Good To Grow

Denise, Bill, and Norma continue their talk on May Gardening Tips with a special focus on fertilizers.  Hear how slow-release granular fertilizers differ from the quick-acting water soluble ones.  What do you need to do to reduce the risk of fertilizer burn on your turf or plants?  Is manure an effective fertilizer, and what should you look for if you choose to use it?  Also, find out why turf, vegetables, trees, and flowering plants have their own specific fertilization needs.

Aired May 18, 2013.

Want to learn how to fertilize your crops without the use of harmful synthetic chemicals? Come to this workshop to find out the many ways an organic grower can help their plants thrive. Led by Mountain View Market Farm Manager Lori Garton.

Saturday, July 6, 9-11 a.m., . The workshop will be held at the MVM Farm in Mesilla (2653 Snow Road).

Cost is $15 for co-op members/ $20 for non-members and space is limited.

Bill, Denise, and Norma talk about what we should be doing in our gardens & landscapes in May.  Weed control is essential, as is pinching off some of your budding fruit from your fruit trees.

Aired May 11, 2013.

Plant warm-season grasses, such as Bermuda, Buffalo, Zoysia and St. Augustine.

Plant hot-weather annuals, such as lantana, moss rose, daisies, sunflowers and marigolds.

Thin fruit on peaches, apricots, and plums to five to six inches apart on the branches.  The result will be larger, better quality fruit.  

If flowers are spent, prune your spring-flowering shrubs and vines to shape them.

In a rebroadcast from October 16, 2010, Bill & Norma talk with Jim McAfee, a turf grass specialist with Texas AgriLife Extension in Dallas.  Find out why Bermuda grass grows best here in El Paso, and why zoysia grass is another great bet. McAfee also talks about St. Augustine grass, Bermuda hybrid, and cool season grass.  McAfee also explains why fall is the best time to fertilize, and when to apply pre-emergents to your lawn to prevent weeds.  http://jimmcafee.tamu.edu/

Aired April 27, 2013.

John White, garden curator of the Chihuahuan Desert Gardens returns to the show to talk more about the Native Plant Sale at UTEP.  Hear about some of the desert-friendly shade trees that will be available, and some of the plant sale's best sellers, including penstemons and chocolate flowers.  Many of these native & adapted plants are excellent food sources for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators.

The Native Plant Sale is April 27 & 28, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., at the Centennial Museum.  The FloraFEST speaker, George O. Miller, delivers a free lecture on landscaping in the Chihuahuan Desert, April 26, 7 p.m., Room 116 of the UTEP Undergraduate Learning Center.  915-747-5565, www.museum.utep.edu

Aired April 20, 2013.

Water Harvesting and Irrigation Workshop with MVM Farm Manager Lori Garton.  Learn the basics of making the most of our limited water resources here in the southwest desert. Water harvesting is a simple tool to conserve water. For those who seek a more substantial resource to irrigate their crops sustainably, find out about drip irrigation and how it can save water while also reducing weeds and strengthening your plants.

Start growing some of the food you eat without the need of a garden! Learn the basics of container gardening with herbs with Jimmy Zabriskie of Robledo Vista Nursery: sunlight, temperature, and water requirements; how and when to re-pot and harvest; and organic growing options (and more!).

The class is $8 for members and $10 for non-members, and will take place in the Co-op Community Room. The cost of the class includes one potted herb, and the selection of herbs will vary. Additional herbs and edible plants will be available for purchase.

Come support your local growers! Starting Sunday, May 5, Mountain View Market Co-op will have a Growers’ Market in the Co-op parking lot featuring fresh produce, locally roasted coffee, water-wise desert plants, sustainable crafts, and more! We will be accepting EBT and WIC checks.

Sundays in May – 10 am to 2 pm at 1300 El Paseo Rd., Las Cruces NM.

If you are interested in becoming a vendor, please contact mvmoutreach@gmail.com or 575-523-0436.

Norma & Denise talk with John White, garden curator of the Chihuahuan Desert Gardens at UTEP.  John talks about why we should consider native & adapted plants for our landscapes.  He also explains that even though these are low-water use plants, they are not no-water use plants!  John also talks about a few of the desert-friendly trees available at the plant sale that can be found growing native in the Chihuahuan Desert, including Honey Mesquite trees and Desert Willows. 

The plant sale is April 27 & 28, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., at the Chihuahuan Desert Gardens at UTEP. www.museum.utep.edu, 915-747-5565.

Aired April 13, 2013.

Bill, Denise, and Norma welcome back Master Gardener Dave Turner, president of the Master Gardener Society and vegetable specialist.  Turner talks about pruning tomato plants, whether your tomato needs a cage or a stake, and how to protect your tomato plant from El Paso's spring winds.  He also talks about what to do if your plant looks wilted, and why mulching with newspaper is a great way to retain moisture and deter weeds.

Aired April 6, 2013.

Denise, Bill, and Norma talk with Dave Turner, vegetable specialist with the Texas Master Gardeners and president of the Master Gardeners Association.  It's part  1 of our Tomato Show, and Turner will talk about how we should prep our soil and why now is the ideal time to plant our tomatoes instead of later in the season.  Turner also explains what differentiates indeterminate tomatoes from determinate tomatoes. 
Aired March 30, 2013.

In a rebroadcast from Sept. 25, 2010, Norma & Bill talk with Mark Muegge, associate professor and extension entomologist with Texas A&M.  Muegge talks about the different plants and colors that attract butterflies to our landscapes, and about the types of butterflies we can commonly find in El Paso.  He also talks about the kinds of plants we can sacrifice to the caterpillars so they can voraciously feed and eventually metamorphose into butterflies!  For more information, visit the North American Butterfly Association, www.naba.org.  Aired March 23, 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 March 16, 2013.

Denise, Bill, and Norma talk about preparing for spring gardening.  It's time to cut back some of that dead winter's growth on our perennials.  Denise also talks about the right type of soil mixture for our gardening beds and container plants.  Aired March 9, 2013.

Bill, Denise, and Norma talk about why chill hours are important for certain fruit trees to bloom and set fruit, and why chill hours are difficult to calculate in the El Paso region.  They also talk about what the Master Gardeners will be presenting to the public during the upcoming Home & Garden Expo at the downtown Convention Center, March 1-3.   Aired Feb. 23, 2013.

Norma, Bill, and Denise talk about what we should be doing in our gardens & landscapes in February.  It's time to prepare our gardening beds for spring planting and to do our last-minute pruning.  Aired Feb. 16, 2013.

Norma, Bill, and Denise welcome back Master Gardener Donna Beamesderfer to talk about pruning.  What tools are essential when it comes to pruning your roses?  Plus, they about what NOT to do when pruning roses.  And...just because it's time to prune doesn't mean you have to.  Prune with a purpose!  Aired Feb 9, 2013.

Bill, Denise, and Norma talk with Master Gardener Donna Beamesderfer about rose pruning.  Why is this the best season for pruning?  Donna explains the whys and hows, and she also explains why one shouldn't panic when it's time to cut back those rose canes.

Aired Jan. 26, 2013.

Norma, Bill, and Denise talk with Jennifer Hickey, a Master Gardener and consulting rosarian with the American Rose Society.  She talks about the different kinds of roses available for sale at the Master Gardener Rose Sale, including all types of floribunda, grandiflora, hybrid tea, and EarthKind roses.  Hickey offers some advice on how to pick the right rose for your landscape. 

Orders for the Master Gardener Rose Sale will be taken through February 1.  Order forms are available online at http://txmg.org/elpaso/2012-rose-sale/ or by calling the Texas AgriLife Extension at 915-860-2515, or the Master Gardener Hotline at 915-566-1276.

Aired Jan. 19, 2013.

Bill & Norma talk about preparing for El Paso's unpredictable winter temps by protecting your plants and your pipes.  They also talk about bringing color inside your home with quick-blooming bulbs, ordering seeds for your spring garden from seed catalogs, and why to hold off on fertilizing your plants until the weather begins to warm up.  Aired Jan. 12, 2013.

In a rebroadcast from Dec. 25, 2010, Norma continues her conversation with Oscar Mestas, Regional Urban Forester, Texas Forest Service.  Mestas talks about the proper pruning tools that should be used for larger, more mature trees.  He also talks about what kind of pruning your tree needs if it has suffered wind damage or if it is planted near a utility line.  Mestas also discusses the special pruning that fruit trees might require.  Aired Dec. 29, 2012.

In a rebroadcast from December 18, 2010, Norma talks with Oscar Mestas, Regional Urban Forester, Texas Forest Service.  Mestas talks about why to prune, when to consult a professional, and why topping is a harmful practice which could lead to the demise of your trees.  Part 1 of a 2-part conversation.  Aired Dec. 22, 2012.

The Mountain View Market Co-Op hosts Farm Volunteer Days every Wednesday & Saturday, 9 a.m.-12 noon, at the Mountain View Market Farm in Mesilla NM.  Learn about organic farming, local food production, vermiculture, composting, laying hens, season extension, and crop planning.  575-523-0436, email mvmoutreach@gmail.com.

Denise, Bill, and Norma talk about the ways we can protect our outdoor plants from the cold weather.  Plus, we'll get a sneak preview of January's Master Gardener rose sale. Aired Dec. 15, 2012.

Denise & Norma talk about the gardening activities we should be taking part in this month, including cutting back on watering and planting our spring-flowering bulbs.  Aired Dec. 8, 2012.

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. 24, 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 Nov. 17, 2012.

Denise, Bill, and Norma talk about whether roses need any special care once the weather starts getting colder.  Bill also talks about his recent experience at a pomegranate workshop which convinced him to want to start a pomegranate orchard! Plus, find out which trees might provide you a pop of fall color.  Aired Nov. 3, 2012.

Denise & Norma talk about what we should be doing in our yards & landscapes in November, including selecting trees & shrubs for our yards, decreasing our watering schedule, and planting cool-weather-loving annuals. Aired Oct. 27, 2012.