July 2013 - Texas Master Gardeners Association

July 2013
Comal Gardener
A monthly publication of the Comal Master Gardeners Association through the Texas A& M AgriLife Extension Service in
Comal County, 325 Resource Drive, New Braunfels, TX 78132 (830-620-3440)
http://txmg.org/comal
July Program:
Rainwater Harvesting
presented by Glenn Avriett
Lu Allen
Glenn Avriett will present a program on Rainwater Harvesting at the next CMG general
meeting on Wednesday, July 10 at 6:30 pm at the
GVTC auditorium. Avriett is a former County Agent for
Comal AgriLife A&M Extension Office in New Braunfels.
He will inform homeowners and landowners about building
simple or complex systems which will capture, store and
use rainwater to water landscape plants, support wildlife
and provide potable drinking water. Specific information
regarding installation of rain barrels will
SUMMER FUN OPPORTUNITY:
July Herb SIG
The July meeting of the Herb SIG will meet on
Monday, July 8 at 10 am. Take advantage of this unique
opportunity to learn to make jam from Barbi Briney,
who will be using herbs to enhance the flavors. Contact
Mary Moses (marycm@me.com) by July 3 for more details.
Reminder:
Don’t forget to self-report volunteer hours and CE hours now!
Volume XIV Number 25
Inside this Issue:
Garden Posts 2
Gardening To Do List 2
Prickly Pear Cacti 4
Book Synopsis: Cactus Field
Guide
4-5
July Committee Reports 6-7
July Gardening Activities 8
July Herb Sig 8
Annual Auction & Chili
Supper
July CE Opportunities 9-10
NOTICE: CMG MEETING DATE CHANGED
Because of conflict with the July 4 holiday,
the July general membership meeting of
the Comal Master Gardeners will be
Wednesday, July 10 at 6 pm
GVTC Auditorium
Program: “Rainwater Collection” by Glenn Avriett,
former County Agent for
Comal County AgriLife Extension Office
It is important that all volunteer hours and all CE hours are reported. Bill Waechter,
CMG’s timekeeper, is always available to help any members with self-reporting. Don’t hesitate
to contact Bill; he is ready to help. Contact Bill (waechter.william @yahoo.com or timekeeper@comalmastergardeners.org
or 830-609-3120).
8
Educational programs of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin. Individuals with disabilities who require an auxiliary aid,
service, or accommodation in order to participate in meetings are encouraged to contact the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, 830-620-3440 for assistance. The information given herein is for educational purposes only.
References to commercial products or trade names do not intend discrimination or imply endorsement by the Extension Service. Extension forbids employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability,
or national origin in any term, condition, or privilege of employment.

July 2013
July Garden Posts
Page 2
Patsy Vann
The July CMG general
meeting will be Wednesday,
July 10, 6:30 pm.
Remember to self-report
your volunteer hours and
your CE hours.
Congratulations to our
newest CMG members:
Sandy Mergen and Bob
Bunyard.
SAVE THE DATE: Annual
CMG Auction and Chili
Supper
Download your handbook
from the CMG website.
Monday AEGC Vegetable
Garden chair is Kelly Morga
(kellyjudy2279@att.net or
830-629-7466).
Wednesday AEGC
Vegetable Garden chair is
Richard Vonder Embse
(vicki.vonderembse@yahoo
.com or 830-980-3968).
Friday AEGC Vegetable
Garden chair is Tai Flynn
(tbnb5511@satx.rr.com or
830-832-0998).
Sandy Mergen and Bob Bunyard.
2013 class members, certifying.
with Lee Franzel.
July Gardening To-Do List
Julie Siliven
July is the month to work in the garden early in the morning or late in the evening. Be sure to drink plenty
of water, use sunscreen, and take plenty of breaks to avoid overheating. Just relax and enjoy the fruits of
your labors.
Mulch all bare soil. Turn the compost pile and add new ingredients. Clean up spring vegetable gardens
and replenish with compost.
Start planning the fall garden now. Check fall plants with short maturity and harvest dates for a
good crop.
Okra loves heat so plant it now. Also, plant pumpkins to harvest for Halloween.
Be sure to deadhead and fertilize roses.
Be on the lookout for chinch bugs, fleas, ticks, chiggers and grubs in the lawn.
Water outdoor container plants daily.
Remove any diseased leaves from beds; do not add to compost.
Gather herbs and flowers to dry. Preserve the garden’s harvest by freezing, canning or drying vegetables
and fruits.
Provide water for the birds and squirrels with birdbaths, fountains or bubblers.

July 2013
Prickly Pear Cacti
Page 3
Betty Jackson
Prickly pear cactus is the common name for more than 200 species of cacti that grow in North America.
These are the only cactus included in the genus Opuntia of the cactus family, Cactaceae. The most common
species of Opuntia here in Central Texas are the Engelmann Prickly Pear (Opuntia engelmanii) and the
Texas Prickly Pear (Opuntia lindheimeri). Many other species have a limited range, sometimes as small as
only a portion of one Texas county as their native habitat, while others grow easily throughout the world,
including Greece, southern France, Portugal, Spain, Malta and the Middle East.
Prickly pears grow in large, trunkless clumps up to 15 feet across. The pads are actually modified
branches or stems and provide water storage, photosynthesis and flowers. The pads (nopalitos) can be
cleaned of their spines and eaten as a vegetable. The large spines on the nopalitos are surrounded by clusters
of smaller, barbed spines called glochids. These are some “stickers” to avoid! Many Opuntia have yellow
flowers that mature to orange-red and produce a barrel-shaped fruit called a tuna. The fruit is sweet and the
juice is often made into candy, nectar and jelly or fermented into a potent alcoholic beverage.
Opuntia with mature tunas
To propagate a new prickly pear plant, simply bury one
half of a live pad in sandy soil. It will grow roots from the cut
end and new growth will start on the upper edges. This ease of
propagation has caused the common prickly pear to be considered
an invasive weed in some parts of the world. In Australia
the plants grew so quickly and became so invasive that wholesale
eradication became necessary in the early twentieth century.
The most common use of prickly pears comes not from
the plant itself but from an insect that lives on the pads. The
cochineal is a scale insect that lives on Opuntia, feeding on the
plant’s moisture and nutrients. The bug produces carminic
acid, a substance that discourages predators. When the acid is
extracted, it makes a red dye that is used in cosmetics and food
coloring. Civilizations as early as the Aztecs and Mayans used
this dye. It became an important export from Mexico. With an
increased awareness of the ramifications of using artificial food
colorings, the dye is regaining some of its former popularity.
The Prickly Pear Cacti, a signature cactus in Texas, is a worldwide
resident with decorative, ecological and economic importance.
The cochineal insect that produces
carminic acid, that discourages
predators.

July 2013
Book Synopsis:
Cactus of Texas Field Guide
Donna Welch
Page 4
As hot and dry as the summers are in Texas, some people wonder if there is anything that is easy to grow
during the dog days of June through September. For any readers who want to grow a low maintenance plant,
suitable for the hot, dry summers in Texas, try a cactus.
The cactus family (Cactaceae) is one of the most
striking, distinctive, diversified and specialized groups in the
plant kingdom and many of them are at home in Texas according
to Nora and Rick Bowers and Stan Tekiela, who coauthored
Cactus of Texas Field Guide. The cactus family
includes about 2,000 species, and all of them are perennial
and succulent.
Succulents (including cacti) are plants that have organs
such as leaves, stems or roots that are capable of storing
water during the rainy or wet season in order to survive extended
periods of drought. All the plants in the cactus family
are considered stem succulents. During periods of moisture,
the stem swells. Then during droughts, the stem slowly contracts.
Cactus that have ribs are particularly well adapted to
this storage of water because the ribs fill in and contract like
an accordion.
Cactus flowers are usually conspicuous. The structure
of the cactus flowers are different from all other plant
flowers, further differentiating cacti as unique.
The distinctiveness of the cactus family shows itself not only
in the flower structure, but also in one other characteristic—
the areole. Whether or not spines are present, all cacti have
areoles and no other plants have them. An areole (pictured
here) is the radial arrangement of spines on pad-like buds
where shoots and flowers may appear.
Some succulent cacti can be used as pot plants. These include Aloe Vera, crassulas, Echeverias, peperomias and
kalanchoe.
Larger-growing succulent cacti make dramatic floor plants with heights up to 10 feet or more. These include
Cereus peruvianus, Yucca elephantipes, Euphorbias and ponytail or bottle palm.
Cacti are beautiful! They are easy to grow. A cactus garden doesn’t need water in these hot, dry months of June,
July, August and September. But a word of caution—don’t OVERWATER!
Cactus of Texas Field Guide can be ordered for approximately $12. Its 368 pages are full of pictures and
information about native Texas cacti.

July 2013
Page 5
Glory of Texas
Golf Ball Pincushion
Prickly Pear
Living Rock
Strawberry Hedgehog

July 2013
July 2013 Committee Reports
Page 6
Carmen Butts
Please visit the Comal Master Gardeners' site at http://txmg.org/comal/ and select the Upcoming Events link to
see all of the current volunteer activities and events.
AGRILIFE EXTENSION GARDEN COMPLEX (AEGC)
The AEGC Office Gardens will meet at 8 am on July 2, July 16 and possibly July 30. Work time will end
at 10 am because of the heat. The addition of plants donated by Master Gardeners will be planted and road
base will be added to the ADA Beds. Mulching will continue until all the areas are done. Welcome John
Cruikshank to the AEGC; he is a new co-chair, in charge of the irrigation for the AEGC Office Gardens. He
joins Rich Bradley and Michael Caldwell.
Chair information: Linda D. Valdez, overall chair (ldvaldez@satx.rr.com); Rich Bradley, co-chair of native
grasses, etc.(rmbrad@gvtc.com); Tai Flynn, co-chair of the wildscape (tbnb5511@satx.rr.com); Sandi Larsen,
co-chair of heirloom and antique roses (cactusf16@aol.com); Ron Schmidt, co-chair of the herb garden
(noscamsinnb@yahoo.com).
AEGC Vegetable Garden will meet every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9 am for the month of
July. Please bring gloves and appropriate tools. Sam and Susan Norris (snorris8@satx.rr.com)
COMAL COUNTY FAIRGROUND GARDENS will meet Thursday, July 18, at 8 am. Bring tools to weed
and prune plants at the Common St. and Grant St. gardens. For additional information about the work day,
contact chairs Cyndi Karlovich (gocardinals36@yahoo.com or 309-397-2618), Mary Barr-Gilbert
(ughmug@hotmail.com or 830-885-5191/787-6398), or Aleta Meyer (aleta_meyer@hotmail.com or 830-629-
2929).
NEW BRAUNFELS CONSERVATION PLAZA ROSE GARDENS will meet one workday in July,
Wednesday, July 24 at 8 am for general maintenance, including watering, weeding and spraying liquid seaweed.
For additional information, contact Dan Krueger (dan.krueger1@gmail.com or 830-629-5338) or Janis
Womack (gwomack1@satx.rr.com or 830-620-7002).
BUTTERFLY GARDENS AT THE BULVERDE/SPRING BRANCH LIBRARY workday is Thursday,
July 27 8 am. Contact Bev Lemes (rvlinc@gvtc.com) for more information.
NEW LIFE BUTTERFLY GARDEN will meet for general maintenance Monday, July 15, 8:30 am. For
more information, contact Lois Ricci (poepjr@aol.com or 830-899-5362) or Patty Malek
(tommalek56@hotmail.com or 830-964-5613).
HOPE HOSPICE NEW BRAUNFELS will have a workday on Tuesday, July 23, at 8:30 am. There is always
much work that needs to be done. For contact information please contact Melissa Weigler
(mweigler@sbcglobal.net or 830-608-9176).

July 2013 Page 7
July 2013 Committee Reports con’t
LINDHEIMER GARDENS The workday is scheduled for Tuesday, July 9 at 8:30 am. Water and snacks
provided. Bring gloves, hand pruners and sunscreen. Contact Germaine Tuff (germainetuff@hotmail.com or
830-629-1127) for information.
YOUTH EDUCATION
JUNIOR MASTER GARDENER PROGRAM IN SATELLITE SCHOOLS
Dr. Lisa Whittlesey
There will be a training August 7 for those interested in participating in Youth Education
programs including SOW Healthy in St. Peter and Paul Gardens of Kids Club garden
classes. The August 7 training is from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm at the AgriLife A&M Extension
office, 325 Resource Dr. Lisa Whittlesey, national trainer for the Junior Master Gardener
programs, will conduct the afternoon session and will speak to the CMG at our general
meeting in the evening. Contact Mary Helen Phillips for registration for the day training at
maryhelenphillips@usa.net. This event is open to teachers, Master Gardeners, and parent
volunteers. Registration is limited so please enroll early.
Master Gardener volunteers are working in a cooperative program with Comal ISD and Resolute Health at satellite
schools targeted by Comal ISD. The SOW Healthy schools are The Flagship Garden at Canyon High
School, Indian Springs Elementary, Specht Elementary, Morningside Elementary, Arlon Seay Elementary, and
Startzville Elementary. For information regarding each school’s weekly garden schedule, see the Master Gardener
web site. Master Gardeners are also working with the PTA wellness committee to establish a school
garden this spring at St. Peter and Paul’s Catholic School. Master Gardener volunteers are helping the teenage
boys at St. Jude’s Ranch to plant a spring garden. If interested in participating in any of these gardening programs,
contact Mary Helen Phillips at maryhelenphillips@usa.net. The schedule for classes is listed on our
web site.
THE SUSAN BOGLE BUTTERFLY GARDEN
AT TYE PRESTON MEMORIAL LIBRARY
will have a workday on Friday, July 19 from 8-11
am. Work will consist of weeding and pruning to
stimulate new growth and color and the installation
of a water line along fence perimeter deferred from
May. Please bring standard bucket tools. Everything
else will be provided on site. The TPML garden
was designed to be very low maintenance, so
only one workday per month will be typical throughout
the summer. Steve Grainger, Chair
(jstevengrainger@gmail.com).

July 2013
Page 8
July 2013 Gardening Experiences
Bonnie Leitch
Thursday, July 11, 6--9 pm. “Birds of Prey” with Dave Scott from the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center.
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 4801 La Crosse Avenue, Austin. Nature Nights are fun explorations
of plants, animals and the ecology of Central Texas. Each evening features interactive presentations, hikes
with experts in their fields, and nature crafting for kids of all ages. The first 250 people to each Auditorium
presentation will receive a free ticket at the admissions table. First come, first served. Lady Bird Johnson
Wildflower Center, 4801 La Crosse Ave, Austin. For information, call 512-232-0200.
Thursday, July 18, 6–9 pm. “Wildlife” with Dave Scott, lead instructor at Earth Native Wilderness School.
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 4801 La Crosse Avenue, Austin. Find out about mammals in this area.
What wildlife has been seen at the Wildflower Center? Capital Area Master Naturalists will be helping kids
use plaster of Paris to ‘Make Tracks’ to take home. Scott will have a Wildlife Tracking station. For information,
call 512-232-0200.
Thursday, July 25, 6–9 pm. “Snakes” with Travis LaDuc. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 4801 La
Crosse Avenue, Austin. What is the difference between venomous and non-venomous snakes? Just how do
snakes smell and hear? Come and look at live snakes and find the answers at our last Nature Nights of 2013.
Tim Cole will be on site with live snakes. Go on a scavenger hunt and let the kids enjoy making a fun snake
craft item. For information, call 512-232-0200.
July Herb Sig:
Making Jams
The July Herb SIG meeting will be held on Monday, July 8 at 10am. Summer is time for making jams and
Barb Briney, who makes some excellent jams, will present. Herbs can always add an interesting flavor
twist to the process. Barb will show those in attendance how to make several kinds of jams and will share
an easy recipe to make with kids. No need for Smuckers when Barb is around! Please RSVP to SIG group
chair Mary Moses (marycm@me.com) by July 3 to get further details about the meeting.
SAVE THE DATE: OCTOBER 9
CMG’s Annual Auction and Chili Supper
Don’t miss CMG’s annual auction and chili supper. The traditional silent auction will be held first followed
by a live auction of limited special items. The auction will be conducted by Comal Master Gardener
Harry Sutherland who is a Benefit Auction Specialist and a member of the National Auctioneers Association.
Set up will be at 4 pm. Silent auction begins at 5:30 pm. Chili supper begins at 6 pm. Sign up now to
register donation items! Register items by e-mail at maryhelenphillips@usa.net by September 30. Please
include the estimated value.

July 2013
July 2013 CE Opportunities
Page 9
Bonnie Leitch
Thursday, July 11, 6:30—8:30 pm. Rare plants for Central Texas by Douglas Tomasini. Bexar County
AgriLife Extension Offices, 3355 Cherry Ridge Drive, Suite 208, San Antonio. Free. Tomasini will share
growing hints on rare plants that do well in Central Texas landscapes. Plants will be provided to examine and
raffle off. Sponsored by Bexar County Master Gardeners. For more information, contact Lisa Nixon
(lisa.nixon@bexarcountymastergardeners.org or 210-364-7844). 2 CEs
Friday, July 12, 10 am–Noon. Superpower Plants--Our Summer Heroes. San Antonio Botanical Garden,
555 Funston. Fee: $10 ($9 members). Discover the superpowers of native plants, succulents, grasses, perennials
and trees that are botanical heroes. Find the best choices for the garden and learn how to create beds and
care for these plants. Sponsored by SAWS. Contact programregistrar@sabot.org or Sasha Kodet
(sasha.kodet@sanantonio.gov) or 210-207-3270) for more information. 2 CEs
Saturday, July 13, (and Saturday, August 17), 10 am–Noon. New Gardens for Newcomers with Janet
Peppers. San Antonio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston. Fee: $10 ($9 members). Learn how to plan a low-water
garden that will thrive in this climate. Get information about native plant selection, soil, mulching, watering,
rebates and much more. Sponsored by SAWS. Contact Sasha Kodet (sasha.kodet@sanantonio.gov or 210-207
-3270) or programregistrar@sabot.org for information. 2 CEs
Monday, July 15 12:15–1:15 pm. Session 1: “Know Your Plants: Fig Trees and Pomegranates” with
Jerry Parsons. Fig trees and pomegranates will be for sale at the class. For more information, contact
info@gardeningvolunteers.org or 210-251-8101. 1 CE 1:30–2:30 pm. Session 2: TBA. Gardening Volunteers
of South Texas. For more information, contact info@gardeningvolunteers.org or 210-251-8101. 1 CE
Tuesday, July 16, 7–8 pm. Seed Collecting with Minnette Marr. Guadalupe Valley Telephone Co-op
(GVTC), 36101 FM 3159. Sponsored by the Native Plant Society of Texas, Lindheimer Chapter. For information,
call David Wilson (830-899-5339). 1 CE
Thursday, July 18, 7–8 pm. Fall Vegetable Gardening with Deedy Wright. Guadalupe County Master Gardeners,
AgriLife Building at 210 E. Live Oak, Seguin. Free. For information, contact
www.guadalupecountymastergardeners.org or call 830-303-3889. 1 CE
Saturday, July 27 (and Saturday, August 10), 10–Noon. Retrofitting Your Yard for Drought Conditions.
San Antonio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston. Fee: $10 ($9 for members). Transcend traditional gardening
ideas to create a progressive low-water landscape. Bring imagination and design a yard that will showcase artistic
talents. Sponsored by SAWS. Contact programregistrar@sabot.org or Sasha Kodet
(sasha.kodet@sanantonio.gov or 210-207-3270) for more information. 2 CEs
Tuesday, July 30, 6:30-830 pm. “Selecting Texas Superstar Plants for Your Landscape” by Horticulturists
David Rodriguez and Dr. Jerry Parsons. Bexar County AgriLife Extension Offices, 3355 Cherry Ridge
Drive, Suite 208, San Antonio. Fee: $10. Learn about the history of the Texas Superstar plants and the advantages
of selecting these plants for landscaping, this presentation is part of the Backyard Gardening Series. For
more information and to RSVP, contact Angel Torres (210-467-6575). 2 CEs

July 2013
Page 10
July 2013 CE Opportunities continued
Sunday, July 21, 2–3 pm. “Bugs. . . Outdoors: The Good and The Bad” with Don Tuff, sponsored by San Antonio
Daylily Society. San Antonio Botanical Garden Education Office, 555 Funston Place. CMG and daylily
club member explains how to recognize the good bugs and bad bugs found in the yard. Come and join the daylily
meeting and learn what’s “bugging you in your gardens.” For more information, contact Germaine Tuff
(germainetuff@hotmail.com or 830-629-1127). 1 CE
CMG Needs You!
Patsy Vann
The 2013 Comal County Fair will be Friday through Sunday, September 27-29, at the Comal County Fairgrounds.
Planning for the CMG fair booth has already begun. Comal Master Gardeners participate actively
during this time by interacting with children and their parents providing gardening information, giving tips
and sharing gardeners’ expertise. This year’s co-chairs, Cyndi Karlovich and Mary Barr-Gilbert, need volunteers
to help share this information during the fair. Topics for sharing include the following:
Vegetable gardening
Care of roses
Host plants for butterflies and hummingbirds
Composting
Herbs
Importance of bees in gardening
Worm farm
(New ideas welcome!)
Other volunteer opportunities for the fair booth include making seed balls, planting seeds in cups for kids,
manning the booth, setting up, etc. Anyone interested in participating in any of these activities or just helping
with the CMG booth is encouraged to contact Cyndi (gocardinals36@yahoo.com or 309-397-2618) or
Mary (ughmug@hotmail.com or 210-787-6932).