Jesse Jenkins

A friend texted me this week-end and asked how she can get rid of her winter weeds. Probably like everyone, she’s getting ready for her family to arrive! She has weeds amongst her flowers near her front door. Our recommendation is to

1. Spray with Nature’s Creation Total Weed & Grass Control, 20% Vinegar, best if sun is out. Even better, mix a small amount of Medina Orange Oil with Vinegar.
2. The next day, top dress with Pine Straw or Hardwood Mulch

Before & After!

And like magic, all gone!! Happy Holidays!

-Sally

PS* …and, put on your calendar to install Preen in October and January to stop more weed seeds from sprouting.

It’s the time of year we are scurrying around the garden, picking delicious ripening citrus. Perfect gift giving for the holidays! A few days ago, I noticed that some of my lemons and their leaves have a black mold on them. Some of you have had the same issue and are concerned too. “What is happening?”

Well it is most likely from the honeydew of visiting insects who enjoyed a meal from your citrus tree. Who could blame them? They have probably moved on but if you find a few still catching a free meal, you can treat your citrus tree with dormant oil spray. It’s just oil-no chemicals so you can be assured it’s not harmful to you or your tree. But it suffocates those insects and any eggs they may have laid while hanging out.

It doesn’t change the flavor of the fruit, and thank goodness it’s easy to wash off! Happy Holidays!

-Debbie

The last week of January to first week of February is the best time to prune ornamental grasses.

New spring growth will not emerge properly and abundantly if plants are not cut timely and severely. You can cut with sharp power or manual hedge shears, or a serrated bread knife.

Cut straight across, parallel with the ground, 3” to 4” above ground. Do not leave a nub, mound, cone, or pouffe, just a straight-across flat top, close to the ground.

You can follow up in late February or early March with a small amount of fertilizer, but be stingy, as excess fertilizer will cause ornamental grasses to grow too succulent and too fast, and they will flop over instead of standing up.

There are a wide variety of pollutants released in your home by furniture, paint, carpet, household cleansers, even gas cooktops and hot water in the shower, that can trigger illnesses, asthmatic attacks, and allergic reactions.

Plants have been found to be very effective in purifying the air in a safe, clean way. The NASA Clean Air Study conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in 1989, seeking ways to clean the air in space stations, and several subsequent studies by others, found that all plants, besides removing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen, can also eliminate varying but significant amounts of benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, toluene, and ammonia. More recent research has shown that in addition to the plants, micro-organisms in potting soil also eliminate pollutants and improve air quality.

Since most of the best air purifying plants originate in tropical and subtropical climates, they do well in our local climate and can flourish in household light. Palms, ferns, even blooming plants, and especially ivies are all helpful, but the three top air purifiers are Peace Lily (Spathyphyllum), Sansevieria (Mother-in-Laws Tongue), and Dragon Tree (Dracena marginata). You can find all three of these and many other excellent air purifiers at Gill’s.

[x_block_grid type=”three-up”][x_block_grid_item]
Peace Lily (Spathyphyllum)[/x_block_grid_item][x_block_grid_item]Sansevieria (Mother-in-Laws Tongue)[/x_block_grid_item][x_block_grid_item]Dragon Tree (Dracena marginata)[/x_block_grid_item][/x_block_grid]

So do yourself and your home a big favor, purify the air and bring beauty indoors with houseplants. Come to Gill’s and we will be happy to help you find the perfect plants for your home and that breath of fresh air!

–Mary Kidwell & James Gill

Each year in January and February, I give my pre-spring “Get Ready for Spring” garden talk. I always start the talk with pre-spring pruning and the importance of sharp tools.

You may want any pruning saws sharpened professionally, as it can be a little difficult and tedious. But pruning clippers, loppers, and hedge shears are easier to do-it-yourself if you are inclined to. Pruners, loppers, shears, as well as shovels and hoes all perform better with a good sharp edge. Less effort and strain when trimming or digging, and clean cuts that heal faster than ragged cuts; that’s our aim.

We have carbide sharpening tools in stock that do a fast job on pruners and shears and take up very little storage space. Metal files are more appropriate for the harder steel edges of shovels and hoes. Diamond sharpening rods or whetstones can give the very finest edge to pruners if you are a perfectionist. For those far from perfectionist, I have sharpened my shovel enough to make a big difference in transplanting a shrub just by finding a rough spot on the concrete street curb and rubbing the cutting edge back and forth until dull is gone and cutting edge is on.

When sharpening pruners, be sure to watch a video or read instructions before beginning, as a simple proper sharpening makes pruning easier and more fun, but sharpening the wrong edge will ruin a tool forever. Once you’ve sharpened your tools, you can keep them sharp longer and prevent rust by wiping on a thin layer of lubricating oil, such as boiled linseed oil, tung oil, motor oil, lamp oil, or cooking oil.

-James Gill

What does Xeriscape mean to you? Cactus and rocks? Yes, it could be that, but it can be much more! Texas native plants? Yes, many Texas natives fit a xeriscape, but also plants from Italy (rosemary), Mexico (firecracker plant), Madagascar (periwinkles), and more! Even a lily pond could have a place in a xeriscape.

Xeriscape is planning and constructing an attractive landscape that requires little or no irrigation. So thirstier elements, such as Raleigh St. Augustine lawns, petunias or rosebushes, or that lily pond, can be limited in size, grouped together, used only in high-impact areas of the landscape, and hopefully, watered with “salvaged” water collected from rooftops, patios, air-conditioner condensate, or grey water.

Your xeriscape can be as simple and colorful as cenizo (Texas sage), red yucca, and mesquite trees (for shade and bold form), all from Texas, or a very sophisticated mix of xeric plants from xeric areas around the world combined with flagstones (or repurposed broken concrete), colorful pots, and striking shade structures.

Growing human populations and consequently shrinking water supply mandate reduced water use for our future. We might as well start thinking about Xeriscape and how to design the right landscape that suits us and still uses less water.

-James Gill

It’s harvest time around my house and I have to admit the bounty is big this winter.

This past fall, I planted later than usual (Oct 13th) due to rainy days and a total kitchen remodel! Mother Nature was my advocate, though. Rain, sun, and many cool fronts did amazing work with little help from me, other than a feeding of Hasta Gro 4 weeks after planting and pulling a few weeds.

The end result is a fridge full of delicious broccoli, nice size cabbage, sweet carrots, good-for-you kale, a huge stand of cilantro (from seed), celery, and a freezer full of fresh squeezed Meyer Lemon juice. Our Brussels sprouts are looking good, still just a little small. We will wait patiently for these culinary jewels. Life is really good!

So, what’s next? Well, we’ll clean out the old, do a turn of the soil, and set our sights on tomatoes, peppers, basil, zucchini, and whatever else tickles our delight to try… like having fun with potatoes.

James Gill fondly tells a story about how much fun he and his boys had planting potatoes. They were young, so playing in the dirt was a given and harvest time even better as they dug into the dirt to pull out bunches of potatoes from just the one that they planted!

It’s time to plant potatoes now through the end of February, so here’s our recipe for success:

– Cut potato into 2-4 pieces…or you can plant the whole potato. Best to buy non-treated potatoes. We have Red Lasota seed potatoes for sale.
– Coat with dusting sulphur and let cure for a few days.
– Prepare an area to plant…mostly sun and good drainage is very important. Loosen the soil and work compost into the dirt. Or you can plant in large pots using potting soil.
– Work fertilizer into the soil 8-10” deep…Plant Tone is great. Do NOT fertilize after planting
– Plant potatoes 3” deep and space them about 12” apart
– In about 3 weeks bank 3-4” of fresh soil over the base of each plant. Continue mounding soil every few weeks as the plant grows
– Potatoes are ready to harvest when mature plants begin to yellow and die (around 3-4 months).
– Start digging and have fun!

The spring planting season is starting – see you soon!

-Debbie

P.S. – check our Spring Vegetable Planting Guide for more tips!

We are now pleased to offer Nature’s Creation Organic Potting Soil with Mycorrhizal Fungi for our 2019 garden season!

Some of our good friends in the green industry, Mr. Bob Webster, KTSA South Texas Gardening Show host & garden center owner in San Antonio along with his business partner Ms. Roberta Churchin were instrumental in the formulation of this potting soil.

Nature’s Creation readily absorbs water and holds moisture without becoming saturated. The soil dries evenly which all but eliminates fungus gnats and mold. It contains no peat moss but is a blend of weed-free and naturally sterilized compost plus coco fiber which resists clumping and adds porosity. In addition, the blend includes pecan mulch, perlite, mushroom compost, molasses, and native recycled biomass. Finally, Mycorrhizal Fungi is added to the mix to benefit your plants by increasing drought tolerance, water and nutrient uptake, and disease resistance.

This potting soil is more biologically active and will make your plants happy!

-DeAnna

Jesse Jenkins

The last week of January to first week of February is the best time to prune ornamental grasses.

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