Monday, June 29, 2015

Backyard Basics Fall Series

Backyard Basics, offered by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Travis County, will provide consumers, backyard gardeners, homemakers, educators and farmers a "do-it-yourself" learning opportunity on raising chickens for home egg production, implementing integrated pest management principles, starting new plants from cuttings, and growing edible plants with ornamental potential.

The monthly programs will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at the AgriLife Extension office in southeast Austin, located at 1600-B Smith Road.  Space is limited so register on-line early to reserve your seat!


August 6 – Backyard Chickens
Are you ready for the fun and rewarding experience of keeping your own backyard chickens?  Learn about the various breeds, caring for chicks, ideas to beat boredom, diets for delicious eggs and keeping the coop clean. Master Gardener Ally Stresing will help you get started with this informative talk on raising the home flock. Ally is an accomplished vegetable gardener who decided that no backyard garden is complete without chickens.

Cost: $10 thru 7/27, $15 starting 7/28 and onsite, No cash accepted-checks & credit cards only.
Register: https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/TravisCounty
Register by Phone: 979-845-2604
Contact: Sue Carrasco, 512-854-9610 or sacarrasco@ag.tamu.edu


September 10 – Natural Pest Control
Come learn how to tell pests from other insects found in your backyard. We will focus on integrated pest management (IPM) to avoid many problem pests you may experience. Learn a combination of practices to prevent or avoid pest problems rather than treating them once they occur. Stabilize your landscape so that conditions are more favorable for plants than for pests. Wizzie Brown serves as Program Specialist – IPM in the Austin metroplex encompassing Travis County and surrounding counties. Visit her blog at http://urban-ipm.blogspot.com/

Cost: $10 thru 8/31, $15 starting 09/01 and onsite, No cash accepted-checks & credit cards only.
Register: https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/TravisCounty
Register by Phone: 979-845-2604
Contact: Sue Carrasco, 512-854-9610 or sacarrasco@ag.tamu.edu


October 8 – Plant Propagation
Learn how to make new plants for your yard through propagation methods such as rooting slips and cuttings. In this workshop you will assemble a self-watering propagator and select cuttings to grow new plants. All supplies, instructions, and cuttings will be provided for each participant. Master Gardener Sue King, a Plant Propagation Specialist, is a retired school librarian, an avid soup-maker, and a life-long gardener. Master Gardener Carolyn Turman found propagating plants using cuttings as an easy and inexpensive way to add wonderful additions to her landscape.

Space is limited to 25 - register on-line. No on-site registration available.
Cost: $25 thru 9/28, $30 starting 9/29.  No cash accepted-checks & credit cards only.
Register: https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/TravisCounty
Register by Phone: 979-845-2604
Contact: Sue Carrasco, 512-854-9610 or sacarrasco@ag.tamu.edu


November 12 - Bold and Beautiful Edibles
Come join us to learn about edible plants with ornamental potential for Central Texas landscapes. We're talking artichokes, asparagus, rhubarb, strawberries, herbs and more. Some are perennials, some are annuals, but all will beautify your landscape and satisfy your appetite. Master Gardener Patty Leander is a writer for Texas Gardener magazine and grows vegetables year round in her Oak Hill garden.

Cost: $10 thru 11/02, $15 starting 11/03 & onsite, No cash accepted-checks & credit cards only.


Register: https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/TravisCounty
Register by Phone: 979-845-2604
Contact: Sue Carrasco, 512-854-9610 or sacarrasco@ag.tamu.edu