CORPUS CHRISTI — It’s not too early to start working on those outdoor projects that will best prepare home landscaping for spring’s revival and summer’s harsh conditions, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts.
But before those efforts begin, the average homeowner has many questions, they said.
To help answer them, AgriLife Extension is hosting the Coastal Bend Landscape Conference from 8 a.m.-2:45 p.m. Feb. 11 at the Del Mar Economic Development Center. The center is located at 3209 S. Staples St. in Corpus Christi.
Preregistration is required by calling 361-767-5217. The fee is $35 and includes a light breakfast and lunch.
The conference is sponsored by AgriLife Extension, the Nueces Horticulture Advisory Committee and the Nueces County Extension Leadership Advisory Board.
“Managing a home landscape can be tricky at times,” said Kevin Gibbs, the AgriLife Extension horticulture agent in Nueces County. “How much do I water? Should I fertilize? Is this an insect I should be worried about? Should I spray or not spray? What things should I be doing to help the environment? Should I think about water conservation or native plants? These are all questions that the homeowner faces every year.”
Gibbs invites the public to the conference to discuss these and many more topics that will help create a “happy, healthy landscape this year.”
After registration and breakfast, the program begins at 8:30 a.m.
Topics and speakers include:
— Common Insects Around the Home Landscape and Which Ones to Worry About, speaker to be announced.
— Addressing Tree Care Issues: Managing Key Pests of Trees, Ginger Easton Smith, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent, Aransas County.
— Rainwater Harvesting, speaker to be announced.
— Calibration of Application Equipment and Environmental Impacts on Our Watershed, Jason Ott, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent, Nueces County.
— Native Landscape Plant Selection and Maintenance, speaker to be announced.
— Review of Pesticide Laws and Regulations, Ott.
“Professionals seeking continuing education units for pesticide applicator licensing will also benefit from this event,” Gibbs said.
The conference is approved for five structural continuing education units from the Texas Department of Agriculture, three in lawn and ornamental and two in general.