Jesse Jenkins

It may not feel like it today, but we are soooo close to a gorgeous Spring, and there’s lots to do in the garden. Here’s our top 5 to focus on in February to prep for an amazing Spring season.

Check out our February Garden Guide for more tips and remember that trees, shrubs, and perennials can be planted 12 months out of the year! The only difference is the amount of water they need depending on temperatures and wind!

1. Stay Ahead of Big Weather Changes

As we’re seeing right now, seasonal transitions can be a roller coaster of weather events. Beautiful one day, frigid the next. It’s important to know what’s coming our way so you can plan your gardening projects & protect newly planted gardens if needed. We use NOAA as our go to for current weather & upcoming forecasts.

2. Plant Spring Edibles. Tomatoes sooner; Peppers later.

Beloved tomato growing is rewarding and can be challenging. Planting them early this month is a good step toward a bountiful harvest. Tomatoes need cooler nights to have good fruit set. When you buy your tomato starts, buy a tomato cage to install while they’re small. It can act as a frame for cold weather protection (a bag or blanket) if needed and a frame to support your plants as they grow.

Peppers, on the flip side, will be stunted (even killed) by cooler temps. Below 55 is no good for heat-loving peppers. Wait to plant peppers the end of Feb into March. You can go ahead and start other favs like squash, cucumbers, beans, & greens either by seed or transplants mid-Feb.

3. Feed Veggies & Flowers

The warm weather has sent most flowers & veggies on a growing spurt. A good meal of organic plant food like Plant Tone or Medina Growin Green will ensure they continue to look and produce their best for your garden. Both of these are granules that can easily be spread around plants then watered in. Plus, they feed the soil to keep it healthy.

4. Cut back ornamental grasses.

Most of these grasses like Purple Fountain Grass, Muhly Grass, & others are in need of a good shearing to look nice again this Spring. Do this now before the new growth starts. Have a sharp pair of hedge or hand pruners, tie up the grass clump with twine or rope to see the base of the grass. Cut straight across about 4-6in above the ground. This exposes the crown to more light helping to begin their fresh new growth. And you will not have to clean old brown blades out of the new green ones later this Spring.

5. Keep Watch for Winter Insects

Scale is a hard bodied sucking insect that looks like a brown booger stuck to the leaves of plants. Some of their favorites are Burford Holly, Bird of Paradise, Flax Lily, & Irises. They are easily controlled with a spray of organic All Seasons Oil Spray. It literally coats and suffocates the insect. It’s also good for treating indoor plants that may have scale or spider mites.

Check out our February Garden Guide for more tips!

We are beyond excited to host you all in person for our first Garden Talk of 2022! James’ ‘Get Ready for Spring’ talk is a long-standing tradition. If you’ve got questions or just want to learn more about how to prep your garden and landscape for big Spring growth, join us at 10am this Saturday. Here’s a preview from James of some of the topics he plans to cover.

Prune Old Growth to Make Way for New Growth

Clean, sharpen, and lubricate your pruning tools before starting, and before putting tools away. Remember that once you have cut it, you can’t put it back on, this applies to tree limbs, and to human digits, so proceed carefully! My feeling is, cut old growth before new growth has started, to avoid wasting carbohydrate reserves of the plant, and to minimize damage to tender new growth when dragging cut branches out of the plant.

Prepare Your Soil and Get Planting!

Before planting new shubs, vegetables, or annual or perennial flowers, we should prepare the soil with compost. My favorite is Natures Blend Compost, the closest thing to “magic in a bag”. It keeps clay soil lighter and looser, or in sand, helps hold moisture and nutrients available for roots, and provides slow release organic fertility and growth stimulants. Cold tolerant trees, shrubs, annuals, and perennials benefit from being planted as far away from summer heat as possible, so NOW! And it’s time to get your spring veggie garden planted too. Follow up with a good organic mulch after planting, such as our hardwood mulch, that will suppress weeds, retain moisture, moderate soil temperatures as it gets hotter, and contribute to soil texture and fertility as it decomposes.

Early Spring Lawn Care

Do not apply lawn fertilizer on grass too early. When lawns are actively growing and need mowing once a week, that is the time to fertilize grass, usually around the first of March. Some weeds will be coming up in beds and lawns, and some of them can be controlled by hand pulling after a rain, some by mowing regularly so they don’t get tall enough to make seed. But some will be best controlled by applying Bonide Weed Beater Complete, LAWNS ONLY, to kill existing broadleaf weeds and prevent new weeds from sprouting. Or in beds, Bonide Crabgrass and Weed Preventer, which will not kill existing weeds, but prevents new weeds from sprouting. Always read and follow label directions for best results. I like Ortho GroundClear Weed & Grass Killer to help control emerged weeds in flower beds. It is organic, and safer to use around desirable shrubs.

Feed Your Fruit Trees

Now is time to fertilize fruit trees with Espoma Organic Citrus-tone, or Fertilome Fruit, Citrus, and Pecan Tree Food. The nitrogen in both is critical to production of healthy foliage, which is what provides necessary carbohydrates for fruit. You will repeat application later in spring, and again in fall. Also, citrus trees should have sprouts removed that come from below the graft, as they will produce only sour fruit.

When to Remove Stakes from Newly Planted Trees

If you have trees planted in the last year or two, with stakes still holding it upright, late winter/very early spring is a good time to check that staking. Loosen the ties, then try to rock the tree. If the rootball stays stable but the trunk bends, remove the staking and ties. If the rootball still moves, the staking should stay another season, but the loop around the trunk may need to be loosened so the new growth is not choked by the staking tie.

Check Your Sprinkler System and Hoses

If you have an automatic sprinkler system, hopefully it has been turned off most of the winter. It would make sense to do a run-through now, to take notes and make repairs on any plugged, sunken, or missing heads, line breaks, or non-functional valves. You may need to start watering once a week in March. If you use hoses and sprinklers, now is time to mend hoses and replace missing hose washers.

Fire Ants and Other Pests

If you are seeing fire ant activity, you can apply Come and Get It Fire Ant Bait now, but my favorite times are at the spring and fall daylight saving time changes. All Seasons Horticultural & Dormant Spray Oil is best applied before new leaves emerge to control scale, mealybug, and other problem insects that may be overwintering on your shrubs or ornamental trees, such as bicolor iris and bird of paradise.

-James

We had such a great turnout at our garden talk last Saturday, so let’s do it again! This Saturday, February 19^th at 10am, join Gill’s resident tree expert, Mike Montgomery as he demonstrates the do’s and don’ts of tree pruning. You’ll walk away with the info you need to sculpt small trees yourself and to make sure nobody else harms your trees by pruning them improperly. Here’s a preview from Mike.

1. Less is best.

A good rule of thumb is to not cut branches larger than your thumb! With trees, unless there’s a very good reason (like branches rubbing on the house), you typically don’t need to do a lot of pruning. Start with the ‘less is best’ mindset.

2. Bottom up, not top down.

When we prune shrubs and perennials, we take a little off the top. Don’t do that with trees! Think of a tree (even small trees like crape myrtles or yaupon holly) as a sculpture. In order to get a good tree form, and to keep the tree healthy, start from the bottom and work your way up.

3. For big trees, hire a trusted arborist or tree service.

Very important – don’t let just anybody trim your trees. This time of year, you will see lots of amateurs with chainsaws offering great deals to trim your trees. Some of them know what they’re doing, and lots don’t. Taking proper care of existing trees is just as important as planting new ones. Gill’s does not do tree trimming, but we can help you identify issues and recommend a trusted arborist or tree service.

See you Saturday!

-Mike

We’ve been out traveling this January and February, looking for the best plants to bring to Gill’s this Spring. There’s lots to be excited about!

Debbie, Kelsie, and Jesse attended the Tropical Plants International Expo in Tampa, Florida. They came back with new sources for blooming outdoor tropical plants, new varieties of houseplants, and rare and unusual plants. Kelsie even brought a variegated Philodendron “Jose Buono” back with her on the plane – somehow NOT against TSA rules!

James and I have been driving around Texas, finding pretty plants AND reminding our vendors how important it is that we get the best of the crop. We always bring them cookies – that makes them smile! We were excited to see our Texas growers recovering nicely from last year’s freeze with beautiful and plentiful crops of perennials and shrubs.

An interesting fact about Gill’s…

If a grower shows up with plants we don’t like, we send them back. They have learned over the years to only send us #1 grade!! ☺

-Sally Gill

If you’re like us, you cannot wait to get outside and get gardening! The cool, damp weather has hung around too long, but there’s lots to do in preparation for blue skies ahead. Here’s what you need to get done this month.

Check out our March Garden Guide for more tips and remember that trees, shrubs, and perennials can be planted 12 months out of the year! The only difference is the amount of water they need depending on temperatures & wind!

1. Wrap Up Your Clean-Up

If you still have pruning and clean-up to do, there’s still a little time! Cool temps have delayed the burst of Spring growth a bit. Overwintered perennials like Lantana, Salvias, and Roses need pruning now – cut them back up to 50%.

2. Plant Your Fruits and Veggies

It’s time! We are thrilled to have a big healthy selection of Spring veggies and fruit trees this year. We haven’t seen peach and plum trees this nice in several seasons. One thing we recommend for all plantings, including veggies and fruit trees, is Nature’s Blend compost – the closest thing we’ve seen to ‘magic in a bag’! One bag can amend about 12 sq ft of clay or sandy soil.

3. Bring Back the Birds, Bees, and Butterflies!

Now is a great time to incorporate plants into your garden that attract & feed the birds, bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. They need your help finding food and shelter, and you need their help pollinating your blooming plants, increasing your veggie production, and eating bad bugs. Bees are drawn to most anything with a bloom but some fav’s are Gregg’s Mist Flower, Esperanza, & Lantana. Butterflies love Butterfly Weed, Salvias, & Mexican Flame Vine. Native plants like Turks Cap produce berries for birds, and Hummers love Duranta, Mexican Honeysuckle, & lots more!

4. Feed New Plants Now, Established Plants Soon

New plantings need a good start with a good organic plant food. We love BioTone, PlantTone, and Hastagro. Add BioTone to your soil when you plant, then use PlantTone once a month and supplement with Hastagro about every 2 weeks to continue feeding throughout the season. For established plants, wait to feed until they are actively growing – typically mid/late March or early April.

5. Flowers for Right Now

Nothing says Spring like planting flowers! The best choices this month are Petunias, Marigolds, Begonias, and Geraniums. These love the warm days and cool nights of our early Spring. Popular late Spring/Summer flowers like Vinca, Moss Rose, and Zinnias will start to arrive in April as temps stay warmer.

6. Apply Pre-emergent Now + Wait to Fertilize Lawns

Lawns are still mostly dormant and not yet actively growing. Now is the time to apply pre-emergent weed control before the weeds start growing. We recommend Dura Turf Crab Grass and Weed Preventer. Hold off on watering – water once a week at most, depending on rain. And wait to fertilize lawns until you see enough growth to mow your lawn regularly, typically late March/early April. We recommend Medina Growin’ Green or Gill Lawn and Garden Food.

Check out our March Garden Guide for more tips!

-Debbie

Growing food organically promotes life – you get delicious and rewarding veggies by keeping it simple and working with nature, including the beneficial organisms in the soil. Join Wyatt Page this Saturday, March 5^th at 10am at Gill’s for his talk on organic veggie gardening tips. Here’s a preview from Wyatt!

Amend the soil. Great gardens start with great soil. Our Corpus Christi Clay (and Padre Island Sand) need a little help. The key is to incorporate beneficial microbes, enzymes, and fungi that create a perfect environment for plant roots to grow.

Nature’s Blend Compost. Till in 1 bag per 12 sf of garden. Helps break up clay soil and adds a bunch of beneficial organic material. Excellent for veggie gardens and all other plantings.
BioTone Starter fertilizer. Add a small handful of BioTone when you plant each plant. A key ingredient in BioTone are mycorrhizal fungi which attach to plant roots and help them grow.
Worm castings and Dried Molasses help encourage soil life too.

No chemicals! Chemical pesticides, fungicides, and weed killers damage beneficial life in your garden. Here are some organic solutions that work:

Bad Bugs and common pests: Treat bad bugs like aphids, mealy bugs, or leaf miner with organic Spinosad Soap or Neem Oil as needed. Even better than that – let nature do the work and let lady bugs, spiders, and lizards eat them!
Fungal issues: Fungal problems like powdery mildew and rust can be treated with Neem Oil or Bee Safe Garden Spray. You can use horticultural cornmeal when planting to prevent fungal problems like blight.
Weeds: Proper mulching (2-3” thick) is the best way to prevent weeds! Make sure you stay on top of hand pulling as weeds pop up. Spray horticultural vinegar to kill new weeds on contact.

Get help from pollinators: Attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies will help increase vegetable production. In my garden I like to plant Salvias, Turk’s cap, and wildflowers mixed in with all the veggies to attract more pollinators.

Start small: Veggie gardening is lots of fun, but it does take time! If you are new to veggie gardening, I would encourage you to start small and build your garden little by little each season. A simple 4×8’ area, raised bed, or a few large pots/containers can produce quite a bit of food!

See you this Saturday!

-Wyatt

Nothing says Spring like planting flowers! Our South Texas climate gives us lots of options for blooms right now and blooms through the Spring and Summer. Here are our tips for timing, planting, and care to get the healthiest plants and brightest blooms.

Timing – What to Plant, What to Expect

Plant Impatiens, Petunias, Begonias, Gerbera Daisy, and Geraniums right now for intense, amazing color for the next 2ish months. As temperatures warm up in April/May, we’ll transition to a new palette of flowers like Vinca, Zinnias, Moss Rose, and Purslane that will last and bloom through the Summer. Right now is also a great time to plant blooming perennials like Salvias, Coreopsis, Lantana, and Penta that will bloom again each year and look their best for 2-3 years.

Planting – Tender Plants, Tender Roots

For small, tender annual flowers like Petunias and Begonias, use a good fluffy potting soil in pots to allow tender roots to penetrate. When planting in the ground, amend existing soil with Nature’s Blend compost to loosen up clay soil and add nutrients. Whether planting in pots or in the ground, be sure not to plant too deep – plant level with the surrounding soil so the tiny feeder roots on the surface are not buried. Allow adequate spacing between plants for good air circulation and healthy growth. Spacing depends on the flower you’re planting. For example, Petunias should be about 8” apart, while Periwinkles should be 12-16” apart.

Feeding and Care

Fertilizing is essential if you want the best blooms. We recommend Medina Hasta Gro every 2 weeks and Rose Glo once a month – both are organic and excellent for promoting new blooms. For annual flowers, pinch off any old/faded blooms to encourage new blooms. Blooming perennials need to be cut back right now before they start growing rapidly. This is the best opportunity to promote more blooms and a nicer look and shape overall.

-Debbie and Jesse

One of my favorite pastimes, in between planting, fertilizing, trimming, and mulching, is sitting in my backyard and watching the butterflies dance around my garden. Here’s a few tips to entice these beauties to YOUR GARDEN!

Locate a sunny area.

Butterflies and most butterfly attracting plants require bright sunshine.

Plant nectar producing flowers.

Butterflies visit flowers in search of nectar to eat. Many butterflies seem to prefer purple, yellow, orange and red- orange blossoms. Clusters of short, tubular flowers or flat-topped blossoms provide the ideal shapes for butterflies to easily land and feed.

Select single flowers rather than double flowers.

The nectar of single flowers is more accessible and easier for butterflies to extract than the nectar of double flowers, which have more petals per flower.

Use large splashes of color in your landscape.

Butterflies are first attracted to flowers by their color. Groups of flowers are easier for butterflies to locate than isolated plants.

Plan for continuous bloom throughout the season.

Butterflies are active from early spring until late fall. Plant a selection of flowers that will provide nectar throughout the entire growing season. For blooms throughout the year, plant hamelia, shrimp plant. jatropha, lantana, bulbine, buddleia, mist flower, & penta. For flowers spring and fall, try mexican flame vine, verbena, mexican mint marigold, pavonia, passion vine, salvias, & fall chrysanthemums.

Clockwise from Top Left: Lantana, Mist Flower, Salvia Mystic Spires, Salvia Gregii, Shrimp Plant, Mexican Mint Marigold

Plant for perching.

Plant some evergreen trees or shrubs for perching and rain shelter. Example: Yaupon holly or desert willow.

Include host plants in your garden design.

Host plants provide food for the caterpillar and lure female butterflies into the garden to lay eggs.

Common Name: Larval Food Source
Black Swallowtail: dill, parsley, fennel, carrot tops
Fritillaries: passionflowers
Giant Swallowtail: citrus, rue
Julias: passionflowers
Monarchs & Queens: milkweeds
Pipevine Swallowtail: Dutchman’s pipevine
Skippers: mallows
Snouts: hackberry
Sulphurs: cassias
Viceroys: pear, cottonwood, willow
Whites: mustards, pepper-grass
Zebra Longwings: passionflowers

Clockwise from Top Left: Black Swallowtail, Monarch, Snout, Zebra Longwing

Include damp areas or shallow puddles in the garden.

Some butterflies drink and extract salts from moist soil. Occasionally large numbers of male butterflies congregate around a moist area to drink, forming a “puddle club”.

Place flat stones in the garden.

Butterflies often perch on stones, bare soil or vegetation, spread their wings and bask in the sun. Basking raises their body temperature so they are able to fly and remain active.

Do not use pesticides in or near a butterfly garden.

Most traditional garden pesticides are toxic to butterflies. Use predatory insects, insecticidal soap or hand remove the pests if problems occur.

Become a butterfly watcher!

Get to know the colorful butterflies that visit your garden. They are easy to identify with a field guide or butterfly app!

-Sally