Texas A&M AgriLifeExtension Service – Collin …Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service – Collin County Volume 7, Issue 2 4 1 by Dawn Bluemel Oldfield, CCMGA Public Relations Chairperson

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service – Collin County Volume 7, Issue 2

Garden Wise Gazette The Garden Wise Gazette is an outreach of the Collin County Master Gardeners Association (CCMGA) and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service to the citizens of Collin County for horticultural education, interest, and information.

March/April 2014

The Garden Show 2014 is almost here!

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by Bonnie Landon, CCMGA Newsletter Editor

A r e y o u r e a dy ? Spring is just around the corner and so is The Garden Show

2014 — presented by the Collin County Master Gardeners

Association. March is a busy month for gardeners who are counting the days until that last freeze (March 13th on average) and the first day of spring on March 20th. Your Collin County Master Gardeners have been busy too! They’ve been hard at work preparing for The Garden Show 2014 at Myers Park and

Event Center on Saturday, March 22nd and Sunday, March 23rd.

You will want to be sure to mark your calendar and make plans to attend. There will be something for everyone to enjoy, from informative presentations for homeowners, to hands-on demonstrations, to children’s activities. And parking is free!

— continued on page 2

The Garden Wise Gazette is published six times a year, providing information applicable to the upcoming season. The May/June issue will be released on May 1, 2014.

In this Issue . . . The Garden Show 2014 .......................... 1

CCMGA 2014 Scholarship .................... 3

The 11th Annual CCMGA Plant Sale .... 4

Water Conservation .............................. 5

Does Extreme Cold Mean Fewer Pests? .. 6

Prosper Landscape & Garden Series ....... 7

Garden Checklist for March .................... 8

Garden Checklist for April ...................... 9

Upcoming Events .................................. 10

Help Desk FAQs ................................... 11

Gardening in Collin County .................. 11


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• Charlie Bear and Company • City of Allen • City of McKinney • CKB Designs • Collin County Beekeepers

Association • Collin County Farmers Market • Collin County Feed and Seed • Concrete Leaf • Crape Myrtle Trails • D & R Koller • D L Building Solutions • Daylight Rangers • Decks Over Texas • Diggin It • Earth Arts • Eden Hill Vineyard • Flowers' Gardens and

Landscapes • For The Birds • Garden Charms • Gebo's • Groom & Sons Ace Hardware • Hancock Fence & Fabrication • Harmon-E-Gardens • Heritage Tree Service of Texas • Hollyberry Herb Farm • Homegrown Plants • Hypermotion Design &

Landscape • JL Glass Design • Joy Farm Country Store • Juice Plus • Lavender Ridge Farm • Lawn America • Leaf Expressions • Living Earth Compost • Londa's Gourmet Classics • Luscombe Farm Specialty Foods • Nancy Harmon, Author

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The Garden Show 2014 — continued from page 1

Knowledgeable Speakers Two outstanding keynote

speakers will give presentations during The Garden Show 2014. Steve Huddleston, author and senior horticulturalist at the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens will present “Outstanding Plants for North Central Texas” on Saturday, and author, publisher and noted horticulturalist Neil Sperry will wrap up the show on Sunday with “Neil Shares His 25 Favorite Plants”.

Collin County Master Gardeners will also be giving presentations on a variety of gardening topics.

Local Vendors More than 60 local vendors will

be present at The Garden Show 2014 offering a wide variety of goods and services. Here is just a partial, but still growing, list of vendors:

• Advanced Tree & Shrub Care • Ag Power • Alfresco Living • Annie's Hot! • Arbordocs • Armstrong

Agriacademy/Kissimoo • Barris Pottery & Ceramics • Best Bug Bait • Chambersville Tree Farms

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• Native Plant Society - Collin County Chapter

• Neil Sperry's Gardens • Novozymes BioAg • Outdoor Wooden Furniture by

Stan • Piddling Peddler • Plantation Greenhouses & Carts • Possom Hill • Puckett's Lawn & Garden

Center • R&E Plants • Rock Paper Shears • Shades of Green • Shady Bridge Farms • Spring Creek Organic Farm • Susan's Soaps & More • Texas Pure Products • The Stalk Market • The Texas Health Clinics • Three Creek Gardens • Trinity Expanded Shale & Clay • TX Master Naturalists,

Blackland Prairie Chapter

The Garden Show Sponsors CCMGA would like to thank

the following sponsors for their invaluable support:

Title Sponsor Ag-Power

Silver Sponsor Chambersville Tree Farm

Bronze Sponsors – Collin County Feed and Seed

– Groom & Sons’ Ace Hardware – Shades of Green

— continued on page 3

photos courtesy of CCMGA


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CCMGA would also like to thank the following In-Kind

Sponsors: Allen Image Magazine, Baylor Medical Center at McKinney, Calloway’s Nursery, Collin County, Dr. Pepper Snapple, Elke’s Market Café, Fast Signs – McKinney, Minuteman Press – Allen, Myers Park & Event Center, Plano Profile and Texas Pure Products.

Garden Tours After you’ve visited all of the

local vendor booths, you’ll want

to be sure to take a tour of the

International Award Winning

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Research and Demonstration Gardens where you will find

inspiration for your home garden while learning more about the

research-proven, Earth-Kind® gardening techniques. Guided

tours of the perennial, rose, crape myrtle or vegetable gardens will

be given during show hours.

The Garden Show 2014

Hours: 9:00 am –5:00 pm

Saturday, March 22nd

11:00 am –5:00 pm Sunday, March 23rd

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Location: Myers Park & Event Center

7117 County Road 166 McKinney, Texas 75071

Click here for a printable map.

Cost: Entry on both days is a donation of $2 per person. All proceeds will

benefit the Children and Community Health Center

and Meals on Wheels.

Information: For up-to-date information, visit

www.ccmgatx.org/TheGardenShow

or, call 972-548-4232.

The Garden Show 2014 (continued from page 2)

CCMGA 2014 Scholarship article by Joy Bradford, CCMGA Scholarship Committee Chairperson

The Collin County Master Gardeners Association (CCMGA), an integral part of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service,

will award a $1,000 scholarship to a Collin County, Texas high school senior for the 2013-2014 academic year.

This award is available to a graduating high school senior (Class of 2014) who is a resident of Collin County and who intends to select any one of the following as a college major: Botany, Entomology, Environmental Science, Forestry, or Horticulture.

To apply, a student must complete and submit the following no later than 4:00 pm on April 25, 2014: • an application • a 400-word essay describing his/her college goals, and • two teacher references

The scholarship will be awarded on or before May 21, 2014. The application may be obtained at:

http://ccmgatx.org/community-service/youth-educational-programs

Send completed requirements to:

Dr. Greg Church Collin County Horticulture Agent Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service 825 N. McDonald Street, Suite 150 McKinney, TX 75069


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by Dawn Bluemel Oldfield, CCMGA Public Relations Chairperson

“A gardener is the spirit of the garden, the organizing force, the heart and soul of it all.”

— Jeff Cox

Spring is a busy time for gardeners . . . so much planning, pruning, weeding, planting, and mulching to do! This year will find us especially focused on our gardens and landscapes, as we assess the damage caused to trees, shrubs, and perennials by the on-going drought and this winter’s arctic cold, snow, and ice. What can be saved and what needs to be replaced?

Fortunately, the season’s most anticipated plant sale is right around the corner! The Collin County Master Gardeners Association is preparing for its 11th Annual Plant Sale on

Saturday, April 12, 2014 from 9 am – 3 pm. Veterans of the sale say that strategy is key. They know that this “first come, first served” event (once the plants are gone, they’re gone!) offers some of the best plants for North Texas at the best prices! These enthusiastic gardeners line up outside hours before the doors open with lists in hand and carts in tow, eager

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to purchase beautiful plants recommended by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.

This year’s selections include plants that are Texas-tough, water conserving, insect and disease resistant, and Earth-Kind® favorites. Attendees will find hundreds of varieties of annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, vegetables, herbs, vines, roses, grasses, and new Texas Superstars that thrive in sun, part-sun, and shade. Additionally, gorgeous container gardens, offered at some of the best prices in town, are sure to add a bright spot of color to your outdoor living space. Collin County Master Gardeners with decades of collective experience will be available throughout the day for “Q&A with the Master Gardener’s” to answer questions,

and offer timely tips and design ideas to help homeowners plan, and plant with confidence and success.

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Purchase these proven performers by cash, check, or credit card (Visa or MasterCard only). Bringing your own cart

or wagon is encouraged. Children ages 5 and up can participate in environmentally friendly activities at the Children’s Discovery Area

throughout the day.

The Plant Sale will be held

indoors, rain or shine, hot or cold, in the pavilion at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in far North Dallas, 17360 Coit Road, between Campbell Road and the George Bush Tollway.

To find out more about The

Plant Sale or view an updated

plant list visit:

http://www.ccmgatx.org

or call the Collin County Master Gardeners by contacting the CCMGA Help Desk at:

972-548-4219, or

972-548-4232

11th Annual CCMGA Plant Sale


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by Dave Spadoni, Collin County Master Gardener and Water Conservation Committee Member

In a recent article in the Plano Star Courier, Denise Hickey, North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) spokeswoman said the water district hopes to be operating at full capacity by summer. The water district is only months away from again being able to tap into Lake Texoma’s water supply. Lake Texoma makes up 28 percent of the district’s overall supply, but the discovery of zebra mussels took the lake offline in 2009.

This, combined with drought conditions, has caused the district’s main water source, Lake Lavon, to stay well below capacity much of the last four years. Lavon is currently at 48.4% full, more than 12 feet low. Another primary source of raw water for the district is Lake Jim Chapman, near the city of Cooper, is currently 31.2% full,.

To bring Texoma back into service, NTMWD constructed a 46-mile long pipeline from

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the lake to the water treatment plant in Wylie. The pipeline was completed this past November, but support facilities were also a part of the $300 million project. Ms. Hickey said, “They should be finished by June, when the district will once again be operating at full capacity.”

“The Texoma water is high in salinity, so we have to mix it with other water,” said Ms. Hickey. Prior to the discovery of the zebra mussels in Sister Grove Creek in 2009, the Texoma water would mix with Lake Lavon water, which lowered the salinity level, making it acceptable for water treatment.

Even when the district is able to once again use Texoma water, Hickey said Stage 3 water restrictions would likely remain in place since there has been a lack of sufficient rain and because NTMWD serves some of the fastest growing cities in the state, including Frisco and McKinney. The National Weather Service has indicated that the persisting “La Nina” located in the central Pacific

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ocean will continue to influence our weather, meaning this summer will be mostly hot and dry.

So! Please check with your city’s water conservation website to clearly understand what is expected of you as a resident or business owner! With the NTMWD population growing at such a rapid pace, water conservation is and will continue to be the driving force behind state and regulatory changes.

Lake Lavon is only 48.4% full as of February 22, 2014

(photo taken January 11, 2014) photo courtesy of G. J. McCarthy,

Staff Photographer, Dallas Morning News

Water Conservation — an ongoing, critical issue

facing all of Collin County

The North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) acts in accordance with its mission to meet the

current and future water supply needs of its Member Cities and Customers. More than 1.6 million citizens rely on the treated water supply provided by the NTMWD. The NTMWD is a regional wholesale provider of potable water, with rates set at cost, no profits included, and no taxes collected. Lavon Lake serves as the NTMWD’s main raw water supply source, with the NTMWD holding water rights in the reservoir.

For more information, please visit the NTMWD website at:

https://ntmwd.com


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Many insect pests have survival strategies for

cold weather.

One method involves ‘insect antifreeze’

OVERTON – Will the extremely cold weather Texas experienced recently have any effect on insect populations this spring?

Probably not, said Erfan Vafaie, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service integrated pest management specialist at Overton. “It depends upon the insect,” said Vafaie.

Red imported fire ants, for example, burrow down so deeply in the soil that they’re unlikely to be affected by cold weather, Vafaie said.

“They tend to be quite ‘insulated’, if you will, from the extreme temperature changes — unless there’s a very long sustained cold, which may slowly make its way down into the depths,” he said.

It’s been suggested by other entomologists, Vafaie said, that a colder winter may reduce the populations of mosquito species that carry West Nile virus during the following summer.

“However, we don’t know for a certainty, and since this winter has been quite a unique one in Texas, we’ll have to wait and see how insect populations have been affected.”

What is known is that insects generally have several biological mechanisms for dealing with cold

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ice,” Vafaie said. “Some insects, such as the woolly bear, a moth larva, and goldenrod gall fly larvae, can tolerate freezing by the use of specialized proteins.”

He noted that though such insects are termed “freeze tolerant,” if they are taken from the field during the summer and placed in a freezer, they aren’t likely to survive.

“Typically, certain environmental cues are involved. For example, shorter days and cooling temperatures may induce mechanisms that help the insect tolerate freezing,” Vafaie said. “When the weather warms back up, they thaw and become active again.”

Other insects cannot tolerate freezing, but have other mechanisms to prevent ice formation in their cells, he said.

“We call 32 Fahrenheit the freezing point of water, but the temperature at which ice forms depends on the content of the solution,” Vafaie said. “For example, saltwater at a concentration of 23.3 percent may not freeze until the temperature is minus 6 degrees Fahrenheit. In the same way, some insects use certain compounds called ‘cryoprotectants,’ similar to the ethylene glycol found in your car’s antifreeze, that lower the temperature at which freezing occurs. This helps them survive at subfreezing temperatures.”

The third strategy, migration, is also commonly used by some species of insects. In East Texas, one of the most common examples of this strategy is the

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weather, even extremely frigid weather like large parts of Texas had in late December. Vafaie’s previous work under the supervision of Dr. Brent Sinclair, a prominent insect low-temperature biologist in Ontario, Canada, gave him a strong foundation and knowledge on insect cold tolerance, he said.

“There are many places that often experience much cooler climates than Texas, such as Toronto, that had below minus 20 this December,” Vafaie said. “Although it may seem as though our little insect friends would not be able to live at such low temperatures, many have adapted the ability to survive in such environments.”

Generally speaking, insects have three main strategies for dealing with the cold: freeze tolerance, freeze avoidance and migration, he said.

“Internal ice formation would kill most organisms, but some insects have specialized mechanisms to deal with

Does Extreme Cold Mean Fewer Pests?

Armyworms, which are actually the larval form of a moth, deal with cold weather by not being around when it happens, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologist. Armyworm moths overwinter in South Texas and migrate in the millions northward in the spring and summer to lay their eggs.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Photo by Robert Burns


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fall armyworm, he said. The fall armyworm is actually the larval form of a migrating moth, he said.

Fall armyworm moths migrate in the millions northward from South Texas in the spring and summer. Upon arrival, each moth will deposit a clump of 50 or more eggs on individual blades of grass. When the eggs hatch, the larva quickly go on maneuvers en masse for food. They will move across pastures, devouring wide swathes of grass in their wake, like an advancing army, hence their name. Another migratory example is the monarch butterfly, Vafaie said.

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“Monarchs migrate to Mexico and Southern California every winter,” he said.

One thing that may defeat many of these survival strategies, however, is when there are multiple incidences of very cold weather with warm temperatures in between. Such rollercoaster weather can decrease insect survival or reproductive potential, according to Vafaie.

“It’s not that they don’t have strategies adapted to deal with frequent temperature variations; it just comes at a cost, for example survival or reproduction,” he said.

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But even when winter knocks back survival numbers, nature has a way of adjusting, Vafaie said.

“Due to the relatively short generation time of some of our biggest pests, like aphids, whiteflies and mites, their populations can grow exponentially even if winter survival is low.”

article by Robert Burns 903-834-6191 [email protected]

Reprinted with permission from AgriLife Today,

http://today.agrilife.org

Does Extreme Cold Mean Fewer Pests? (continued from page 6)

Prosper Landscape & Garden Series Presented by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and the Collin County Master Gardeners

The Town of Prosper will partner with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service to offer an educational program on successful landscape and gardening. This educational lecture series will provide information on a variety of topics to help residents improve their home landscapes and gardens. The program will include the principles and practices of the Earth-Kind® Environmental Stewardship Program. The program will included presentations by Dr. Greg Church, County Extension Agent for Horticulture, and highly trained Master Gardener volunteers.

March 24th Creating an Environmentally Friendly Home Landscape

March 31st Saving Water in the Lawn and Landscape April 7th Attractive Drought Tolerant Landscape Plants April 14th Vegetable and Fruit Gardening April 21st Lawn Management

Class Times: Each class will be held Monday evening from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm

Location: Prosper Community Library, 700 N. Coleman, Prosper, TX

Preregistration is requested by contacting Prosper Public Works at 972-347-9969

Classes are FREE to the public.


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Plan:

• Plan to attend The Garden Show 2014 which will be held at Myers Park and Event Center in McKinney on Saturday, March 22nd and Sunday, March 23rd.

• Plan for and invest in some permanent bulb plantings this year. Bulk bulbs are less costly than the small packages from nurseries or box stores. Once planted, the lawn may be mowed as usual after the foliage of the bulbs is dried.

Prepare:

• Prepare beds for planting flowers and vegetables. You may want to consider renting or buying a garden tiller to speed up the process; however, a strong back and a garden fork will still do an excellent job.

Plant:

• In North Texas there is still time to plant seeds of your favorite annuals in flats to be transplanted out-of-doors when danger of frost is past.

• Start hanging baskets of

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petunias and other annuals for another dimension in landscape color.

• Plant dahlia tubers in fertile, well-drained soil.

• Fertilize:

• For every 100 square feet of bed area, work in a several-inch layer of either compost, pine bark or sphagnum peat moss, plus 5 pounds of balanced fertilizer.

• Prune:

• Pruning of evergreens and summer flowering trees and shrubs should be completed in early March. Prune spring flowering trees and shrubs as soon as they finish blooming.

• As camellia and azalea plants finish blooming, fertilize them with three pounds of azalea-camellia fertilizer. Check mulch on azalea and camellia beds and add where needed.

• Other Tasks:

• Check with your local county agent for the average last killing freeze date for your area. Remember that killing

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freezes can occur after this date.

• Select and order caladium tubers as well as geranium and coleus plants for late April and early May planting. Do not plant caladiums until soil temperature reaches 70° F.

• Beware of closeout sales on bare-root trees and shrubs. The chance of survival is rather low on bare-root plants this late in the season. Your best bet at this time of year is to depend on container-grown or balled-and-burlapped plants for landscape use.

• Dig and divide summer and fall flowering perennials just before they initiate their spring growth.

• Watch for news on local upcoming plant sales (including our own sale in mid-March!) Many sales feature plants that grow well in the North Dallas area.

Garden Checklist for March

Image courtesy of Simon Howden/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Remember — our average last freeze date is March 13th!

Image courtesy of Just2Shutter/FreeDigitalPhotos.net Image courtesy of artur84/FreeDigitalPhotos.net


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Plan:

• Plan to attend 11th Annual CCMGA Plant Sale on Saturday, April 12th at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in far North Dallas

Plant:

• Seeds of amaranthus, celosia, cosmos, marigold, portulaca, zinnia, and other warm-season annuals can be sown directly in the beds where they are to grow. Keep seeded areas moist until seeds germinate. Thin out as soon as they are large enough to transplant. Surplus plants can be transplanted to other areas.

• For instant color, purchase started annual plants. Select short, compact plants. Any flowers or flower buds should be pinched to give plants an opportunity to become established.

Prune:

• Prune spring-flowering shrubs soon after flowering. Keep the natural shape of the plant in mind as you prune, and avoid excessive cutting except where necessary to control size.

Roses:

• Roses have high fertilizer requirements. For most soils, use a complete fertilizer for the first

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application just as new growth starts, then use ammonium sulfate, or other high nitrogen source, every 4 to 6 weeks, usually just as the new growth cycle starts following a flowering cycle.

• Continue to spray rose varieties susceptible to black spot, using an appropriate fungicidal spray such as Funginex. Use every 7 to 10 days, or as recommended.

• Climbing hybrid tea roses may be pruned as soon as they complete flowering.

Pests:

• It will soon be time for bagworms to attack junipers and other narrow-leafed evergreens. Light infestations may be controlled by hand picking and burning. Control measures such as Sevin dust or spray should be applied while the insects and the bags are about one-half inch in length. Organic remedies include sprays of Bt or Spinosad. Tearing open the bags also allows birds and wasps to feed on the worms.

• Check new tender growth for aphids. A few can be tolerated, but large numbers should be controlled. Try a strong spray from the hose first. If you elect to use pesticides, always follow label instructions.

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Other Tasks:

• Removing spent flowers, trimming back excessive growth, and applying fertilizer to an established bed can do wonders towards rejuvenating and extending the life of the planting.

• As soon as azaleas have finished flowering, apply an acid type fertilizer at the rate recommended. Don't over fertilize, as azalea roots are near the surface and damage can occur. Water thoroughly after fertilizing.

• Many flower or vegetable seeds left over after planting the garden can be saved for the next season by closing the packets with tape or paper clips and storing in a sealed glass jar in your refrigerator.

• Start weeding early in the flower garden. Early competition with small plants can delay flowering. Mulch will discourage weed growth and make those that do come through easier to pull.

• Soil purchased for use in beds, low areas, and containers should be examined closely. Often, nut grass and other weeds, nematodes, and soil borne disease are brought into the yard through contaminated soil sources.

Garden Checklist for April


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Sunday, March 23rd

11:30 am – 12:30 pm Vege table Gardening

presented by Nancy Joslin, CCMGA (The Landing)

12:30 pm – 1:30 pm Earth-Kind® Perennia ls presented by Diane Sharp, CCMGA

(The Landing)

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm Container Gardening

presented by Joyce Cleary, CCMGA (Show Barn)

3:00 pm – 5:00 pm Neil Sperry

Keynote Speaker (The Landing)

* Schedule subject to change.

Saturday, March 22nd

9:30 am – 10:30 am Vege table Gardening

presented by Linda Hornbaker, CCMGA (The Landing)

10:00 am – 11:00 am Container Gardening

presented by Joyce Cleary, CCMGA (Show Barn)

10:30 am – 11:30 am Herbs

presented by Meribeth Flowers, CCMGA (Stall Barn)

11:30 am – 12:30 pm Trees in the Landscape

presented by Nancy Joslin, CCMGA (The Landing)

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Steve Huddleston, Keynote Speaker

(The Landing)

2:30 pm – 3:30 pm Earth-Kind® Perennia ls presented by Diane Sharp, CCMGA

(The Landing)

3:30 pm – 4:30 pm Native P lants

presented by Carrie Dubberley, CCMGA (Stall Barn)

* Schedule subject to change.

Tour the Earth-Kind® Research & Demonstration

Gardens at Myers Park

In the fall of 2008, the Collin County Commissioners Court approved this cooperative project between the Collin County AgriLife Extension Service, Collin County Master Gardeners and Myers Park. In 2013, the gardens were awarded the International Master Gardeners Search for Excellence Award.

There are four research gardens: herbaceous perennials, roses, crape myrtles and vegetables. These gardens provide a first hand look at how the plants might look in your garden using low maintenance Earth-Kind® principles.

The gardens are open to the public daily Monday through Friday. There is no charge to visit the park or the gardens. To schedule a guided tour for your garden club or civic group, please call:

(972) 548-4232 Metro (972) 424-1460 x4232

Upcoming Events

The International Award Winning Earth-Kind® Research & Demonstration Gardens at Myers Park & Event Center – McKinney, Texas photos courtesy of the Collin County Master Gardeners Association

Myers Park and Event Center is fast becoming the Jewel of Collin County! The park was originally created as the Collin County Youth Park in 1969 with acreage donated by John and Winnie Myers and has since grown to over 158 acres of rolling land. Myers Park and Event Center offers a variety of entertainment options. The Collin County Farm Museum is located at the park and open to visitors and tour groups. Come visit one of our many educational and research gardens created and cared for by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Collin County Master Gardeners.

The Garden Show 2014 Speaker’s Schedule*


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What is “crape murder” and how do I prevent it?

The crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia) has become one of the most popular flowering shrubs/trees in North Texas. It is also one of the most useful. The crape myrtle provides abundant summer color with a minimum of maintenance and can flower for as many as 120 days. Used in home landscaping and as street trees in community development, they are long-lived, withstand droughts once established, and are relatively free of disease and insect problems. Flowers range in color from red to pink to purple and can be effectively mixed with other flowering shrubs.

According to Greg Grant, Research Associate at the Piney Woods Native Plant Center in Nacogdoches, Texas, “Hideous crimes are being committed all over Texas, some in our own front yards and many right in front of our local businesses.” Referring to the manner in which many crape myrtles are pruned, he continues, “But for some reason, a mysterious reason that I haven’t quite solved, the majority of the "gardeners" (and ALL of

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the landscape crews) in Texas have made it a horrid ritual of butchering them.

Frequent and hard pruning is not the correct solution when a maturing crape myrtle proves to be too large for its spot in the landscape. “I know of NO educated horticulturist or arborist that endorses the practice of topping crape myrtles or any ornamental trees for that matter. Go ahead. Pick up the phone. Call Neil Sperry. Call Dr. Bill Welch. Call the National Arboretum! You WILL NOT find any plant expert that will condone or recommend this practice.”

To read Greg Grant’s entire article on “Crape Murder,” please visit: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives

Collin County Extension Horticulture

& Collin County

Master Gardeners

825 N. McDonald Street Suite 150

McKinney, Texas 75069 Phone: 972-548-4232

Metro: 972-424-1460 x4232 Email: [email protected]

County Extension Agent: Greg Church, Ph.D.

Email: [email protected]

Garden Wise Editor: Bonnie Landon

Email: [email protected]

Collin County Master Gardeners Association http://ccmgatx.org

http://collin-tx.tamu.edu

Extension programs serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability, or nation origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating.

Help Desk FAQs

Gardening in Collin County

One of the main objectives of the Collin County Master Gardeners is to help gardeners identify suitable plants for our area. Our website — ccmgatx.org —features recommendations and information about plants that have proven to perform well in our part of Texas. Here are some links to helpful information:

Plant Pictures Pages http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu

USDA Plant Hardiness Map http://ccmgatx.org/gardening-resources

Texas Superstars http://texassuperstar.com/

Vegetable Picker http://ccmgatx.org/gardening-resources

Water Conservation & Irrigation Tips http://ccmgatx.org/gardening-resources

Plant Diseases http://ccmgatx.org/gardening-resources

All About Insects and Pests http://ccmgatx.org/gardening-resources

Experts often describe such severe pruning as "crape murder."

Documents

Texas A&M AgriLifeExtension Service – Collin …Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service – Collin County Volume 7, Issue 2 4 1 by Dawn Bluemel Oldfield, CCMGA Public Relations Chairperson