April 14, 2025

Homegrown Citrus, Summer time Greens, Cowboy Pool: New Episode

There’s one thing delightfully irresistible about plucking oranges or lemons proper from our personal little timber. Not so way back we had been zone pushing to even take into consideration rising citrus in Central Texas, however now we will develop some varieties within the floor, at the very least till excessive freeze crystallizes our crops. Nonetheless, patio citrus claims high spot on our patios, balconies, and decks, since all we’d like is daylight and a big container.

So, we’re thrilled to welcome Mary Kay Pope, horticulturist and Licensed Arborist from Spine Valley Nursery in Marble Falls! She joins John Hart to step us by varieties and cultivation.

Household-owned Spine Valley opened in 1999 and is the biggest grower of Texas mountain laurels in Texas. I’m a brilliant fan of Mary Kay’s newsy weblog the place I choose up countless suggestions, clues, and details which can be so on course with what’s on our minds.

Her favourite citrus vegetation to develop within the floor are Satsuma mandarin oranges, tangerines, and calamondins. Together with winter lows, microclimate impacts citrus chilly hardiness. Heat from south-facing partitions and safety from wind may help. Additionally, if we get an early reasonable nip, that will assist vegetation maintain extra critical chilly, Mary Kay tells us. We should still get harm, however the vegetation gained’t be killed if we’ve got protected the roots and trunk (she explains how to do that). Generally, we lose them anyway. My satsuma went by many chilly winters earlier than Storm Uri nailed it.

Meyer lemons will be ground-hardy for years till they get zapped. Limes completely usually are not chilly hardy, so should be grown in containers and given winter safety.

Indoors or out, their aromatic flowers are swoon worthy!

Mary Kay recommends double potting: hold the plant in its plastic pot and tuck into an ornamental container. Ditto for when it’s time to pot up. It’s simpler to deliver the light-weight container inside for winter, plus, it’s simpler to inform if it wants watering. Carry up the nursery pot, and if it’s gentle, it’s time to water. Additionally: when potting up, solely go up one other 4-6”. This rule applies to most vegetation. Picture courtesy of Spine Valley.

Fertilize with a 2-1-2 or related ratio with micronutrients thrice:
-Emergence of latest progress
-Fruit set
-September or October

For extra suggestions, try Mary Kay’s citrus rising weblog and one other on widespread citrus issues.

Now that the soil is warming up, it’s time to plant late spring and summer time greens. Anamaria Gutierrez, backyard supervisor of Este Backyard and Nixta Tacqueria, picks a number of of her high scorching climate performers.

She’s a brilliant fan of yardlong beans, Suyo Lengthy and Striped Armenian cucumbers, ‘Magda’ squash (much less issues with squash vine borers for her), and infatigable okra.

These pretty okra flowers are edible, too!

Simply add flowers for plenty of pollinators. Zinnias and cosmos are simple from seed.

Right here’s Travis County Extension’s planting calendar, or examine along with your Extension workplace.

Two years in the past, we stopped by Este for recommendations on summer time crops. Plus, former fellow farmer Lea Scott confirmed learn how to weave rambunctious indeterminate tomatoes and peppers. And, she exhibits learn how to clone tomato stems from cuttings in July for fall harvests!

And for the longer term, right here’s our early fall go to to Este to see learn how to begin cool climate crops whereas tomatoes and peppers are nonetheless producing.

Daphne solutions Al Seen’s query about this harm on lemon timber the previous two years. “This can be a basic symptom of fruit scarring created by birds pecking whereas the fruit is younger and the pores and skin is simply beginning to develop,” she tells us.

And Jason Lantz was fortunate sufficient to identify these gnarly-looking caterpillars on his lime tree. They’re the larvae of Large Swallowtail butterflies that lay their eggs solely on citrus timber. And it’s positive no shock why they’re generally referred to as the “fowl poop” caterpillars.

On tour, Kat and Dave Sherby fell for a giant yard that beckoned inventive brainstorming for wildlife watching.

First, they tackled rainwater runoff and garden discount to make manner for meals and flower gardens.

Then got here rainwater assortment, compost-making, a keyhole backyard and stress-free spots to hang around and revel in all of it.

Thanks for stopping by! Subsequent week, find out about native bees and their pollinator buddies with Dr. Sean Griffin from the Wildflower Heart.