Rooted in Research: A Guide to Successful Gardening the San Antonio Area

Soil pH

What is soil pH and why does it matter? This podcast takes a look at what soil pH is, how it is determined, why it matters and what to do about it.

How to Select Plants

Part of being a successful gardener is knowing how to select plants based on science rather than appearance. In this podcast we'll take a deep look at the "how behind the why" of plant selection for best results.

Water in Texas part 2

This podcast looks at the Edward's Aquifer Authority, San Antonio Water System (SAWS), what gardeners can do to help with our water issues, and theoretically what could happen if gardeners were very proactive.

Water Challenges Globally-Locally

This episode looks at the Earth's water cycle and the specific water challenges from Texas history and Texas law.

Gardening in Edwards and sandy clay-pan soils

In this podcast what does the science say about core aerating the lawn, the concerns about "weed and feed" products, should leaves be raked or left alone, and finally the "how behind the why" of gardening on the Edward's Plateau on the northwest-north side of Bexar County and the sandy clay-pan soil on the southside of Bexar County. Pilot Knob Austin ⁠https://texashillcountry.com/pilot-knob-largest-extinct-volcano-remaining-in-central-texas/⁠ [https://texashillcountry.com/pilot-knob-largest-extinct-volcano-remaining-in-central-texas/] Fort Inge ⁠https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/fort-inge⁠ [https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/fort-inge] Soil Preparation ⁠https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/library/gardening/soil-preparation/⁠ [https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/library/gardening/soil-preparation/] Soil Testing ⁠https://bexar-tx.tamu.edu/homehort/archives-of-weekly-articles-davids-plant-of-the-week/it-all-starts-with-soil/⁠ [https://bexar-tx.tamu.edu/homehort/archives-of-weekly-articles-davids-plant-of-the-week/it-all-starts-with-soil/] Calcareous Soils Calcareous soils are defined as soils that contain more than 15% calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and are commonly found in arid, semi-arid, humid, and semi-humid regions.  Caliche Soil a hardened layer in soil, common in arid regions, formed when calcium carbonate cements soil particles (sand, clay, silt) into a rock-like, often whitish-gray, material. General Soil Map of Texas ⁠https://maps.lib.utexas.edu/maps/texas/texas-general_soil_map-2008.pdf⁠ [https://maps.lib.utexas.edu/maps/texas/texas-general_soil_map-2008.pdf] Improving Landscape Soils ⁠https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2010/10/soilimprovement.pdf⁠ [https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2010/10/soilimprovement.pdf] Tom Ewing- Texas Geologic History Quick Overview ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1zGgOktFQ8&t=6s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1zGgOktFQ8&t=6s]