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March 2016

A monthly publication of the Guadalupe County Master Gardeners in

cooperation with the Texas A&M AgriLIFE Extension, Guadalupe County

The Guadalupe Gardener

President’s Message

It’s Springtime, I think. Birds are chirping, the few bees that are active are buzzing, and the groundhog did not see his shadow. Most times it means an early spring, but I am always hesitant to start plants outdoors. Most years, the peach tree blooms and then a freeze happens and we lose half the crop…oh, well. If you are going to put down pre-emergent her-bicide for summer annuals, now is the time. I would not use a weed and feed. There is still a little time before fertilizer goes down. I like to apply fertilizer after the first mowing of the year. If you used a winter fertilizer, the roots have enough stored energy to get the plants through their first growth of the year. For now, enjoy the spring-like weather and take time to plan out your garden for the year. As always, I’m here to help. Marvin Borth

March Meeting Thursday

March 17th- 7 PM Agrilife Building

Social & Refreshments 6:30 PM

Program at 7 PM

Low Water Use Landscaping Calvin Finch

Followed by Business Meeting

Don’t forget your name tags and

plants for plant exchange.

Extension Service

In This Issue Page 2 - February Meeting Program Page 3 - February Meeting Page 4 - New MG, March Service Awards.

Future Programs Page 5 - Rodeo Tear Down, Rodeo To-

mato, Members in Service Page 6 - Texas MG Meeting Page 7 - Comal Spring Seminar, KWED

Lawn & Garden Show Page 8 - Volunteer Recognition Page 9 - Wandering Gardener Page 10 - Plant Sales, Community Garden Page 11-12 - Volunteer Opportunities Page 12 - Gardening Events Page 13-18 - Education-Classes-Seminars Page 19 - March Calendar

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Association NewsAssociation NewsAssociation NewsAssociation News February Meeting Program

Edible Plants Patty G. Leander, Travis County Texas Master Gardener, Texas Master Gardener Vegetable Specialist and writer for the Texas Gardener Magazine, presented the February GCMG educational program on Edi-ble Plants. Patty’s program included a slide presentation and a hand-out. She discussed perennial plants and annuals and shared her views on some of her favorites. Among the perennials she championed was the chili pequin, the offi-cial native pepper of Texas. The pepper is easy to grow, harvests in 60-70 days, likes semi-shade and the birds love it. She also mentions the Shishito pepper from Japan which is sweet and right now very trendy and good in stir-fry recipes. The fig is popular (many in the audience had a fig tree) and long–lived. She recommends the Alma, Celeste or Texas Ever- bearing. The fig requires mulching well and consistent watering. It is a good time to prune your fig tree while the leaves are gone.

The loquat is easy to grow, requiring little care and produces in 3-4 years. She suggested it as a great tree for your neighbor to plant and not too close to the house, as the trees get very large and drop fruit in traffic areas, which is messy and unattractive. Pomegranates can grow 12-18 feet tall, flower in the spring and bear fruit in the fall. Varieties for this area are Wonderful, Cloud, Granada and Ambrosia. They too are very messy. Some flowers and most herbs are edible. They are best here in the cool season. Some suggested herbs are comfrey, garlic chives, rosemary, mint, fennel and thyme. Flowers to eat include calendula, nasturtium, pansies, violas, broccoli flowers and squash blossoms. Among the Annuals she suggested artichokes which you set out in September or October. They need to be pro-tected from severe freezes. Recommended varieties are Green Globe, Imperial Star and Violetto. There was dis-cussion in the audience that some had had their plants for up to 3 years. Long Beans are related to Southern peas and are planted in the spring. They require a trellis or fence and are harvested when they are 12-15 inches long and still tender. They are good in curries and stir- fry. Varieties are Red Noodle, Liana or Gita. Patty plants Victoria rhubarb transplants in September or October. They must be protected from a hard freeze. Harvesting is in March through May and the stem is green rather than the northern red. Edamame can be planted as soon as the soil reaches 60 degrees. Pick when the pods are plump and green. Best varieties are Beer Friend, Envy and Midori Giant.

Finally, Patty presented a variety of micro-greens she was growing in yogurt containers with holes for drainage. These greens were planted about 4 or 5 days prior to the meeting. The seeds are planted densely, covered and kept moist until they sprout and then require a grow light or indirect sunlight. Harvesting is in 7-14 days. Suggested seeds include broc-coli, basil, dill, sorrel and amaranth. The greens can be put in salads, sandwiches or soups. She gets her bulk seeds from www.johnnyseeds.com, but you can use your own seeds or purchase them from other sources. Her only caution was to be sure they had not been treated in any way. Patty con-cluded the discussion with questions from the audience.

Article by Sandy Foss, Photos by Marvin “T” Taylor

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February Meeting - Photos by Marvin “T” Taylor

Refreshments for February 18, MG Meeting

I would like to thank all the MGs who brought refreshments for the MG meeting. They were Pam Turner, Ju-dith Johnson, Cynthia Lyssy, Carol Suchan, Janet Magee, Adriana Loya, Betty Hughes, Beth Zies, and Treva Hicks. Submitted by Treva Hicks, Refreshment Volunteer Coordinator

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Future Programs

April 21 - Could I Actually Build a Greenhouse by Dr. Tom Harris May 19 - Texas Cacti by Brian & Shirley Loflin June 16 - Shade Plants by Liz Romero July 30 - Summer Social at Nolte Park August 18 - Flowering Trees by Deedy Wright September 15 - Aquaponics by Steve Sumrow October 20 - Bats by Judit Green November 17 - Guadalupe County Soils by John Watkins December 15 - Christmas Social

February Meeting Raffle and Door Prize

Treva Hicks won $17 in the meeting raffle. April Rippel won the $10 gift certificate door prize.

Newly Certified Master Gardener

Class 27 Administrator, Kay McElveen, presents the MG Certificate to newly certified Class 27 member

Mike Woodlee

Service Awards to be Presented at 17 March Membership Meeting

We hope you will be able to join us at the 17 March Membership Meeting for presentation of our annual service awards.

15 Years of Service – Classes #10 and 11 graduating in 2000 10 Years of Service – Class #17 graduating in 2005 5 Years of Service – Class #22 graduating in 2010 3 Years of Service – Class #24 graduating in 2012

In addition, 32 members will receive 2015 Star Pins for volunteering 100 or more hours of service. Come help us recognize our wonderful volunteers!

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Texas Master Gardener Board of Directors

Two Year Term - Dave Elder - Alternate - Marvin Borth One Year Term - Peggy Jones - Bob Teweles, Alternate Membership Outreach Committee - Virginia Biggs

Speakers Bureau - Treva Hicks

Guadalupe Co. Community Garden - Dale & Ann Odvody

Master Gardener Office/Library - Betty Hughes

Refreshment Coordinator - Treva Hicks

Big Red Barn - Janice Knobles

Gutierrez Xeriscape Garden - John Lewicki & Kim Darrough

Historian - Sandy Foss

Earth Day - Cynthia Lyssey & Marvin Borth

2016 County Fair - Cindy Martin

Class 28 Coordinator - Cindy Martin & Kay McElveen

Christmas Tree Decorating - Betty Hughes

Newsletter Editor - Elaine McIntyre

Web Master - Bob Teweles

M E M B E R S I N S E R V I C E

San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo IS OVER!!!!!

Now we need help with RODEO TEAR-DOWN

When: Mon, Feb 29, Tue, Mar 1 (and possibly Wed, Mar 2); Work Begins at 8:30am Each Day

Where: HEB Little Buckaroos Tent, 723 AT&T Center Parkway, San Antonio.

Info: Volunteers are needed to help dismantle the displays and palletize the lumber and display items for use next year. Mulch will be available for free in the afternoon after fences are down and raised beds cleared. Information submitted by Dale Odvody

What is the 2016 Rodeo Tomato? ‘Red Deuce’ tomato is a determinate plant which produces big yields of large to extra-large 10 oz. globe shaped fruit that have great eye appeal and good eating quality. ‘Red Deuce’ has resis-tance to Verticillium Wilt, Fusarium Wilt (races 1, 2), Tobacco Mosaic Virus and Stemphylium.

Characteristics Fruit is globe-shaped, uniform ripening, and ripens to a deep red color. Demonstrates fruit quality, uniformity has an exceptional firmness. High yields of large to extra-large fruit that hold up well. Performs well in early and mid-season plantings. Plant habit provides excellent foliage protection to the crop

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Recap of Minutes of the December 5, 2015 Meeting BOARD OF DIRECTORS, TEXAS MASTER GARDENER ASSOCIATION, INC.

Texas A&M Campus, College Station, Texas

Officers present were: President Donna Hagar; 1st Vice President Mary Means; 2nd Vice President Peggy Rogers; Secretary Nicky Maddams, Treasurer Dale Powell, Past-President Dick Coupe and Mas-ter Gardener Coordinator Jayla Fry. There were 68 directors, alternates and 17 guests in attendance and those following online. Two newcomers who accompanied Pres-President Garey Wylie. Susan Hutchens and Dave Walters of Johnson County helped with the preparation and meeting setup, illustrat-ing a perfect example of how master gardeners are one big family and step in where needed.

Master Gardener Coordinator Jayla Fry led the attendees in a moment of silence in memoriam for Dr. Doug Welsh’s son, who passed on November 18, 2015

The speaker, Dr. Justin Scheiner, an Extension Viticulture Specialist at Texas A&M University. discussed genetically modified crops and genetic engineering.

Complete treasury records are available online and kept current in real time Everything regarding Awards is online. . Newsletter/Website is still in transition and being updated with changes frequently. Tax information and IRS forms may be found on the website.

The Gardens Update: $125,440 has been raised just one year into a three-year commitment to raise funds for the naming rights to the Earth-Kind® Gardens within The Gardens at Texas A&M University. Each participating county in attendance was given a Belinda’s Dream rose plant, which was the first Earth-Kind rose.

The 2016 Conference is going to be in a show barn with red dirt floors and people need to be aware of this and bring appropriate footwear. Speakers will present from two stages in the big barn with round ta-bles for everyone to sit by main stage talks. There will be a reception, numerous vendors, the annual awards banquet, tours, workshops, tours of the research gardens, and more at Myers Park, which is 168 acres. Registrants are encouraged to spend the weekend before and after in the area, exploring the many areas of interest. Nine continuing educations units (CEU’s) will be available.

The 2017 Conference will be hosted by the TMGA aboard a cruise ship. The cruise would take place April 27-May 1, 2017, for four days, leaving out of Galveston with a stop in Cozumel. Outreach: rosters and charters are due January 31, and dues must be received by the Treasurer no later than March 1, 2016; forms available on website. 15, 20, 25 year tenure members will be honored at the state confer-ence.

Jane Bowman, Williamson County makes TMGA patches which can be affixed to garments, hats, etc. We are looking for a member who quilts who would donate their skills and time to make a t-shirt quilt from the shirts of the late Brenda Cunningham which could be offered for raffle at the state conference.

Jayla Fry, State Master Gardener Coordinator, advised her email address has changed to jbfry@tamu.edu. She provided an update on online MG training which is continuing with seven pilot counties (7), one of which is a brand new association. These people are being trained in a non-traditional way and we need to reach out and bring them into the fold, locally and at the state level.

The newly elected officers are: Mary Means (Collin County), President; Peggy Rogers (Wood County), First Vice President; Nicky Maddams (Waller County), Second Vice President; Pat Allen (Bell County), Secretary;and Dale Powell (Denton County), Treasurer.

Information submitted by Guadalupe County Board Member Dave Elder

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It’s always helpful to see what’s new on the Aggie Horticulture Website

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/

Comal Master Gardeners Spring Seminar on Plants for all Seasons

Attendees at the Comal Master Gardeners Spring Seminar on Plants for all Seasons - The Marvelous Monocots from A to Z - included 1st row left to right: Barbara Heuerman, Iris Seale, Kay Cover and Pat Schultze.

2nd row: Cindy Martin, Polly Ruppert, Kim Darrough, and Robert Teweles. Six Continuing Education hours were earned by listening to Dr. Flo Oxley on An Introduction to the Monocots, David Will on Bulbs for all Seasons, Velia Sanchez-Ruiz on Daylilies - Sunshine in the Garden, Joanne Hall on Ornamental Grasses in the Landscape, and Dotty Woodson on Rain Gardens for the Water Wise. Also attending but not in the picture were Janet Magee and John Lewicki.

Article and photo provided by John Lewicki.

KWED Lawn & Garden Show The KWED Lawn & Garden Show hosted by Guadalupe County Master Gardener Bob Grafe begins at 9:05AM on Saturdays on the KWED 1580. The call-in Listener Line is 830-372-1580 in the Seguin area or 1-800-361-1580 if calling from outside the Seguin calling area. Calls from Master Gardeners are always welcome!

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Volunteer Recognition Corner

GCMG volunteers reported 696.45 volunteer hours in January Master Gardener, Kim Darrough was the first to report 2016 hours in VMS. Kay Cover, Peggy Jones, John Lewicki and Iris Seale have met the volunteer and continuing educa-tion hours requirement for 2016 KJ Kjolhede, John Lewicki, Dale Odvody and Iris Seale reported 25 or more volunteer hours in Janu-ary 2016 A special Shout Out to John Lewicki as GCMG’s most versatile January volunteer. In January he volunteered at La Vernia School, Gutierrez Xeriscape Park, Guadalupe County Community Garden & the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo.

Janice Knobles Wins February Volunteer Recognition Drawing

33 Certified Master Gardeners qualified for the February Volunteer Recognition Program Drawing. Con-gratulations to Janice Knobles who won a $20 gift certificate.

Members Reporting 5 or More Volunteer Hours in January 2016

All 33 also qualify for one entry into the $150 Annual Recognition Drawing.

To qualify for the Monthly Volunteer Recognition Program drawing, Certified Guadalupe County Master Gardeners must report a minimum of 5 volunteer hours earned during the month in VMS by the last cal-endar day of the month. Hours earned for attendance at the monthly GCMG Membership Meeting are not included in the minimum 5 hours, except those earned for meeting setup. Board members do not participate in the Volunteer Recognition Program.

Don’t forget to earn and report your hours by 31 March 2016 to be eligible for the April Membership Drawing.

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TEXAS GARDENER FUNDRAISER Our Treasury gets to keep 25% of your subscription or renewal when it is sent through GCMG

The Wandering GardenerThe Wandering GardenerThe Wandering GardenerThe Wandering Gardener - Marilyn MoltzMarilyn MoltzMarilyn MoltzMarilyn Moltz

WOWE - South Padre Island, TX

This winter we took a three week trip to south Texas. One week we stayed on South Padre Island. We had not been down to the island since 2007 and were very excited to go. Once we got down there we were even more excited! The weather was perfect, the birds were flying and we found more to do than we had anticipated. One of the things we found was WOWE, Winter Outdoor& Wildlife Expo. This 5 day conference was sponsored by several of the Valley towns and covered nature, native plants, birding, tur-tles and conservation. It was not a conference I had heard of before but I went several days ($5.00 per day for all conferences or $20.00 for the entire week) and went to many sessions, saw a raptor show, and took a bird watching walk on the boardwalk. This was held at the SPI Birding and Nature Center.

We also went to Laguna Atascosa Wildlife Refuge, Port Isabel, Isla Blanca Park, the sea turtle hospital and rehab center, had beautiful sunsets every evening and ate way too much seafood (if a person can do that). For us it was a great time of year to go, mostly retired folks like us and nothing was crowded when we wanted to go. If you want a conference that covers these topics I would highly recommend it and plan on staying an extra few days to enjoy all that South Padre Island and surrounding towns have to offer. I plan to!

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GCMG Outreach

Virginia Biggs is GCMG’s Out-reach Chairman. If anyone knows of a GCMG who needs a meal, please let her know 830-560-1976.

REMINDER If anyone needs a card from the organization for an illness or loss of a family member, contact: Janice Jadwin, Secretary, 210-416-2477, or e-mail jmjadwin@yahoo.com

Newsletter Staff Editor - Elaine McIntyre Photographer - Marvin “T” Taylor Distribution - Doug Biggs Proof Reader - Bob Teweles Wandering Gardener - Marilyn Moltz

Plant Sales To follow up on last year's successful plant sale, this year we will have two plant sales! On April 30th, as part of our Earth Day booth, we will be selling both landscape plants and vegetable starts. Because April 30th is rather late in the season to plant most vegetables, on Saturday, March 19th (March 26th rain date) we will be selling plants in downtown Seguin. The March sale will concentrate on vegetable starts but we will also have healthy landscape plants available for sale. The Earth-Day sale in April will concen-trate on landscape plants and any vegetables not sold in March. We have some wonderfully warm weather coming up and I know you will be tending your gardens! I would like to encourage all Master Gardeners to look for "unwanted" plants that you can pot up and propagate for the April plant sale. Plants might include "volunteers" like shrimp plant and salvias or rooted plants that have spread too far like skullcap or lantana. Usually potted plants with roots in moist potting soil will grow into nice plants by the end of April. One-gallon and 4" pots and potting soil are available to plant propagators at both the AgriLife building (beside our shed) and at GCCG (against the back fence behind the greenhouse). Or we will reimburse you for pots and soil you purchase for the plant sale. Please e-mail or call me if you have any questions, rbeetee@gmail.com or 210-289-9997. Think what a wonderful plant sale we would have if every member brought just five landscape plants!! Bob Teweles

Schertz Community Garden Updates

1/30 - Guadalupe County Public Works removed 2 inches of weeds from the proposed area of the new Butterfly Garden. They also delivered 5 truckloads of mulch - 3 requested for the butterfly garden and 2 for our orchard area in the Community Garden. A big thank you to County Commissioner Jim Wolverton for making it happen. I know who I will be voting for in precinct 3 in the next election. John Lewicki

2/26 - The weather this month has been unusual. The plants are confused and so are the gardeners. One of the

peach trees has not only bloomed, but is almost fully leafed. The orchard has been expanded, weeded and mulched in. Mary has planted corn and we have the potatoes in the ground. Looks like we may lose production on some of the broccoli and all of the lettuce. This warm weather is causing them to bolt and go to seed. Snow peas are blooming and we hope to get some production before heat gets them. Turnips are ready to harvest. This is the first year we have grown them and they have done well. Beets were also a good crop this winter. Crops like beans, cucumbers and squash may go in a little early if this weather continues. The Native Plant Society has begun work on the expansion of the butterfly garden to a new bed by the orchard gate. We look forward to the butterflies. So far this year, we have harvested 271 pounds 3 ounces of produce.

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Volunteer OpportunitiesVolunteer OpportunitiesVolunteer OpportunitiesVolunteer Opportunities

Guadalupe County Master Gardeners Volunteer Opportunities

Every Monday the MG office/library is open from 8:30am-noon except for holidays. Volunteers are al-ways needed. Contact Betty Hughes. 830-401-4066 or e-mail ehughes5@satx.rr.com.

Every Tuesday and Friday are work days at the Guadalupe County Community Garden. Check with Ann Odvody (odvodyd@swbell.net 830-914-3593) for start hour and access at other times.

Every Friday 9 am is a workday in the gardens at the Big Red Barn. Check with Janice Knobles, 830-379-6193 or e-mail jmknobles@yahoo.com for details.

KWED Master Gardener Lawn and Garden Show is always looking for volunteers. Contact Janet Grafe at 830-639-4199 or e-mail to janetgrafe@hotmail.com.

For our meetings, we could use help with setting out chairs since we usually put out 80 chairs. That way we are not putting out chairs during the program. If a few people came 30 minutes early, that would help a lot. Treva Hicks.

Leaders Needed - Contact President Marvin Borth

We need someone to step up and serve as: Volunteer Chair Education Chair

Spring 2017 Class Coordinator in Schertz Texas Master Gardener Board of Directors

Volunteers Needed

Guadalupe County Master Gardeners Booth at: Wilson County Home and Garden Day. See page

Seguin Nature in Parks Alliance Planned workdays in March at Park West

Wednesday, March 2 (8 am to 11 am) removal of invasive Ligustrum trees

Saturday, March 5 (8 to 12:30) TLU Dog Day: we will be overseeing students' removal of previously cut trees to a point where the chipper can access

Saturday, March 19 (8 am to 11 am) removal of more invasive Ligustrums

For more information contact Liz Romero (830-491-9676) or Monta Zengerle (830 305 9666)

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GARDENING EVENTS

Future State Master Gardeners Conferences

2016 State Conference - Buds & Bark - Earth-Kind® in the Park. Learn from renowned garden experts at the May 17-19, 2016 event to be held at the beautiful Myers Park and Event Center in McKinney, Texas. For information on registration, dates, presenters, Collins County MGA speakers and workshops, local hotels, and more, email txmg2016@ccmgatx.org or call 469-859-5934. Find up-to-date information on Facebook: Texas Master Gardener Annual Conference, or Instagram – txmgstateconf2016.

The 2017 Conference will be hosted by the TMGA aboard a cruise ship. The cruise would take place April 27-May 1, 2017, for four days, leaving out of Galveston with a stop in Cozumel

2018 Master Gardener State Conference will be held in College Station.

Earth Day in Seguin Earth Day is April 30, 2016. Cynthia Lyssey will be 2016 Chair and Marvin Borth is co-chair. Hours for Earth Day will be 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Trade Days will go until 4:00 p.m. Master Gardeners have been asked to stay until 4:00. We have requested the same area as last year. If we get it, we will be in spaces 25 through 28. We will also work toward the “Who Can Save the Earth” competition which was won last year by the Native Plant Society.

Stay tuned - and Volunteer

Gonzales Master Gardeners’ 6th Annual Spring Plant Sale Saturday, April 2, 2016 from 8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m

Texas Heroes Square just west of County Court House in downtown Gonzales Shoppers will have the opportunity to make their selections from an assortment of vegetables, herbs, annual and perennial plants, succulents, cacti, houseplants and citrus fruit trees. A wide variety of vege-table plants will include heirloom tomato plants, various pepper varieties and much more. A great selec-tion of herbs for the garden will be available. Check out the not-so-common perennials, hanging baskets, bromeliads, and dish gardens that will also be offered for sale. Bring your gardening questions to the “Ask the Master Gardener” booth and stop by to bid on the wide variety of items in the silent auction. Food and drink will also be available for sale. Our mission as Master Gardeners is to educate the public and community about gardening and horticulture. Proceeds from the silent auction and the sale of plants will be used for our education projects for the school children, adult education programs and other com-munity projects. Thank you for your support. Contact Fran Saliger for more information (830-672-2953).

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Guadalupe County Master Gardeners Booth at Wilson County Home and Garden Day

Floresville Alternative School, 335 Alternative Lane, Floresville, TX 78114 Saturday, March 5, 2016

8:00 am - 5:00 pm

New to the family-friendly event this year will be one-hour presentation on container gardening, severe weather awareness, and turf grass care, and a four-hour Landscape Seminar from 8:00 am to noon. The seminar will include discussions on Landscape Planning Resources and Principles, led by Dr. Calvin Finch; Wilson County Landscapes by CEA Brian Davis; and Which Plants to Choose, presented by Dr. Jerry Parsons. The fee is $25 per person or $35 for a couple.

Hear the sounds of the "County Line Community Band from 10:00 am to noon and browse a variety of vendors, including the National Weather Service, American Red Cross, Wilson County 2nd Responders/CERT program, Guide Dogs of Texas, Soaps D Crafts, Color Me Green Nursery, Pfeil's Home and Gar-den and more. Additionally, a live radio broadcast of Milberger's Gardening South Texas will be held from noon - 2:00 pm. Free children's activities also will be available. Vegetable and ornamental plants will be available for sale.

For more information, visit www.mywcn.com/70276. Any questions can be directed to Cynthia Lyssy at cmlyssy@prodigy.net.

March 1st, Tuesday, 6:30 - 8:30 pm,. Pruning. Northside Learning Center, 6632 Bandera Rd, San Antonio. 2 CEUs. Fee: $19. NISD class meets in Rm. C104. To register call: 210-397-8100 or go to www.nisd.net/ace Pruning is one of those gardening tasks that most people just can’t or won’t do. The truth is, however, that plants actually need some pruning to help them bloom, set fruit, and/or generally prosper, and they will respond according to how they are pruned. Learn what to do or not, for healthier, plants and how to sharpen your pruning shears. Bring a pair to class and see how to keep them razor sharp. Instructor: Master Gardener Dr. Tom Harris is a Master Pruner certified by the San Antonio Bo-tanical Garden; Gardening Columnist: and a founder of, and volunteer for, the Gardening Volunteers of South Texas (GVST).

March 2nd, Wednesday, 9:30 - 11:30 am. An Orchid Workshop, San Antonio Garden Club, 3310 N New Braunfels Ave, San Antonio. 1 CEU. Free. San Antonio Garden Center Club's meetings are free and open to the public. For more information, go to http://www.sanantoniogardencenter.org/ or call (210) 824-9981. Coffee at 9:30; presentation at 10am.. Speakers: Todd & Suzann Miller, owners of Miller’s Tropicals in Dripping Springs, will offer hands-on help with potting, diagnosing, and problem-solving. A range of supplies, mixes, and tropical plants will be available for purchase

March 5th, Saturday, 8:30 am - 1 pm. 2016 Watersaver Design School -- GVST. Bishop Jones Center, 111 Torcido, San Antonio. 4.5 CEUs. Fee: $25/person; $40/households of two people. Applica-tion must be made with fee before Tuesday, March 1st. For application contact GVST at http://www.gardeningvolunteers.org/gvstwp/ or call (210) 251-8101. NOTE: 2016 Watersaver Design School will be re-peated on Saturday, April 30, and Saturday, November 5, 2016, at Phil Hardberger Park.

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March 5th, Saturday, 9 am - 12 pm. Harvesting Rainwater & Solar Energy -- Cibolo Nature Cen-ter, , 140 City Park Rd, Boerne. Location: John Kight's home; carpool from CNC parking lot promptly at 9am. For more information, contact Ben Eldredge at ben@cibolo.org or call 830-249-4616. John Kight, engineer, rainwater catchment and solar panel owner gives the latest technological information and the most practical advice. Learn about design and materials from someone who has done it himself! The Kight home relies solely on rainwater and uses no well or outside water source. Their system comfortably supplies delicious water for all household and landscape needs. Kight’s grid tied solar energy system is tied to a battery backup and provides enough electricity for normal demand during fall, winter and spring. This system produces sufficient energy to power all of his appliances with the exception of the air condi-tioning system. Speaker: John Kight

March 5th, Saturday, 9:30 - 11 am. Texas Tough Roundtable Series: Xero Turf. San Antonio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston Place, San Antonio. 1.5 CEUs. Fee: $15 ($13.50 members) per class. There are three programs in this series at the Garden. Meet with gardening experts in these roundtable forums to discuss basic design principles and implementation techniques for drought-tolerant land-scapes. For more information, visit http://www.sabot.org or call (210) 207-3270. There are varieties of turf grass that work best in San Antonio, with low-water requirements. Learn drought-tolerant turf grass op-tions and which is best for your landscape.

March 5th, Saturday, 9:45 - 10:45 am. Landscape Basics -- Shades of Green Nursery,334 West Sunset Road, San Antonio. 1 CEU. Free. Parking can be challenging during seminars so please follow signs and staff instructions for optional parking areas. Coffee ready at 9 am. Spring is a great time for new landscape projects. We’ll cover water-wise trends, plant selection, and proper planting. For further information Call (210) 824-3772.

March 5th, Saturday, 10-11 am. Growing Vegetables in San Antonio. Rainbow Gardens, 8516 Bandera Road, San Antonio. 1 CEU. Free. For more information contact Laura Jarvis, 210-680-5734. Growing tips, planting dates and information to help you grow the best garden ever. Variety suggestions and vegetable types that will do well in our area. Speaker: Karen Gardner, Texas Master Gardener Spe-cialist.

March 5th, Saturday, 12:30 - 2:30 pm. Aquaponics -- The Basics. Northside Learning Center, 6632 Bandera Rd, San Antonio. 2 CEUs. Fee: $22. NISD class meets in Rm. C104. To register call: 210-397-8100. Aquaponics is the revolutionary combination of the best of aquaculture and hydroponics. It is a fun and easy way to raise fish together with organic vegetables, greens, herbs, and fruits. Learn the history of aquaponics, what can be grown in aquaponic systems, aqua animals that can be raised, along with the types of systems and their role in food production. The class concentrates on home aquaponics but the instructor will discuss commercial opportunities and provide a demonstration of auto siphons and micros units. Instructor: Sumrow

March 8th, Tuesday, 6:30 - 8:30 pm. Master Planning with Natives. -- Guadalupe County Native Plant Society, St John’s Lutheran Church, 600 S. Center St, Marion. 1 CEU. Open to non-members; no fee. Monthly Meeting of the Guadalupe County Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas. There is a plant/seed exchange and greeting at 6:30 pm followed by the program at 7:00 pm. For more information call: 830-303-3889. If you’ve ever looked around your development, your community, or your own back-yard and wondered why it doesn’t look very “Texas”, Alex Gonzalez can explain it to you. Alex is a highly skilled and experienced professional landscape designer.

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March 8th, Tuesday, 6:30 - 8:30 pm. Vegetable Gardening and Home Grown Tomatoes. North-side Learning Center, 6632 Bandera Rd, San Antonio. 2 CEUs. Fee: $19. NISD class meets in Rm. C104. To register call: 210-397- Learn vegetable varieties, planting dates, beds, containers, soils, wa-tering, fertilizing, and about America's most popular home grown crop, the tomato. Instructor: Tom Har-ris, Ph.D., is a Master Gardener certified by the State of Texas; a Master Pruner certified by the San An-tonio Botanical Garden; a Gardening Columnist; and a founder and volunteer for the Gardening Volun-teers of South Texas (GVST).

March 8th, Tuesday, 6:30 - 7:30 pm. Monarch Conservation. GVTC Auditorium, 36101 FM 3159, New Braunfels. . The Lindheimer Chapter of NPSOT (Comal County) meetings are open to the public and new members are welcome. Monarch Conservation is the goal of the Bring Back the Monarchs to Texas Program. Speaker: Cathy Downs, NPSOT BBMT Committee Chair. For more information, con-tact Martha Guethle at 830-438-5996.

March 10th, Thursday, 10 am - 12 pm. 30 Bugs Every Gardener Should Know. Texas AgriLife Extension Service, 3355 Cherry Ridge, San Antonio. 2 CEUs. Fee: $10. RSVP to Molly at me-keck@ag.tamu.edu or Nick at nick.vazquez@ag.tamu.edu or call 210-631-0400 for more information. Get a head start on what bugs will likely be bugging you in your garden. We will cover the 30 “bugs” you are likely to see in your garden, on your flowers, or in your trees during the Spring, which ones are bad, which ones are good, and what you should do about them. See real insects and pictures and bring any insects or damage you need identified. Speaker: Molly Keck

March 10th, Thursday, 6:30 - 8:30 pm. Kokedama Moss Ball Planters San Antonio Garden Cen-ter, 3310 N. New Braunfels, San Antonio. 1 CEU. Free and open to the public. San Antonio Herb Society Monthly begins at 6:30 pm with presentation from 7 to 8 pm, followed by the meeting. For more informa-tion contact Mike Belisle at 210-826-6860. Speaker: Betty Riggs

March 12th, Saturday, 10-11 am. Tree Care 101. Rainbow Gardens, 8516 Bandera Road, San An-tonio. 1 CEU. Free. For more information contact Laura Jarvis, 210-680-5734. Get expert advice and information on planting, pruning, insects and disease control all in this basics class. Speaker: Tony Villanueva, ISA Certified Arborist, Bartlett Tree Experts

March 12th,. Saturday, 10:30 am - 12 pm. Spring Vegetable Seminar: Let's Grow Our Family Garden. at Milberger’s Landscape Nursery. 1.5 CEUs. Free. Donations to the Children's garden are welcome. For more information call (210) 497-3760. Attendees will learn what types of vegetables are best to plant in the spring and how to plant the Earth-Kind way. Come visit with David Rodriguez - Ex-tension Horticulturist with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, and he will show you what and how. Bring plenty of questions, a pen and a notebook. March 14, Monday. Noon - 1 pm. Lunch and Learn on Texas Superstar Plants. GVEC Commu-nity Room, 908 Curtis St., Schertz. Learn about the Texas Superstar Program, a collaboration of AgriLife Extension, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the state’s commercial nursery industry. Find out who determines the plants chosen and the criteria used in earning the superstar designation . Find out about the 18 annuals, 16 perennials, 7 annuals, 6 woody shrubs, 5 trees, and 12 specialty plants (including vegetables and fruits). Presented by Bob Cox and John Lewicki and the Guadalupe County Master Gardeners. Attendees are welcome to bring a lunch and free handouts will be available.

March 16th, Wednesday, 6:30 - 9 pm. Spring Fling. San Antonio Garden Center, 3310 N New Braunfels Ave, San Antonio. 1 CEU. Free. San Antonio Cactus & Xerophyte Society Meeting and Pres-entation is open to non-members. Social time starts 6:30 pm; Program & Meeting starts 7:15 pm. For more information contact Marty Ruona, SACXS 2015 President, 210 863-5657.

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March 16th, Wednesday, 6:30 - 8:30 pm. Spring Vegetable Seminar: Let's Grow Some Vegeta-bles. Blue Star Brewing Company, 1414 S Alamo St, San Antonio. 1.5 CEUs. Free; donations to the Children's garden are welcome. For more information, contact Angel Torres 210- 631-0400. Learn the right types of vegetables to grow during the spring and how to plant the Earth-Kind way. Come visit with David Rodriguez, Extension Horticulturist with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, and he will show you what and how. Bring plenty of questions, a pen and a notebook.

March 17th, Thursday, 6:00 - 8:30 pm. What to Grow in the Shade. 3355 Cherry Ridge, San An-tonio. 1.5 CEUs. Free. BCMG General Meetings begin with a social time at 6pm followed by the special presentation at 6:30pm. For information call 210-699-0663. Speaker: Dotty Woodson.

March 19th, Saturday, 8:30am - 12:30 pm. Native Landscape Design. Cibolo Nature Center, 140 City Park Rd, Boerne. 4 CEUs. Fee: CNC Members $25/person; non-members $30/person. Pre-registration is required. For more information, contact Ben Eldredge at 830-249-4616.

March 19th, Saturday, 10-11am. Hugelkulture Workshop. Rainbow Gardens, 8516 Bandera Road, San Antonio. 1 CEU. Free. For more information contact Laura Jarvis, 210-680-5734. Our local San Antonio Aquaponic and TransFarming Meetup Group will be doing an informational and on site build of a hugelkultur bed. Come explore this interesting sustainable gardening style as you participate in this hands on workshop.

March 19th, Saturday, 10:30am - 12 pm. Spring Vegetable Seminar: Let's Grow Our Family Gar-den. Fanick's Garden Center, 1025 Holmgreen Road, San Antonio. 1.5 CEUs. Free; donations to the Children's garden are welcome. For more information call 210-648-1303. Learn what types of vegeta-bles are best to plant in the spring and how to plant the Earth-Kind way. Come visit with David Rodri-guez, Extension Horticulturist with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, and he will show you what and how. Bring plenty of questions, a pen and a notebook.

March 20th, Sunday, 2-4pm. Plants That Do Well in San Antonio. Education Building, San Anto-nio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston Place, San Antonio. 1 CEU. San Antonio Daylily Society meeting is free and open to the public. Contact Pat Schultze: clydepat6@aol.com. Speaker: David Rodriguez, Horticulturist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

March 21st, Monday, 8:00am - 4:30 pm. Native Landscape Certification Program - Level 1. Phil Hardberger Park, Urban Ecology Center, 8400 Northwest Military Highway, San Antonio. 7.5 CEUs. Registration fee: $37. For more information or for mail-in registration form call Meg Inglis at 512-589-1316. Note: Participants must complete Level 1 before attending Levels 2 or 3 . Level 2 and 3 classes do not have to be taken in sequence. Participants will learn the value of including and preserving native plants in landscapes; apprehend the differences between sustainable and conventional development; understand their Texas vegetation region and soil type; and become familiar with 40 native Texas plants for your landscape and 5 exotic plants to avoid. Each class includes a classroom session and an out-door native plant knowledge walk. Completion Certificate provided at the end of the class. Competency Certificate issued upon passing an optional end-of-day test.

March 21st, Monday. 12-3 pm. Smart Gardening Practices/Texas Native Shrubs - GVST Essen-tials of Gardening Classes. San Antonio Garden Center, 3310 North New Braunfels Avenue, San An-tonio. 2.5 CEUs. Gardening Volunteers of South Texas (GVST) classes are Free and Open to the Pub-lic. $5 donation appreciated to help cover expenses. The first session usually starts around 12:15, the second session around 1:30pm. No advance reservations are necessary. For more information call (210) 251-8101. Session 1 Topic: Smart Gardening Practices Speaker: Ron Csehil. Session 2 Topic: Texas Native Shrubs Speaker: Linda Higby. Bring your hand pruning tools and have them sharpened by “Dr. Fix-It” for $3 each, a donation to GVST.

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March 22nd, Tuesday, 6:30 - 8:30 pm. Gardening 101. Northside Learning Center, 6632 Bandera Rd, San Antonio. 2 CEUs. Fee: $19. NISD class meets in Rm. C104. To register call: 210-397-8100. Gardening can be intimidating. Not all of us have a green thumb and many may be unsure of how to get started. Dr. Harris will teach you how to plan a garden, soil preparation, how to build raised beds, com-posting, fertilizing, watering, and harvesting the veggies (the best part). Instructor: Tom Harris, Ph.D., is a Master Gardener certified by the State of Texas; a Master Pruner certified by the San Antonio Botanical Garden; a Gardening Columnist; and a founder and volunteer for the Gardening Volunteers of South Texas (GVST).

March 26th, Saturday, 10-11 am. How to Grow Roses. Rainbow Gardens, 8516 Bandera Road, San Antonio. 1 CEU. Free. For more information contact Laura Jarvis, 210-680-5734. The focus is on pruning your roses, feeding your roses, insecticide and fungicide recommendations and much more. Be sure to bring all of your questions and of course your camera; the roses should be beautiful! Speaker: San Antonio Rose Society Experts

March 26th, Saturday, 10:30am - 12 pm. Spring Gardening Seminar: Tomatoes, Citrus, and More. The Garden Center, 10682 Bandera Rd, San Antonio. 1.5 CEUs. Free; donations to the Chil-dren's Garden are welcome. For more information call 210 647-7900. Learn about how to grow toma-toes, citrus plants, and more using the Earth-Kind method. Come visit with David Rodriguez, Extension Horticulturist with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, and he will show you what and how. Bring plenty of questions, a pen and a notebook.

March 26th, Saturday. 12-4pm. Advanced Aquaponics. Texas Hydroponics, 3412 Copeland Dr, San Antonio. 4 CEUs. Fee: $45. NISD class. To register call: 210-397-8100. Aquaponics is the revolu-tionary combination of the best of aquaculture and hydroponics. This advanced hands-on class will ob-serve the build process of an aquaponic system along with covering the basic principles of aquaponics, medium bed zone breakdown, and water testing. Throughout the build, the instructor will go over as-pects of float raft systems and hybrid systems, which will include advantages and disadvantages of sys-tems. Instructor: Sumrow

March 29th, Tuesday, 6:30 - 8:30 pm, Organic Gardening. Northside Learning Center, 6632 Ban-dera Rd, San Antonio. 2 CEUs. Fee: $19. NISD class meets in Rm. C104. To register call 210-397-8100. Reducing or eliminating the use of chemical pesticides for controlling insects and diseases leads to a cleaner environment and a healthier food supply. Dr. Harris will discuss organic processes such as planting only healthy, disease-resistant varieties; controlling insects using biological controls and natural products; rotating garden areas; encouraging natural insect predators; composting; mulching; pollination; and watering. Instructor: Tom Harris, Ph.D., is a Master Gardener certified is a Master Gardener certi-fied by the State of Texas; a Master Pruner certified by the San Antonio Botanical Garden; a Gardening Columnist; and a founder and volunteer for the Gardening Volunteers of South Texas (GVST).

April 1st, Friday, 8:00am - 4:30 pm. Native Landscape Certification Program - Level 3, Installa-tion & Maintenance of Native Landscapes. San Antonio River Authority Mission Road Operation Cen-ter, 8510-3 Mission Parkway, San Antonio. 7.5 CEUs. Registration fee: $37/NPSOT members; $52/non-members. Class will meet in the Urban Ecology Center. For more information call Meg Inglis at 512-589-1316. Note: Participants must have completed Level 1 in order to attend Level 2 or Level 3. Partici-pants will learn to illustrate visual differences between native and non-native landscapes; demonstrate installation of native plant landscapes; identify maintenance requirements, techniques, and maintenance schedules; and learn 45 native Texas plants recommended for their landscape and 5 exotic plants to avoid. Each class includes a classroom session and an outdoor native plant knowledge walk. Comple-tion Certificate provided at the end of the class. Competency Certificate issued upon passing an optional end-of-day test.

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Master Gardener Specialist Training

Vegetable Specialist, March 10-12, Tarrant & Dallas Counties MGs, Ft Worth

Irrigation Efficiency Specialist, March 21-23. Bexar County MGs, San Antonio

Plant Propagation Specialist, April 21-23, Tarrant County MGs, Ft Worth

Rainwater Harvesting Specialist, April 27-29, Dallas,

Vegetable Specialist, November 8-10, Bexar County MGs, San Antonio

For more information on specialist training, see listings on the TMGA website http://txmg.org/training10/training5/specialist/

April 9th, Saturday, 9:30 - 11am. Texas Tough Roundtable Series: Soil. San Antonio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston Place, San Antonio. 1.5 CEUs. Fee: $15 ($13.50 members) per class. There are three programs in this series at the Garden. Meet with gardening experts in these roundtable forums to discuss basic design principles and implementation techniques for drought-tolerant landscapes. For more information call 210-536-1400. Healthy gardens are achieved with healthy soils. Learn how to improve the health of your soil and create a healthy landscape.

April 16th, Saturday, 9:00am - 12 pm. Annual Grafting Seminar. -- Fanick's Garden Center, 1025 Holmgreen Road, San Antonio. 3 CEUs. Free. This seminar is very popular so arrive early for best parking and seating. For more information call 210-648-1303. Speaker, Dr. Larry Stein, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, will show you how and why fruit, nut, and citrus trees are grafted. You will learn all the different grafting techniques like inlay, four flap, cleft, approach grafts, and some of the bud-ding techniques like chip budding and t-budding. You will also learn about the overall care of your fruit, nut, and citrus trees before and after you graft them.

April 21st, Thursday, 1:00 - 3:30 pm. Ecological Landscaping. 3355 Cherry Ridge, San Antonio. 2 CEUs. Free. Bexar County Master Gardeners (BCMG) Educational Seminars/General Meetings are held on the afternoon of the third Thursday every other month at the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Of-fice, Suite 208. For more information call 210-699-0663. How to work with what you have on your prop-erty, such as rocks, boggy or unusually dry areas, and many more problems. Speaker: Mary Irish. Mary will bring books for signing.

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Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

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GCCG Workday

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Red Barn 9 AM GCCG Workday

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KWED Radio 1580 AM Lawn & Garden Show 9 a.m.

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Master Gardener Office/Library\

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� NEW MOON

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GCMG Board Meeting

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Red Barn GCCG Workday

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KWED Radio Lawn & Garden Show

13 Daylilght Savings Time Begins

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Master Gardener Office/Library\

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GCCG Workday

16 17 GCMG Meeting

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Red Barn GCCG Workday

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KWED Radio Lawn & Garden Show

GCMG PLANT SALE

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Master Gardener Office/Library

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GCCG Workday

World Water Day

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O - Full Moon

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Red Barn

GCCG Workday

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KWED Radio Lawn & Garden Show

Newsletter Deadline

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Master Gardener Office/Library

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GCCG - Guadalupe County Community Garden

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Guadalupe County Master Gardeners http://www.guadalupecountymastergardeners.org 830-379-1972 Ext 210 Guadalupe County Texas A&M AgriLIFE Extension http://www.guadalupe-tx.tamu.edu/ 830-379-1972 Texas Master Gardeners http://www.txmg.org

Guadalupe County Master Gardeners, Inc. 210 East Live Oak St. Seguin, TX 78155

March Meeting Thursday, March 17th, 2016 - 7 PM

AgriLIFE Extension Building 210 E. Live Oak, Seguin, Tx

Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination by the Master Gardeners is implied, and no endorsement by the Master Gardeners is implied. Educational programs conducted by the Guadalupe County Master Gardeners and the Texas A&M AgriLIFE Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status.

Elaine McIntyre, Editor (tindo@gvec.net)

GCMG Officers & Board of Directors Marvin Borth President Jose Contreras Past President Cynthia Lyssey President Elect Kay McElveen Vice President Janice Jadwin Secretary Jim Johnson Treasurer Vacant Education Chairman Dave Elder Publication Chairman Vacant Volunteer Chairman Cindy Waechter Membership Chair Travis Franke AgriLIFE Agent Master Gardener Coordinator

Extension Service