Gardening

County Pecan Show - Thursday, Nov. 9

Also, November's gardening checklist

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

November 2, 2006

Pansies are a favorite choice to provide cool season color. Pansies are available in a wide array of colors ranging from bold yellows, oranges, and reds, to pale pastels.
Photo by William M. Johnson.

It's pecan harvest season! So, who has the best pecans? To find out, attend the 2006 County Pecan Show on Thursday, November 9, at 7:00 p.m. It will be held in the Walter Hall Pavilion which is located at Walter Hall Park , 807 Highway 3, in League City (about two-tenths mile north of the intersection of FM 518 and Highway 3).

Pecans grown by local homeowners will be on display. If you are interested in submitting your pecans into the show, contact or visit the Galveston County Extension Office (5115 Highway 3, Dickinson , 281-534-3413) for show entry rules, deadlines and drop-off locations.

Even if you do not enter pecans, plan to attend this year's Pecan Show to view the diverse array of pecan varieties grown in the area and to learn more about growing pecans. A question & answer session on the management of pecans will be also conducted to assist homeowners with any pecan growing problems.

Awards (ribbons, rosettes, and plaques) will be presented to the winning pecan entries. The class winners at the County Show will be entered into the Regional Show which will be held later this year.

Marilyn Simmons, my co-worker, will also conduct a Pecan Bake Show with youth and adult divisions. For additional information on entry rules, contact the Galveston County Extension Office. After the awards program, there will be a tasting session, which will be open to the general public.

The Galveston County Pecan Show & Pecan Bake Show is open to the public. For more information, contact the County Extension Office (281-534-3413).

November's gardening checklist

- This is an ideal time to plant for cool-season color in the landscape as there are many types of annual flowers that bloom only in cooler weather. Pansies are a favorite choice as they are on the list of Texas ' top-selling annual flowers.

Pansies are hardy and will bloom over a long season. The old-fashioned face varieties have been steadily improved for better garden performance, and many new varieties with solid or bi-colors without a face are now available.

Pansies are available in a wide array of colors ranging from bold yellows, oranges, and reds, to pale pastels. Miniature pansies are also becoming popular.

- Other cool season annuals to plant include alyssum, flowering cabbage and kale, petunias and snapdragons.

- Mustard, English peas, radishes, spinach and turnips can be planted throughout November while garlic cloves and carrot seed should be planted by mid-November.

- Caladiums have started to decline so be sure to dig and store caladium bulbs—at least the more expensive ones. Otherwise, you will most likely lose most of the bulbs during winter due to wet rot and/or cold injury. Store bulbs in open-mesh sacks or panty hose in a dry, well-ventilated area that remains above freezing (such as a garage).

- Don't get in a hurry to prune woody plants. Late December through February is usually the best time to prune them.

- Reduce the fertilization of indoor plants now to mid-March. An exception would be plants in an atrium or a well-lighted window.

- This is an excellent time for planting container-grown ground covers, shrubs and trees. Thanks to our mild winters, trees and shrubs planted now will have several relatively stress-free months to establish a good root system before hot, dry weather returns.

- In order to increase your stock of clumping perennials, divide spring and summer bloomers during the fall and winter. (Those which are fall bloomers can be divided in the spring, or season opposite to bloom time). Most perennials left in the ground in the same place for more than 3 years are likely to become overgrown and overcrowded. Passing favorite plants along to friends or trading for a prized plant is a favorite part of perennial gardening.

- Rake up and dispose of pecan leaves and shucks that fall from pecan trees. Heavy infestations of the larval stage of an insect known as the hickory shuckworm cause major damage annually to our county pecan crop. Since the insect overwinters inside shucks left on the ground, collection and disposal of the shucks will help reduce the overwintering insect population. Collection and disposal of leaves will also help reduce the overwintering population of the fungus that causes pecan scab.

- If you plan to fertilize the lawn, plan to do so by mid-November. A recommended fertilizer is 15-5-10 which is available under a wide variety of brand names.

- Apply horticultural oil if scales, mites, and other plant sucking insects have been a problem on woody ornamentals.

- Store pecans at 36-40 degrees Fahrenheit or place in a freezer. Unless you like onion-flavored pecans, be sure to keep stored nuts away from onions as pecans readily absorb odors.

- Clean and oil garden tools if you do not plan to use them during the winter season. Use linseed oil on the handles. Clean lawn equipment that will not be used until the spring gardening season.

- Don't immediately remove spent rose blooms. Instead, leave them on the plant until it goes dormant.

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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