May 2020

Hope Springs Eternal

As we go through this time of uncertainty with social distancing and stay at home

orders, nothing could be more hopeful, grounding and certain other than Spring

itself. Watching trees donning on their new outfits and flowers setting their first

blooms reminds us that nothing has changed and this too shall pass.

Take a walk in your garden and backyard, smell the sweet scent of lemons, oranges

and grapefruit blossoms, see the newly emerging buds and blooms of roses, hear the

morning songs of the Mockingbirds, and tell me there is no hope for tomorrow.

Spring is new birth and new beginnings and best of all it comes around each year

without fail. I know, because I’ve been through a lot of them.

Connie Holub

THE INSIDE DIRT A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

BY

Waller County Master Gardener Association

May 2020

From the desk of …… Stacie Villarreal, M.S. Howdy, I hope everyone is taking some time to get in your garden or flower beds. The week of April 20th is National Volunteer week! I would like to take this time and say Thank you for everything that you do for the Waller County Master Gardeners and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Without dedicated volunteers we would not be able to have so many programs and activities! Just because you are currently home does not mean you cannot still help and volunteer. You can put together short videos that can be posted on the Facebook page or fun facts or tips about your favorite herbs, vegetables or flowers. These are educational ways to support what you do. Reporting your volunteer hours is extremely important so please make sure you get your hours in regularly. I encourage everyone to do your best; Help, volunteer and make the Waller County Master Gardeners the best chapter in the State! Post pictures of your gardens, flower beds and other plants on the Waller County Master Gardener Facebook page to get everyone else excited to be a gardener too!

Stacie M. Villarreal, M.S. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service County Extension Agent- Agriculture & Natural Resource Waller County 846 6th St Hempstead, TX 77445-5402 Phone: 979-826-7651 | Fax: 979-826-7654 Websites: http://waller.agrilife.org or http://AgriLifeExtension.tamu.edu

May 2020

How I was taken on a Ride…

I have been swindled!

Several months ago, mice invaded my garden building. After several efforts to exterminate them

failed miserably, I finally brought in an expert. The deal I made with “The Cat,” is that she gets

food, water and shelter in return for dead or eaten mice. It turned out; I did not get a cat. Instead, I

got a “Chicken” disguised as a cat.

Every time I go into the chicken coop, the cat follows closely and rests in the nesting boxes like

no body’s business. The chickens seem to ignore her despite the cat’s pleas to be accepted by the

herd. I am now at an impasse. I have a cat with an identity crisis and mice still enjoying themselves

in my garden building.

I am doomed!

Mary Karish

May 2020

Lemon Verbena the new old, cures all!

I purchased a Lemon Verbena plant because I loved the smell of my dish soap that was infused

with the fragrance. I did some research to understand why I was fond of it. I learned it’s an herb

and has been used for centuries in tea infusions, culinary and medicinal purposes. Since I am a

licensed mental health professional, I wanted to determine if the information posted on the web is

just old wife’s tales or science. You’ll never imagine the treasure trove that I unearthed.

Lemon Verbena, according to Dr. Jerry Parsons of Agrilife at the Texas Cooperative Extension in

San Antonio, Texas, comes in two main varieties a large flowered annual and a smaller flower

perennial hybrid. Lemon Verbena has over 200 species and are classified as Aloysia Triphylla,

but may go by many names.

Lemon Verbena loves the sun and requires good drainage. Not only can it handle the Texas heat,

but it is also drought tolerant.1 The plant can grow up to 6 feet tall and is hardy in zones 8 thru 11.

Always allow soil to dry before next watering. Lemon Verbena does not like wet feet. Dr. Parsons

recommends the Texas Rose Verbena, even for those with a “brown thumb”.

Lemon Verbena can be used as a tea (hot or cold), in chopped salads or paired with fish. It also

has a solid medicinal background. According to Dr. Susan Zuzurnetra2, below are some of the

documented benefits:

• Weight loss: Drinking Lemon Verbena tea or adding it as a spice to your food may help

support your weight loss. Two studies, one published in 2015 concluded “significant

improvement in fat metabolism in mice”; and another in 2017 determined Lemon Verbena

may assist in appetite suppression3.

• Improves joint function and reduces joint pain. In 2011, a human clinical trial was

conducted to determine if lemon verbena, fish oil omega -3 fatty acid or placebo would

improve joint stiffness. Researchers concluded that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory

properties of lemon verbena extract were likely a good alternative for these issues4.

Certainly, a pain reliver for gardeners’ achy knees.

• Lemon Verbena inhibits inflammation. A 2014 study conducted using Multiple sclerosis

patients had a “significant decrease in long- term inflammation5.” when using Lemon

Verbena supplement.

1 www.aggiehortuculture.tamu.edu/archieves/parsonsnd/96promotions/verbena.html 2 www.tinyqualityhomes.org 3 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/298623 4 www.ncbi.nim.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3221510 5 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/256175

May 2020

• Lemon Verbena tea is used to treat diarrhea, constipation and indigestion. In order to get

the benefits, one must drink the tea daily. Hot or cold with or without honey. Those who

use Lemon Verbena suggest that as a tea, it is good for clearing the nasal pathways and it

lowers fevers. Furthermore, drinking it as a tea reduces stress and helps sleep

• It kills germs! Just when you thought it did everything, it does more! Laboratory tests

indicate that it kills bacteria that causes staphylococcus infections and also works as an

antibacterial hand sanitizer6.

• Skin ointment. Add lemon verbena oil to your coconut oil and/ or cocoa butter to create a

skin ointment to reduce redness and puffiness around the eyes. You could also add

rosemary or lavender. Used as an essential oil alone, it can also be used to alleviate skin

issues like boils, cysts, and acne.

• Finally, Lemon Verbena helps keep mosquitos away. When used as an essential oil, it can

be used as an insecticide.

Lemon Verbena Flowers Lemon Verbenas can also be grown in pots.

As a Tea, The Mexican Food Journal author Andres Carnalla shares this herbal tea recipe:

Ingredients:

• 3 lemon verbena leaves

• 4 cups of boiling water

• 4 tsp of honey or a sweetener of your choice (optional).

6 Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

May 2020

Add fresh or dry Lemon Verbena leaves to boiling water and infuse for a few minutes. Another

recipe for tea includes mint leaves and is served cold.

Drying Lemon Verbena can be done by placing the leaves on a cookie sheet out in the sun for a

few days and turning them daily to ensure even dehydration. You can use a mortar and pestle to

crush the dried leaves and use them as powder in soups, meats, tea, ointments, etc.

You can also create your own oil, by combining Lemon Verbena oil with coconut oil and blending

it for 2 minutes. Pour the oil in a jar and let it stand for 1 hour, then strain, pressing the solids to

extract as much oil as possible7.

Finally, it adds taste variety to salads, fish, poultry, stews, soups, marinades, dressings and even

ice cream. It can be used as a garnish in fruit juices or meats. It is a great addition to desserts

such as jams and jellies, Greek yogurt, beverages, cake topping, etc.

Whether you decide to use it fresh or dried, or as an oil or a supplement in your food or as a tea,

Lemon Verbena is a treasured herb to have and you will not be disappointed.

Enjoy!

Submitted By: Candis Firchau, MS, LPC-S, NCC and Master Gardener!

7 www.foodandwine.com

May 2020

Wonders of Nature

Brazilian Grape Tree, commonly known as Jaboticaba does not use branches to grow. It grows

its fruits and flowers directly on the trunk. It is considered a tropical with zone hardiness 9b (27F

to 30F). The good news, it is a small tree that can be easily provided with overhead protection

during the winter or grown in pots. Their taste is very similar to Muscadine grapes with a slightly

acidic taste. It is a slow growing tree and depending on the variety you grow; the tree may reach

a height of 10 to 15 feet. You can propagate by seed, and the seedling is usually true to type.

May 2020

Update on Propagating Mandarin, Pixie Mandarin and Hass Avocado

I like free plants, especially those that you

can propagate from a fruit producing plant in

the comfort of your own garden. Last

February, I did a demonstration on Air

Layering a Variegated Pixie Mandarin and a

Cleft Graft on Hass Avocado at the Waller

County Master Gardener Monthly Lunch &

Learn event. Since, we are all sheltered in

place, I decided I owe you an update on both

plants.

Air Layering is basically an asexual process

and it occurs often in nature whenever a

branch or a stem touches the ground and

develops root. However, as the name implies

– air layering takes place in midair with a bit

of help from humans. In the video clip that

was aired at the Lunch & Learn event, I

demonstrated how to air layer a plant. If you

are interested in obtaining a copy of my Oscar

award winning movie, please contact me.

Below is a picture story of separating the air

layered plant from parent plant.

Full View of the Variegated Pixie Mandarin

Note the new root Development

I cut out a plastic water bottle to create a pot

holder for the moistened Sphagnum Peat

Moss, surrounding the target branch, and

wrapped the whole set up with plastic to

retain moisture in place.

May 2020

Severing the new plant from the mother

plant by cutting below the root growth

Prune the new plant to encourage root

growth and plant it in a moist well drained

soil

Place a plastic bag over the new plant to

retain moisture and place it in a shaded area.

After about a month, you can start hardening

the plant by punching small holes in the

plastic bag until the atmosphere is identical to

the surrounding environment.

Cleft Graft – Avocado

I eat an avocado every single day, and since I

do not have trash service, I throw the pits in

the garden. I decided that since I have

seedlings growing all over the place, I used

them as rootstock for my Hass avocado.

May 2020

The Rose Garden

What are good rosarians doing in the month of May?

In May you should be enjoying the fruit of your labor. As you walk through your rose garden,

beautiful rose buds and flowers should be on display for everyone to admire. At this point, pruning

and feeding are over with until the end of August or early September. Watering, however, is not.

Water

Watering is so important especially going into the summer months. Roses need about 2 inches of

water each week. Since 2 inches of rain every week does not happen in Texas during the summer

or any other time, be prepared to water. For smaller rose beds, soaker hoses work great.

Mulch

Mulching is also very important. I finally got around to mulching my rose beds in March. What a

difference it makes. The beds look fresh and beautiful. If you have not yet put at least 3 inches of

mulch down, May is really your last chance to do it before it gets extremely hot. Mulch helps to

retain moisture as well as keeps the soil cool. I like to buy my mulch in bags, that way I can do a

little bit each day, plus they’re easier to haul and handle.

Thrips

Thrips are small insects who feed on the buds and petals of roses. Browning on the bud or petal

is a good indication. The best thing to do is cut off the bud that shows signs of being eaten and all

spent roses as soon as you can right above the first five leaflet. It is good to find a leaflet facing

outward away from the middle, but leaf conservation is important. Place all buds and spent blooms

in a sealed plastic bag or container.

Blackspot

Yellowing leaves with black spots signal the presence of fungus. While there are some roses that

are resistant to blackspot, there are many that aren’t, and spraying is one way to protect them from

this fungus. I use a pump-up sprayer and a good fungicide. Remember to read the manufacturer’s

instructions carefully to get the best results. Pick up all leaves that have fallen on the ground.

They contain spores that can bounce back up and re-contaminate your rose bush. Also, water from

the bottom using a soaker hose or other irrigation system.

Connie Holub

May 2020

Earth-Kind Rose of the Month

Classification: Found Rose

Height and Width: 4’x 4’

Type of Bush: Small Shrub

Color: Lilac Pink

Fragrance: No

Blooms: Repeat Bloomer

Excellent disease & heat tolerance

Hardiness Zones: 6-9

Caldwell Pink

Found by Dr. Bill Welch in Caldwell, TX

May 2020

Earth-Kind Plant of the Month

Looking for a plant that will survive almost anywhere in Texas? Esperanza is your plant. Scientific name is Tecoma stans var. angustata and family name Bignoniaceae

Hardiness Zones 8-11 Earth-Kind Index: 8.00 Also known as Yellow Bells, it is native to Texas and a perennial or an annual

Earth-Kind Plant of the Month

Looking for a plant that will survive almost anywhere in Texas? Esperanza is your plant. Scientific name is Tecoma stans var. angustata and family name Bignoniaceae

Hardiness Zones 8-11 Earth-Kind Index: 8.00 Also known as Yellow Bells, it is native to Texas and a perennial or an annual depending on where you live. In our area, it may freeze back, but in the Spring, it will once again burst forth with bright green leaves and yellow trumpet shaped flowers. It’s considered a shrub, although somewhat scraggly looking. Its height and width can be anywhere from 3 to 6ft and may need some trimming to keep in check and looking good. The Esperanza is drought tolerant, heat tolerant, and disease resistant. As far as planting needs, sun to partial sun is your only requirement. It is not picky when it comes to soil. In the fall, the plant will put on woody green-bean looking seed pods.

May 2020

Companion Planting – Bringing out the Best in your Vegetables

Did you know that plants have best friends?

As we head into spring, deciding which

vegetable gets along with each other can

determine the success and failure of your

growing season. The idea of pairing

vegetables that bring the best in one another is

not new to the gardening world; it has been

practiced for thousands of years. For example,

the Native American tribe, Haudenosaunee,

planted the Three Sisters Garden made of

corn, beans and squash. The tale was based on

three Native American maidens, who thrived

when they were together, and fared poorly

when they were separate.

Companion planting is like pairing wine with

cheese. When planting the three sisters

garden, corn is known to be a heavy feeder,

using a lot of nitrogen. Planting pole beans by

its side, the corn stalks will serve as trellis for

the beans to climb on and for their service, the

roots of the beans will offer nitrogen fixing

bacteria. The complimentary service does not

end there. Planting squash, their leaves not

only provide a much-needed shade, but their

leaves will play a pivotal role in weed

prevention and moisture retention.

Aside from their complimentary roles, the

three sisters also provide a tasty and nutritious

culinary meal. Corn is loaded with carbohydrates, beans contains a generous amounts of plant

proteins and amino acids, and squash provides an ample supply of vitamin B complex, minerals

and fiber.

To ensure that the sisters will grow together in harmony without one sister dominating the other

two, start with sister corn. When the stalks are about 2 to 3 inches tall, seed your beans. As the

beans emerge and start growing tendrils, it is time to plant the youngest sister, the squash. By

observing the hierarchy and needs of plants, you can use your garden space wisely as well as

helping your plants thrive.

May 2020

Companion planting is not only restricted to The Three Sisters. Pairing of other plants can bring

beneficial outcomes. According to Carly Fraser, owner and founder of Live Love Fruit, companion

planting goes beyond a tale. For example, growing bush beans whose nodules contain nitrogen

fixing bacteria can complement radishes, whose roots harbor mycorrhiza fungi that increase uptake

of soil nutrients. Planting radishes with cucumbers or melons will deter the dreaded cucumber

beetles. There are many combinations that you can experiment.

Companion planting comes with its own insurance policy. The caveat; no premiums and no

deductibles. It is the deal of the century! Diversifying your crop, will assure you that pests will not

be able to gain the upper hand. Planting a monocrop, like tomatoes for example, you are basically

inviting every hornworm in the State of Texas to invade your garden. By mixing your tomato crop

with basil, you are creating a safe zone. Besides, basil makes tomatoes taste amazing and planting

them side by side, makes it easier to gather your ingredients for a superior pasta sauce.

Tight on space? Consider intertwining deep rooted vegetables like asparagus with shallow plants

like strawberries. You are effectively gaining two plants that in reality occupy one space. The

same applies for any rooted vegetable paired with leafy greens.

Do not forget your herbs! Oregano, rosemary, parsley, etc. deter many pests that do not like their

smell. Do not relegate them to an isolated spot in your garden. Mix and match, much like nature

has intended and watch your garden bloom and produce.

Companion planting is an art that has been practiced by veteran gardeners across many continents.

All you need is a bit of planning and research into the secret lives of plants and you will end up

with a bountiful harvest loaded with nutrients.

Mary Karish

May 2020

Courtesy of Carly Fraser, author of Live Love Fruit.

May 2020