Fruit trees, vegetables, herbs and more at Spring Plant Sale

Yes. A presale seminar will be conducted at 8 a.m. before the sale yard opens to discuss the plants and plant varieties that will be offered. The sale yard will be opened from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Yes. There will be an impressive range of vegetable transplants for the spring garden including tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, lettuce, squash and more.

Yes. There will be a plethora of herbs.

Yes. There will be garden crafts created by our artistic Master Gardeners. It’s worth the time to just come out to look over the garden crafts.

Yes. There will bulbs that will provide dependable color to landscapes year after year.

Yes. There will about 120 Master Gardener volunteers in red vests and aprons on hand to answer gardening questions and assist customers. Proceeds from the sale are utilized to support operation of the Master Gardener Discovery Garden in Carbide Park and to sponsor educational programs for home gardeners.

So, no matter how the sale is titled, it is impossible to convey the variety of items that will be available at the Spring Plant Sale. Visit our website (https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/) to view the comprehensive list of items that will be available and for other helpful information.

February is the time to make preparations for a successful home vegetable season. Experienced gardeners try to get plants in the ground as quickly as possible after the last expected frost. Experienced gardeners also know that as summer approaches, some heat sensitive plants (such as tomatoes) will stop blooming and/or setting blossoms at temperatures above 90 degrees. Despite our current cool weather conditions, the spring growing season for our growing region will soon commence. An important key to successful spring gardening is getting maximum production before the summer heat sets in.

February is also an ideal month to plant hardy fruit trees, shrubs or vines in your landscape. Careful attention needs to be paid to selection, planting, growing conditions and necessary care.

As a rule, plants we grow for fruit require full sun, good soil drainage and room to grow. Find out the mature size and proper spacing of the fruits you want to grow and take all of this into consideration when locating them in your landscape.

Gardeners in the Upper Gulf Coast region can grow a wide variety of fruiting plants. All fruit tree cultivars available at the Spring Plant Sale are recommended for our growing area.

No matter what the title given to our plant sale, experienced gardeners look forward to visiting the Spring Plant Sale.

Upcoming Seminar on Weeds

Weeds in the landscape. Weeds in the vegetable garden. Just about every gardener has their own weed or army of weeds to disparage or groan about.

No matter what kind of landscape or garden you tend, weeds are likely one of your more frustrating challenges. There are several practices you can incorporate into your battle plan to keep weeds under control. Control is best achieved through an integrated use of mechanical, cultural and chemical methods, depending on the specific weeds.

However, by knowing what weed species (or general type of weed) you are dealing with, understanding how a weed grows and knowing a few prevention tips, you’ll be on your way to having a healthier, more weed-free property.

Master Gardener John Jons will provide a seminar on “A Homeowner’s Guide to Weed Control” and discuss major weed pests in our home landscapes and options for their control. His seminar will be held Feb. 19, from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Galveston County AgriLife Extension Office located in Carbide Park (4102-B Main St., in La Marque). The program is free, but preregistration is required by e-mail (galvcountymgs@gmail.com) or by phone (281-309-5065) to ensure availability of handouts.