Gardening

And the winner is . . .? So, who has the best locally grown pecans? To find out, attend the 2007 Galveston County Pecan Show and Pecan Bake Show on Thursday, November 8, at 7:00 p.m. at Walter Hall Pavilion in League City.

Photo Credit: Herman Auer

County Pecan Show on Thursday, November 8

By Dr. William M. Johnson, Galveston County Extension Agent - Horticulture

October 31, 2007

Pecans grown by local homeowners will be on display. If you are interested in submitting your pecans into the show, contact or visit the Galveston County Extension Office (5115 Highway 3, Dickinson, 281-534-3413, ext. 1-2) for show entry rules. The deadline for submitting pecans to the County Extension Office is 12:00 Noon, Monday, November 5.

Even if you do not enter pecans, plan to attend this year's Pecan Show to view the diverse array of pecan varieties grown in the area and to learn more about growing pecans. A question & answer session on the management of pecans will be also conducted to assist homeowners with any pecan growing problems.

Awards (ribbons, rosettes, and plaques) will be presented to the winning pecan entries. The class winners at the County Show will be entered into the Regional Show which will be held later this year.

Marilyn Simmons, my co-worker, will also conduct a Pecan Bake Show with youth and adult divisions. For additional information on entry rules, contact the Galveston County Extension Office. After the awards program, there will be a tasting session, which will be open to the general public. The Galveston County Pecan Show & Pecan Bake Show is open to the public.

NOVEMBER'S GARDENING CHECKLIST

- This is an ideal time to plant for cool--season color in the landscape as there are many types of annual flowers that bloom only in cooler weather. Pansies are a favorite choice as they are on the list of Texas ' top-selling annual flowers.

Pansies are hardy and will bloom over a long season. The old-fashioned face varieties have been steadily improved for better garden performance, and many new varieties with solid or bi-colors without a face are now available.

Pansies are available in a wide array of colors ranging from bold yellows, oranges, and reds, to pale pastels. Miniature pansies are also becoming popular.

- Other cool season annuals to plant incluude alyssum, flowering cabbage and kale, petunias and snapdragons.

- Mustard, English peas, radishes, spinachh and turnips can be planted throughout November while garlic cloves and carrot seed should be planted by mid-November.

- Caladiums have started to decline so be sure to dig and store caladium bulbs—at least the more expensive ones. Otherwise, you will most likely lose most of the bulbs during winter due to wet rot and/or cold injury. Store bulbs in open-mesh sacks or panty hose in a dry, well-ventilated area that remains above freezing (such as a garage).

- Don't get in a hurry to prune woody plannts. Late December through February is usually the best time to prune them.

- Reduce the fertilization of indoor plantts now to mid-March. An exception would be plants in an atrium or a well-lighted window.

- This is an excellent time for planting ccontainer-grown ground covers, shrubs and trees. Thanks to our mild winters, trees and shrubs planted now will have several relatively stress-free months to establish a good root system before hot, dry weather returns.

- In order to increase your stock of clumpping perennials, divide spring and summer bloomers during the fall and winter. (Those which are fall bloomers can be divided in the spring, or season opposite to bloom time). Most perennials left in the ground in the same place for more than 3 years are likely to become overgrown and overcrowded. Passing favorite plants along to friends or trading for a prized plant is a favorite part of perennial gardening.

- Rake up and dispose of pecan leaves and shucks that fall from pecan trees. Heavy infestations of the larval stage of an insect known as the hickory shuckworm cause major damage annually to our county pecan crop. Since the insect overwinters inside shucks left on the ground, collection and disposal of the shucks will help reduce the overwintering insect population. Collection and disposal of leaves will also help reduce the overwintering population of the fungus that causes pecan scab.

- If you plan to fertilize the lawn, plan to do so by mid-November. A recommended fertilizer is 15-5-10 which is available under a wide variety of brand names.

- Store pecans at 36-40 degrees Fahrenheitt or place in a freezer. Unless you like onion-flavored pecans, be sure to keep stored nuts away from onions as pecans readily absorb odors.