Now that the first day of spring has passed, gardeners are busy creating or fine-tuning their landscapes to achieve a beautiful setting that complements home, patio, or balcony.
In selecting plants that will thrive in your garden and landscape, an important consideration is whether they are suited to your climate, soil and site. Know a plant’s growing requirements before choosing them.
Soil testing, which measures soil fertility, is important. Growing plants need a supply of the major nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Some plants prefer soils rich in all nutrients, while a few grow just fine in soils that are not.
A soil analysis will also indicate the pH of soil. Knowing the pH level, will aid in selecting plant material suitable for your site. While many plants grow well in moderately alkaline soil, others, such as camellias, azaleas and dogwoods, will not thrive in alkaline soil. A pH of 7 means that the soil is neutral. A pH below 7 indicates acidity; one above 7 indicates alkalinity. For information on soil testing visit the website at soiltesting.tamu.edu
Where to find plants
Plants offered at the Brazos County Master Gardeners 2013 plant sale on Saturday will focus on heat- and drought-tolerant perennials selected for Brazos County growing conditions. Vegetables, herbs, trees and roses will be sold also.
Bring your wagon and arrive early for the pre-sale walk-thru from 8 to 8:50 a.m. It’s a wonderful opportunity to preview plants before the sale begins at 9 a.m. at the Texas AM AgriLife Extension at 2619 Texas 21 West in Bryan.
If the March freeze took a toll on your vegetable garden, all is not lost. The plants in the sale are large and ready to plant in your garden. Offerings include seven kinds of peppers, five types of tomatoes and 4 different eggplants to choose from, including Raveena, an unusual and small eggplant that can be grown in containers.
Tycoon, a Florida hybrid tomato that produces high yields of 12-ounce red globe-shaped fruit, is expected to do well in this area. Other tomatoes are Bush Champion, Fourth of July, Viva Italia and Sunsugar an early producing, golden yellow cherry type.
The pepper selection offers everything from mild to hot. Choose from red, yellow, orange or even a lilac bell pepper. The Giant Marconi is a sweet Italian pepper and the Mucho Nacho Jalapeno is on the very hot side.
Perennials and herbs
A large selection of perennials, many sun-loving and those that prefer shade, are for sale, including some native plants. There is a large selection of salvias, lantana and rudbeckia that are known to be drought-tolerant. Also, small trees, Texas Red Buckeye and Fireman’s Cap, both with bright red spring blooms.
The sale includes a selection of 13 herbs, like oregano, sage, thyme, dill, cilantro, mint and some hard-to-find basil varieties, such as African Blue, boxwood and Genovese compact.
If you have a sunny spot with good drainage, be sure to take a look at the wonderful selection of roses. Featured is a climber — Peggy Martin — that is spring blooming and thornless.
For more information about the plants for sale, go to www.brazosmg.com or call the Brazos County Extension Office at 979-823-0129.
Resources to select plants
The Texas Urban Landscape Guide (http://UrbanLandscapeGuide.tamu.edu) rates plants for eight Texas gardening zones based on resource efficiency categories: drought, heat and pest tolerance, and soil and fertility requirements.
Texas Superstar plants (www.texassuperstar.com) have undergone rigorous testing and observation by horticulturists with the AgriLife Extension Service and Texas AgriLife Research.
Earth Kind Roses (http://earthkindroses.tamu.edu) are among the most thoroughly tested and environmentally responsible roses for Texas landscapes.
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