COLLEGE STATION – Satsuma Arctic Frost has been named a Texas Superstar plant by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service horticulturists. Arctic Frost is the most cold-hardy satsuma hybrid tested so far, having survived temperatures as low as 9 degrees at the Texas A&M Research and Extension Center test site near …

My St. Augustine lawn is not as thick as it once was. The trees have grown larger, and it is shadier. What can I do to make the lawn thicker?  If shade is causing the thin lawn, there is not much you can do. Even St. Augustine grass requires 4 to 5 hours of sun …

I can’t believe all the slugs and snails this spring. The baits are effective, but a while back you also offered an idea for beer traps. Tell us again how that works. Slugs, snails and pill bugs are attracted to beer. Sink a plastic cup in the soil in a bed that you are trying to …

Shipments of new roses in stock arrives at Milberger’s Nursery this week: healthy, well rooted and just in time for Mother’s Day.  Now 30% Off. New shipments just arrived includes modern floribundas, grandifloras, climbers, teas, antiques and shrub roses. And we are putting them on sale from now until Monday, May 11th. All roses in stock …

What is the best grass for a tree-rich sandy soil? Will Zoysia work? Is sand acidic or alkaline? Will it help to incorporate leaves into the sand? Zoysia has some shade tolerance, but it sounds to me like you have too much shade for any lawn grass. Your choices include using a native grass seed …

Garden Tasks May 7, 2015 The soil and air are now warm enough for Bermuda grass and buffalo grass seed to germinate. With all the rain, compost piles have high moisture levels. To encourage the pile to decompose quicker, add 1 cup of lawn fertilizer per 10 square foot of pile surface. Spread the fertilizer …

There is still time to plant tomato, eggplant and pepper transplants, but plant okra and Southern peas by seed. Southern peas are a good cover crop. They grow quickly and cover a large piece of garden through the hottest part of the summer, shading out weeds. Use Southern peas like cut beans when they are …

We have planted milkweed for the monarch butterflies. The milkweed is doing well but is loaded with aphids. Should we try to control them or can we just leave them be? Just leave them be. The milkweed should survive fine despite the feeding aphids. Hopefully, lady bugs and other predatory insects will reduce the population. Some …

Planting for Summer Color By Dr. Jerry Parsons Plant:  For color get the begonias and impatiens in quickly if you expect them to fare well when the heat arrives. Wait to mid-month to plant periwinkles. ·Don’t plant vinca until at least June 1. Hot weather plants include firebush, lantana, poinciana, esperanza, firespike, caladium, coleus, begonia, …

Daylilies are prolific and colorful bloomers. Few pests show any interest in them. They will grow in sun or shade, dry or wet soil, can tolerate both flooding and drought, and produce beautiful flowers throughout Texas. You can find tiny flowers and large flowers, compact plants and tall plants. You can even create your own …