Next Scheduled Event:
February COVNA Meeting
7:00 p.m. Monday, February 16th
Southwest Church of Christ
8900 Manchaca Rd.
(Rear Entrance)

2009 MEMBERSHIP

It is time to show your support for the Castlewood—Oak Valley Neighborhood Association. Click on Membership Form for a printable form. According to the by-laws, dues shall be payable at or before the February meeting of each calendar year.

Gerald McLeod was on the committee that worked on the speed bump issue and below is the e-mail that the city sent to committee members which Gerald posted on the COVNA Email List.

The deadline for mailing in ballots was December 19th. We believe sufficient time has passed to permit all ballots mailed by that date to have been delivered to us. Therefore, following is the result of the vote:

56.3% YES - in favor of the plan / 43.7% NO - opposed to the plan
There was a 14.2% response rate.

At least 60% of the returned ballots had to be YES in order for the devices to be installed. Since less than 60% of the ballots were YES, traffic calming devices will not be installed in the neighborhood.

I would like to thank you for your interest in your neighborhood and for your participation in the development of this plan.

Ronnie Bell, P.E., 974-7015/ronnie.bell@ci.austin.tx.us

OFFICERS NEEDED!

COVNA has no President or Vice-President as of this month. Our very active and effective President, Dominic Chavez, was called up to active duty last year and terms for Vice-Presidents start in odd-numbered years. No one was elected at the Holiday Party as no one has shown an interest in filling these positions. Floyd Clark is willing to continue as Vice-President on a temporary basis but having served as President and VP in a row he has more than done his duty.

It is time for someone in the neighborhood to step up and continue the important work our former Presidents and VPs have done. If willing to serve, contact any officer listed above.

IN MEMORIAM

JANUARY GARDENING

From the Natural Gardener website

Plant vegetable seeds: Radish. Late January: Carrot, leek, leaf lettuce, parsnip, garden pea, rutabaga, spinach, shallot.

Plant vegetable plants: Artichoke crowns, asparagus crowns, broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi, lettuce, spinach. Late January: onion sets.

Plant herbs: Chervil, chives, cilantro, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme.

Plant annual flower/ornamental seeds: Alyssum, calendula, cornflower, delphinium, echinacea (purple coneflower), feverfew, gaillardia, gayfeather, hollyhock, larkspur, Drummond’s phlox, poppies, petunia, snapdragon, sweet pea.

Alyssum

Calendula

Cornflower

Plant annual flower/ornamental plants: Sweet alyssum, bluebonnet plants, ornamental cabbage and kale, calendula, dianthus, Johnny jump-up, pansy, snapdragon, stock.

Kale

Johnny Jump-up

Stock

Plant perennial plants: Water, add mulch, and even cover more tender varieties with a sheet or row cover. Plant a tree for the new year! Plant shrubs, vines.

Plant ground covers, borders, and strawberries.

Plant bareroot (or containerized) fruit and pecan trees, berries, and grapes. Dig an ample hole so that the roots (of the bareroot plants) can be spread out. You may want to make a cone or a hill in the center of the hole so the bareroot plant can "sit" on top of the hill, and the roots can be spread out along the sides of the hill.

Peach

Blackberry

Grape

Mix a good quality compost in with the backfill. Sprinkle rock phosphate or bone meal into the hole so the roots touch it.

Water immediately, and follow with a drench of seaweed solution. (Some folks prefer SuperThrive™ or another vitamin B-1 hormonal product to stimulate the roots.) It is helpful to water any new planting with one of these three root stimulators every time you water, for at least the first few weeks in its new home. Most fruit trees need a drastic pruning at the time of planting; again, consult a knowledgeable nursery staff member or a good book for more details.

Start tomato seeds indoors: Use a heated greenhouse, a cold frame or supplemental lighting indoors to start tomatoes from seed. A very sunny window works if you rotate the seedlings daily. If you choose to use supplemental lighting, place the florescent or grow lights no more than two to three inches above the seedlings, and raise them as the seedlings grow. A combination of florescent and tungsten lights are said to be close to full-spectrum lighting, or use full-spectrum bulbs or grow lights.

Water beds, trees, and shrubs, as needed. If we haven’t received at least a one-inch rainfall in about six weeks, established trees and shrubs will need a deep soaking. Plantings less than two years in the ground will need watering more often, depending on your soil.
Fertilize asparagus, strawberries, and cool-weather annuals such as pansies. Add a good manure compost at the same time.

Spray fruit trees (or other susceptible plants) with dormant oil. Dormant oil controls scale and other insects. Plants with a current infestation of scale should be sprayed two or more times with dormant oil over the winter. Be sure to wait at least ten days after spraying any copper to spray dormant oil. Mixing the two can cause burning.

Last chance to prune grapes, fruit trees, or other plants for the dormant season.