Basil Update

My basil is still growing rapidly. It is in great need of thinning. Hmm.

I guess I'll have to do lots of cooking with it this week!

And I'll still have plenty left to use for Thanksgiving cooking!

Minimal pest trouble so far, though I'm starting to notice brown spots on some of the lower leaves of the larger plants.

Occasionally I'll find a clear, watery, mucous-like mass around the central stem, underneath leaves. I have no idea what that might be, and my Google searches have revealed nothing. It doesn't look like the typical snail trail I'm used to seeing (or was used to seeing in California).

To be honest, I don't think I've seen any actual live snails since I moved here. I have been told there are snails in Houston, though.

Strawberry Jars

November, according to the newsletter I get from Urban Harvest, is the ideal month for planting strawberry plants in the Houston area. Accordingly, I went out and prepared myself by obtaining a strawberry jar.

Then I stopped and said to myself, I've never actually used one of these before.

Thanks to the wonders of Google, I have rectified my ignorance. Here is a webpage with step-by-step directions for filling one of these things.

Strawberry jars can also be used for other plants with shallow root structures.

For pictures of how these can look when they are full, see this post by Angela at Plants Bulbs and Garden, who put together a strawberry jar with her 2 1/2 -year-old son. Apparently, this is a fun gardening activity that kids can do too!

Incidentallly, for you who love trivia: the strawberry is actually, technically a vegetable, not a fruit. (But tomatoes are fruit!) Don't believe me? Click here.

Preparing for cooler weather:

As I have mentioned before, my grandfather is a tropcial plant lover. Even though he lives in Southern California, he still has to contend with temperatures that many tropical plants aren't too crazy about--even the occasional frost.

Here in Southeast Texas, we also have to shelter some of our more tender plants. As the nighttime temperatures start to cool down, we start to think about possible methods.

Here is a relatively inexpensive idea from my grandpa for how to do this:


I took this picture last June when we went out for a visit.

If you like to drink juice, save those big plastic jugs, wash them out, fill them with water, and use them to insulate smaller plants from frigid temperatures.

Catnip as Mosquito Repellent?

I found an article from 2001 on ScienceDaily.com describing a study that suggested that Catnip oil works as a mosquito repellent--allegedly even better than DEET-based repellents.

My question... if you smell like catnip, what is your cat going to do? (Assuming your cat is one of the 50% of cats that react to the stuff).

Another article from 2002 on the same site discusses tomato-based repellents, which again appear to be more effective than DEET

I myself have tried using a lemon-Eucalyptus repellent when in the garden. It seems to work. At least, I haven't been bitten yet while using it. I can say it definitely smells better than DEET or Picaridin. (By the way, there is some kind of little biting gnat or something around here that responds better to DEET than to Picaridin, in my experience.) However, since the label does not say anything about its effectiveness on chiggers or ticks, I probably won't use it if I am going someplace where I should be concerned about either of those.

But, don't get too excited. Another 2002 study suggests that DEET is better than plant-based repellents.

Whatever.

I guess I'll just have to stick to what seems to work for me.

Seasonal Allegy notice:

My doctor tells me that Ragweed (ambrosia artemisiifolia) is really bad right now.

Keep those antihistamines handy!


Informational websites:

Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
USDA Plants profile for ambrosia artemisiifolia

Growing Avocados in Houston

It's a lot easier to grow Avocados in Coastal California. The winter temperatures are generally milder. That might explain why some commercial growers choose to produce their crops there. It would probably also explain why so many of the varieties listed at this Purdue University website originate in California. Perhaps not surprisingly, the other state that shows up frequently in the list is Florida.

Despite the challenges this region's climate presents, when I had a seed from a store-bought avocado (presumably Haas variety) volunteer in my kitchen sink some months back, I figured I might as well plant it in a pot, keep it watered, and see what happened.

And it grew.

Now I have this cute little avocado seedling. It's getting so big, I think I'll need to find a larger pot for it soon. The good news is, it's small enough that I'll be able to keep it indoors during the winter. Haas avocados (especially when young and tender) do not appear to have a reputation for doing well around here.

So, just in case something happens to this one (or I feel like getting a second Avocado tree), I've been looking around for infomation on growing Avocados around here.

Being in Zone 8b, I would probably have an easier time with a more cold hardy variety, ideally one that can handle temperatures as low as 15 degrees F.

Urban Harvest recommends the following varieties of avocados for our region:

Opal Avocado Originated in Uvalde, Texas. The medium size pear-shaped fruit is very rich tasting. The skin is green in color.

Wilma Avocado Originated near Pearsall, Texas. The fruit is large in shape and has a good flavor. The skin is black in color.

Fantastic Avocado Green, paper thin skin, most cold hardy of all the Mexican avocados. The fruit has a creamy texture with fantastic flavors. Eat skin and all. It is a vigorous growing beautiful tree.

Their website also has tips for caring for your tree. Apparently the little ones can get sunburn! Rumor also has it that Wilma and Opal avocado trees have been known to survive temperatures as low as 14 degrees Farenheit!




Harris County Cooperative Extension has a fact sheet available online which recommends these varieties (in addition to those suggested by Urban Harvest:

Joey. Found in Uvalde County where it has been producing for more than 25 years; medium
size black fruit; ripens in late September.

Pryor. Original tree is in Uvalde and is very old; smaller size green fruit; good flavor.

Pancho. Cold tolerant; may be difficult to find, but worth having if available.

The Pine Island Nursery website (Which I found using Google) lists the following cold-hardy varieties, with temperatures they tolerate:

Brogdon (22-25 F)

Hall (24-26 F)

Lula (24-26 F)

Monroe (24-26 F)

The links will take you to profiles of each of these avocados on the Pine Island Nursery website. This nursery appears to be located in the Miami area.



Here is another website that profiles several avocado varieties, the most cold hardy of which (Bacon) is supposed to survive temperatures as low as -5 degrees! Climate information for the others is vague at best, however, so it's worth doing research before selecting any of those.



Fuerte avocados are not recommended for regions with wet summers (I guess that's us!) because the summer moisture will cause the fruit to rot.



If you are interested in growing avocados from seed, but don't feel like leaving the seeds in the bottom of your sink for several days, here is a Google Search page, with several results that will help you.

Martha Gonzales Rose and Blackspot.

These are pretty plants, but they are VERY vulnerable to blackspot. I brought three of these home several weeks ago, and within days they were already showing signs of fungus. The plants are holding up relatively well, but the stress seems to be keeping them from blooming as well as they might.

I have tried using a sulfur-based Safer brand fungicide. No Dice. I guess neem oil is the next option, until I have a convenient opportunity to get my hands on some compost tea.

According to what I have read, most other antique rose varieties are resistant to fungus, which is why they generally survive pretty well in our humidity. It figures I'd pick one that isn't. I'm not giving up yet, though.

Oleander

Species: Nerium Oleander
Growth Habit: Large evergreen shrub--to 20 ft. Can be trained into tree form.
Soil: Tolerates many soil types
Moisture: Tolerant of drought and heavy rain
Light: Bright sun-part shade
USDA Hardiness Zone: 8-10
Nativity: North Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Mediterranean
Flowers: Summer. white, red, pink, salmon, light yellow
Propagation: Cuttings. Seed is difficult.

This plant is everywhere around here. Residential gardens, municipal gardens, neighborhood gardens. Not only is it everywhere around here, they are also quite common in Southern Calfiornia.

Now, any plant that can thrive with little maintenance in both semi-tropical and semi-arid climates must be pretty tough!

The pink specimen in the picture below is growing in my Grandfather's garden. My husband likes the white ones. So far, I like red best, and I'm hoping to integrate one of each color into our landscape someplace.


Please note that this plant is toxic when ingested by people and pets. Do not inhale the smoke from burning Oleander plants either.

For more information on these shrubs:
International Oleander Society

Elaeagnus Pungens

Light: Part to full sun.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 7-9.
Propagation: Propagated by softwood or hardwood cuttings and by seed.

This is one tough plant. There are a few on our property that came with the house. I don't do anything to them (in terms of water and fertilizer), and they grow just fine. It also appears that whoever planted the bed these plants are in did next to nothing to the native "gumbo" soil. This does not seem to prevent them from growing well.

This plant also appears to do well in the clay soils along the coast of Southern California. This is my grandfather's. He has allowed his to grow in its natural shape:


This one is mine.



When we moved into our house, it was shaped into a box hedge. This works ok, except in the summer, when the plant sends up long, vertical canes very rapidly. Last year, I pruned these off aggressively. Then I heard that these plants have fragrant flowers in the fall. Wondering if I had prevented it from blooming, I decided to let it go this year, and see what happens. So far, no blooming.

Star Jasmine

Star Jasmine (Jasminum multiflorum), also known as Confederate Jasmine, is another plant that seems to like it here on the Gulf-coast. This perennial vine has lovely green foliage all year round, and is covered in snowy white flowers in the spring. Here's a picture of how mine looked during its last blooming season.


It is relatively low-maintenance, assuming you don't plant it someplace where you'll have to trim it back all the time. During the summer and fall growing season, it grows very rapidly. I have one that was planted underneath some trees, before I moved into my house, and I have to frequently trim it back to keep it from climbing into them. Star Jasmine can also work as a rambling groundcover, if you have a large enough space for it.

Here, it blooms in the spring. In the milder climate of my native Southern California, the star jasmine blooms into summer.

The only other difficulty I have had with mine is the occasional bit of powdery mildew, when the humidity starts to go back up toward the end of Spring.

I find, however that this is relatively easy to cope with, using an organic fungicide spray.