Some things that you can do now to take advantage of South Texas’ early spring weather.

It is still a good time to plant the recommended shade trees. They will shade the house and reduce your air conditioning coats. CPS customers can receive a $50 rebate for the shade trees they plant. Visit the CPS website or your favorite nursery for the list of eligible species.

It is a good time to prune back the freeze killed stems on your plants such as esperanza, firebush, poinciana, lantana, salvia, duranta, and thyrallis. It is also time to prune your fruit trees and roses. Visit plantanswers.com for diagrams.

Plant pieces of seed potatoes in trenches one foot deep and 18 inches apart. Initially cover the potato pieces with 3 inches of soil. Add more soil as the potato plants emerge. You can begin harvest when the plants begin to bloom.