Bob Whitney

USDA Article on AflaGuard

2010-09-05T19:14:00.001-05:00

We have had a lot of aflatoxin problems in corn this year in the blacklands and this article sure compliments the use of AflaGuard for reducing aflatoxin problems. Afla-Guard Also Protects Corn Crops / Month x, 2010 / News from the USDA Agricultural Research Service

2010-08-23T15:55:00.002-05:00

Tomato Variety Trial Stiles Farm Foundation, 2010 Bob Whitney and Archie Abrameit Williamson County Summary: The population of Texas continues to grow but the majority of that growth is centered along the I35 corridor. Latest population estimates show Travis County with 921,000 people, Williamson County with 354,000 people and Bell County with a population of 258,000. This puts Williamson

How Much to Water?

2010-07-19T08:30:00.001-05:00

I am asked over and over how much do I need to water my lawn. Extension has developed recommendations that in general say you should water 1 inch per week. These are general because of differences in soil, plant, rooting depth and even shade. We have a weather station here at our Extension office that is programmed to help landscapers and homeowners know how much water they need. The information

Texas State Pecan Show

2010-07-16T06:01:00.000-05:00

The state pecan show is held each year during the Texas Pecan Growers Meeting. This year it was in San Marcos and had about 300 entries. Hopi won the commercial division.

Pecan Field Day Set for August 11

2010-07-14T15:03:00.001-05:00

Texas AgriLife Extension, Williamson County, has planned a Pecan Field Day for Wednesday, August 11 at Berry Springs Park and Preserve at 1801 CR 152 near Georgetown. Registration for the field day will begin at 9:30 a.m. with the program beginning at 10:00 a.m. and lasting through a sponsored noon meal. Cost of the Pecan Field Day is $5 per person. The Pecan Field Day will include two hours

Bacterial Leaf Spot of Tomato

2010-06-26T20:05:00.000-05:00

Greasy Spot Fungus on Meyers Lemon

2010-06-26T18:48:00.001-05:00

Greasy spot fungus can wreak havoc on citrus trees if not controlled. The fungus is shown on both sides of the leaf. Prevention is easy. Remove all fallen leaves which are the source of more fungus and do not get water on the leaves if possible. Treatment if necessary is with a copper based fungicide.

Mushrooms on Mulch

2010-06-04T21:14:00.000-05:00

A dry spell followed by good rain will always result in lots of different mushrooms or fungus on wood mulches. Even old roots underground will prove a great breeding ground for mushrooms. Mushroms can even grow underground and be quite large.

Herbicide Damage on Tomato

2010-05-23T11:16:00.001-05:00

Hormone herbicides are used on many lawns to kill weeds. But these herbicides are very volitale and can twist and curl tomato plants in the spring.

Vegetable “Turn Row” Tour Set for May 18

2010-05-11T13:28:00.003-05:00

This has been an interesting year for vegetable producers. Lots of good winter and spring rains have been nice but it sure made things hard getting ready for spring production. Then we have a long cool spring that makes things slow to grow and now we can't seem to get rain. The weather is always a mystery but there are many things growers can do to improve production and promote earliness.

Wheat and Oat Plots Nearing Harvest

2010-05-09T21:17:00.004-05:00

Number Entry Name Description Seeding rate (lb/a) 1 Duster Hard Wheat 60 2 Deliver Hard Wheat 60 3 Fuller Hard Wheat 60 4 Fannin Hard Wheat 60 5 Coronado

Transplanting Pomagranates

2010-05-08T10:18:00.001-05:00

Moving up these pomagranate "sticks" from the starter pots to larger pots. I took 24 sticks from each of 10 varieties to plant. These came from a pomagranate fruit orchard that Dr. Larry Stein started in Uvalde. We selected the most cold hardy to try here. After a few more months I hope to move them to the field. So far I have really good success on most except for Wonderful which looks like

Dr. Appel Speaking at Oak Wilt Workshop

2010-05-07T09:07:00.001-05:00

Dr. Dave Appel, Extension Plant Pathologist and Jim Houser with the Texas Forest Service did a great job in the Oak Wilt Workshop on May 7th. The 45 who attended learned all about tree diseases and problems with a special emphasis on Oak Wilt. It is treatable and I will include some treatment pictures in another post.

Great Pecan Meeting

2010-05-06T05:47:00.001-05:00

Monte Nesbitt is speaking to the group about zinc nutrition along with orchard fertility. He also spoke on varieties naming Kanza, Pawnee, Lakota and Caddo as great pecans to plant. If you want a larger nut then add Nacono to the list as well.

Great May Pecan Meeting

2010-05-05T19:57:00.003-05:00

The May 5th pecan meeting held at the Schwegmann orchard was great. Look at the chart and you can see when to spray pecans for pecan nut casebearer. Should be sometime next week. We found our first moths on May 3rd and using this date the model on PNC Forecast shows us having eggs on May 14 that we might find and some nut entry on May 22. This is late for our area but we have had a cool

Rocks Can Grow Plants Too!

2010-05-03T08:42:00.000-05:00

I took this picture at San Gabriel Park in Georgetown. This Elm is at least two years old and is doing great growing in the middle of this limestone rock. These rocks can hold lots of water and nutrients and are why west Williamson county looks so beautiful with so little soil.

Stiles Farm Field Day scheduled June 15

2010-04-28T09:29:00.001-05:00

New cotton systems, row-crop fertility issues and herbicide-tolerant sorghum are a few of the topics that headline the 47th Stiles Farm Field Day scheduled June 15. The Stiles Farm is located at 5700 Farm-to-Market Road 1063, near the intersection of U.S. Highway 79 and Farm-to-Market Road 1063, 1 mile east of Thrall. The event is free with registration starting at 7:45 a.m. At 8:30 a.m., tours

Early Season Pecan Management Tour

2010-04-26T10:18:00.002-05:00

Homeowners with just one tree to the large commercial pecan growers are all facing a short crop and low pecan prices. This may be the year that detailed management pays off and the Early Season Pecan Management Tour will focus on the details of doing the right things early to insure a successful pecan year. In particular the seminar will focus on pest problems but included will be information on

Oak Wilt and other Tree Diseases Workshop

2010-04-26T10:16:00.000-05:00

If high summer temperatures and lingering drought weren’t enough to humiliate landscapes add in the Oak Wilt disease and homeowners are finally ready to sell out and move into an apartment! This has been a terribly hot, dry summer for lawns, trees and shrubs. Homeowners have had some of the largest water bills in history but heat and drought are not the only cause of death for thousands of Live

Great Budding and Grafting Workshop

2010-04-25T20:30:00.005-05:00

Larry Jim Womack from Womack's Nursery in DeLeon did a great job showing everyone how to bud and graft pecans and peaches. Should have been there!

Pecan Sawfly

2010-04-25T07:07:00.006-05:00

The pecan sawfly is a tiny wasp that lays eggs near pecan leaves and the larva then chews holes in the leaves. The leaves look like someone used a shotgun on them! The larva are generally not considered more than a nusiance but if you are not familiar with their damage you may think they are hurting the tree. They only have one generation per year.

Is It Time To Control Grassburrs?

2010-03-01T16:29:00.001-06:00

Every year about this time lawn and garden supply stores will put up the signs saying it is now time to control grassburrs. Anyone with a grassburr problem certainly wants to do everything that they can to control this problem grass but it sure seems early to control them when the lawn hasn’t even started to green up. The real problem with controlling grassburrs is that we want to get them

Growing Asparagus Is Really Easy

2010-03-01T16:12:00.002-06:00

Asparagus grows well in the Central Texas area being suited to the cooler climate here versus southeast Texas. A well tended asparagus bed can yield 24 to 30 pounds per 100 foot of row and for most of us this is just enough for your family and close friends. Asparagus is a perennial plant that can last 15 to 20 years without replanting if it is cared for properly. Asparagus is planted from 1

All About Skunks

2010-03-01T16:03:00.001-06:00

The skunk is a member of the weasel family and there are four species in North America. The four species are the striped skunk, by far the most common, the hooded skunk, the spotted skunk and the hog-nosed skunk. The striped skunk is characterized by the lateral white stripes down its back with jet black fur. The body of the skunk is about the size of an ordinary house cat with short stocky

Pruning Peach Trees

2010-03-01T15:54:00.005-06:00

The main goals of pruning are to maintain tree form to an open center which facilitates light penetration and air circulation, and to partially control crop size by selectively thinning out fruiting wood. Peach trees bear fruit only on one year old wood. Dormant pruning is an invigorating action which results in a healthy canopy to produce the current season's crop and allow for ample production

What Do Things Cost?

2010-03-01T15:51:00.000-06:00

I ran onto this article from Bob Sakata, who is the National Onion Association President and I enjoyed it so much I want to share some of the details with you and let you make some comparisons on what things cost now versus 50 years ago. A 40 hp IHM cost $2,400 50 years ago or $60 per hp. Today a 40 hp John Deere costs about $46,000 or $1,150 per hp. The multiplier would be 19 or 19 times

Pomegranate Fruit Variety Trial

2010-02-19T11:15:00.000-06:00

In our heavy, high pH but highly fertile blackland soils we struggle to find fruits that can be grown and are productive. Pomegranates are one of those fruits that have become very popular over that last few years. They are nutritious, healthy, loaded with antioxidants, and really easy to grow. They seem to love our soils and except for the possibility of hard freezes killing young trees they

Williamson County Soil Test Results

2010-02-19T10:07:00.000-06:00

From 2008-09 there were 573 soil samples submitted to the Texas AgriLife Extension Service Soils Lab in College Station. Dr. Tony Provin is the Extension Soil Chemist and Soils Lab Director and he sends me the combined results of those soil samples every year so that I can see any trends. I love to use these for folks so that they have a general idea of what to expect and also they can compare

Native and Improved Pasture Seminar Set

2010-01-29T08:42:00.001-06:00

The Extension Livestock and Range Committee in Williamson County has planned an excellent seminar for native range and improved grass producers in the area. There is not a single livestock producer that doesn’t want to be able to graze more animal units on their pastures without hurting long term forage growth. Knowing how to properly manage native rangeland or better utilizing improved pasture

Feral Hog Seminar Offered January 14

2010-01-12T17:28:00.000-06:00

There is probably no animal in Texas that has had more publicity than the Feral Hog. Certainly in this area of Texas it has been the year for problems with all wildlife and feral hogs top the list. This animal has wrecked havoc with farmers and ranchers for years but as they have grown in numbers they have moved into neighborhoods and are now the newest “bad boy” on the block. Most people just

Vegetable and Fruit Growers Shortcourse Set for January 21

2010-01-12T17:27:00.000-06:00

South Central Texas vegetable and fruit growers won’t want to miss the upcoming Vegetable and Fruit Growers Shortcourse sponsored by Texas AgriLife Extension Service set for January 21 at the Taylor City Hall Building in Taylor, Texas. South Central Texas is home to many different kinds of fresh fruit and vegetable growers from very small, backyard types to large scale shipper-growers but all

Ammoniating Hay Could Pay

2009-12-29T15:36:00.000-06:00

Everyone knows that hay is at a premium but the hay you get is certainly not premium and this why I have had a few questions about ammoniating hay. Treating low quality hay with anhydrous ammonia improves hay quality and value by several means. 1. Ammoniating low quality hay increases digestibility by breaking down hay’s fibrous parts, 2. Ammoniated hay has increased animal intake 15% to 25%

Short of Hay?

2009-12-29T15:35:00.001-06:00

The winter of 2009-10 is shaping up to be very challenging for Texas cow-calf producers. Limited rainfall this summer resulted in very limited amounts of hay for feeding this winter. It will be at least several months before spring arrives with the hope of good rains and spring green-up. Most producers are currently faced with the question of how to survive this winter on the limited amount of

IRS Tax Deductions for Landscape Tree Losses

2009-12-21T17:34:00.001-06:00

Unfortunately many people in this area have been affected by severe drought even to the point of losing huge landscape trees. When a devastating drought has hit your property you do lose trees and many people don’t realize that trees add value to property and as such qualify you for a greater loss than you may have thought. The Texas Forest Service (TFS) has provided some reminders for anyone

Bell-Williamson Counties Pecan Show Results

2009-12-21T17:18:00.000-06:00

Bell-Williamson Counties Pecan Show Results The Bell-Williamson County Extension Pecan Committees hosted the annual Bell-Williamson Counties Pecan Show this past Thursday, December 3rd, at the Bell County Extension office. This year’s show featured 58 entries, from 16 area growers. Dr. Tommy Thompson, Pecan Research Geneticist with USDA-ARS served as the Pecan Show Judge for this year’s show.

Thoughts on Growing Olives

2009-10-02T16:41:00.002-05:00

I am getting a lot of calls and emails about growing olives. I knew that they would have problems in Williamson County but the only expert is one who lives over 100 miles away! This why i asked Jim Kamas, Extension Fruit Specialist to write this:Thoughts on Growing Olivesby Jim Kamas----I frequently receive inquiries about the feasibility of growing olive trees in Texas but to be honest, I am

The Fall Armyworm - Pest of Pasture, Hayfields and Small Grains, 2009

2009-10-02T16:03:00.002-05:00

This is a great factsheet by Dr. Allen Knutson, Extension Entomologist, Texas AgriLife Extension Service in Dallas. I just copied the whole thing so that you have all you need to make decisions.Two species of armyworms attack forage and field crops in north Texas. The fall armyworm is most abundant during August through early November in north Texas and feeds primarily on Bermuda grass, wheat

Stocking Rates: Let Your Cows Tell You!

2009-08-27T13:48:00.001-05:00

Dr. Bob Lyons is an Extension Range Specialist based in Uvalde. He has done a lot of research into grazing habits and stocking rates. In a recent program Dr. Lyons showed some really neat information about a research project he conducted on a South Texas ranch. Basically what they did was to put Global Positioning Satellite collars on a herd of cattle at a 2000 acre ranch. These collars

Pond Weeds

2009-08-24T08:45:00.002-05:00

This is certainly the time of year that pond weeds are most visible. I usually get a number of calls about all this “junk” on or in our tanks and ponds with the question, “what can I do about it?” Unfortunately there isn’t much we can do about it this time of year but maybe an explanation about the categories of pond weeds and some control measures might be helpful.The first group of pond

How Many Animals Can I Raise On My Place?

2009-08-24T08:05:00.001-05:00

I can’t count the number of times I have been asked this question or better yet, “can you come to my place and tell me how many animals I can raise?” The question I have to ask is how much grass do you have? Of course no one knows or has even asked themselves this important question so let’s look at where we can go to begin the process.On pages 114 and 115 of the Soil Survey of Williamson

Extension Weather Station

2009-08-24T08:02:00.001-05:00

We have a new weather station at the Williamson County Extension Office in Georgetown. This new addition will serve as a valuable tool for us in Extension and also for farmers and homeowners in the area. An even more valuable tool is the website texaset.tamu.edu, which collects data from this weather station and other stations across the state. By selecting Williamson County on the map and then

Nitrates in Forages, Should We Worry?

2009-08-09T20:30:00.001-05:00

There has been a lot of worry on the part of livestock producers afraid that their forages may be high in nitrates. A few people have actually tested their hay but most just go on what their neighbor is saying and before you know it everybody has a nitrate problem when maybe only a few really do. Warm-season annual grasses, such as forage sorghums, sorghum-sudan hybrids (haygrazer types), and

Pecan Weevil Time Again

2009-08-09T20:29:00.001-05:00

It seems like such a very short time ago that we were dealing with pecan weevil problems and here we are again. Pecan producers are always concerned about pecan nut casebearer and rightfully so but for those producers that have pecan weevil problems in their orchard no other insect is as destructive. The pecan weevil lives in the ground for at least two years before it emerges as an adult. The

Trees Don't Die, Do They?

2009-07-31T10:50:00.000-05:00

This statement has really amazed me, “I didn’t think my tree would die and since my tree died it must have a contagious disease or insect problem.” Well I guess most folks don’t consider it strange but considering the severe drought it sure seems like lack of water would be blamed first!First trees do get old and die. We do hear about trees that are hundreds of years old or even some trees

Turf Irrigation: What is the Best Time?

2009-07-28T16:48:00.000-05:00

Cities throughout Central Texas are struggling through one of the most devastating droughts in our lifetimes. Agriculture losses are already at $3.6 billion and that does not include the loss in landscape plants and turfgrasses. Cities in this area have two major concerns, number one being the amount of water needed to supply all the people with clean drinking water and number two having enough

Lawn Aerification to Help Watering

2009-07-28T16:47:00.000-05:00

In this terrible drought it is not unusual to hear people complain that even though they are watering the water just seems to run off. Or when they do irrigate the water just seems to puddle on the soil surface taking forever to move down. Both these problems have to do with water infiltration or movement into soils and with our heavy, clay soils in Central Texas. These soils give us lots of

Drip Irrigation, Water When the Plants Need It

2009-07-02T16:38:00.001-05:00

I am constantly amazed at how few people use drip irrigation for their gardens, shrubs or flower beds. Most people avoid new technology like the plague but drip irrigation has been around for decades and now installation is easier than ever. Remember it’s about water savings but probably more important for this fast paced world it’s labor saving too. The basic component parts of a drip

Spider Mites on Tomatoes

2009-07-02T16:37:00.001-05:00

It didn’t take long for spider mites to attack tomatoes and attack with a passion. I have had a number of calls about tomatoes that are turning yellow and in most cases it is spider mites that are the culprit. The two spotted spider mite is responsible for most of our tomato problems. They are very small at 1/32 of an inch or less. If you turn over a tomato leaf you will see the webbing

Brown Patch and Take-All Root Rot Diseases on St. Augustinegrass Lawns

2009-06-08T13:29:00.002-05:00

Rhizoctonia Brown Patch and the Take-All Root Rot fungus are common problems on St. Augustinegrass lawns in Texas. The activity of both diseases is influenced by weather conditions and by turfgrass management practices that encourage disease activities. For some reason we have had perfect conditions for both diseases to start the last couple of weeks. Brown Patch is active in fall and spring,

Hypoxylon Canker of Oaks

2009-05-22T08:46:00.000-05:00

The Texas Hill Country is known for its beautiful live oak, red oak and even post oak and blackjack oak species. These trees seem to thrive here with little trouble except from people and nature. People affect these trees by building houses, driveways or yards around these fine trees and nature affects them by the drought we are currently in now. Droughts put these trees under significant

Where Do Seedless Watermelons Come From?

2009-05-22T08:29:00.001-05:00

This past week we had a Vegetable Production Tour around Taylor and Thrall. On this tour we talked about a lot of things including melons and melon production. I have been asked on occasion “Where Do Seedless Watermelons Come From?” and since we are very close to enjoying the first seedless melons of the season I thought we might learn about this great tasting treat.How do you get seed from a

Do You Have Borers or Just a Woodpecker?

2009-05-22T08:03:00.002-05:00

The yellow-bellied sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius), a member of the woodpecker family, is a migratory bird whose summer breeding range includes Texas. The identifying field markings of adult birds are a black crescent on the breast, pale yellow belly, white wing stripe, and a crimson crown. The male also has a crimson chin and throat, distinguishing him from the female whose chin and throat are

Pecan Nut Casebearer

2009-05-01T09:07:00.008-05:00

This is the time of year when we become concerned about pecan nut casebearer infesting pecan nutlets. Casebearer will overwinter in a hibernaculum or cocoon and then break dormancy to begin the process that gets us to this time of year. We are now seeing the moths emerge from this process and it is these moths that will lay eggs that become the first generation pecan nut casebearer. The way we

Galls on Oak Trees

2009-05-01T08:29:00.003-05:00

I don’t think there is a week goes by that somebody doesn’t call wanting to know what those little balls are on their oak tree how to keep them from killing the tree! How do you tell someone that the damage they see is really not bad at all and in fact these balls are part of the normal eco-system? Well, I can honestly say that most people need more of an explanation than that and here is the

Agriculture is Big Business in Williamson County

2009-04-21T08:23:00.007-05:00

There are not many of the 375,000 people who live in Williamson County who think that agriculture makes a very big economic impact. In fact most people think agriculture is fast phasing out and it won’t be long till agriculture will be gone! Well nothing could be further from the truth and in fact agriculture income is on the rise growing faster than just about any other segment in the county.

Budding and Grafting-What Is It?

2009-04-20T17:17:00.002-05:00

Most people don’t have a clue what budding or grafting is or if they don’t know why we do it! I can sure understand this since most of the reproduction in the world on the human side is not asexual it is sexual. Wow! How did we go from budding and grafting to SEX? Well in budding and grafting we bypass the typical crossing of a male and a female to produce offspring by either budding or

Fruit Tree Insect and Diseases

2009-04-06T09:20:00.002-05:00

I think we can blame the drought for causing another problem, terrible insect pressure especially on our fruit trees. Most if not all fruit trees have made it through the winter, and most have survived the drought, if you watered. They have made it through freezes and most have small fruit, no small miracle for Texas fruit production! Now after making it through all these problems we have one

Zinc is Essential for Pecans

2009-04-06T08:27:00.001-05:00

In the Texas Pecan Handbook, John Begnaud, Extension Horticulturalist writes that, “Over 40 years of pecan zinc research confirms that the pecan tree is a poor accumulator and transporter of zinc, especially when grown in high pH soils.” Any commercial pecan grower in the state can testify that this statement is true and none of them will miss a zinc spray unless it rains. Unfortunately many

Master Gardener Class Signup Underway

2009-03-26T08:09:00.002-05:00

It has been a busy late winter and early spring! The Williamson County Master Gardeners have to be some of the busiest, most fun people on the planet and yet just mention another gardening project and a they are off again. In just the past few months local Master Gardeners have propagated and transferred into one gallon pots over 2000 perennial plants. These plants are part of their annual

Chilling Accumulation: Its Importance and Estimation

2009-03-15T20:55:00.001-05:00

This year we have had what has seemed like an unusually warm winter. In actuality it has been really cool overall with average temperatures in December being 51.3 degrees, in January 50.6 degrees and February being a cold 58.8 degrees. I get a lot of questions about chilling hours and if we have accumulated enough. Stone fruit trees such as peaches develop their vegetative and fruiting buds in

Time to Get Those Lawns in Shape

2009-03-08T11:47:00.002-05:00

With all the warm weather lately people are ready to start fixing up their landscapes and I am right there with them. I always start off like a fireball but like everyone else, come July I am ready for winter again!! But since spring is here let’s talk about lawn care, probably the biggest plant you have in your landscape and certainly the one that takes the most time.First off, now is the time

Crape Myrtle Cultivars

2009-02-16T19:30:00.003-06:00

Crape Myrtles continue to be one of the most popular and widely used landscape trees in Texas. Over the last several years Louisiana State University has evaluated numerous cultivars or varieties for quality, growth habit and susceptibility to diseases. The following list will help you as you select a variety for your landscape. Natchez is recognized as the top performing crape myrtle in the

Why Is My Garden So Bad?

2009-01-27T13:28:00.002-06:00

I have had a lot of calls lately from frustrated gardeners. The call normally goes something like this, “I planted a garden last year and it just never produced, what am I doing wrong?” Of course most of these gardeners are blaming the soil, the plant variety, the weather but I don’t think any of them have blamed the real cause – water!Seriously it has been a very hard summer for people and

Growing Potatoes in Your Garden

2009-01-27T09:59:00.001-06:00

Potatoes originated in the higher elevations of Chile and were first grown as a food crop in Peru in South America. It wasn’t until the Spanish came to South America and brought back potatoes to Europe that the many uses of potatoes started to become popular. The potato eventually got to Ireland where the Irish quickly saw their value and by 1693 it was Ireland’s most important food crop.

Saving Those Old Poinsettia Plants

2009-01-27T09:58:00.001-06:00

I have a special friend who loves to save old plants and one of the plants she saves is old poinsettia plants. She is sure she can coax them into blooming again next year and she is right. Just about everyone still has a poinsettia plant left over from Christmas and for many the plant really looks good. The real question is how to keep it looking good until it blooms again next year. The

Landscaping Ideas for Every Home

2009-01-02T10:39:00.002-06:00

The really nice weather during the holidays and rolling over into a new year makes me anxious to do some landscaping. My favorite book of landscaping is “Landscaping Your Home,” by Wm. R. Nelson Jr. and it is a book that I refer to all the time because he covers everything from starting with your needs to taking care of your plants. Let’s cover some simple landscape concepts. Basically there

Stephenville Regional Pecan Show Results

2008-12-29T11:08:00.001-06:00

The Bell-Williamson Counties Pecan Show was held December 4th and the results of that show produced some great pecans from all the outstanding pecan growers in these two counties. The first place winners in each county pecan show automatically advance to the four regional pecan shows held throughout the state. Bell-Williamson Counties are in the Central Region and all our pecans are judged at

Bell-Williamson Counties Pecan Show Results

2008-12-29T11:06:00.004-06:00

The Bell-Williamson County Extension Pecan Committees hosted the annual Bell-Williamson Counties Pecan Show this past Friday, December 8, at the Comanche Community Center. This year’s show featured 28 entries, from 6 area growers. Mr. Bill Ree, State Extension Specialist-Pecan IPM served as the Pecan Show Judge for this year’s show. Bill is known throughout the state for his work in pecan

Lessons to Learn from the Drought

2008-12-29T11:06:00.002-06:00

I received an article from the Noble Foundation that discusses the three lessons we should learn from the drought or should I say should have learned from the drought. The rains in August/September helped a little but unfortunately our problems continue and will continue mostly as a result of these three lessons.Number one, “with no plan in place, producers hoped for the best then waited too

Pecan Varieties: Where Do They Come From?

2008-12-21T15:03:00.002-06:00

In the preface to Dr. Tommy Thompson’s book entitled “Pecan Cultivars - Past and Present he says there are over 1,000 pecan cultivars (varieties) and he documents 1,012 in his book plus 44 hican cultivars. Of all these cultivars we only truly know the parentage, at least one parent, of 156 cultivars leaving all others to be called natives or seedlings. Needless to say we don’t know a lot about

Moving House Plants Indoors Can Create Problems

2008-12-21T15:01:00.001-06:00

The recent cold weather has forced all of us to bring our houseplants inside and many times when the house plants come inside so do the problems. My wife has already had a problem on her African violets with citrus mealy bug insects and I’m sure there will be some other aphids appear on the other porch plants that are now houseplants. Anytime we put plants outside for the warm months they do

Mistletoe: Friend or Foe

2008-12-21T15:00:00.002-06:00

Talking about mistletoe (Pharadendron engelmanni) this time of year usually reminds you of the Christmas season, presents, stealing a kiss, etc. but unfortunately that is all the pleasurable thoughts most have of mistletoe because it is a parasite for trees all the rest of the year. A parasite is an organism that derives its survival from another living entity in this case mistletoe is the

Lichens

2008-12-21T14:59:00.001-06:00

I get calls all the time about lichens on trees and the supposed harm they are doing. Lichens are the leafy, grey-green looking growths that appear on the bark of trees. Lichens are an example of a symbiotic relationship between algae and certain fungi and as such are capable of producing their own food. The effect of lichens on a tree are only slightly detrimental owing mostly to their

Upcoming Events to Note

2008-12-08T16:57:00.002-06:00

A Farm and Ranch Seminar in Hearne, Texas for those who want pesticide credit this is the place to go. They are offering 7.5 pesticide credit hours with credits in Laws and Regulations, IPM and Drift. Contact number is 979/828-4270.Central Texas Regional Pecan Show to be held in Stephenville at the Research and Extension Center on Hwy 281. Show processing starts at 9:00 a.m. and the judging

Taking Care of Poinsettias

2008-12-08T16:55:00.001-06:00

Although the poinsettia is among the most traditional symbols of the Christmas season, it was cultivated by the Aztecs of Mexico long before the introduction of Christianity to the Western Hemisphere. Poinsettias were first introduced into the United States in 1825 by Joel Robert Poinsett. While serving as the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico, he had occasion to visit Taxco, south of Mexico

Bareroot, Balled and Burlapped and Container Grown Plants

2008-12-01T08:08:00.004-06:00

Winter is a great time to plant trees and shrubs. It is highly recommended that you put any tree or shrub out well before hot weather to give plants a time to grow some roots before they have to face hot temperatures. Now this winter is a little different than most since we haven’t had rain so planting any plant may take some pre-watering to even be able to dig a hole! Container plants have

Water! Water! Water!

2008-12-01T08:07:00.002-06:00

If you haven’t noticed before now let me tell you we are way behind in rainfall last 12 months with few signs it will get better. I have had a few calls about watering in the winter and I want you to know that if you don’t get rain then all your landscape plants need at least one good watering per month to survive. Fortunately plants don’t use much water in the winter so watering is not a

Supplementing Beef Cows, What Do They Need

2008-11-21T10:47:00.001-06:00