Texas A&M Agrilife

Both livestock and crops have seen the impacts of the over 40 days of triple digit weather Central Texas experienced this summer. (Sun Archive)

Both livestock and crops have seen the impacts of the over 40 days of triple digit weather Central Texas experienced this summer. (Sun Archive)

Drought affects Wilco farmers, ranchers

Kaitlyn Wilkes
Monday, October 23, 2023
Despite the rapid growth of technological businesses in Williamson County, agriculture remains a top industry, providing jobs and food for both those in and outside of the county. According to the Farm Service Agency there are 291,000 acres of cropland in Williamson County.

Exclusive Subscriber Content

What plants do to survive a drought

News Staff
Tuesday, July 25, 2023
By Kate Whitney-Hajda One thing I love about working in the horticulture world is that there is always something new to learn or observe about plants.

Exclusive Subscriber Content

Spring lawn tasks: fertilize, aerate and weed

News Staff
Sunday, March 19, 2023
Spring is in the air! Well, spring was in the air last week, but this is Texas, and we never know when that last bit of winter will hit. Even if the weather is confused about which season it is, the calendar tells me that it is time to get outside and start working in the lawn.

Exclusive Subscriber Content

AgriLife: Pesky spotted cucumber beetles

News Staff
Friday, March 3, 2023
This week I had a conversation with a newcomer to Williamson County who was interested in plant recommendations for our area and lawn care guidelines.  I have those conversations fairly often. Usually some of the questions are focused on the weather and how different it is in Texas.
Church member John Lawton takes a chain saw to a downed tree in front of Main Street Baptist Church Thursday. A major ice storm in Williamson County left many areas without power, with downed trees throughout the area. Temperatures began to climb above the freezing mark by Thursday. (Photo by Andy Sharp)

Church member John Lawton takes a chain saw to a downed tree in front of Main Street Baptist Church Thursday. A major ice storm in Williamson County left many areas without power, with downed trees throughout the area. Temperatures began to climb above the freezing mark by Thursday. (Photo by Andy Sharp)

Exclusive Subscriber Content

Assessing your storm-damaged trees

News Staff
Saturday, February 4, 2023
Texas A&M AgriLife by Kate Whitney-Hajda  As I write Wednesday, the roads are slick with ice and tree crews are out clearing broken limbs from the road. This week feels a little bit like a flashback to Winter Storm Uri, at least as far as ice and tree damage.

Exclusive Subscriber Content

Agrilife: Keeping a garden journal

News Staff
Thursday, January 26, 2023
Texas A&M Agrilife by Kate Whitney-Hajda  One thing I love about gardening is the camaraderie and conversations that you get to have with other like-minded plant lovers.  I always learn good tips from other gardeners and they are usually willing to share plants, too.

Exclusive Subscriber Content

New year gardening tasks for Central Texas

News Staff
Tuesday, January 10, 2023
January 2023 has started off with beautiful weather and sunny days. This kind of weather makes it nice to get outside and work in the lawn, and there is always something to do in our lawns and gardens.
Fall colors on a tree. (Sun Archive)

Fall colors on a tree. (Sun Archive)

Exclusive Subscriber Content

Beautiful fall foliage means free compost for everyone

News Staff
Thursday, December 8, 2022
Trees offer a lot of great things to our world. They provide shade on hot days, they are beautiful points of interest in the landscape and they give off oxygen. Trees go one step further by providing free compost every fall.
Some pointers about Poinsettias

Some pointers about Poinsettias

Some pointers about Poinsettias

News Staff
Thursday, December 1, 2022
Kate Whitney The Christmas season is here! I enjoy using plants and natural elements to decorate my home. During the Christmas season that means poinsettias and Christmas greenery. Poinsettias are a neat plant to grow and have an interesting history as the Christmas flower.
Subscribe to