GARDENING Q&A

Q:My daughter would like to plant a pomegranate tree. When is the right time to plant them in our area?

A:Early spring would be the appropriate time to plant the pomegranate. Most of the nurseries will have them at that time.

Q:How cold a climate can the Golden Dwarf Duranta plant take? Will they freeze? If they freeze, do they come back in the spring? Do I have to cover them in 35 degree weather?

A:This plant will be fine here. As long as it is above freezing the plant will be evergreen.

A frost or light freeze will defoliate it; a hard freeze will kill it to the ground but its roots will survive and it will come back.

Here are a couple of great gardening educational opportunities, for both youth and adult going into the New Year.

Give the gift of gardening to a youngster in 2011 with educational opportunity at the Children's Vegetable Garden Program.

Texas AgriLife Extension Service provides an opportunity for children 8-13 to learn about gardening by growing their own vegetables through the mentoring of Bexar County Master Gardener volunteers. Each child is allotted a plot at the beautiful San Antonio Botanical Garden.

Children will have fun growing different types of seeds, herbs, vegetables and ornamental annual flowers. Weekly educational gardening presentations will stimulate these young minds.

The children will also participate in fun, hands-on Junior Master Gardener activities.

The spring session will be conducted every Saturday, starting Feb. 19 and end June 4.

For more information and an application for the spring session, call the Texas AgriLife Extension Service-Bexar County office at 467-6575.

Do you want to be a better gardener in 2011? How about becoming a Bexar County Master Gardener?

Texas AgriLife Extension Service will be conducting its spring master gardener class No. 53 for adults interested in gardening/horticulture and related topics. They then return their knowledge and time by providing educational outreach support for youth and adults.

Deadline to register is Feb. 21. The cost is $200 with classes running every Wednesday from noon-4 p.m., March 2-May 25 at the Texas AgriLife Extension Service conference room, 3355 Cherry Ridge, Suite 208.