Brazos County Master Gardeners

04/08/2026

What do Brazos County Master Gardeners do to celebrate another successful Spring Plant Sale?

They go Wild!

Stay tuned for the adventure . . .

04/07/2026

What do Brazos County Master Gardeners do after a very busy March? They go wild! Stay tuned for how we celebrate and get inspired.

04/06/2026

Brazos AgriLife Horticulture April 2026 Programs - https://mailchi.mp/2234834fb8b7/brazos-extension-horticulture-news-10608102

04/04/2026

Get ready NOW for next year’s bluebonnets

Saving bluebonnet seeds is a fun and rewarding experience. Seed pods (located right below the bloom) are soon in the process of turning from green to yellow
and then brown to dark brown, at which time they EXPLODE and scatter their
seeds for future generation germination.

It’s interesting to look at the empty seed pod. The pod has a distinctive corkscrew shape, a testament to the tension it was under during the maturing process.
That tension is responsible for the scattering process that creates ever wider
fields of our favorite winter weed-turned state flower.

So, before the pod casts its contents, we have to take steps. These steps should be taken when the seed pods are green or yellow, because as the pod turns brown to
dark brown, the pod will pop and hurl the seeds far and wide, out of our grasp.

An “organza” bag or similar net fabric bag can be used. The problem in getting
the bag over the spikey seed stalk lies in the upward direction of the pod configuration. To help get the bag over the seed stalk, take a toilet paper core tube, cut it in half length-wise and use that to wrap around the seed stalk and then
slip the net bag over the roll / seed stalk. Pull the bag’s string and then wait for the
natural process to begin. When the pods have popped, cut the stalk from the plant and your seeds will be “in the bag”.

When the seeds have been captured, store dry seeds in a cool dry place until early next October, when you will go thru a process to prepare them for planting. For a detailed description of the preparation process, see How to Grow Texas Bluebonnets - Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center The site describes a fairly easy process of freezing the seeds overnight, pouring boiling water over them and soaking for several hours. This breaks down the hard seed coat for faster germination. Even so, they are tough little guys who are built for survival, so it may
take two seasons before most of the seeds germinate.

Type of soil for bluebonnets? Well-drained! They actually do well in poor soil
conditions, with some gardeners seeding over crushed granite. Thanks to Aggie
Horticultural they come in colors; maroon (of course) and white! Find some ’bonnets and get ‘em in the bag!

Buddy faithfully stands guard over his favorite maroon bluebonnets.

04/01/2026

April Gardening Tips from Stephen Brueggerhoff, Brazos County Extension Agent:

Spring flowering shrubs can be pruned for shaping and maintenance right after blooming. Apply mulch at a depth of 3-inches in your garden beds to conserve soil moisture and reduce weeds.

Plant seeds or transplants of warm season annuals like zinnia, sunflower, amaranthus, celosia and cosmos to brighten up your garden. Warming soil temps are just right to plant beans, corn, cucumbers, melons, peppers, eggplant, okra, southern peas and squash for summer harvest.

Tomatoes are well on their way to growing. Use a stout cage, staking system or use the Florida Weave method for training your tomatoes upright for ease of harvest and disease control. Scatter 1 tablespoon of fertilizer around each plant when the fruit is about 1-inch diameter. Repeat every 3 weeks through harvest.

Celebrate the beauty of Texas by visiting wildflower destinations! Bluebonnets and associated wildflowers are showing Texas pride along the interstate toward the Hill Country. Texas Department of Transportation offers a wildflower campaign, including a brochure with popular wildflower routes from their website: https://www.txdot.gov/about/campaigns-outreach.html

03/28/2026

2026 Plant Sale

03/27/2026

03/27/2026

TOMMORROW IS THE PLANT SALE - SATURDAY, MARCH 28 FROM 8 AM UNTIL SOLD OUT! 4153 COUNTY PARK COURT BRYAN, TX 77802

03/24/2026

03/24/2026

Turks Cap Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii

Growing in sun to part shade Turks Cap is one of those natives you love or hate. Personally, a love fest for me. This perennial doesn’t ask for much but can spread to be a bigger patch than you envisioned. Grows 3-4' tall and will spread out as far as you let it. Prune it hard in early Spring, and you can cut it back 1/3 to 1/2 later in the year to keep it bushy. I’ve found that pulling up stems that are rooting out of their allotted space and pruning them back helps keep the patch in check.

A member of the Mallow family – think hibiscus, cotton, okra – the blooms are similar to other mallows except they remain unfurled. A good nectar source for butterflies and hummingbirds, and I’ve noticed that yellow sulphur butterflies seem to favor the pink cultivar. In the fall they produce small ½" berries looking like miniature apples - bird food on a stem. Another plus is that deer seem to ignore it. If your motto is “go big or go home”, then Big Mama turks cap is for you. It has the same growing requirements, but the blooms are 2+ inches.

Look for Big Mama, Pink, and Red Turks Cap, and lots of other great plants at the Brazos County Master Gardener Plant Sale March 28th.

https://txmg.org/brazos/

https://txmg.org/brazos/files/2026/03/BCMG-Plant-Sale-List-2026.pdf

03/20/2026

Floral Friday: Garden after frost