Weekend Gardener: Texas-two step method to use while gardening
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – No matter how much time you plan on spending in your garden, it’s important to protect yourself from the heat and bugs.
“First of all let’s talk about those fire ants. Pesky little problem,” said Jayla Fry with Texas A&M AgriLife. “They can get in our lawns, our landscapes and our vegetable garden and there are ways or things that we can do to help get rid of those.”
Fry goes on to explain what she calls the Texas two-step method.
“It’s a broad cast first step. The second step then is a mound to treat and that would be done in your landscapes and in your lawns. For your vegetable gardens, you’re going to want to use a product that’s safe for use around vegetables and so you may want to look for maybe an organic product such as spinosad.”
She says you can use boiling water too, but “you will ruin anything else around them and so just be real careful if you’re going to choose that method.”
The next steps include protecting yourself while working in the Texas sun.
“This is when we’re talking about wearing those hats and the long sleeve shirts and sunscreen and make sure you stay hydrated. There would be nothing worse than you not being able to enjoy the fruits of your labor and all the things if you were not feeling well and had to stay inside,” said Fry.
