Good To Grow

  Denise & Norma talk about what gardening activities we should be looking forward to in March.  We'll also hear about a couple of very interesting workshops: a Microgreens Workshop on March 22, and a Spring Vegetable Workshop on March 29.  Registration for both workshops is required (915-860-2515).  

Aired March 8, 2014.

  Do you have gardening questions?  Submit your questions and photos here: http://txmg.org/elpaso/outreach/hotline/.  

You can also e-mail your questions to elpasomg@ag.tamu.edu, or call the Master Gardener Hotline, 566-1276 or 860-2515. Or, submit your questions, comments, and/or photos to the El Paso Master Gardener Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pages/El-Paso-Master-Gardeners/148950588460436.

Here are some other helpful links:
http://elp.tamu.edu (Texas AgriLife Extension Service) to access the Extension Calendar and other Master Gardener activities.

http://elp.tamu.edu/horticulture/ for other gardening resources.

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/elpasoplants/index.html (Recommended Ornamental Plants for Far West Texas)
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/lawn_garden/veg.html (Home Vegetable Gardening).

Prepare beds for planting warm-season flowers and vegetables.  Incorporate a two to three inch layer of organic material such as compost, per hundred square feet of bed area.  Peat moss, although commonly recommended as a soil amendment for other areas, is not good to use here in the desert southwest.  If exposed to the air, peat moss will serve as a wick, thus removing moisture from the soil—the exact opposite of the situation you are trying to create.  

  Denise & Norma talk about the Master Gardener activity heating up around El Paso.  The Master Gardeners and members of the El Paso Rose Society will host a Rose Pruning Demonstration on Feb. 22 & 23, noon-3 p.m., at the Municipal Rose Garden, 1702 N. Copia.  And if your questions aren't answered there, you won't want to miss the MGs at the Spring Home Show, Feb. 28-March 2 at the Convention Center Downtown.  Learn more on the El Paso MG Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/El-Paso-Master-Gardeners/148950588460436.

Aired Feb. 22, 2014.

Saturday, April 5th – 9 to 11 am

Saturday, March 29th – 12 to 1 pm

The UTEP Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens present the 2014 FloraFEST – Native Plant Sale Saturday, April 26 and Sunday, April 27, at the Museum, corner of University Avenue and Wiggins Road on the UTEP campus.  FloraFEST is the annual fundraiser for the maintenance and operation of the Chihuahuan Desert Gardens. Shoppers can visit with local Master Gardeners and other plant experts for advice on how to care for their plants at home. Most of the plants sold at FloraFEST are not available at local nurseries or retailers.

  Denise & Norma talk about some of the questions that have been submitted to the El Paso Master Gardeners recently.  Should you paint your trees white to protect from sunburn or to "heal" a pruning cut?  What's the difference between mulch & compost?  And why is an arborvitae dripping sap?

Aired Feb. 15, 2014.

With the weather warming up, many people are headed outdoors to work in the garden. If you were wondering which summer vegetables do well in our climate, then the Summer Vegetable Gardening workshop is for you. “Our goal is to give the public the knowledge and tools they need so they can apply it to their own garden,” said Denise Rodriguez, El Paso County Extension Agent for Horticulture. “Talks on tomato growing, selection of a variety of summer vegetables including, but not limited to, chile peppers, eggplants, melons, squash, and herbs will be provided.

The Texas AgriLife Extension presents "Microgreens: Greenhouse to Gazpacho," a workshop that will include a short course  on microgreens covering topics such as growing requirements for small producers and home gardeners, species selection, and economics.  A program on Culinary Uses and Recipe Tasting will be hosted by the EPCC Culinary Arts Program, and it will include a microgreen plant sale.

   Denise & Norma talk about the ways we can keep those beautiful cut flowers & bouquets looking great for days.  With Valentine's Day around the corner, you're going to want to know the best way to keep roses and other flowers looking their best.  Potted flowering plants and rose bushes also keep your home and landscape looking colorful.

Aired Feb. 1, 2014.

   Denise & Norma talk about the Kids & Kows & More program with the program's director, Sandra Pierce. Sandra talks about why it's important for kids to learn about the cotton, pecans, and cattle that are central to the region's agricultural industry.  The Kids & Kows & More program features speakers, a livestock exhibit, a mobile dairy classroom, and lots more!  The program is for 2nd through 5th graders and will take place March 3-7 at the El Paso County Coliseum.  To learn more and to set up a schedule your students, contact Sandra Pierce, 915-872-8791,  email s-pierce@tamu.edu.

Aired Jan. 25, 2014.

   Denise & Norma talk with Master Gardener Marianela Milner, co-chair of the Ascarate Vegetable Garden.  Hear about the different crops grown at the garden, the community educational opportunities the garden provides, and how the harvested crops benefit our local food bank.  The public is invited to meet the Master Gardeners working the gardens on Mondays & Thursdays, 7-11 a.m., at Ascarate Park, 6900 Delta.  Information at 915-860-2515.

Aired Jan. 18, 2014.

  Bill & Norma talk about this month's gardening activities.  In January we should prune our trees & shrubs, visit with Master Gardeners at the Municipal Rose Garden to get some winter rose pruning tips, and extend the lives of our neglected holiday plants.

Aired Jan. 11, 2014.

In a rebroadcast from Nov. 17, 2012, Denise, Bill, and Norma talk about how to protect our trees, shrubs, and potted plants from cold weather, as well as which plants don't need protection.  They also talk about ways to protect our gardening equipment from a possible freeze. 

Aired Dec 28, 2013.

In a rebroadcast from March 16, 2013, Bill, Denise, and Norma talk with Mike Hardiman, forecaster with the National Weather Service in Santa Teresa, and regional coordinator of the Community Collaborative Rain Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS).  Hardiman talks about how the community can get involved in measuring rainfall (and the lack of it) and reporting it online to be used by National Weather Service meteorologists, the USDA, researchers, and many others. March is CoCoRaHS's annual recruitment drive, and they are trying to increase the number of El Pasoans and others in the region to report their rainfall.  www.cocorahs.org. 

Mike Hardiman can be reached by email at mike.hardiman@noaa.gov. 

Aired Dec. 21, 2013.

   Bill, Denise, and Norma talk about about the latest hybrid plant to come on the market - a TomTato, which is the result of grafting the top of a tomato plant to the bottom part of a potato plant.  It's a novel idea, but will it grow in El Paso?  Potatoes, on the other hand, tend to thrive just fine on their own, and Bill & Denise will talk about the different ways to grow them below and above ground.  Denise also talks about the growing popularity of growing microgreens.

Aired Dec. 7, 2013.

In a rebroadcast from Nov 26, 2011, Bill & Norma talk about how to care for holiday plants & trees, such as living & cut Christmas trees, Christmas cactus, and Norfolk pines.  They also talk about how best to plan for winter pruning and how to care for freeze-damaged trees.  Aired Nov. 30, 2013.

  Denise, Bill, and Norma advise on the best ways to protect your potted patio plants from the cold weather.  Denise also gives us an update on the new class of Master Gardeners, and tells us why now is the best time to get your soil tested by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.  Learn more at 915-860-2515.

Aired Nov. 23, 2013.

  Bill & Norma talk about what we should be doing in our yards, landscapes, and indoor spaces in November...including planting cool-season annuals such as snapdragons and pansies.  We'll also find out about the special care indoor plants and potted outdoor plants need when the weather gets cooler.

Aired Nov. 16, 2013.

  Denise, Bill, and Norma talk about the ways we can prep for the cooler temperatures of fall and winter, including cutting back on watering and fertilizing.  Plus, find out why a test of your soil could help your garden reach its full potential.

Information on soil testing is available at the Texas AgriLife Extension, 915-860-2515.

Aired Nov. 2, 2013.

  Denise & Norma talk with John White, curator of the Chihuahuan Desert Gardens at UTEP.   John talks trees this week, including why it's so important to know how big a tree is going to get before you plant it!  John also offers some tree recommendations for small spaces.

Resources & information: West Texas Urban Forestry Council http://wtufc.org/, Trees are Good http://treesaregood.org/, Centennial Museum Chihuahuan Desert Gardens http://admin.utep.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=60234.  

Aired Oct. 26, 2013.

  Denise & Norma welcome back John White, curator of the Chihuahuan Desert Gardens on the UTEP campus.  John talks about the upcoming Sun Country Landscape Conference, taking place on "Tree-o-ween," Oct. 31 at the TecH2O Water Resources Learning Center, 10751 Montana.  Hear about the different topics that will be covered at the conference which is open to landscape professionals and interested members of the public.  John also talks about a Pruning & Climbing Workshop scheduled for Oct. 30 at the El Paso Garden Center on Grant Ave.  Tree professionals & interested members of the public are invited to attend.

Registration is recommended for each event.  http://www.wtufc.org/, John White 575-640-7555 Oscar Mestas 915-834-5610.

Aired Oct. 19, 2013.

Ardovino's Desert Crossing hosts its Winter Farmers Market every Saturday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.  Enjoy an ever-increasing selection of fall & winter organic and pesticide-free produce, along with all-natural eggs, beef, pork, lamb, and goat, fresh baked breads, homemade salsas, and artisan goods.  Well-behaved pets are welcome.  Enjoy a fair trade cup of coffee, house-made pastries, and fresh-squeezed juices, and brunch in the restaurant.  

Info: 575-589-0653 ext 3, email farmersmarket@ardovinos.com.

  Denise, Bill, and Norma talk about what gardening activities we can take part in during October.  It's a great time to plant cool-season annuals like pansies, or planting trees & shrubs.

Plus, hear about where the Master Gardeners will be appearing this month:  Oct 11-13 at the Home & Garden Expo in Downtown El Paso...Oct 26 from 9am-1pm at the Downtown Artist & Farmers Market on Anthony St...and Oct 26 from 1pm-3pm at the Municipal Rose Garden Open House at Memorial Park.

Aired Oct. 12, 2013.

  Denise, Bill, and Norma talk about the effects the recent monsoon season had on the region...good and bad.  Weeds are very prolific right now, and we'll find out how to prevent weeds from coming up in your lawns in the winter.  Now is a good time to think about overseeding your lawn with fescue or rye if you would like a green lawn all winter long.  See how the monsoon season affected our region here: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/media/epz/MonsoonSeason2013.pdf

Aired Oct. 5, 2013.

    Denise & Norma talk about EarthKind principles, which you may already be familiar with, even though you might not be familiar with the name.  EarthKind encourages landscape water conservation, the reduction of fertilizer & pesticide use, landscaping for energy consumption, and the reduction of landscape wastes entering landfills or water supplies.

Take the EarthKind Challenge and see how well you are making use of EarthKind principles!  http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/earthkind/challenge/

Aired Sept. 28, 2013.

  Denise, Bill, and Norma talk about herb gardening in the fall.  Fall is a good time to divide your herbs.  Denise talks about keeping a healthy herb garden all year long, and which herbs grow best in our climate.  

And...if you've been seeing a lot of bulbs in your local nurseries or home improvement stores, this is a good time of the year to buy them and put them in your refrigerator for planting in the future.

Aired Sept 22, 2013.

  Denise, Bill, and Norma talk about the interesting variety of fungus and mushrooms that have sprouted in lawns across the region after the summer rains.  We'll also hear about the harmful and not-so-harmful insects you might find crawling around your yard.  Aired Sept. 7, 2013.

NerdWallet, a consumer advocacy website, recognized El Paso Master Gardeners for its commitment to gardening education in a study that found El Paso as one of the best cities for urban gardening.