Gardening

Roses have had a centuries-long reputation of being the most neurotic members of the plant world. The search for a foolproof, drought resistant, no-fuss, but beautiful and ever-blooming rose has been like a botanical Holy Grail—an impossible dream. An Earth-Kind Rose Symposium will be offered on January 20 in Pasadena to teach gardeners about the newest developments in growing no-fuss roses .

Photo by Gaye Hammond.

Earth-Kind Rose Symposium on Jan. 20 to focus on no-fuss roses

By Dr. William M. Johnson
Galveston County Extension Agent - Horticulture

January 12, 2007

Just as a "A rose by any other name is just as sweet" then "A beautiful rose from your very own garden is always a marvel to behold." Roses definitely rank as a favorite landscape plant for many gardeners. Whether you already grow roses or you are interested in growing roses but think all roses require a lot of care, then make plans to attend an upcoming presentation on Earth-Kind roses.

Just what is an Earth-Kind rose? When it comes to landscape plants, there are two very prestigious horticultural designations bestowed by the Texas A&M Agriculture Program.

One designation is known as Earth-Kind and the designation is based on extensive statewide field tests conducted by A&M horticultural experts. Only a few special plants possess the extremely high level of landscape performance coupled with the outstanding disease and insect tolerance/resistance that are required in order to receive this designation.

Plants earning the Earth-Kind designation do very well in almost any soil type, from the well-drained acid sands of east Texas to the poorly aerated, highly alkaline gumbo clay soils common to our growing area. Simply stated, Earth-Kind plants are the finest, most thoroughly tested, and most environmentally responsible plants for use in Texas landscapes and gardens.

Throw away your spray and chemical treatments. Forget about deadheading and pruning. Reduce your irrigation costs. The Earth-Kind Roses and Landscape Management concept provides the home gardener with roses that thrive with very little care in any soil type.

To learn how Earth-Kind takes the work out of rose care, register to attend the Earth-Kind Rose Symposium. The symposium will be held on January 20 at the South Main Baptist Church located at 4300 East Sam Houston Parkway South in Pasadena, Texas from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.. The registration fee of $59.00 includes one 2-gallon potted Earth-Kind rose, a rose care publication, other course materials, snacks and beverages.

This is an opportunity to learn all about the most exciting developments in rose growing and to receive a potted Earth-Kind rose to start right away! The Earth-Kind Symposium is cosponsored by the Houston Rose Society and the Galveston County Extension Office. Additional details and a downloadable registration form can be found on my website below or by contacting the Galveston County Extension Office (281-534-3413, ext. 1-2).

Roses have had a centuries-long reputation of being the most neurotic members of the plant world. Homeowners love their magnificent blooms and fragrance. Consequently, they spend a tidy sum of money buying fertilizers, insecticides, and fungicides to sustain their roses, and much time pruning, deadheading, and watering them to keep them blooming. Much to their exasperation, many roses still expire, no matter what.

The search for a foolproof, drought resistant, no-fuss, but beautiful and ever-blooming rose has been like a botanical Holy Grail— an impossible dream. But Texas A&M’s Earth-Kind project has taken on a nationwide search for this homeowner’s dream of no-fuss roses.

If roses aren't already a part of your landscape or you want to make a changeover to low care, no-fuss roses, make plans now to register for the Earth-Kind Rose Symposium to learn how to establish the "queen of flowers" in your landscape that will reward you with color and beauty from early spring to late fall.

Weed Control Seminar

Saturday, January 13: Do you have a bumper crop of something growing in your yard that you did not plant? Is your lawn more weeds than grass? What can you do about the problem weeds that are taking over your yard?

Major weed pests in our home landscapes and options for their control will be the subject of "Common, Everyday Weeds–A Homeowner’s Guide to Weed Control" to be presented by Anna Wygrys. Anna is a Certified Texas Master Gardener and longtime resident of Santa Fe.

The seminar will be held on January 13 from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m.. at the Galveston County Extension Office located at 5115 Highway 3 in Dickinson. The program is free-of-charge but pre-registration is required (GALV3@wt.net or 281-534-3413, ext. 6) due to space limitations.

Gardeners’ Q&A

Question: If the weather warms up for a few days over the next few weeks, my St. Augustine lawn may put out a little growth. Should I go ahead and fertilize my lawn now using a slow release fertilizer?

Answer: Winter temperatures have been rather pleasant for the most part. If relatively warm temperatures persist, St. Augustine grass may grow some and may even need to be mowed! In fact, I saw a peach tree with a few blooms on it last week. It is awful tempting to begin certain projects now such as fertilizing the lawn.

However, I would not fertilize lawns just yet. St. Augustine lawns will make poor utilization of the nitrogen at this time of the year. Postpone this project until mid-March or even early April when the plant can make better use of this fertilizer. Fertilizing now would primarily be of benefit to any cool season weeds which certainly would make good use of a fertilizer application!

Dr. Johnson is a horticulturist with the Galveston County
Extension Office of Texas Cooperative Extension, Texas A&M University. Visit his web site at http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/index.htm

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