By Robert Burns 

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Though nearly 70 percent of the state remains in drought, crops in many areas are doing well thanks to rains over the last month, according to reports from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service personnel and the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Many AgriLife Extension county agents reported good or even excellent crop conditions, but the consensus was that more rain was needed soon to maintain growth and meet yield expectations.

"We've basically had a lot of good rain in areas that had been particularly hard hit by drought," said Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon, state climatologist, College Station. "But it takes a lot more than that to actually get them out of drought completely.

July tends to be the driest month for most of the state, he said, and currently there are no long-range forecasts predicting anything much different this year.

"For the time being, it looks like the best chances of (summer) rain are going to be in the north and northwest, which means the Panhandle may get some more relief," he said.

But what's needed to give real drought relief is enough rain to recharge the subsoil moisture profile and refill reservoirs and lakes, Nielsen-Gammon said. And the best chances of that come from an El Niño this fall.

El Niño refers to warmer-than-average ocean water temperatures off the Pacific coast of South America, he said. A moderate to strong El Niño usually means more moisture to parts of the Southwest and Southeast during the late fall and winter. El Niño, translates as "The Boy Child," because it peaks about the time of Christmas.

In early May, NASA predicted a very strong El Niño, Nielsen-Gammon said. NASA based the prediction on satellite images showing patterns of temperature and ocean height that were similar to those of May 1997, a year of one of the strongest El Niño oscillations of the 20th century.

"But the recent computer model forecasts are not so enthusiastic," Nielsen-Gammon said. "More likely, we'll end up with a weak to moderately strong El Niño."

This means much of Texas could still have a wetter than normal late fall and winter, just not as wet as it might be with a very strong El Niño, he said.

More information on the current Texas drought and wildfire alerts can be found on the AgriLife Extension Agricultural Drought Task Force website at http://agrilife.tamu.edu/drought/.

Dwindling water resources caused by drought, extreme temperatures and other environmental factors have made the development of more water-efficient turfgrasses increasingly important for southern landscapes, according to experts at Texas A&M AgriLife Research.

According to national water-use statistics, about one-third of all the water consumed by cities in the southern U.S. is used to irrigate lawns and gardens.

Recently Dr. Ambika Chandra, associate professor of turfgrass breeding and genetics at the center, released a new drought-tolerant St. Augustine grass variety that also resists the major disease and insect pests that commonly attack lawns in the southern U.S.

"This new variety is the first hybrid of St. Augustine grass produced by our advanced breeding techniques to be released for the commercial turfgrass industry," Chandra said.

At the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Dallas, home of the AgriLife turfgrass breeding program, scientists are continually developing and testing new turfgrass lines that require less water and have increased drought, disease, insect, shade and cold tolerance - characteristics preferred by homeowners and landscape professionals alike.

Over the years, the program has generated thousands of new St. Augustine grass lines, as well as other turfgrass lines, Chandra said. These lines are evaluated at different locations over a period of years to identify the few that have superior characteristics.

She said the new variety, currently identified by its experimental name, DALSA 0605, has shade tolerance and deep roots comparable to Floratram, a successful St. Augustine grass collaboratively developed by Texas A&M University and the University of Florida.

"So far, DALSA 0605 has shown excellent response to drought stress in the field. Much of this is due to its long roots that allow it to penetrate deeper into the soil to obtain moisture where other varieties cannot," Chandra said. "It also does well during soil dry-down after exposure to extended periods without water, as well as in the recovery phase once water is reintroduced."

Development of DALSA 0605 was partially funded by the Turfgrass Producers of Texas, with field testing of the new turfgrass initiated in 2004 at the Dallas center. She said DALSA 0605 has also shown wide-range adaptation through additional field testing in Oklahoma, Georgia, North Carolina and Florida, as part of a collaborative project funded by U.S. Department of Agriculture.

"DALSA 0605 will most likely be commercially available in 2015," she said.

Proven Winners is looking to the future, and the future of our industry depends on the young people behind all of us. The company realizes realize there is amazing academic talent that exists across North America, and wants to support the individual pursuits of college students by introducing a $15,000 scholarship program that will reach out to students in three distinct areas. Proven Winners is proud to announce that 2014 will be the first year in which they award a total of $15,000 in college scholarship programs. This scholarship will be divided and awarded in three areas:

-The Proven Winners Innovations in Plant Breeding Scholarship - $5,000

-The Proven Winners Innovations in Horticultural Marketing Scholarship - $5,000

-The Proven Winners Grower Excellence Scholarship - $5,000

Scholarship applicants must be enrolled in a four-year university and be at least a sophomore during the 2014-2015 academic year. Masters and Ph.D. level students are also eligible. Applicants must be enrolled in Horticultural Science or related fields, and they must hold a minimum GPA of 3.0.

To apply for one of these three scholarships, each student needs to submit a cover letter which details the scholarship for which they are applying, the name of the university they are currently enrolled in, the degree they are working towards (including any minor degree), their current grade level, target graduation date, contact information along with a letter of recommendation for a current academic adviser or professor. Most important is that each student needs to submit an essay of 750 words or more detailing what they want to accomplish in horticulture.

Questions, along with application materials need to be submitted to Kerry Meyer, Proven Winners, by July 15, 2014 via email at kerry@provenwinners.com. Recipients will be chosen and notified by the end of September, 2014.

Cleburne: Junior Master Gardener Wildlife Gardener Certification Summer Camp will be held Monday June 23 though Friday June 27, 9 a.m.- noon, and the Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum, 101 Chisholm Trail Dr, Cleburne. Learn backyard habitat gardening basics by exploring, Birds, Amphibians/Snakes, Mammals/Bats & Insects/Monarchs. Classes will be made up of hands-on projects, class discussion & take home crafts. Friday the class will put everything they have learned about gardening for wildlife into practice by creating and planting a butterfly garden on site. Those who attend all 5 classes will receive JMG Wildlife Gardener Certification. Classes are geared for kids 7-11 and space is limited, If space is available, children under 7 may attend with an adult & those older than 11 but younger than 15 may attend with approval. Take all 5 classes and receive a JMG Wildlife Gardener Certification for $45.00 or take individual classes for $10.00 per class. For more information contact Pat Kriener, 817-793-4625 or wildwoodc@yahoo.com. 

Humble: Children entering the 4th and 5th grades can jump into the fascinating world of plants during summer camp at Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens. Participants may choose from two week-long sessions: Monday, June 23 through Friday, June 27 or Monday, July 21 through Friday, July 25 from 9 a.m. to noon each day. Registration is now open, but seating is limited! Call 281-443-8731 or visit Mercer to register and find out more. An $80 enrollment fee is due at the time of registration. Plant hunters will learn about the diverse plants of the world and the ecosystems in which they are found as they engage in a variety of outdoor activities to learn about the natural world. Discover the amazing abilities of plants that allow them to thrive in virtually every habitat on earth, including grasslands, wetlands, the tropics, temperate forests, and the human environment. Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens is located one mile north of FM 1960 at 22306 Aldine Westfield Road, Humble. For additional information, contact Mercer at 281-443-8731 or online at www.hcp4.net/mercer.

Bryan: Dr. Seth Murray, Assistant Professor, Department of Soil and Crop Science at Texas A&M, will discuss "Corn's Diversity: Quantitative Genetic Discovery and Maize Breeding for Texas Growers" beginning at 7 p.m., June 24, in Room 102 of The Brazos Center, 3232 Briarcrest Dr., Bryan. For additional information, visit brazosmg.com or call 979-823-0129.

Dallas: The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden will host its annual Plant Trials Field Day on Wednesday, June 25 at 2 p.m. to give results from the acclaimed trial garden program at the Arboretum. These results include data of what plants performed well and which ones survived the Texas weather in late 2013 through spring 2014. The Arboretum even provides awards - FlameProof and Arboretum Approved award winners - for plants that have thrived and outperformed others. Another goal of the day is to give those in the industry a chance to network and to learn best practices from one another. Hundreds of industry attendees are expected to attend the program followed by lunch, a trade show and self-guided tours. Attendance is limited to those in the industry and costs $15 (pre-registered) or $25 at the door, if space is available. Registration is online at http://www.dallasplanttrials.org/. Go to the Events page, and click on the link. The Dallas Arboretum Trial program is internationally known as one of the premier places to test plants for extreme weather conditions, especially high heat and humidity. In 2013, about 3,000 plants were tested including annuals, bulbs, perennials, shrubs, trees, groundcovers and vegetables. Dr. Brent Pemberton, Texas A&M Regents Fellow and Professor of Ornamental Horticulture and Plant Physiology, also presents the "Texas Super Star Program Award Winners." Home gardeners can find out more information about the Dallas Arboretum's Trial Program and plant promotions by visiting the plant trials website at http://www.dallasplanttrials.org/.

San Antonio: Green Spaces Alliance is hosting an informational meeting about how they can help make attendees' neighborhood community garden, food forest, community orchard, rain garden or Monarch Waystation a reality. The meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m., June 25, at BCFS Health and Human Services, 1313 Guadalupe St., Suite 10, San Antonio. For more information, email info@greenspacesalliance.org.

McKinney: The Collin County Master Gardener Association will host tours of the award-winning research and demonstration gardens at Myers Park on Saturday, June 28, from 9 a.m. until noon. During the past five years, CCMGA has partnered with park staff to install gardens that include perennials, annuals, crapemyrtles, vegetables and herbs, as well as demonstration gardens. Master Gardeners will be on hand to serve as guides and to answer questions. Myers Park and Event Center is located at 7117 County Road 166, McKinney.

Rosenberg: "Aquaponics," a presentation on the combination of aquaculture (raising fish) and hydroponics (the soil-less growing of plants) to grow fish and plants together in one integrated system, will be presented by the Fort Bend Master Gardeners and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Fort Bend County. 9-11 a.m., Saturday, June 28 at the Fort Bend County Extension Office at 1402 Band Rd., Rosenberg. Registration $15, $25 for couples. Kids under 10 accompanied by parents, free. For more information or to register, email brandy.rader@ag.tamu.edu, call 281-342-3034, or visit http://fortbend.agrilife.org/ or www.fbmg.com.   

• Many, many practical and timely garden tips that are for Texas - not Maine or California!
• Organic, earth friendly tips to make your garden grow and prosper
• Lots of space to record your own activities for future reference
• Planting dates and tips for vegetables, flowers, herbs, fruit and lawns

The Vegetable Book

By Dr. Sam Cotner

Finally, back by popular demand and in its fourth printing, the most informative and comprehensive "how-to" book on vegetable gardening in Texas (also, suitable for most other areas of the South) written by the late, great Dr. Sam Cotner, former head of horticulture at Texas A&M University and lifelong gardener. This interesting read has over 370 pages of detailed information on every crop, from Asparagus to Watermelon including problem/solving sections for each vegetable. If you want to maximize your enjoyment and success growing vegetables in Texas, this book is a "must have," whether you are a beginner or a seasoned gardener. Price $34.02

By William D. Adams

The best thing for tomato enthusiasts since the tomato itself! Adams draws on more than thirty years of experience to provide a complete, step-by-step guide to success in the tomato patch. Learn everything from soil preparation, planting, feeding, caging and watering. Liberally sprinkled with the author's easy humor and illustrated with his own excellent photographs, this must-have book has everything you'll need to assure a bumper crop! 189 pages. Lots of color photographs! Price: $31.94

($15.82 if ordered separately)

Remit payment to:

TG Books * PO Box 9005 * Waco, TX 76714

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