 |
November 24, 2010 Welcome to Texas Gardener’s Seeds, the weekly newsletter for Texas gardeners. Please do not reply to this e-mail because the sending address is not monitored. See the bottom of this newsletter for information on how to subscribe, unsubscribe, or contact the editor. |
|
|
Virus
component helps improve gene expression without harming plant
Texas AgriLife Extension Service
A virus that normally deforms or kills plants like tomatoes, peppers
and eggplants isn’t all bad: A gene within the virus has been found
useful for allowing foreign genes to be introduced into a plant without
harmful effects, according to Texas AgriLife Research scientists.
The technology ultimately could lead the way toward a “cheap, green
alternative” for pharmaceutical development, said Dr. Herman Scholthof,
AgriLife Research virologist.
Scholthof and colleague Drs. Yi-Cheng Hsieh and Veria Alvarado
collaborated with scientists at the John Innes Centre in England on the
study which appears in this week’s Plant Biotechnology Journal.
"Nowadays in the pharmaceutical industry, many protein-based drugs
are expressed in and purified from bacteria," Scholthof said. "Plants
not only form a cheap and green alternative, but they also have the
benefit that they process proteins properly — something bacteria cannot
do."
The team worked with tomato bushy stunt virus, which can attack a
multitude of plants worldwide but rarely has economically severe
consequences. It is model virus that can be safely contained because it
does not have an insect vector which could spread it.
For this study, Scholthof said, only one gene of the virus — called
P19 — was used because it is the one that suppresses RNA silencing. "RNA silencing is a fairly recently discovered defense that plants
use against viruses," he explained. "During this silencing, short
strands of RNA serve as signals to alert the plant that a virus is
attempting to infect so that all of its tissues start mobilizing to
defend.
"The elegance is that the P19 protein forms counter-defense units
that are each composed of two protein molecules which form a sort of
caliper to measure and capture signal molecules, thereby suppressing the
defense to the virus which can infect a plant."
But suppressing the defense might also allow other things, such as
allowing desired genes to enter and be expressed. Scholthof said
scientists have used other suppressors in plant research in the past to
avoid silencing, but "a problem is that these suppressors also cause
many developmental defects and severe disease symptoms."
Not so with the P19 variant the group developed, he said.
Scholthof said the process of expressing foreign genes in plants is
common in research, but there also is an important practical use.
"It also is used in biotechnology to produce beneficial proteins for
medical and veterinary applications," he noted. "By developing this new
P19, we have 'tamed' a suppressor because it still works to suppress but
does not induce severe disease symptoms in the plant.
"We have provided a proof-of-principle that P19 can be used to
protect the silencing of introduced foreign genes in plants." |
 |
Well-adapted
and gorgeous, roses vie for top billing in Texas breeding program
By Kathleen Phillips If you’re the type who likes
to spend hours in the garden spraying and watering finicky roses, go
ahead.
But if you’re like most who want to plant them and walk away yet get
prolific, colorful, delicious blooms all season, look to the Texas
AgriLife Research rose breeding program.
"There are people who will take care of their roses and spray every
week, religiously, but I think the majority don't want to do that," said
Dr. David Byrne, AgriLife Research rose breeder. "And landscapers want
to plant it and let it take care of itself. The whole rose industry is
beginning to realize that this is where they need to go, so that is what
our emphasis is going to be."
The AgriLife Research effort is poised to blossom in that direction
because of two unique rose collections that were given by their creators
— the late Robert Basye and the late Ralph Moore — after decades of
breeding efforts.
Basye, a math professor at Texas A&M, turned his rose hobby into
several commercial varieties by breeding for disease resistance and
adaptability in hot, humid southeast Texas. Moore, a nurseryman in
Visalia, Calif., professionally bred hundreds of roses to achieve unique
colors, shapes, sizes and fragrances.
"Since the early 1990s, we’ve been working with materials that have
good disease resistance to black spot and heat tolerance, but not always
the best horticultural traits," Byrne said. "We have stuff that is very
healthy and has lots of flowers but are simple and light pink – not too
exciting."
The Moore materials have "bright yellows, oranges and shocking
pinks," Byrne added, "and lots of fragrance."
To handle all of the roses from the two collections, Byrne and his
team built a dozen 12-foot by 20-foot raised beds on the Texas A&M
University campus. About 700 plants are tended to in that location, and
duplicates are planted elsewhere in the College Station area in
conditions similar to what they would experience in a residential or
business landscape planting. A third planting elsewhere in Texas
maintains some 1,100 different plants.
"In the field, they are put through 'torture tests' with little care
so we can see how they do. In the plantings on campus, we take better
care of them to maintain the germplasm," Byrne explained. "We learn a
lot from both plantings."
Byrne said the next step is to combine the two diverse germplasms
into one through the AgriLife Research breeding program. The rose breeder has already conducted a field day for commercial
nursery professionals and others interested in the Moore rose
collection. The participants selected some 60 different plants for
further research and development.
"The public usually thinks only of the hybrid tea-type roses or of
cut roses," Byrne said. "But if you consider garden roses, there is such
a wide range of different types. Some of them look like chrysanthemums.
There is a wide range of how you can use them and design your garden and
get the colors right.
"It's always a trick trying to breed everything into one bush, and
then get a wide range of colors within that bush," he added. "There are
just so many different colors and flower types. It's kind of hard to
keep track of it from a breeding point of view."
He said a minimum of six years is needed to create a new rose
variety.
"Then after that, the commercial people may want to test it for two
or three years to make sure it works," Byrne said. "So it's six to 10
years to get one out. It's a long-term process, but it's lots of fun.
It's exciting to go through the seedlings and all of a sudden see
something you’ve never seen before." |
 |
Gardening tips
Fall is a great time to collect leaves for garden mulch or for composting. Try placing the leaves between rows as mulch that can later be roto-tilled into the garden soil. When adding leaves to the compost pile, be sure to add some manure or nitrogen fertilizer to aid in the decomposition process. Have a favorite gardening tip you’d like to share? Texas Gardener’s Seeds is seeking brief gardening tips from Texas gardeners to use in future issues. If we publish your tip in Seeds, we will send you a free Texas Gardener hat. Please send your tips of 50 words or less to the editor at: Gardening Tips. |
 |
Did You Know...
Strawberries are so named because this popular berry crop is covered by northern gardeners with straw or hay to protect the plants from cold weather. In most parts of Texas it is not necessary to cover the plants with straw but the name “Strawberry” lives on. |
 |
Upcoming garden events.
If you would like your organization’s events included in "Upcoming Garden Events" or would like to make a change to a listed event, please contact us at Garden Events. To ensure inclusion in this column, please provide complete details at least three weeks prior to the event. Kemah: The Kemah-Bay Area Garden Club holds its next meeting on Wednesday, December 1. The meeting will be held at 9:30 a.m. at the Jimmie Walker Community Center, 800 Harris Avenue, Kemah. The program will be ”Designing Flower Arrangements for the Holidays” a demonstration on how to make your own holiday arrangements. Light refreshments will be served and the public is invited. Visitors to our meetings. For additional information, call Anniece Larkins, President, at 281-842-9008. Dallas: Texas Discovery Gardens offers its second Master Composter Certification Course Saturday, December 4. The class lasts from 9 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. and is $50; $40 for TDG members. Learn about composting techniques, helpful insects, worms, and compost tea. With completion of optional volunteer hours, participants will receive a certificate. Class includes lunch, a book, compost thermometer, and worm bin, courtesy of Living Earth. Find details and sign up at http://texasdiscoverygardens.org or call (214) 428-7476. Texas Discovery Gardens is located at 3601 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Dallas, TX 75210 (Fair Park at Gate 6). Parking is free for course participants if they mention the course and TDG at the front gate. Georgetown: The Williamson County Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas will meet at 7 p.m., Thursday, December 9, at the Georgetown Public Library, 2nd floor. There will be a silent auction and potluck dinner. Visitors welcome. For additional information, contact Susan Waitz at 512-948-5241 or visit http://www.npsot.org/WilliamsonCounty/default.htm. Georgetown: The Williamson County Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas will meet at 7 p.m., Thursday, January 13, at the Georgetown Public Library, 2nd floor. Ginger Hudson will present her new book Landscape Maintenance for Central Texas Gardens. Visitors welcome. For additional information, contact Susan Waitz at 512-948-5241 or visit http://www.npsot.org/WilliamsonCounty/default.htm. Houston: The Urban Harvest Fruit Tree Sale will be held 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. or until sold out, January 15, at Robertson Football Stadium on the University of Houston campus, Scott Street at Holman Street, Houston. This annual sale brings together far more types and varieties of fruit trees than can be found anywhere else in the greater Houston area. Fruit trees are easy to grow in metro Houston, with little care and big results. Learn more about growing fruit trees from Urban Harvest. For more information, visit www.urbanharvest.org. New Braunfels: Registration has begun for the Comal Master Gardener Training Class which will be held from January 19 to May 11, 2011. Applications for the class are currently on the Comal Master Gardener website at http://www.txmg.org/comal/ or contact the Texas AgriLife Extension Service office at 830-620-3440 for more information. Class size is limited and applications are accepted in the order they are received. The class will meet each Wednesday afternoon from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Texas AgriLife Extension Service Comal County Office, 325 Resource Dr., New Braunfels (behind the Comal County Recycling Center). McKinney: The Collin County Master Gardeners will present The Garden Show, March 26 and 27 at the Myers Park and Event Center near McKinney. The show is focused on providing research based horticulture information to area residents. For more information, contact thegardenshow@dfwair.net or visit www.ccmgatx.org/thegardenshow. San Antonio: Viva Botanica! — A Garden Fiesta for the whole family will be celebrated at the San Antonio Botanical Garden on the first Saturday of the Fiesta week in San Antonio, April 9, 2011. Decorate your stroller or red wagon and wear your finest Fiesta attire to enjoy the spring beauty of the San Antonio Botanical Garden. Start the fun with a children’s parade and the coronation of lucky young visitors to the Garden’s first ever Fiesta Flower Court. Viva Botanica crafts, music, inflatable “bouncies” and games combine the natural environment of the Garden’s 33 acres with Fiesta fun. Stamp your Fiesta Passport on your “walk across Texas” experience along the Texas Native Trail, where families can explore the East Texas lake, the Hill Country’s limestone spring and historic cabins, and the Bird Watch at the farthest reach of the South Texas region. Interactive stations along the way will engage guests of all ages in the wonders of the natural world. For home gardeners, the Botanical Society will host its popular Spring Plant Sale of San Antonio friendly plants, all lovingly grown in the volunteer greenhouse at the Garden. Viva Botanica activities will be offered 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. The Garden is open 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Anne Marie’s Carriage House Bistro is open for weekend brunch 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. The San Antonio Botanical Garden is located at 555 Funston at North New Braunfels Avenue with free parking. Admission is $8 adults; $6 students, seniors, military; $5 children age 3-13. The Botanical Garden is operated under the auspices of the City of San Antonio Department of Parks & Recreation and is open year-round except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. For more information, visit www.sabot.org. MONTHLY MEETINGS Houston: The Harris County Master Gardeners meet at noon the first Tuesday of each month at the Texas AgriLife Extension, 3033 Bear Creek Drive (near the intersection of Highway 6 and Patterson Road), Houston. For additional information visit http://hcmga.tamu.edu or call 281-855-5600. Rockport: The Aransas/San Patricio Master Gardeners meets at 9 a.m. the first Tuesday of each month at the AgriLife Extension Office - Aransas County, 611 E. Mimosa, Rockport. For additional information, e-mail aransas-tx@tamu.edu or call 361-790-0103. Kilgore: Northeast Texas Organic Gardeners meets at 10 a.m. on the first Wednesday of each month at Wildwood Eco-Farm in Kilgore. For more information, call Carole Ramke at 903-986-9475. Allen: The Allen Garden Club meets at 7 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month, February through December, at the Allen Heritage Center, 100 E. Main St., Allen. For more information, visit www.allengardenclub.org. Austin: Austin Organic Gardeners meet at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of each month at the Zilker Botanical Gardens in Austin. For more information, visit www.main.org/aog. Marion: The Guadalupe County (Schertz/Seguin) Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas meets on the second Tuesday of each month except July and August at The Library, 500 Bulldog, Marion. There is a plant exchange and meet-and-greet begins at 6:30 p.m. followed by the program at 7 p.m. Visitors are welcome. For more information or an application to join NPSOT visit www.npsot.org/GuadalupeCounty/ or contact contact guadalupecounty@npsot.org. Pearland: The second Tuesday of each month the Harris County Precinct 2 Master Gardeners hold a free evening educational program for the public, called the Green Thumb Series, at Bass Pro Shop, Highway 288 at Sam Houston Tollway, Pearland. For more information visit http://hcmgap2.tamu.edu or call 281-991-8437. Rockport: The Rockport Herb & Rose Study Group, founded in March 2003, meets the second Wednesday of each month, with the exceptions of June and July, to discuss all aspects of using and growing herbs, including historical uses and tips for successful propagation and cultivation, meets at 619 N. Live Oak Street, Room 14, Rockport at 10 a.m. Sometimes they take field trips and have cooking demonstrations in different locations. For more information, contact Linda 361-729-6037, Ruth 361-729-8923 or Cindy 979-562-2153 or visit www.rockportherbs.com. Beaumont: The Jefferson County Master Gardeners meet at 7 p.m. the second Thursday of each month at the AgriLife Extension Office, 1225 Pearl Street, Suite 200, Beaumont. For more information, call 409-835-8461. Brownwood: Brown County Master Gardeners Association meets the second Thursday of each month, from Noon to 1 p.m., at the Brown County AgriLife Extension Office, 605 Fisk, Brownwood. For additional information, call Freda Day 325-643-1077, or Mary Engle 325-784-8453. Georgetown: The Williamson County Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas meets from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. the second Thursday of each month at the Georgetown Public Library, 402 W. 8th Street. Georgetown. For additional information, contract Billye Adams at 512-863-9636 or visit http://www.npsot.org/WilliamsonCounty/default.htm. Orange: The Orange County Master Gardeners meet at the Salvation Army in Orange on the second Thursday of each month. A covered-dish dinner at 6:30 p.m. is followed by a speaker and business meeting at 7 p.m. San Antonio: The San Antonio Herb Society meets at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month at the San Antonio Garden Center, 3310 N. New Braunfels (corner of Funston & N. New Braunfels). For more information on programs, visit www.sanantonioherbs.org. Dallas: The Rainbow Garden Club of North Texas meets the second Sunday of each month at 2 p.m. Everyone is welcome. Meetings are held at member’s homes and garden centers around the area. For more information, visit www.RainbowGardenClub.com. Arlington: The Arlington Men's Garden Club meets from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. on the third Monday of each month (except December) at the Bob Duncan Center, 2800 S. Center Street, Arlington. For more information, contact Lance Jepson at LJepson@aol.com. Cleburne: The Johnson County Master Gardeners meet the third Monday of each month at McGregor house on the corner of West Henderson and Colonial Dr. in Cleburne. A program starts at 6 p.m., followed by a meet-and-greet with refreshments and a short business meeting. For information visit http://www.jcmga.org/. Sugar Land: The Sugar Land Garden Club meets on the third Tuesday of each month, September through November and January through April at 10 a.m. at the Sugar Land Community Center, 226 Matlage Way, Sugar Land. The club hosts a different speaker each month. For more information, visit www.sugarlandgardenclub.org. Denton: The Denton Organic Society, a group devoted to sharing information and educating the public regarding organic principles, meets the third Wednesday of each month (except July, August and December) at the Denton Senior Center, 509 N. Bell Avenue. Meetings are free and open to the public. Meetings begin at 7 p.m. and are preceded by a social at 6:30. For more information, call 940-382-8551. Glen Rose: The Somervell County Master Gardeners meet at 10 a.m., the third Wednesday of each month at the Somervell County AgriLife Extension office, 1405 Texas Drive, Glen Rose. Visitors are welcome. For more information, call 254-897-2809 or visit www.somervellmastergardeners.org. Granbury: The Lake Granbury Master Gardeners meet at 1 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month at the Hood County Annex 1, 1410 West Pearl Street, Granbury. The public is invited to attend. There is an educational program each month preceding the business meeting. For information on topics call 817-579-3280 or visit http://www.hoodcountymastergardeners.org/. Seabrook: The Harris County Precinct 2 Master Gardeners hold an educational program at 10 a.m. on the third Wednesday of each month at The Meeting Room at Clear Lake Park (on the Lakeside), 5001 NASA Road 1, Seabrook. The programs are free and open to the public. For more information, visit http://hcmgap2.tamu.edu. Houston: The Native Plant Society of Texas — Houston (NPSOT-H) meets at 7 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month except for October (4th Thursday) and December (2nd Thursday). Location varies. For locations, for more information on programs, and for information about native plants for Houston, visit http://www.npsot.org/Houston. Rosenberg: The Fort Bend Master Gardeners meet at 7:00 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month except December at the Bud O’Shieles Community Center located at 1330 Band Road, Rosenberg. For more information, call 281-341-7068 or visit www.fbmg.com. Seguin: The Guadalupe County Master Gardeners meets at 7 p.m. the third Thursday of each month, except December, at the Texas AgriLife Extension Bldg. at 210 E. Live Oak, Seguin. An educational program precedes the business meeting. The public is invited to attend. For topic or other information, call 830-379-1972 or visit www.guadalupecountymastergardeners.org. Atlanta: The Caddo Wildflower Chapter of Native Plants Society meets the fourth Tuesday of each month at the Horne Enterprise building in Atlanta at 7 p.m. Visitors are welcome. For additional information, contact Kay Lowery at frostkay268@aol.com. Brackenridge Park: The Native Plant Society San Antonio Chapter meets every fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the Lions Field Adult and Senior Center, 2809 Broadway at E. Mulberry, Brackenridge Park, except August and December. Social and seed/plant exchange at 6:30 p.m. Free and open to the public. For more information, contact Bea at 210-999-7292 or visit www.npsot.org/sanantonio. Edna: The Jackson County Master Gardeners present their "Come Grown With Us" seminars on the fourth Tuesday of each month, January through October, beginning at 7 p.m. at 411 N. Wells, Edna. The seminars are free, open to the public and offer 2 CEU hours to Master Gardeners or others requiring them. For additional information, contact the Jackson County Extension Office at 361-782-3312. Fort Worth: The Organic Garden Club of Forth Worth meets at 7 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month except July and December at the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens main building. Refreshments are served. For more information, call 817-274-8460. San Antonio: The Native Plant Society of Texas San Antonio Chapter meets the fourth Tuesday of the month, except August and December, at the Lions Field Adult & Senior Center, 2809 Broadway, San Antonio. Social and plant/seed exchange at 6:30 p.m., program at 7:00 p.m. For more information, visit www.npsot.org/sanantonio or call Bea at 210-999-7292. Dallas: The Dallas Organic Garden Club meets at 2:30 p.m. on the fourth Sunday of each month at the North Haven Gardens, 7700 Northaven Rd., Dallas. For more information, call 214-824-2448 or visit www.dogc.org. Arlington: The Arlington Organic Garden Club meets from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. on the last Thursday of each month (except November and December) at the Bob Duncan Center, 2800 S. Center Street, Arlington. For more information, contact David at 817) 483-7746. |
 |
In Greg's Garden: A Pineywoods Perspective on Gardening, Nature and Family An intimate and personal exploration of the life of
one of Texas’s most beloved gardeners, In Greg’s Garden: A Pineywoods
Perspective on Gardening, Nature and Family gathers in a single
volume the first nine years of Greg Grant’s columns from Texas
Gardener magazine.
Revised and updated from their original
publication, these 54 essays reveal the heart and soul of a seventh
generation native Texan who has devoted his entire life to gardening,
nature and family. With degrees in floriculture and horticulture from
Texas A&M University and extensive hands-on experience as a
horticulturist with the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, Stephen F.
Austin State University, Mercer Arboretum and San Antonio Botanical
Gardens, Grant has successfully introduced dozens of plants to the Texas
nursery industry, all while maintaining long-held family property and
renovating the homes of his ancestors in Arcadia, Texas.
In Greg’s Garden: A Pineywoods Perspective on
Gardening, Nature and Family is a must-read for every Texas
gardener. Available only for Kindle.
Order directly from Amazon by clicking here. |
 |
Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife By Kelly Conrad Bender
NEW EDITION of the popular Texas Parks & Wildlife book, now with
fully searchable DVD containing all the plant and animal information you
need to customizTexas
Wildscapes program provides the tools you need to make ahome for all
the animals that will thrive in the native habitat you create.
In Texas Wildscapes, Kelly Conrad Bender identifies the kinds of
animals you can expect when you give them their three basic needs: food,
water, and shelter. She then provides guidelines for designing and
planting your yard or garden to best provide these requirements for the
many birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates the
environment will attract. $31.88 includes tax and shipping
Order online with credit card at
www.texasgardener.com or call toll-free 1-800-727-9020.
Visa, MasterCard and Discover
accepted. |
 |
Wish you'd saved
them?
Are you missing an important issue of
Texas Gardener? Or, perhaps, just tired of thumbing through stacks
of back issues looking for the tips and techniques you need to make your
garden grow? These new CDs provide easy access to all six issues of $16.99 per CD includes tax and shipping
Order by calling 1-800-727-9020.
(Discover, MasterCard and Visa accepted.)
*Other volumes will be available soon. |
 |
Doug Welsh's Texas Garden Almanac
Doug Welsh’s Texas Garden Almanac is a giant monthly calendar for
the entire state — a practical, information-packed, month-by-month guide
for gardeners and "yardeners." This book provides everything you need to
know about flowers and garden design; trees, shrubs, and vines; lawns;
vegetable, herb, and fruit gardening; and soil, mulch, water, pests, and
plant care. It will help you to create beautiful, productive, healthy
gardens and have fun doing it.
$26.63 plus shipping*
Order by calling 1-800-727-9020 or
order on-line.
*Mention
Texas Gardener’s Seeds when ordering by phone and we’ll waive shipping charges. (Discover, MasterCard and Visa
accepted.) |
 |
Fiber row cover
valuable year-round
Grow-Web encourages plant growth and development, and also provides
protection from insects, birds, diseases and frosts. It is also air and
water permeable and allows for ventilation. Grow-Web provides excellent
protection to seedlings when applied directly to the seedbed.
$30.64 per 12.3’ x 32.8’ roll (includes shipping!)
Order by calling 1-800-727-9020 or
order on-line.
(Discover, MasterCard and Visa
accepted.) |
 |
Become a Texas
Gardener fan on Facebook Become a fan of Texas Gardener magazine on Facebook. See what we're up to at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Texas-Gardener-Magazine/301356291835?ref=nf. |
|
|
Texas Gardener’s Seeds
is published weekly. © Suntex Communications, Inc. 2010. All rights
reserved. You may forward this publication to your friends and
colleagues if it is sent in its entirety. No individual part of this
newsletter may be reproduced in any manner without prior written
permission from the publisher.
Missed an issue? Back issues of Texas Gardener’s Seeds
are available at
www.texasgardener.com/newsletters.
Publisher:
Chris S. Corby ●
Editor:
Michael Bracken
Texas Gardener’s Seeds,
P.O. Box 9005, Waco, Texas 76714 ●
www.TexasGardener.com
|