Weekend Gardener: Gardening goals and resolutions for the new year
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – It’s the time of year when many of us make resolutions for the new year. This week, we look at some goals gardeners can set for 2024.
“The first thing I want to tell you about is this book right here. This is Doug Welsh’s Texas Garden Almanac,” said Jayla Fry with Texas A&M AgriLife. “This is actually where the other ideas that I’m going to share with you are coming from. But this is a good reminder of the first step, or first resolution that you may want to consider is studying up, reading up, good research-based resources like this book to help you with all of your gardening endeavors throughout the year.”
Fry says another goal to consider is taking care of wildlife in your garden.
“It may include putting up a bird feeder or a bird bath or an insect house or planting plants that will provide shelter for wildlife,” she said.
A third resolution option is to decrease or not use pesticide in your garden if you don’t have to, said Fry.
“So really inspecting your garden regularly can help decrease the amount of pesticides that you may use. Then if you have to, choose the least toxic option available,” she said.
The last goal she suggests involves an approach to getting rid of fire ants.
“We all hate fire ants in our gardens but there is the Texas two-step method that helps with this. It’s two step because there’s two processes. One is spreading a broad cast bait that kind of protects against the area where the fire ants may be, but then going back and mound treating only when you see them and that way you’re protecting and being as careful as possible,” said Fry.
