Newcomer to the lower Rio Grande Valley

I moved to the lower Rio Grande Valley just a year ago. I've been a gardener for most of my life but this is definitely a new experience for me. I've had summer gardens in the high desert of Nevada and fertile loam soils of Iowa and South Dakota. The RGV is a very different place to garden! If I hadn't joined the Cameron County Master Gardeners program, I would not have know that you just basically just keep your plants alive in the summer and prepare your beds for fall, winter and spring planting.

I moved into a house on a 60 by 130 foot lot that had been planted with a Bermuda grass lawn with a sprinkler system designed to water a lawn only with no thought of trees or garden areas. I knew from the start the I needed patience, knowledge and a plan.

The first thing I did was draw up a plot of the yard with the location of the sprinkler heads and what zones they were on. At first I tried to design my yard to fit the system but then I realized a sprinkler system should be designed to fit your yard. A good system should have sprinkler heads of the same type on the same line. Mine does not. I talked to the person who installed the system and he didn't have a diagram of what had been done or could he tell me how deep the lines were buried.

The first thing I did this spring was plot what areas of the yard had full sun. I realized this was a waste of time since with no trees it will be at least ten years before I have to worry about too much shade. Now I'm looking at where there is shade for part of the day as most plants that require full sun in other areas thrive on 6 hours of sun in this area.

I've included a picture of the corner of my back yard as this is the area where I plan to begin. As you can see by my drawing, this location has no sprinkler heads so will be doing hand watering until my sprinkler system can be adapted or I install a separate drip line. I plan to use mainly native plants in this area with an emphasis on attracting butterflies and hummingbirds.

I will be posting additional pictures and plans in the next few weeks.

Native Plant Sale

Valley Nature Center
Native Plant Sale!!!


Effective September 1st, 2009, there will be an official TEXAS NATIVE PLANT WEEK, celebrated annually the third week in October. In celebration of this legislation The Valley Nature Center located in Weslaco, on 301 S. Border Ave., will be selling our 1 gallon, well established, native plants for only $3.50 a plant.

TEXAS NATIVE PLANT WEEK may now be regularly observed in public schools and other places with programs that appreciate, explore and study Texas Native plants.

The VNC will be selling native plants from September 1st through 15th in celebration of the new Texas State Act, then again during TEXAS NATIVE PLANT WEEK which is the third full week of October. So start planning your garden now, using these wonderful, drought resistant, wildlife friendly plants! For more information please contact the Valley Nature Center at 956-969-2475 or come by and visit. VNC staff will help pick the plants that are right for you!

What is This Critter

Botanical name Ficus Benjamina

These small bugs showed up in the valley about five years ago and have returned each spring. They attack only ficus plants.

There is a little black bug that attacks ficus plants. It is about 1/32 inch long.
This animal is narrow, I cannot see its legs but it moves rather quickly. I have not seen it fly. It causes new leaves to fold up and the edges curl. When the leaf is opened there are tiny yellow specks that look like fine sand.
I have been to several nurseries with mixed results, no answers.
One place suggested Bodine Systemic, granules or liquid.
What are we dealing with?

The Future Rose Garden at the Arboretum

At the Arboretum the Master Gardeners would like to plan on having a Demonstration Rose Garden. We hope to be to have different varieties of roses whether they will be hybrid teas, floribundas, grandiflora, heirloom, polyantha, species and or antique roses. The decision will be up to the group which will be a chore in itself. The preparation of the beds will be the most important part for this demonstration garden. The rose above is a Black Cherry Floribunda that was placed in the ground in my garden about 2 years ago. The bed was dug about 4 feet deep to remove the clay soil where the garden soil and compost that was purchased from the local City Service was placed. In our area they sell the medium by carload , truckload or bucket load as needed. The Rose Bed to my garden has mostly floribunda's which I prefer because of the abundance of flowers. In years past most floribunda's were not fragrant, however more varieties have been introduced. Websites that I find most helpful in making my decision are the Houston Rose Society and Jackson and Perkins.

August To-Do List for Deep South Texas Gardeners

Time to plant:

Flowers: night and day purslane, moss rose, vinca, Ice plant, Joseph’s coat,
salvia, Mexican heather, Katie ruellia, gerbera daisy, dusty miller,
gazania, coreopsis, caladium, coleus, celosia.

Trees: During hot months, container grown trees are safest to plant! But if you must buy balled
and burlapped trees, make sure the tree is green and healthy.

Natives: Live oak, ebony, huisache, retama, brazil, mesquite, Wild Olive, la coma

Non-native: crepe myrtle.

Palms: Texas Sabal Palms, Cocus plumosa or Queen Palm, Mediterranean Fan Palm, Chinese Fan Palm, Sago Palm, Mexican Fan or Washingtonia, California Fan Palm or Washingtonia.

Shrubs: Natives manzanita (barbados cherry), lantana, hachinal ,coral bean,
yucca, butterfly bush (buddleia), wild petunia (ruellia), chilipiquin,
dwarf-yaupon holly, cenizo, salvias, Turk’s cap.

Non-native bougainvillea, plumbago, hibiscus, butterfly weed,
cape honeysuckle, pittosporum, viburnum.

Note: most of these shrubs, especially the native shrubs, attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden.

Vegetables: Sweet corn, okra, eggplant, peppers, pumpkin, tomatoes (give
tomatoes afternoon shade).

Herbs: Lemon grass, mint, sage, tansy, yarrow, basil, Mexican mint marigold
(tarragon).

Remember:

-Lookout for grubs in your garden and lawn; use a granular insecticide, like Dursban for control.

-August is the time for the appearance of whiteflies, especially after cotton harvest, use insecticidal soap spray on top and under leaves for control.

-When planting trees, shrubs, flowers and herbs use mulch around the base of the plant to conserve moisture.

-Water recently planted materials once or twice a week and water deeply.

-Keep all flower beds and vegetable garden areas free of weeds so they don’t compete with your plants for moisture and nutrients.

-Add 1 inch of organic matter to your gardens and beds, work it in.

-August is the time you to need to prepare the ground for your fall vegetable garden. Start loosening the soil and adding compost from your compost heap.


(Information source: Successful Gardening in the Magic Valley of Texas, Dist. VI, Texas Garden Clubs, Inc. and Native Trees- and Native Shrubs-of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas Landscape Uses and Identification, Native Plant Project, PO Box 1433, Edinburg, TX)

July To-Do List for Deep South Texas Gardeners

Time to plant:

Flowers: night and day purslane, moss rose, vinca, Ice plant, Joseph’s coat,
salvia, Mexican heather, ruellia, gerbera daisy, dusty miller, gazania,
coreopsis, caladium, coleus, celosia.

Trees: Plant container grown trees only! But if must buy trees with root balls
wrapped in burlap, make sure the tree is green and healthy.
Anacua Tree in bloom

Natives: Mountain Laurel, guayacan, guajillo, live oak, anacua, Rio
Grande ash, mesquite, retama, wild olive, black willow.

Non-native: Cottonwood, crepe myrtle, weeping willow.

Shrubs: Natives manzanita (barbados cherry), lantana, hachinal ,coral bean,
yucca, butterfly bush (buddleia), wild petunia (ruellia), chilipiquin,
dwarf-youpon holly.

Bougainvillea

Non-native bougainvillea, plumbago, hibiscus, butterfly weed,
cape honeysuckle, pittosporum, ligustrum sage.

Note: most of these shrubs, especially the native shrubs, attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden.

Vegetables: Cauliflower, cucumber, eggplant, okra, peppers, pumpkin.

Herbs: Thyme, rosemary, rue, anise, borage, basil, bay, garlic, parsely,
Mexican mint marigold (tarragon).

Remember:

-When planting trees, shrubs, flowers and herbs use mulch around the base of the plant to conserve moisture.

-Water recently planted materials once or twice a week and water deeply.

-Watch for grub worms in your lawns and gardens Use a granular insecticide, like Dursban, or Diazion.

-Keep all flower beds and vegetable garden areas free of weeds so they don’t compete with your plants for moisture and nutrients.

-Add 1 inch of organic matter to your gardens and beds, work it in.

-Regularly check for whitefly and aphids, control with soapy water spray. Be sure to spray under the leaves.


(Information source: Successful Gardening in the Magic Valley of Texas, Dist. VI, Texas Garden Clubs, Inc. and Native Trees- and Native Shrubs-of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas Landscape Uses and Identification, Native Plant Project, PO Box 1433, Edinburg, TX)

June To-Do List for Deep South Texas Gardeners

Time to plant:

Flowers: Mexican heather, ruellia, gerbera daisy, dusty miller,
gazania, vinca, night and day purslane, iceplant, moss rose,
caladium, coleus, celosia.

Trees: Natives: live oak, anacua, Rio Grande ash, mesquite, retama, wild
olive.

Non-native: Cottonwood, crepe myrtle.

Palms: Palms are best planted during warm months.

Shrubs: bougainvillea, plumbago, manzanita (barbados cherry), lantana,
hachinal ,coral bean, yucca, butterfly bush (buddleia) butterfly weed,
wild petunia (ruellia), hibiscus. Note: most of these shrubs attract
butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden.

Vegetables: Peppers.

Herbs: mint, rosemary, rue, oregano, hierba buena.

Reminders:

-When planting trees, shrubs, flowers and herbs use mulch around the base of the plant to conserve moisture.

-Water recently planted materials once or twice a week and water deeply.

-Your potted plants may need daily or every-other-day watering. The larger the pot, the longer it can go between waterings.

-Try to give your tomatoes afternoon shade.

-Keep all flower beds and vegetable garden areas free of weeds so they don’t compete with your plants for moisture and nutrients.

-Regularly check for whitefly and aphids, control with soapy water spray or insecticidal soap. Be sure to spray under the leaves.

-Check for grubs in your lawn. Brown patches are an indicator. Control with a granular insecticide such as Dursban or Diazinon.


(Information source: Successful Gardening in the Magic Valley of Texas, Dist. VI, Texas Garden Clubs, Inc. and Native Trees- and Native Shrubs-of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas Landscape Uses and Identification, Native Plant Project, PO Box 1433, Edinburg, TX)