CORPUS CHRISTI —
Prepare the beds for spring-flowering bulbs as soon as possible. It is important to cultivate the soil and add generous amounts of organic matter to improve the water drainage. Bulbs will rot without proper drainage.
Norma Hernandez
SMALL SPACES: Carol Krank will discuss “Landscaping Small Spaces” at 2 p.m. Sunday at Turner’s Gardenland, 6503 S. Padre Island Drive. Free. Information: 991-9002.
BROWN BAG EVENT: San Patricio Master Gardeners will host “Container Gardening: Design, Plant, Grow!”, a brown bag event presented by Mary Ann Davis and D.J. Chilcoat from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Aransas Extension Office, 892 Airport Road, Rockport. Free. Information: 361-790-0103.
LAWN PREPARATION: Neal Stewart will discuss “Fall Winter Lawn Preparation” at 2 p.m. Oct. 21 at Turner’s Gardenland, 6503 S. Padre Island Drive. Free. Information: 991-9002.
BAY GARDENS: The Corpus Christi Area Garden Council Inc. will host the fall garden tour, “Gardens Around the Bay,” from noon to 6 p.m. Oct. 21. Tickets are $10 and are available at Turner’s Gardenland, Gill Landscape Nursery, Green’s and Thing’s and garden club members. Three gardens in Corpus Christi and two in Portland will be featured, plus admission to South Texas Botanical Gardens Nature Center. Information: 991-5375 or bwhitt33@swbell.net
GARDEN CLUB: First Presbyterian Church Garden Club meets at 9:45 a.m. in Kleberg Hall, 430 S. Carancahua St. Meetings are open to members and nonmembers. Oct. 23: Don and Rhoda Poenisch, Native Plant Society, “Easy to Grow Native Plants”; Nov. 27: Carol Krank, Turner’s Gardenland, “Butterfly Gardens”; Jan. 22: Michael Womack, “Best Shade Trees for Corpus Christi”; Feb. 26: Kathy Hubner, Gill’s Nursery, “Plants for Shady Areas”; March 26: Susan Matthews, “Preparing the Easter Cross”; May 28: Induction of officers and salad luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Information: 884-4057.
HEALTHY GARDEN: Denise Housler of Aquaria Services will talk about ways to keep your water garden healthy during cold snaps in the “Winter Care for Water Gardens” seminar, 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 17 at South Texas Botanical Gardens Nature Center, 8545 S. Staples St. Cost: $8 (includes garden admission); free/members. Information: 852-2100.
To speak with a master gardener, contact the help desk at the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Nueces County, by calling 767-5250, or post questions and/or comments at mpotterhort.blogspot.com/.
ASK THE GARDEN PRO
Q: I noticed many leaves on my plumeria are being eaten. Closer inspection revealed some caterpillars. Will they hurt my plumeria and how should I get rid of them?
A: The caterpillar of the tetrio sphinx moth is a frequent fall visitor to local plumeria plants. This caterpillar has distinctive yellow and black segmented stripes and a red head and rear. Fortunately, there should be no long term damage to your plants. If you find the caterpillars, you can remove them and kill them using the “two-brick” method, also known as “squash and go.”
If you have many plants, you might want to spray with a Bt product like Thuricide at the first sign of damage. We are fortunate that this annual infestation occurs in the fall, just before many plumeria drop leaves and go dormant for the winter. Next spring, the plants will re-leaf without damage.
Michael Womack is a horticulturist and executive director of the South Texas Botanical Gardens Nature Center. Contact him at wmwomack@gmail.com.
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