weed Identification Guide at https://aggieturf.tamu.edu/turfgrass-weeds/ to determine if you have grassy weeds or broadleaf weeds.  Most broadleaf weeds can be controlled with products that contain the active ingredient isoxaben.  Grassy weeds can be controlled with products that contain pendimethalin, prodiamine, or dithiopyr.  Search for those active ingredient names in small print on the bag, rather than looking for a brand name.

Follow the label on the product, making sure that you water in the pre-emergent herbicide according to the instructions.  Do not rely on rain to do it for you! Chances are we will not get the rain we expected, or we will get a downpour that sends your pre-emergent herbicide running down the street.

The goal for treating weeds is to make the least number of herbicide applications.  Choose the right product for your weeds, use appropriate timing based on soil temperature, and follow the label instructions.  You may still have some weeds pop up this spring, but that is a good opportunity for some time outside to pull them by hand.

For more information about lawn and garden topics, contact Kate Hajda, Williamson County Horticulture Extension Agent, at 512-943-3300.

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