Spring Gardening Events

The following classes and events are free unless otherwise noted.  Most require advanced registration.  Please leave a comment if you know of any additional gardening classes or events in the area.

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Tomatoes by Tom LeRoy

Friday, Feb. 24th from 10 am - Noon

Lone Star College - Kingwood

281-312-1749

Harris County Tomato and Pepper Sale

Saturday, Feb. 25th from 9 am - 1 pm

3033 Bear Creek Dr, Houston, TX 77084

281-855-5600

Click HERE for more information

Spring Vegetable Gardening by Tom LeRoy and Bill Adams

Saturday, Feb. 25th at 10 am

Arbor Gate Nursery

Free tomato plant for first 150 people

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Gardening 101 - Spring into Water-wise Landscaping

Topics include: Tree Care, Pollinator Gardening, and Keeping it Green

Saturday, Feb. 25th from 9 am - Noon

The Woodlands Township Town Hall Board Chambers

2801 Technology Forest Boulevard, The Woodlands, TX

281-210-3800

Click HERE for more information

Raised Bed Gardening

Tuesday, Feb. 28th at 7:00 pm

Spring Texas Stake Center

25623 Richards Rd, Spring TX 77386

Gunter's Heirloom Vegetables by Leah and Pam Gunter

Saturday, Mar. 3rd from 9 am - Noon

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Composting

Saturday, Mar. 3rd from 11 am - Noon

Parks, Recreation and Environmental Services Campus

8203 Millennium Forest Drive, The Woodlands, TX (next to the Woodlands High School)

281-210-3900

Click HERE for more information

Container Vegetable Gardening by Jeremy Kollaus

Thursday, Mar. 8th at 10 am

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Where Do We Garden From Here? (due to extreme weather changes) by Linda Gay

Saturday, Mar. 10th at 10 am

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Herbs: Old Friends and New by Ann Wheeler, Log House Herbs

Tuesday, Mar. 13th at 10 am

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Summer Annuals and Perennials by Tom LeRoy

Friday, Mar. 16th from 11 am - 12:50 pm

Lone Star College - The Woodlands

936-273-7446 or mcall@lonestar.edu

Montgomery County Master Gardeners Plant Sale

Saturday, Mar. 24th from 9 am - 1 pm

Click HERE for more information

Texas Wildlife and Woodland Expo

Saturday, Mar. 24th from 10 am - 4 pm 

Lone Star College - The Woodlands

Clinics on plants, trees, water, wildlife and wildfire

936-273-2261

Click HERE for more information

Tough Perennials for Today's Gardens by Dr. William Welch, TAMU and Chris Wiesinger, Southern Bulbs

Saturday, Mar. 24th at 10 am

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Climate-Change Friendly Plants for Southern Landscapes by Dr. David Creech, SFA Univ.

Tuesday, Mar. 27th at 10 am

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Installing a Water System in Your Garden

Tuesday, Mar. 27th at 7:00 pm

Spring Texas Stake Center

25623 Richards Rd, Spring TX 77386

Herbs: Old Friends and New by Ann Wheeler, Log House Herbs

Saturday, Mar. 31st at 10 am

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Root a Rose by Gaye Hammond, Houston Rose Society

Saturday, Mar. 31st at 1 pm

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Heirloom Shrubs and Vines for Houston Gardens by Dr. William Welch, TAMU and Greg Grant

Saturday, Apr. 14th at 10 am

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Madalene Hill's Herbs by Henry Flowers, McAshan Gardens

Tuesday, Apr. 17th at 10 am

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Basilmania by Ann Wheeler, Log House Herbs and Chef Chris Crowder

Thursday, Apr. 19th at 10 am

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Rainwater Harvesting Workshop 

Saturday, Apr. 21st from 8:30 am - 4:00 pm

Thomas R. LeRoy Education Center Auditorium

9020 Airport Road, Conroe, TX 77303

Cost is $50 and includes handouts, CD, and lunch

936-539-7824

Wild About Wildflowers by Cherie Foster Colburn

Saturday, Apr. 21st at 1:00 pm

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Attracting and Keeping Beneficial Insects in the Garden by Skip Richter, County Extension Agent

Tuesday, Apr. 24th at 10 am

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Tropical and Citrus Fruit Tree Sale

Saturday, Apr. 28th

Seminar at 9 am

Sale Begins at 10:30 am

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

High Density Home Orchard Management Container Gardening by Angela Chandler

Saturday, Apr. 28th 1 pm

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Summer Survival Tips for the Garden and the Gardener by Susan Wood

Thursday, May 17th at 10 am

Arbor Gate Nursery

15635 FM 2920, Tomball TX 77377

281-351-8851

Click HERE for more information and to register

Growing Tomatoes in Montgomery County, TX

I am currently enrolled in the Master Gardener's course for Montgomery County.  Our last class talked about vegetable gardening and specifically about growing tomatoes.  It was taught by Thomas LeRoy, Montgomery County Horticulturist, TAMU.

This is his 'Guide to Successful Tomato Production in Montgomery County'


Step 1 - At planting, work in about 1/4-1/2 cup of slow release fertilizer such as cotton seed meal, osmocote or something similar.  Water the plants well after planting and place a tomato cage or stake by the plant.  Using cages will make step 2 easier.

[Staking versus Caging - which is best?  Whichever you like.  Tom likes caging better.  Caging produces smaller tomatoes, but more lbs of tomatoes per plant.  He uses concrete wire to form his cages - cut into 6 foot pieces.] 

For a 12"-18" tall plant, remove the lower leaves, then dig a trench and lay
the plant down, turning the tip of plant up.  For smaller plants, plant as
you would a regular plant.

Step 2 - Covering the cages with the tops open with some material such as "Floating Row Cover" (a light polyester material) or white or clear plastic bags will protect the young plants from the drying wind and greatly increases plant vigor and production.  In the event of a late freeze, the covers will help with frost protection as well.  

Leave row cover on until plants are about 1/2 up the cage.

Step 3 - A weekly application of water soluble fertilizer, sprayed on the tomato foliage will greatly increase plant vigor and fruit production.  A hose-end fertilizer applicator is one easy way to foliar feed your tomato plants.  Soluble fertilizers like Rapid Grow or  Miracle Grow.

You can spray the foliar spray right through the row cover.  Then spray directly
on the foliage of the plant after removing the row cover.

Step 4 - When the plants have set their first cluster of fruit, side dress with two to three tablespoons of ammonium sulfate [21-0-0] and water well.

[Fruit-set is affected by night temperatures.  Night temperatures below 50 degrees F delays the time from pollination to fertilization causing flower drop.  Bloom Set is a hormone that makes the flower hang on longer during cold nights.



Night temperatures above mid 70's disrupts pollen shed causing flower drop on large fruited varieties.  Cherry and paste tomatoes continue to fruit during the heat after the larger varieties have stopped.

Don't remove any shoots above the last cluster of flowers.



If you pick tomatoes when 10-30% of the tomato shows a change in color, the interior of the tomato will be fully ripe and after ripening on the counter it will have full ripened taste.  The benefit to doing this is you can save the tomato before the birds get to it. 

Refrigeration will increase the storage of tomatoes, but it will change the taste.

Get your tomatoes out early in the season for more production.  Because we've had such a mild winter, you can even put them out now.]

HERE is a printable handout of this information (without my added notes in brackets.)

Varieties Recommended for our Area (average lbs of fruit per plant):



Bush Celebrity (61)

Solar Set (53)

Dona (53)

Carnival (54)

Heatwave (50)

Early Girl (50)

Champion (73)

Celebrity

Sun Gold

Cherry Tomatoes:
Juliet (57)
Baxter's Early Bush
Sweet Chelsea
Yellow Pear (heirloom)
Jolly

Paste Tomato:
Viva Italia

Tumbling Tom - cascades and comes back in the fall

Heirloom Tomato Varieties - They don't produce very well here.  They only produce 5-8 lbs per plant on average.


Some Additional Information:

TAMU Easy Gardening - Tomatoes

Tom LeRoy Tomato Trials in Montgomery County

September/October Preparedness Newsletter

I realize it's already halfway through October, but I'm finally getting around to posting the September/October Preparedness Newsletter. You can access a printable copy HERE. This newsletter includes articles on

• "Rotate" is not a Swear Word!
• Food Storage - You're Already Doing It
• 72 Hour Kits
• Homemade Non-Toxic Cleaners
• Tips for the Fall Garden
• Recipe for "Microwave Caramel Popcorn" - only 3 ingredients plus the popcorn!
• Essential Non-Food Items
• Water Storage
• and more!

May/June Preparedness Newsletters

If you didn't get a copy of the May/June preparedness newsletters, you can access a printable copy of the Relief Society newsletter HERE. This newsletter includes articles on

• gardening in Texas in June
• places you can pick fruit locally
• helpful ideas for increasing both your food supply and 72 hour kits for families with young children
• yummy recipes
• and more!

A copy of the newsletter geared more towards "The Man of the House" can be accessed HERE. It includes articles on

• Self-Reliance: It's not just about Food Supply
• generators
• hurricane preparedness
• and more!

We hope these newsletters will be one more resource of ideas for self-reliance and that they might be a spark that will prompt you to action in one way or another.