Spring Gardening Events

The following classes and events are free unless otherwise noted.  Most require advanced registration.  Please leave a comment if you know of any additional gardening classes or events in the area.

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Tomatoes by Tom LeRoy

Friday, Feb. 24th from 10 am - Noon

Lone Star College - Kingwood

281-312-1749

Harris County Tomato and Pepper Sale

Saturday, Feb. 25th from 9 am - 1 pm

3033 Bear Creek Dr, Houston, TX 77084

281-855-5600

Click HERE for more information

Spring Vegetable Gardening by Tom LeRoy and Bill Adams

Saturday, Feb. 25th at 10 am

Arbor Gate Nursery

Free tomato plant for first 150 people

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Gardening 101 - Spring into Water-wise Landscaping

Topics include: Tree Care, Pollinator Gardening, and Keeping it Green

Saturday, Feb. 25th from 9 am - Noon

The Woodlands Township Town Hall Board Chambers

2801 Technology Forest Boulevard, The Woodlands, TX

281-210-3800

Click HERE for more information

Raised Bed Gardening

Tuesday, Feb. 28th at 7:00 pm

Spring Texas Stake Center

25623 Richards Rd, Spring TX 77386

Gunter's Heirloom Vegetables by Leah and Pam Gunter

Saturday, Mar. 3rd from 9 am - Noon

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Composting

Saturday, Mar. 3rd from 11 am - Noon

Parks, Recreation and Environmental Services Campus

8203 Millennium Forest Drive, The Woodlands, TX (next to the Woodlands High School)

281-210-3900

Click HERE for more information

Container Vegetable Gardening by Jeremy Kollaus

Thursday, Mar. 8th at 10 am

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Where Do We Garden From Here? (due to extreme weather changes) by Linda Gay

Saturday, Mar. 10th at 10 am

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Herbs: Old Friends and New by Ann Wheeler, Log House Herbs

Tuesday, Mar. 13th at 10 am

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Summer Annuals and Perennials by Tom LeRoy

Friday, Mar. 16th from 11 am - 12:50 pm

Lone Star College - The Woodlands

936-273-7446 or mcall@lonestar.edu

Montgomery County Master Gardeners Plant Sale

Saturday, Mar. 24th from 9 am - 1 pm

Click HERE for more information

Texas Wildlife and Woodland Expo

Saturday, Mar. 24th from 10 am - 4 pm 

Lone Star College - The Woodlands

Clinics on plants, trees, water, wildlife and wildfire

936-273-2261

Click HERE for more information

Tough Perennials for Today's Gardens by Dr. William Welch, TAMU and Chris Wiesinger, Southern Bulbs

Saturday, Mar. 24th at 10 am

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Climate-Change Friendly Plants for Southern Landscapes by Dr. David Creech, SFA Univ.

Tuesday, Mar. 27th at 10 am

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Installing a Water System in Your Garden

Tuesday, Mar. 27th at 7:00 pm

Spring Texas Stake Center

25623 Richards Rd, Spring TX 77386

Herbs: Old Friends and New by Ann Wheeler, Log House Herbs

Saturday, Mar. 31st at 10 am

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Root a Rose by Gaye Hammond, Houston Rose Society

Saturday, Mar. 31st at 1 pm

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Heirloom Shrubs and Vines for Houston Gardens by Dr. William Welch, TAMU and Greg Grant

Saturday, Apr. 14th at 10 am

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Madalene Hill's Herbs by Henry Flowers, McAshan Gardens

Tuesday, Apr. 17th at 10 am

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Basilmania by Ann Wheeler, Log House Herbs and Chef Chris Crowder

Thursday, Apr. 19th at 10 am

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Rainwater Harvesting Workshop 

Saturday, Apr. 21st from 8:30 am - 4:00 pm

Thomas R. LeRoy Education Center Auditorium

9020 Airport Road, Conroe, TX 77303

Cost is $50 and includes handouts, CD, and lunch

936-539-7824

Wild About Wildflowers by Cherie Foster Colburn

Saturday, Apr. 21st at 1:00 pm

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Attracting and Keeping Beneficial Insects in the Garden by Skip Richter, County Extension Agent

Tuesday, Apr. 24th at 10 am

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Tropical and Citrus Fruit Tree Sale

Saturday, Apr. 28th

Seminar at 9 am

Sale Begins at 10:30 am

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

High Density Home Orchard Management Container Gardening by Angela Chandler

Saturday, Apr. 28th 1 pm

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Summer Survival Tips for the Garden and the Gardener by Susan Wood

Thursday, May 17th at 10 am

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Growing Tomatoes in Montgomery County, TX

I am currently enrolled in the Master Gardener's course for Montgomery County.  Our last class talked about vegetable gardening and specifically about growing tomatoes.  It was taught by Thomas LeRoy, Montgomery County Horticulturist, TAMU.

This is his 'Guide to Successful Tomato Production in Montgomery County'


Step 1 - At planting, work in about 1/4-1/2 cup of slow release fertilizer such as cotton seed meal, osmocote or something similar.  Water the plants well after planting and place a tomato cage or stake by the plant.  Using cages will make step 2 easier.

[Staking versus Caging - which is best?  Whichever you like.  Tom likes caging better.  Caging produces smaller tomatoes, but more lbs of tomatoes per plant.  He uses concrete wire to form his cages - cut into 6 foot pieces.] 

For a 12"-18" tall plant, remove the lower leaves, then dig a trench and lay
the plant down, turning the tip of plant up.  For smaller plants, plant as
you would a regular plant.

Step 2 - Covering the cages with the tops open with some material such as "Floating Row Cover" (a light polyester material) or white or clear plastic bags will protect the young plants from the drying wind and greatly increases plant vigor and production.  In the event of a late freeze, the covers will help with frost protection as well.  

Leave row cover on until plants are about 1/2 up the cage.

Step 3 - A weekly application of water soluble fertilizer, sprayed on the tomato foliage will greatly increase plant vigor and fruit production.  A hose-end fertilizer applicator is one easy way to foliar feed your tomato plants.  Soluble fertilizers like Rapid Grow or  Miracle Grow.

You can spray the foliar spray right through the row cover.  Then spray directly
on the foliage of the plant after removing the row cover.

Step 4 - When the plants have set their first cluster of fruit, side dress with two to three tablespoons of ammonium sulfate [21-0-0] and water well.

[Fruit-set is affected by night temperatures.  Night temperatures below 50 degrees F delays the time from pollination to fertilization causing flower drop.  Bloom Set is a hormone that makes the flower hang on longer during cold nights.



Night temperatures above mid 70's disrupts pollen shed causing flower drop on large fruited varieties.  Cherry and paste tomatoes continue to fruit during the heat after the larger varieties have stopped.

Don't remove any shoots above the last cluster of flowers.



If you pick tomatoes when 10-30% of the tomato shows a change in color, the interior of the tomato will be fully ripe and after ripening on the counter it will have full ripened taste.  The benefit to doing this is you can save the tomato before the birds get to it. 

Refrigeration will increase the storage of tomatoes, but it will change the taste.

Get your tomatoes out early in the season for more production.  Because we've had such a mild winter, you can even put them out now.]

HERE is a printable handout of this information (without my added notes in brackets.)

Varieties Recommended for our Area (average lbs of fruit per plant):



Bush Celebrity (61)

Solar Set (53)

Dona (53)

Carnival (54)

Heatwave (50)

Early Girl (50)

Champion (73)

Celebrity

Sun Gold

Cherry Tomatoes:
Juliet (57)
Baxter's Early Bush
Sweet Chelsea
Yellow Pear (heirloom)
Jolly

Paste Tomato:
Viva Italia

Tumbling Tom - cascades and comes back in the fall

Heirloom Tomato Varieties - They don't produce very well here.  They only produce 5-8 lbs per plant on average.


Some Additional Information:

TAMU Easy Gardening - Tomatoes

Tom LeRoy Tomato Trials in Montgomery County

Zaycon Foods Order - Chicken & Bacon

This order is CLOSED.  Click HERE to see what current orders they have going on.

Zaycon Foods is having another order in the Houston/The Woodlands/Conroe area. This month they have Chicken ($1.69/lb) and Bacon ($2.97/lb). I've purchased both of these from them before and they are extremely fresh and great quality. And they taste excellent!! I repackage mine in vacuum sealed bags before I freeze it. To order, click HERE.  Orders must be received by Saturday, January 14th.

Delivery is available to many locations in the Houston area, including a location in The Woodlands and one in Conroe.

The Woodlands
Friday, January 20th
9:30-11:30 am
Legends Sports Complex
602 Pruitt Rd
The Woodlands, TX 77380

Conroe
Friday, January 20th
1:00-2:00 pm
Living Word World Outreach Church
3273 S. Loop 336E
Conroe, TX 77301

Below is more information from their website:

FRESH Premium Hickory Smoked Bacon

• High quality, medium-cut hickory smoked sliced bacon (14-18 slices per pound)
• Order includes two 15-lb cases with two 7.5-lb packages per case (Total order size is 30-lbs)
• Premium, high-quality and consistent, this hickory-smoked bacon has a wonderful flavor and represents a great value for families
• Easy to share with a friend if you do not think you can use the entire case

FRESH Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

• 100 % natural chicken with no added hormones, additives or artificial ingredients
• Comes directly from the processor and has never been frozen
• Sold by the case — 40 lbs in each case
• Case dimensions—18 in wide x 12 in deep x 7 in tall
• [NOTE: Our chicken is delivered in its original wholesale packaging, a water resistant cardboard case containing three or four plastic bags of fresh chicken breasts. The smaller bags are typically sealed in a larger plastic bag. The smaller bags are not uniform in weight. There will be small amounts of naturally occuring liquids (i.e.,"chicken juice") in each bag and case. Chicken breasts typically come in double-lobed pairs ("butterfly") and will have small attached amounts of fat.]

Give the Gift of Preparedness this Christmas

If you are still looking for a gift for someone (or for yourself!), consider giving a preparedness gift. Here are a few ideas.


BSA First Aid Book

BSA First Aid Merit Badge Book ($4.49)
 
This is a great SMALL comprehensive book that will fit in your first aid kit.

It can be purchased at your local Scout Shop or online at the ScoutStuff website.


Cyalume SnapLight Industrial Grade Light Sticks (pack of 10 on Amazon for $9.35)

Light sticks are great to use when the power is out since they are safe for children.  These last much longer and provide more light than the more inexpensive versions available.  And they make great stocking stuffers!

Cyalume SnapLight

• Industrial grade light stick for providing illumination for up to 12 hours
• Measures 6" long and provides 360 degrees of illumination
• Hook and gate top for hanging or attaching the light
• Chemiluminescent substance is non-toxic and plastic body is phthalate free for safety
• Five-year shelf life from date of manufacture for a maintenance-free alternative to other lighting

For more information, see Amazon's product description and reviews for this item HERE.


Stove in a Can (regularly $35 - on sale HERE for $17.49)

Stove In A Can is a portable, self-contained cooking platform that provides a week's worth of cooking.

Stove In A Can

• Cooks for 4-6 hours (1 week's worth of cooking time)
• Boils water in minutes
• Holds over 300 lbs
• Stores indefinitely and safely (no chemicals)
• Can be lit and re-lit
• Has an indefinite shelf life and works great in extreme weather conditions
• Fuel cells are completely waterproof and will ignite in seconds
• At up to 18,000 BTU's, Stove In A Can boils water in minutes and burns hotter than most other outdoor stoves
• Is compact, lightweight, and ready for cooking in less than a minute
• Comes with 4 fuel cells that burn for up to 90 minutes each

For more information, see the Quick Stove website.


Wind 'N Go Lantern/Radio (on Amazon for $30.84)


Wind 'N Go Lantern/Radio



• Self-powered lantern with built-in AM/FM radio; ideal for the campsite or your emergency kit
• Three minutes of winding the handle provides up to 75 minutes of use
• Offers low setting (three LEDs), high setting (six LEDs), and emergency setting (six red blinking LEDs)
• Has emergency siren, DC charger, nightlight, compass, audio input cord, and Nokia cell-phone adapter
• Weighs 1.75 pounds; covered by one-year manufacturer warranty

For more information, see Amazon's product description and reviews for this item HERE.


IronKey Secure Flash Drive ($59 and up)

This is a great way to store your important documents since it is both durable and waterproof. (This does not take the place of having printed documents available for an emergency since you may not have access to a computer or printer.)

IronKey Flash Drive

• Military-grade encryption and easy-to-use identity management
• World's most secure flash drive
• Comes loaded with a secure private browser that lets you surf anonymously and protects your passwords whenever you go online
• Rugged metal casing protects against physical damage, and the internal components are sealed to protect against tampering
• Passed and exceeded military waterproof testing requirement

For more information, see the IronKey website.


Lodge Logic 8-Quart Pre-Seasoned Cast-Iron Camp Dutch Oven (on Amazon for $60.09)

Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Dutch ovens aren't cheap, but they are fun to use whether it's an emergency or not! And if you take care of it, it will last forever. Buy one with legs so you can put coals underneath it, and make sure the lid has a lip so you can also put coals on the lid for quicker and more even cooking.

• 8-quart camping Dutch oven made of preseasoned cast iron
• Large wire loop handle for easy lifting and carrying
• Self-basting cast-iron lid inverts for use as griddle
• Integral legs for campfire and fireplace cooking

For more information see Amazon's product description and reviews for this item HERE.

Homemade Household Cleaners

This is some great information from The Family Homestead.

There are a lot of reasons why making your own household cleaners is a good idea. I have read a lot of information on the dangers of common store bought cleaners. The list of dangers seems to encompass everything from breathing toxic fumes, the harmful effects of the cleaners on your skin to some cleaners being carcinogenic. Aside from the health concerns there is also a financial consideration. Cleaners can be quite an expense on the budget. If you purchase a separate cleaner for everything from wiping down counters to cleaning floors, polishing and dusting, tub cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, and the list goes on, this is a fairly large slice of the family’s budget.

You can make many of your own household cleaners utilizing some very basic and common ingredients. This does not have to take a lot of your time with mixing and making. Sometimes it is just a matter of a change in habit. A friend of mine once recommended using baking soda and Dawn detergent to cleaning the bath tub. No pre-mixing, simply sprinkle the baking soda on your tub and squirt some Dawn detergent and start scrubbing! I tried and it worked so well! Much better than many of the products I have used in the past and it does not scratch surfaces. Change of habits and a few extra minutes will usually be all that is required to make your cleaners.

There are some household cleaners that are basic simple recipes. Most you make up right in the spray bottle. If your cleaning shelves become stocked with the basic ingredients than putting them in the spray bottle takes close to the same amount of time as pouring the chemical laden store-bought cleaners right into the bottle.

If you are wondering what this list of “basic ingredients” are, I will show you:

• Baking Soda
• Vinegar
• Rubbing Alcohol
• Washing Soda (can be found near laundry detergent in most stores)
• Borax (also near the laundry section)
• Mild Dish Detergent

How do you use these ingredient to clean you house, you may be wondering? Let’s go through a breakdown of “types” of cleaners that you can create with the above ingredients.

Homemade Floor Cleaner

1 cup white vinegar
1 gallon warm water

Mix in your cleaning bucket and use this to clean vinyl type floors.

Wood Floor Cleaner

½ cup vinegar
1 gallon water

The most important thing to keep in mind while cleaning wood floors is that they can not get overly wet. When you use the above mixture, dip your sponge mop into the solution and squeeze until almost dry. Then mop. Never put the cleaner directly on the floor. Dry any streaked or wet area with a clean towel as you go along the floor.

My Homemade All Purpose Cleaner
Crystal Miller

I like to make a large batch of my favorite household cleaner. I make this in a gallon size container and fill spray bottles as I need it.

In a clean, empty gallon milk jug put:

2 Tablespoons ammonia
1 teaspoon dish detergent
1 pint (2 cups) rubbing alcohol
4 drops food coloring – optional
a few drops of your favorite essential oil for a nice fresh scent, I use Orange

Fill the rest of the gallon jug with hot water. Pour into spray container to use.

All-Purpose Cleaner

Here is a cleaner you make right in your spray bottle:

2T vinegar
1 t Borax
Hot water
a few drops of a mild dish detergent
10 drops of essential oil, optional

In a 16 spray bottle put vinegar, borax and hot water. Swish around until borax has dissolved. Add the drops of dish detergent and fill the rest of the bottle with water. Add the essential oil (I like using orange or lavender).

All Purpose Cleaner in a Bucket (for big jobs like walls)

½ cup ammonia
¼ cup vinegar
¼ cup baking soda

Mix the above ingredients with 1 gallon of warm water and use for basic cleaning jobs around the home. Double the above ingredients for cleaning shower walls or other extra heavy duty areas.

Homemade “soft scrub” Type Cleaner

Here is one of my favorites for cleaning counter tops, sinks or any area that needs some scrubbing without the worry of scratching the surface.

There are no measurements necessary for this one. Simply put a small amount of baking soda in a bowl and add liquid dish detergent until you have smooth paste or frosting like substance. This very well on sinks and counters and won’t scratch the surface.

Homemade Window Cleaner

This one can be made right in your spray bottle.

½ t mild dish detergent
3T vinegar
2 cups water

Put all these ingredients into a spray bottle. Shake this up some and use it just like the commercial variety.

Homemade Window Cleaner #2

3T Ammonia
1T vinegar

Put in spray bottle and fill the rest of the way up with water.

Comet Type Scrub Powders

This is an easy one. You can use baking soda! Sprinkle on sinks, counters or anywhere you need to get rid of build up or stains. Dampen slightly and scrub with a soft cloth to prevent scratching.


****A word of caution on making homemade cleaners: never mix bleach with ammonia or vinegar. It will cause toxic fumes that are very dangerous.