April Is National Volunteer Month – Hopkins County Master Gardeners Announce Plant Swap
Front Row (Left to Right): Joan Brennan, Charlotte Wilson, Mario Villarino (County Agent), and Judy Jones.Second Row (Let to Right): Brenda Payne, Jon Dalzell, Ronnie Wilson, Phyllis Kitten, Gere Camper, Pam Jorgenson and Dawn Wilburn. Volunteers are an ESSENTIAL component of our Extension Office and we love them!. The Hopkins County Master Gardeners conduct demonstration programs, trainings, public events and even make school...
Hopkins County Master Gardener: Why Do Leaves Change Color?
By Phyllis Kitten, Hopkins County Master Gardener What makes all that color happen? The whole image of falling leaves and gorgeous color begins with the deciduous trees. Those are the trees that shed their leaves each year in the fall season. These trees tend to have an appearance of a round shape with branches that spread outward as the tree grows. The leaves of these trees are mostly broad and flat. Fall enthusiasts begin to watch...
Growing a Fall Garden, by Hopkins County Master Gardener Brenda Payne
By Brenda Payne Summer might be high season in the vegetable garden, when tomatoes, squash, and other warm-season plants are in overdrive, but autumn can be just as productive. If you begin planning and planting in late summer, you can extend your harvest of garden-fresh produce well into fall and even winter by growing cool-season crops. Many sweet root crops like beets and carrots as well as cabbage cousins like kale can continue...
Weed War, by Hopkins County Master Gardener Ronnie Wilson
By Ronnie Wilson, Hopkins County Master Gardener Now that spring is here and both the desirable and undesirable plants are growing again, it is time to begin the never-ending battle with weeds. It is a shame that the frigid February temperatures only seemed to harm our “good” plants, and left the “bad” ones undamaged. In order to begin combat with these weeds, it is first necessary to identify what type of weed is invading your...
What’s all the Buzz? by Hopkins County Master Gardener Phyllis Kitten
By Phyllis Kitten, Hopkins County Master Gardener Mason bees, Osmia spp., are a group of native bees that are excellent pollinators. They are called Mason bees because they use clay/mud to make partitions and seal the entrance to their nest. Within the insect world, bees are some of the greatest pollinators. One quarter of the food we eat is pollinated by the honeybee species, but there are approximately 4,000 bee species in North...
Basic Tools for the Garden From Ronnie Wilson Hopkins County Master Gardeners January 26, 2021
January is a good time for gardeners to take stock of their garden tools and accessories, and make sure everything is ready to go for the coming spring gardening season. There are several tools every gardener should have at their disposal to ensure a successful garden. All items described are hand tools, powered only by gardener muscle. Here are several basic garden tools that may help get the job done a little bit...
Tree Webs Not Just for Halloween From Hopkins County Master Gardeners October 26, 2020
That fake webbing that we like to adorn our trees and porches with for Halloween has a certain scary element to it but is not near as scary as the real thing! Fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea) ‘nests’ often start becoming noticeable in our landscapes during the late summer to late fall. The caterpillars will spin their communal webs on the ends of branches on which they are feeding. They have been found on over 400 different species of...
Hopkins County Master Gardeners Club Ready to Plant
It is a little early in the gardening season, but the Master Gardeners are ready for spring planting. However, at the monthly meeting held at the AgriLife Extension Building on Houston St, business items took precedence over more agrarian pursuits. An executive session before the regular meeting revealed that a Board of directors must be elected and sent to meetings across Texas. Upcoming events include a Plant Swap, and a Pesticide...
Another Visit With Master Gardener Ronnie Wilson on A Second Cup of Coffee From April 16th
April 22, 2024 – In this episode of A Second Cup of Coffee with John Mark Dempsey, John Mark sat down, again, with Hopkins County Master Gardener Ronnie Wilson. In this conversation, which took place Tuesday, April 16, 2024, John Mark and Ronnie Wilson discuss potted plants, the different types of soil, the “Plant of the Month” for April, and more. Give it a watch and see what you learn. Enjoy! Texas A&M...
Another Second Cup of Coffee with Guest Master Gardener Ronnie Wilson Conducted on March 19th
March 25, 2024 – In another episode of A Second Cup of Coffee with John Mark Dempsey with guest Hopkins County Master Gardener Ronnie Wilson, John Mark and Mr. Wilson discuss Spring, what to put out now, a current sale on transplants, and more. Be sure to check it out, you just might learn something! A Second Cup of Coffee with John Mark...
