April 14, 2025

Homegrown Citrus, Summer Vegetables, Cowboy Pool: New Episode

There’s something delightfully irresistible about plucking oranges or lemons right from our own little trees. Not so long ago we were zone pushing to even think about growing citrus in Central Texas, but now we can grow some varieties in the ground, at least until extreme freeze crystallizes our crops. Still, patio citrus claims top spot on our patios, balconies, and decks, since all we need is sunlight and a large container.

So, we’re thrilled to welcome Mary Kay Pope, horticulturist and Certified Arborist from Backbone Valley Nursery in Marble Falls! She joins John Hart to step us through varieties and cultivation.

Family-owned Backbone Valley opened in 1999 and is the largest grower of Texas mountain laurels in Texas. I’m a super fan of Mary Kay’s newsy blog where I pick up endless tips, clues, and facts that are so on target with what’s on our minds.

Her favorite citrus plants to grow in the ground are Satsuma mandarin oranges, tangerines, and calamondins. Along with winter lows, microclimate impacts citrus cold hardiness. Warmth from south-facing walls and protection from wind can help. Also, if we get an early moderate nip, that may help plants sustain more serious cold, Mary Kay tells us. We may still get damage, but the plants won’t be killed if we have protected the roots and trunk (she explains how to do this). Sometimes, we lose them anyway. My satsuma went through many cold winters before Storm Uri nailed it.

Meyer lemons can be ground-hardy for years until they get zapped. Limes absolutely are not cold hardy, so must be grown in containers and given winter protection.

Indoors or out, their fragrant flowers are swoon worthy!

Mary Kay recommends double potting: keep the plant in its plastic pot and tuck into a decorative container. Ditto for when it’s time to pot up. It’s easier to bring the lightweight container inside for winter, plus, it’s easier to tell if it needs watering. Lift up the nursery pot, and if it’s light, it’s time to water. Also: when potting up, only go up another 4-6”. This rule applies to most plants. Photo courtesy of Backbone Valley.

Fertilize with a 2-1-2 or similar ratio with micronutrients three times:
-Emergence of new growth
-Fruit set
-September or October

For more tips, check out Mary Kay’s citrus growing blog and another on common citrus problems.

Now that the soil is warming up, it’s time to plant late spring and summer vegetables. Anamaria Gutierrez, garden manager of Este Garden and Nixta Tacqueria, picks a few of her top hot weather performers.

She’s a super fan of yardlong beans, Suyo Long and Striped Armenian cucumbers, ‘Magda’ squash (less problems with squash vine borers for her), and infatigable okra.

Those lovely okra flowers are edible, too!

Just add flowers for lots of pollinators. Zinnias and cosmos are easy from seed.

Here’s Travis County Extension’s planting calendar, or check with your Extension office.

Two years ago, we stopped by Este for tips on summer crops. Plus, former fellow farmer Lea Scott showed how to weave rambunctious indeterminate tomatoes and peppers. And, she shows how to clone tomato stems from cuttings in July for fall harvests!

And for the future, here’s our early fall visit to Este to see how to start cool weather crops while tomatoes and peppers are still producing.

Daphne answers Al Seen’s question about this damage on lemon trees the past two years. “This is a classic symptom of fruit scarring created by birds pecking while the fruit is young and the skin is just starting to develop,” she tells us.

And Jason Lantz was lucky enough to spot these gnarly-looking caterpillars on his lime tree. They’re the larvae of Giant Swallowtail butterflies that lay their eggs exclusively on citrus trees. And it’s sure no surprise why they are commonly called the “bird poop” caterpillars.

On tour, Kat and Dave Sherby fell for a big yard that beckoned creative brainstorming for wildlife watching.

First, they tackled rainwater runoff and lawn reduction to make way for food and flower gardens.

Then came rainwater collection, compost-making, a keyhole garden and relaxing spots to hang out and enjoy it all.

Thanks for stopping by! Next week, learn about native bees and their pollinator buddies with Dr. Sean Griffin from the Wildflower Center.

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