HALLOWEEN HORT HANSELS . . . 

RAIN BARREL TIPS . . . SAVING SEEDS!

 

BY BRENDA BEUST SMITH

 

Talk about an olio of gardening topics today!

* Remember our elderly neighbors, shut-ins, hospital patients, etc., this Halloween! Sometimes isolation robs one of the joy of celebrating holidays.

 

Easy tips for room-brightening Hallow's Eve delights (that don't involve sugar!) are offered by Gail Bullion Cornelius Nursery (along with the hot pepper arrangement above left):

 

* Slice the top off a fresh pumpkin (and trim the bottom if it wants to wobble), scoop the fiber out (meat and seeds) carefully, dry, and insert a small container of fresh fall plants.  Peppers and crotons work best, as they require little watering. 

 

* Prefer thirstier plants like brightly colored mums, coleus, etc? Just put the whole pot into the pumpkin. But be sure you drain the pot completely before setting them back in.

 

* Mini pumpkins and acorn squash make superb candle holders.  Just cut off the top, hollow out the center, pop in a candle and tie on a brown string to complete the natural look.

 

 

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Such an uberous of gardening knowledge and experience exists in this area, most of today's column space is being turned over to experts who can speak far better than I can on the subjects of

    1. effectively using rain barrels and

    2. saving seeds

 

*  RAIN BARRELS. You don't have to live in Missouri City, or even Fort Bend County, to benefit from the Oct. 24 Residential Landscape Water Conservation Workshop. Every registrant ($25) will receive a free rain barrel

 

They'll be giving away free rain barrels to every registrant ($25). I know you're probably tired of reading about water shortages, especially if your neighborhood hasn't been subjected to rationing in the past. But smart gardeners are utilizing rain barrels already so they're ahead of the game when rationing hits their area. 

 

Every one of our 8+ counties in the Greater Houston area already already had some cities and/or communities subjected to water rationing for landscaping. 

 

And that number is multiplying exponentially every year.  To get the most out of the water you ARE allowed to use, learn now how to use rain barrels correctly and efficiently, as tips below from Missouri City Green's Pam Allen and Nancy Schoepf are sharing below.

 

The Workshop is a joint project of Texas A&M AgriLife, Missouri City Green, City of Missouri City and Fort Bend Master Gardeners. Participants will also learn effective ways to install efficient irrigation systems and select more water-efficient plants.

* SAVING SEEDS  Not only is this an incredibly fun activity for children, it's a great way to ensure that you get the same wonderful plants you enjoyed this year . . . if, that is, you're not growing plants that won't come true to seed.  This is an extremely complex subject, with as much mis-information on the 'net as there is true information. I don't pretend to be an expert. 

But if you want to be successful in growing from seed you've actually collected, Jean Fefer and Will Isbell offer some tips below, and you have four free opportunities to learn more about this fun - and often beneficial - project. Check out the four free area-wide Harris County Master Gardener "PROPAGATION & SEED SAVING" programs listed both at the end of the Fefer/Isbell article and in our Calendar.

 

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* HEADS UP on a great volunteer opportunity.  Mercer Botanic Garden (22306 Aldine  Westfield, Humble) is looking for docents, and planning training, for both children's activities (Mon., Nov. 2)  and the gardens (Mon., Nov. 9).  Both 9am-noon. Click on link above or call 713-274-4160. If Mercer is too far away for you, contact parks, nature center and other gardens in your area for volunteer opportunities. Great way to learn from the experts and have a really fun time.

*** 

Brenda's column in the 

LAZY GARDENER & FRIENDS HOUSTON GARDEN NEWSLETTER 

is based on her 45+ years 

as the Houston Chronicle's Lazy Gardener - as is her LAZY GARDENER'S GUIDE ON CD (pdf book), a month-by-month guide on when to do what 

(

plant, fertilize, prune, etc.) in the Greater Houston Area, along with lazy gardener plant recommendations and sample garden designs for sun, shade, butterflies, hummers, herbs, etc.  For details, email Brenda at lazy gardener@sbcglobal.net  

 

 *** 

 

 

 

 

Rain barrels don't have to be unsightly, as these examples from 

Texas A&M AgriLife, left, and gardener Mel Basham, right, demonstrate. 

The one at left waters a bog garden and is covered with wooden slats. 

 

 

10 STEPS TO RAIN BARREL SUCCESS  

by Pam Allan & Nancy Schoepf

Missouri City Green www.missouricitygreen.org

 

Diverting rainwater from your roof into a rain barrel is a smart idea, and it's one that is getting a lot of traction. Rain barrels are readily available but there are some important steps to take to ensure your rain barrel works as effectively as possible.

 

1. Elevation is essential: Raise your barrel at least 12'' off the ground using sturdy supporting materials such as concrete blocks or a heavy-duty wooden stand to create an acceptable flow of water. Stability is essential - supporting material should extend several inches beyond the lip of the barrel.

 

2. Screen savers: To prevent debris, insects and critters from entering the rain barrel, cover all inlets with a fine mesh screen and check periodically, replacing screens as needed.

 

3. Eliminate sunlight: To help prevent the growth of algae on the inside of the tank, paint light colored plastic rain barrels with a dark color.

 

4. Plan for overflow: When rains are heavy, a 50-gallon barrel will rapidly fill. Ensure that overflow pipes are roughly equal in size to intake pipes and, if necessary, extend the overflow hose to divert excess overflow away from the foundation of your home.

 

5. Good quality hardware: Purchased rain barrels often come equipped with poor quality hardware. Replacing them with good quality fixtures will pay off in the long run.

 

6. Careful selection: A rain barrel with a spigot set up that will allow you to easily attach a hose or fill a watering will give you maximum versatility.  Pumps, timers, and low flow emitters can be added to water different zones. 

 

7. Increase your capacity: Consider investing in several rain barrels which can either be interconnected or positioned next to various downspouts close to your plantings.

 

8. Keep it clean: Gutters and downspouts should be cleaned twice a year, typically in fall and spring.

 

9. Annual cleaning: To remove sediment build up, drain and clean your rain barrel annually.

 

10. Take action: If the water smells bad, add a chlorine bleach solution of 1 tablespoon/gallon and wait 24 hours to allow the chlorine to dissipate before using the water in your garden. If the problem persists, drain and clean out the barrel.

 

Special thanks to Ft Bend Master Gardener Rainwater Harvesting Specialists & Dr. Dotty Woodson, Ed. D. Extension Program Specialist - Water Resources for content input.

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SAT., OCT. 24: RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPE WATER CONSERVATION WORKSHOP, 8:30am-noon, Recreation & Tennis Center, 2701 Cypress Point Dr.  Missouri City. $25. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Missouri City Green, City of Missouri City/Fort Bend County Master Gardener event.  fortbend.agrilife.org/water conservation/,  missouricitygreen.org; 281-633-7029  

 

 

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Saving seeds saves money among other benefits. Center, tomatoes should be 

nearly rotten before seed is collected. Beans should have pods that are brown and dry.

 

 

SEED SAVING  

by Jean Fefer & Will Isbell

Harris County Master Gardeners

 

Seed saving is fun and interesting, but there are also some more practical reasons to do it.  It saves you money, provides seed security, leads to regional adaptation, and quality control.  You can also learn a lot.

There are some simple rules to follow:  

• Choose the best plants for seed saving 
• Make sure the seeds are mature before gathering.  This stage will vary with each plant.  Beans should have pods that are brown and dry. Tomatoes should be near rotten.
• Some like tomato require pretreatment before storing.  
• Store properly in either cool or cold conditions 
• Store in plastic or glass
• All seeds must be completely dry. 
• Label with name and date collected and if the parent plant is not your own you need permission to gather.  Gathering seed from parks and arboretums is often illegal.

 Information about the plant will increase the success of reproducing it by planting the seed you saved. 

• Open-pollinated plants are those pollinated naturally by insects, wind, and water.   These seeds can reproduce the original plant if they are separated from other varieties of the same species.  If other varieties are near, cross-pollination can occur.  This is likely in squash and corn.
• Hybrids are products of a planned cross between two different varieties of the same plant species.  These seeds will likely not produce a plant identical to the one they came from.  They could revert back to one of the parent plants.  If you are growing food this is not a good thing.  If you are experimenting, it's fun to see what happens.
• Heirlooms are plants with a past and saving this seed helps to preserve biodiversity and promote sustainability.  These seeds are most likely to reproduce the original plant.
• Determine whether this seed has dormancies that need to be overcome by pretreating,  Bluebonnets, for example require scarification(breaking through the seed coat) to start the germination process.

In addition to the practical reasons to save seeds there is the value gained by doing it with children.  It is a great hands-on example of a life-cycle in which they can participate .

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THE REST OF THE STORY . . . You have four free chances coming up to learn more on Propagation & Seed Saving from Harris County Master Gardeners:

-- SAT, OCT 17 - 10am-Noon. Maude Smith Marks Library, 1815 Westgreen, Katy

-- TUES., OCT 20 - 6:30-8:30pm, Spring Branch Memorial Library, 930 Corbindale

-- TUES., OCT 20 - 6:30-8:30pm, Spring Branch Memorial Library, 930 Corbindale

-- TUES., OCT 27 - HARRIS COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS OPEN GARDEN DAY & SEMINAR:

                                PROPAGATION & SEED SAVING, 9-11:30am, 3033 Bear Creek Dr. 

 

For details on all - hcmga.tamu.edu/Public/docs/2015-green-thumb.pdf or 281-855-5600