Fall Vegetable Gardening

August 2, 2023

Washington County

The Bluebonnet Master Gardeners of Washington County are pleased to present the Fall 2023 “Lunch-N-Learn” series to be hosted on the first Wednesday of each month in August, October, & November. The series boasts topics related horticulture with the homeowner and backyard gardener in mind! Speakers are experts in their fields and practical gardeners with great tips and information for everyone. 

Program registration will begin at 11:50am with the program beginning at 12:05pm and concluding at 12:55pm. At the conclusion of each session the speaker and our Washington County Master Gardeners will be available to answer questions.

The Lunch-N-Learn Sessions will be held at the Washington County Expo Event Center, 1305 E. Blue Bell Road in Brenham. All Master Gardener Lunch-N-Learn programs are free to the public and you are welcome to bring your own lunch and drink. 

August 2, 2023 – Fall Vegetable Gardening

October 4, 2023 – Texas Superstar Plants

November 1, 2023 – Butterflies 

Fall Vegetable Plant Sale

Orders Open Until September 19

Washington County

Calling all gardening enthusiasts! The Washington County Extension Horticulture Committee is pleased to share with you an opportunity to purchase fall garden plants and support local scholarship at the same time! 

For the seventh year the committee will be offering a selection of cool season plants including, arugula, bok choy, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale (curly and flat leaf), green leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, mustard greens, spinach, and swiss chard. If the great selection and confidence in knowing the offering are the best suited varieties for our area isn’t enough, we are also offering these plants at $2.50/pack of four!

Also, all proceeds from this sale benefit the youth of Washington County through scholarships offered by the Committee. Each year the Horticulture Committee works to identify qualified graduating seniors pursuing a degree in agriculture and awards a scholarship of $1,000 or more in May at the respective school assemblies. 

Orders are due by September 19^th! - Don’t delay, order today!

Pick-Up will be on Tuesday, October 10^th from 10:00am-5:30pm at the

Washington County Expo in Brenham!

Private Applicator Training

August 16, 2023

Washington County

If you plan on using a state limited use or state restricted use pesticide, such as Grazon P+D, 2 4-D, Weedmaster, etc., and need a license, the Texas AgriLife Extension Service will be sponsoring a Private Applicator Training on Wednesday, August 16, 2023, at the Washington County Extension Office Conference Room, 1305 E Blue Bell Road, Brenham. Books and study materials for the course need to be purchased ahead of time for $50.00 at the Extension Office. A registration fee of $10.00 will be charged for the training. The registration fee will include the training and additional study materials. The training will begin at 8:30am and conclude at approximately 12:30pm. Please reserve your spot for the training as soon as possible; seating is limited.

Bees and Trees for Homeowners (CEUs)

August 18, 2023

Austin County

Beekeeping continues to be a hot topic, especially for medium to small acreage landowners. Before you jump in head-first and order the equipment and a hive of bees, come learn what to expect! We will hear from a local beekeeper about what it takes to raise honeybees in this area, some of the challenges they face, and what they’ve found to be good solutions. In addition to bees, we will take a portion of the afternoon to talk trees! In Texas and especially in our part of Texas trees are a valuable commodity that landowners care about and strive to keep them healthy and vigorous. Come learn about tree biology, how to recognize common tree problems, and how to manage tree health. We will “leaf” no question unanswered, discussing planting, pruning, watering, fertilizer, insect, and disease control. Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity!  Two CEUs (1 General, 1 IPM) will be offered for all licensed pesticide applicators.  

Washington County Pecan Show

Entries Due November 27, 2023

Washington County

The Washington County Extension Horticulture Committee is excited to host the 2023 Washington & Waller County Pecan Show. The committee welcomes entries from landowners across the area who have an interest in learning more about their pecan trees and testing the quality of their crop. 

Entries will be accepted through Monday, November 27, 2023, at the Washington or Waller County Extension Offices. The committee will crack and prepare the pecans for judging and results will be presented to all exhibitors on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, at the Growing Pecans in South Central Texas Program. If an exhibitor is unable to attend the program results will be available at the Washington County Extension Office on Friday, December 1, 2023.  

Snakes: Understand them, avoid them

Article by AgriLife Today

Snakes, whether we like them or fear them, are becoming more active this time of year and activity will increase as spring temperatures climb.

More encounters with snakes can lead to more bites for people and pets, but a basic understanding of their activity can reduce fears and prevent a trip to the hospital or vet.

Do you remember the Horney Toad?

Article by Dr. Jacob Dykes

Did you know TX is home to three species of Horned Lizards? Those species are the Texas Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum), which is commonly called a “horny toad”, the Round-tailed Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma modestum), and the Greater Short-horned Lizard (Phrynosoma hernandesi). Horned lizards are named for the horns they have on their heads (don’t you love when scientists use logic when naming critters), and horn configuration is a good way to identify the species.