Twenty-five years is a long time. A full quarter century. For the past twenty-four years the Henderson County Wildlife Committee has been hosting the Fall Hunters Rendezvous. Over those years there have been hundreds of speakers, presentations, demonstrations, and exhibits and yes, thousands of friends made and hunting stories told.

This year, 2008, will mark the Diamond Jubilee edition of the Rendezvous. It is going to be bigger and better than ever. The committee has expanded the format to highlight the onset of the hunting season and to showcase some old traditions as well as to focus attention on some of the new and modern techniques that make wildlife recreation so popular today.

The 2008 Fall Hunters Rendezvous will be held at the Henderson County Fair Park Complex on Thursday, October 9th. Starting at 5:00 p.m., the event will offer something for everyone. The Rendevous will be sportsmen and family friendly. Along with the more traditional format, the committee has added a turkey shoot, archery competition, antler scoring demonstration, bow sighting experts, rifle and shotgun cleaning and much more.

Keynote presentations will cover establishing wildlife food plots, field dressing deer and sausage making with Dr. Billy "Hog" Higginbotham. A barbecue dinner will be available for $6.00 per person.

This Rendezvous is designed to be fun and hands-on, and, if you're not careful, you just might learn something. There will be lots of exhibits and experts on hand to answer just about any question you have about hunting, wildlife management and outdoor necessities. Come on out to the fairgrounds, on Thursday to see what's new and meet old friends and make some new ones. I think that you will be glad you did!

Landscape Labor:

Finally, fall is here. The weather is becoming slightly cooler and gardeners are slowly migrating back outdoors after record-breaking heat this summer. Now is a perfect time to add a new tree or a grouping of shrubs to the landscape. Or perhaps you have an area in the landscape that needs `remodeling ' or rejuvenating. The fall may be the best season to plant, surpassing even the spring.

Many people prefer January through March for planting, but the fall months of September through December have distinct advantages. Fall planting fol- lows the heat of summer, before a cool winter season, and trees and shrubs planted in the fall use this to good advantage. Plant roots grow anytime the soil temperature is 40 degrees or higher, which may occur all winter in Texas. During the winter months, the root systems of the fall-planted specimens develop and become established. When spring arrives, this expanded root system can support and take advantage of the full surge of spring growth.

Fall is the optimum time to plant balled and burlapped trees and shrubs. Balled and burlapped plants have ample time to recover from transplanting and proliferate roots before spring growth begins. Remember, however, all bare root plants, including roses and pecan and fruit trees, should be planted in late winter when they are completely dormant.

When buying plants for your landscape, be sure to get healthy, well-grown plants. Always buy from a reputable dealer. Those in the plant-selling business yearround depend on repeat customers, and only by selling customers quality plants can there be assurance of future business. Beware of plant bargains. They can easily turn out to be real headaches. A bargain is no good if it dies. The price tag, especially the cheapest one, is not the best guide to quality.

All plants have growing requirements. Think about the plant's needs before you invest. Is it adapted to your area's soil? Will it grow in sun or shade? Does it need a wet or dry location? Is it cold hardy? Some nurseries have this type of information on tags beside the plant. If not, ask a nursery professional or the county Extension agent.

"Plan before you plant" is always a good rule of thumb. Whether you are planting a single plant or an entire landscape, plan first, then plant. Good planning is a worthwhile investment of time that will pay off in greater enjoyment of attractive and useful home grounds, and in increasing the value of your home. It's much easier to move plants on paper than to dig them after planting in the wrong place. A plan saves many planting mistakes.

Every plant in the landscape should serve a purpose. Ask yourself if you want a plant for screening, for privacy, or for shade. How large will it be five years from now? Plants, like people, grow up. Remember, that a small one-gallon size plant will look entirely different after a few years of growth in your landscape.

Plant properly for success. Here are a few guidelines on getting the job done:

* Dig a hole large enough in diameter so that the root system has at least six inches of clearance on all sides. The root ball should rest on a solid soil foundation, so don't dig the hole much deeper than the ball.

* Plant the tree or shrub slightly above the level of the surrounding soil, to allow for settling and increased soil drainage.

* Carefully place the tree or shrub in the hole. Handle the plant by the root ball, not by the trunk. A broken ball of earth can mean a dead plant. Always remove any container before you plant.

* Backfill the hole, using only the native soil removed from the hole; do not use soil amendments when planting large shrubs and trees. Fill the hole, and firm the soil around the plant. Water thoroughly to settle the soil around the roots and to eliminate any air pockets.

* Do not fertilize your tree or shrub after planting. Wait until early in the spring to do this, and even then, go lightly. Heavy applications of fertilizer may burn and injure the root system, and could possible kill the plant.

* Watering has been and remains paramount in transplanting. At the time of transplanting, soak the root ball and surrounding soil. A thorough watering every 7 to 10 days dramatically increases the success ratio. More frequent watering may encourage root rot. Remember, more trees and shrubs fall from over-watering than from under-watering.

* Before calling it a day, add 4 to 6 inches of mulch around the base of newly planted trees and shrubs. This helps to keep down weeds and conserve soil moisture. Use pine bark, compost, grass clippings or leaves.

Fall is for planting. Visit your nursery today, and beautify and add value to your home.

Important Dates:

October 9th - Fall Hunter's Rendezvous, Henderson County Fair Park Complex, 5:30-9:00 p.m.

October 10th and 11th - Hunter Education Class, Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center. Contact TFFC at 903-676-2277 to register

Rick Hirsch is the Henderson County Extension Agent - Agriculture for the Texas AgriLife Extension Service. Visit our web page at http://hendersonco. tamu.edu.