Volume 31, Issue #08 – August 2021
BCMG President
Can you believe we have made it to August without going into triple digit temperatures? Get ready because I can’t believe we will get out of August without some scorchers! Try to do your gardening in the early morning before the temperatures rise. Drink plenty of water.
Just as August heat can be hard on gardeners, it can also be hard on gardens! Just as you shouldn’t push yourself in the heat of summer, you do not want to push your plants. Don’t fertilize your landscape this month, let you garden rest. Keep an eye on soil moisture as these unusual summer rains taper off.
However, August is a good time to do some light pruning, deadheading, and general clean-up of your spring and summer blooming plants. This will set many of them up to provide a great fall showing.
Take care of yourself, not just your garden!
Lynn
Scion Index – Click and Go!
You can now print or download Member Articles to your computer. Just click the Blue Button beneath the article you wish to save, and a pdf version of the article will pop up on your screen. From there, you can print or download using the indicators at the top right of your screen.
Please check out the many of FREE classes and webinars listed in this issue.
- This Month’s Presentation– Feral Hogs
- Water Wise Words by Anna Vogler
- Superstar Spotlight – Fall Zinnias
- In the Garden Articles
- August In The Garden by Bill Swantner
- Time To Plant These Fall Vegetables by Grace Emery
- The Freeze And The Trees by Bill Swantner
- Asparagus Knife for Weeding by Paul Foerster
- From the Texas Master Gardener Conference
- Farmer’s Market and the Horticulture Technician Program within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice by Liana Benavides
- Education with David and Molly
- Agrilife Today
- MyExtension210
- Aggie Horticulture Facebook Events
- Earth-Kind Webinar Series
- WOAI 1200 AM – Lawn and Garden Show
- Ask a Master Gardener Hotline
- Can You Help? – Join Amazon Smile
- BCMG Facebook
- Member News
BCMG offices are closed to Drop-ins, so you must have an appointment to go in. Call before going over.
All monthly meetings for 2021 will be on-line webinars held on Zoom, until further notice.
Monthly meeting presentations are always free and open to the public.
The first time you use Zoom, allow a few minutes extra to get set up. Zoom can be used free on home PCs, Macs and on smartphones.
Pre-Registration on Zoom is required for each webinar. (Equivalent to the “Sign-in sheet”). Register weeks ahead of time or even just a few minutes before the webinar and the link will be sent to you in email .
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Time-to-Plant-these-Fall-Vegetables-by-Grace-Emery1
The-Freeze-and-Trees-2021-08-by-Bill-Swantner1
Asparagus-Knife-for-Weeding-by-Paul-Foerster1
Below, they have shared a report of some of their favorite presentations with us
Gardening Education Opportunities
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2021 Fall Children’s Vegetable Garden Program at SABOT – Register by Aug 25
San Antonio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston Place, San Antonio, TX 78209.
Registration is Now Open! Saturdays, August 28 – December 11 8:30 – 10:30 AM Fee: $65 per plot ($58.50 member plot). The Children’s Vegetable Garden Program is an opportunity for children to grow their own vegetables with the help of educators, horticulturists, and volunteers. Each family/group is allotted a 3.5’ x 28’ garden plot. Find out more »
2021 Fall Children’s Vegetable Garden at PHP– Registration Opens August 3
Phil Hardberger Park East, 13203 Blanco Road, San Antonio, TX 78216.
2021 Fall Children’s Vegetable Garden at Phil Hardberger Park, Tuesdays, August 31 to December 14, 2021. Set at the park’s Historic Homestead, the PHP Children’s Vegetable Garden is a place for children 5 to 14 years old to get their hands dirty as they learn every aspect of gardening, from planting to harvesting. With the help of volunteers from the Bexar County Master Gardeners, the students begin the morning each Tuesday with a hands-on activity in the garden, followed by a related lesson. Children have fun gardening while learning about teamwork, agricultural commodities, nutrition, and how to be good stewards of the land. Find out more »
Conservation Webinar Series: Lawn Care 101 – Online Learning
August 5 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm.
A frequent question posed to SAWS Conservation staff – what can I do for my lawn? We are going delve into what should be your real expectations and how you should manage your lawn. Join our Conservation experts to learn all about lawn care and what can be done for your lawn problems. Registration SAWS WaterSaver Rewards Eligible = 1 point. Find out more »
SAWS WaterSaver Landscape Program (Virtual Workshop by Eco Centro)
August 5 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm.
Interested in saving money? SAWS has amazing conservation programs available to customers! In this FREE workshop, we take a deeper dive into all of the WaterSaver Landscape program requirements, resources, eligible plants, what to do if you have irrigation, and how to plan and install a WaterSaver Landscape from start to finish. Get ready to have a beautiful outdoor space and some extra money in your pocket. Find out more »
Hibiscus & the Mallow Family – Guadalupe County MG Lunch & Learn
August 11 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm.
Guadalupe County AgriLife Extension, 210 East Live Oak, Seguin, TX 78155.
Guadalupe County Master Gardeners Lunch & Learn Program. Speaker: Jerry McNulty. For more information, visit Guadalupe County Master Gardeners – Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Find out more »
Fall Vegetable Gardening
August 11 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am
Rainbow Gardens, 8516 Bandera Rd., San Antonio, TX 78250. $10
Fall Vegetable Gardening with Karen Gardner, Advanced Master Gardener – Vegetable Gardening. August 11, 2021 10:00 – 11:30 AM Purchase tickets now, as seating is limited. Find out more »
BCMG August Monthly Meeting – Feral Hogs 101
August 19 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
“Feral hogs are domestic hogs that have escaped or been released into the wild. With each generation, the animals’ domestic characteristics diminish as they develop the traits necessary to survive in the wild.” Join us for Sam Womble’s timely presentation on the biology, history, habitat, damage, and management of feral hogs. Speaker: Sam Womble Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Find out more »
Preparing For and Planting a Fall Vegetable Garden
August 28 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am.
Milberger’s Landscaping & Nursery, 3920 North Loop 1604, San Antonio, TX 78247,
Preparing For and Planting a Fall Vegetable Garden Presented by David Rodriguez, Horticulturist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. South Texas offers vegetable gardeners two great growing seasons every year. Fall’s milder temperatures bring out the best flavors in home vegetable gardens. Insects and disease are less bothersome. And we can grow warm- and cool-season crops. Join David and learn how to select the best variety of warm weather crops to start your fall vegetable garden. Find out more »
Youth gardening programs grow great kids
Aquaponics for Beginners course now available online
Mosquito populations booming after rains
Plant a pollinator garden to supply immediate food in response to freeze setback
Back to the Basics series on Beef Cattle Production
Early spring lawn to-do list a little different this year
Basics of raised garden beds
Frequently check the BCMG Calendar, as that is where all the new, upcoming programs will be posted. Click Here
Past webinars are posted on YouTube for your viewing (or reviewing) pleasure! Check often for new postings! Click here for the list.
- What’s Making Holes in my Lawn?!
- Spring Lawn Management
- Growing a Home Fruit Orchard with David Rodriguez
- Gardening and Landscape Q&A Chat with David Rodriguez
- Fly Management
- Pantry Pests
- Dragonflies of Texas
- Arachnids of Texas
- Where Do Insects Go When It Rains? by Molly Keck
- 12 Months of Vegetable Gardening by David Rodriguez
- Pests of Tomatoes by Molly Keck
- 12 Months of Pollen and Nectar Producing Plants for Pollinators
- Turf Grass Basics: Surviving Summer and the Rest of the Year
- Vegetable Garden Basics
https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/fblive/https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/fblive/
Just a few of them are:
- Fall Blooming Flowers and Biennials Planted in Fall
- Growing Muscadine Grapes in Texas
- Toys (tools) For Gardening
- Compost versus Mulch
- Planting Strawberries
- Harvesting Pecans
- Raised Garden Beds, Location, Soil Mixtures and more!
- Home Fruit Production – Tips for Success!
- Small fruits for the backyard
- Floral Designs from your backyard – Growing, Cutting, Using your flowers and shrubs!
- How to Prune Your Trees
- Indoor Gardening
Get the full list of FREE classes here
- Landscape Water Conservation
- Low-Volume Irrigation
- Irrigation System Auditing
- Safe Use and Handling of Pesticides
- Safe Use and Handling of Fertilizers
- Composting
- Designing an Earth–Kind® Landscape
- Landscaping for Energy Conservation
- Creating Native Habitat
- Earth–Kind® Roses
- Integrated Pest Management
Call in to Live Radio on Saturday mornings, with your gardening questions for David.
Call in: 210-737-1200 or 1-800-383-9624 on Saturdays from 7 am to 10pm
Or just listen to the show, and learn from everyone else’s questions!
WOAI 1200 AM – Lawn and Garden Show
Host: David Rodriguez, Bexar County AgriLife Extension Horticulturist.
Past shows are archived here, for easy listening on your computer, tablet or phone, anytime! Listen on your phone while you drive!
Ask a Master Gardener
Master Gardeners are available to help you with your gardening questions. We provide unbiased, research-based, locally relevant gardening information. Free service. You can reach us:
By phone: 210-631-0400 (Ask to speak to a Master Gardener)
Mon-Fri 9 am – Noon, 1-4 pm (Closed on county holidays)
Even during Covid-19 precautions, the phones and the Hotline are being operated from home telephones; hotline calls are being directed by AgriLife Extension receptionist Nick Vasquez.
