Jesse Jenkins

We’re happy to report that Christmas trees are here and they look….AMAZING!! We are so pleased with the sizes and shapes and freshness this year! The garden center is stocked with fresh-cut trees ranging from 5ft to 11ft, and the Gill’s crew has delivered one very special Nordmann Fir measuring 18ft at The South Texas Botanical Gardens! Here’s some more info about our Christmas tree varieties this year plus a few important care tips. We can’t wait to help you find your perfect tree 🙂

Did You Know Real Fresh-Cut Christmas Trees are the Environmentally Friendly Option?

Real Christmas trees help support forests and don’t require the carbon emissions that it takes to produce plastic trees. We work with sustainably-managed Christmas tree farms in Washington state and North Carolina who plant 3 new saplings for each tree they harvest. Their forests of Christmas trees consume several thousand pounds of carbon dioxide per year helping to clean our atmosphere and provide oxygen. After the season, recycled trees can be used for building barrier sand dunes on Padre Island, creating artificial reefs in local bay waters, creating bug and pollinator habitat, chipped for garden mulch, and more. No waste!

Tree Varieties at Gill’s

Fraser Fir is one of the most popular trees for the classic look. They are highly sought after for their needle retention, tolerance to warmer climates, soft silvery foliage, and fragrance. Our Frasers are especially fragrant this year. We have seen Frasers in March look almost as good as they did in December!

Noble Fir in traditional form or the trendy layered look. Nobles are known for their long-cut life, darker green foliage, and stiff branches that hold ornaments well. They’re also very fragrant for those of us who love the smell of Christmas trees.

Nordmann Fir has a soft needle and little to no fragrance, which makes it a great choice for those with allergies. Nordmanns have a very full look with contrasting silver and dark green foliage. Gorgeous!

We offer delivery + set-up as well as Xmas tree takeaway after the season.

2 Very Important Xmas Tree Care Tips:

#1 – Keep your tree in water! Our trees have had a fresh cut and have been immediately placed in water to maximize freshness. As soon as you get your tree home, get the base of the trunk in water. If you need to wait to put it on the stand, get it in a bucket of water. If you plan to give your tree a fresh cut when you get home, only cut ½” off the base, and you must get it in water within 10 mins, or the cut will seal over and not allow the tree to take up water. For the first few days, your tree will drink a lot of water! Keep monitoring your water level in the stand those first few days and throughout the season. We carry the Watering Elf long water funnel which makes refilling super easy.

#2 – Keep your tree away from heating and A/C vents (if a vent is nearby, close it). Heating and A/C will dry out the tree quickly – you don’t want that! You want to keep the needles as hydrated as possible.

Go See The Big Tree!

We are happy to be a part of the annual Botanical Gardens holiday light display. Visit the Botanical Gardens website for more info about holiday hours. Can’t wait to see this year’s big tree!

We’re thankful to get to do what we do! Thank you for all your plant questions, your landscaping inspiration, and for sharing your excitement and love of gardening with us. We hope you have a great holiday. We’ll be closed Thanksgiving Day and back open on Friday at 9 to help you find your perfect tree!

Holiday season is here! These last few weeks of 2024 are sure to fly by. Our advice: make sure you spend some time in the garden to balance out the hectic holidays. Here are our top to-do’s this month: what to plant, gift ideas, holiday plant care, and more.

Check out our December Garden Guide for more tips!

1. These Plants Want to Be Planted in December

There’s always the BEST time to get plants growing and here’s a few that LOVE this season as much as we do!

Trees…shade, flowering, small, big, they all benefit from planting now. Good root development during the cooler months of winter gives them better growth in spring and a deeper, stronger root system to withstand the summer heat.

Onions…we grow short-day onion varieties here in South Texas. Lucky for us the 1015 Texas Supersweet is one of those along with tasty Texas Early White & Southern Belle Red.

Roses…our mild winters are perfect for big, beautiful roses & the cooler temps will only make them prettier and the flower color richer.

Ornamental Cabbage & Kale…these winter classics need to be planted early this month and enjoyed through the season! Easy care, vibrant colors, and unique texture in the garden.

Alyssum…gorgeous white blooms all winter long. Did you know Alyssum flowers and leaves are edible? They have a pungent horseradish-y flavor.

Other plants that require short days…some plants require short days/enough hours of darkness to bloom and look their best. Think Aloes and other outdoor succulents, Cyclamen, Camelia, native Salvia greggii, and Kalanchoes!

2. Tips for Holiday Plants

Fresh-cut Christmas Trees…we give all of our trees a fresh cut and get them in water immediately to preserve their freshness. Many customers ask us for another fresh cut before they take the tree home. If you decide to have us do another fresh cut, or if you do it yourself, keep in mind that you have 10 minutes to get the tree in water before that cut seals over! Check water in your tree stand daily and keep it full. If you have pets who like to drink or splash the water, try covering with a piece of foil.

Poinsettias…Think of poinsettias as succulents – because they are! They are a type of euphorbia. That means give them a good drink, but let them dry out between waterings. Also, the leaves bruise and break easily, so avoid touching them as much as possible. So tempting to touch!

Christmas Cactus…Probably the easiest of all holiday plants, and they can last a LONG time! There are stories of Christmas Cacti that have been gifted and passed down through families for 100+ years. They like well-lit areas, but not direct sunlight. Let dry between waterings, then mist the leaves as well as water the soil when its time to water. They like to stay on the dry side!

Living Holiday Trees…Junipers, Norfolk Pines, Loblolly Pines, Magnolias, and Ficus trees all make great Christmas trees that can be planted outside after the holidays. If you bring these in for decorating, be sure they have good bright natural light. Keep watered but not too much, and as soon as the holidays are done…take them outdoors for a breath of fresh air and get them in the ground.

3. Think Gifts for Gardeners!

If you have gardeners on your list this year, we’ve got you covered! Cosmic seed kits, handmade holiday ornaments, quality tools and gloves, nature-themed holiday cards, crystals, ceramic snakes, beautiful houseplant cutting jars, and lots more unique garden gifts. And of course, plants!! If they’re picky, you can’t go wrong with a Gill’s gift card!

4. Plant and Feed Winter Flowers

Winter flowers are AMAZING right now! Violas and Pansies are breathtaking and Geraniums are full of buds and blooms. All that blooming makes them hungry, so take a moment and fertilize your beauties. We love using granular Plant Tone once a month, then following up with liquid Hasta Gro every 2 weeks. Both are organic and give you big results. Have that “one more empty pot” to fill?

5. Adjust Your Houseplant Care for Winter

Most houseplants will not experience a complete dormancy period during winter, but they will slow down growth and react to climatic changes like drier conditions inside the house. Give your houseplants more light and less water as temperatures and the amount of daylight hours drop. Dust/shine leaves regularly to ward off insects. Cooler temps = drier conditions and less of the humidity that houseplants love. Try grouping them together to create more humidity, or use a humidifier. When bringing patio plants inside for cold snaps, be sure to treat with All Seasons Horticultural Oil spray to prevent any pests (like scale insects) from hitching a ride indoors.

6. Start Thinking About Frost Prep!

We typically don’t get a frost until January or February, but there’s always a chance! Be sure you’ve got your frost blankets or frost cloth ready to protect any tender outdoor tropicals and new plantings. Mulch beds at 2-3″ deep to help seal in warmth. And don’t prune yet! Remember that pruning signals to a plant that it’s time to put on new growth. Instead, plant leaves need to harden off and go dormant for the winter. Foliage that you leave on the plant will help insulate it against cold weather.

7. Collect & Conserve Water

Hooray for rain this week! If you’re not already collecting rainwater, now’s the time to start. This time of year, even a simple 55gal rain barrel goes a long way because plants don’t need as much water. We recently installed a big 2,500gal stainless steel tank to collect rainwater from the greenhouse roof. Less than 2″ of rain fills it up! We installed a pump at the base of the tank to pressurize 2 water hoses which allow us to water LOTS of plants. If you’re interested in a rainwater harvesting system like this, Gill’s landscape department can design and install. In addition to rainwater, you can easily catch water from your A/C units and dehumidifiers. We water almost all of the houseplants in our gift shop area with water from 1 dehumidifier with a 2.5gal reservoir that fills up about twice a day. Humidity can be a good thing!

Need to do some peaceful, non-stressful holiday gift shopping? Come take a stroll at Gill’s and pick out a few gifts for the green thumbs on your list! We’ll help you find the right plants, useful tools, nature-related holiday ornaments, holiday cards, and all kinds of other unique and fun gifts to help connect your loved ones to the outdoors. Here’s our gift guide for gardeners!

1. Gifts that Grow

Now is a great time to plant winter flowers like petunias, geraniums, and snapdragons, and they’re quick and easy to plant! Easy for Santa to sneak in and secretly plant a few flowers.

Roses, herbs, and onions are all great to plant right now too. Or if you want to make it a truly memorable holiday, plant a tree! Remember that trees benefit greatly from being planted in fall and winter, including these gorgeous large citrus trees that already have fruit on them! And if you don’t want to do any hauling or digging, we’ll deliver and plant it for you.

2. Poinsettias and Other Holiday Classics

Poinsettias are THE classic holiday décor and centerpiece for holiday meals. They make great gifts for teachers, bosses, coworkers, and friendly acquaintances – they just make people happy!

A blooming Christmas Cactus or Kalanchoe is great too, or a small living holiday tree like a juniper, Norfolk pine, or rosemary. We can gift wrap these for you. Easy wow!

3. Custom-Planted Pottery

Let us help you put together something totally unique! Choose the pots and plants and we can pot it all up for you, or you can make a mess here at our potting shed. Houseplants, flowers, herbs, native plants for pollinators, and lots more can stand alone or be combined in the right pot.

4. Quality Garden Tools

We don’t carry a huge selection of tools, just nice tools that are made to last – the tools we sell are the tools our pros use. Pruners, loppers, kitchen/herb shears, or even a quality sharp-shooter shovel make great gifts. Working with quality tools makes gardening a lot more fun.

5. Soothing Wind Chimes

Lots of different tones and styles for relaxing in the garden, including our favorite chimes of all time, Music of the Spheres. Hand-made and hand-tuned here in TX.

6. “Gordo” Birdhouses + Birding Supplies

These Gordo birdhouses have been a huge hit this fall. People love them and birds too! Or go with a nice stone bird bath, quality bird seed + feeders, and some bird-attracting plants and you’ll make the birders on your list very happy.

7. Handmade Ceramic Snakes

These snakes are so cool! They come in a variety of colors and shapes, some are made to hang on the wall, and some are great for slithering into potted arrangements indoors or out.

8. Animal Pot Hangers

Cats, bunnies, gators, turtles, snails, birds, and so many more! Gardeners young and old (and medium old) love adding fun critters to pots.

9. Cosmic Herb Seed Kits

These herb seed kits make awesome stocking stuffers. Choose the herbs that align with your loved one’s astrological sign, or seeds that grow inside a beautiful ceramic mug – or both!

10. Houseplant Cutting Jars

Our cutting jars make great gifts for houseplant lovers. We collect interesting glass jars and use LECA (lightweight expanded clay aggregate) + water as the growing medium for cuttings that we take from rare mother houseplants. You can keep them growing like this long-term, or choose to transfer them to bigger containers whenever you wish. Beautiful, elegant, and alive!

11. Nature-Themed Children’s Books + Vintage Gardening Books

Have you browsed our new bookshelf yet? We’ve been collecting new and vintage gardening books and nature-related children’s books that your gardeners will love.

12. Nature-Themed Holiday Ornaments

We have such a cute collection of nature-themed ornaments this year. Come take a look!

13. Handmade Frog Houses + Bee Watering Cups

Did you know that Gill’s Asst. Manager, Wyatt Page is a ceramic artist?! He sells his cool frog houses and bee/butterfly watering cups here at Gill’s! Invite more of these beneficial creatures into your veggie garden by providing shelter and water.

14. When in Doubt – Gift Cards!

Can’t go wrong with a Gill’s gift card! Purchase in store or online here. Good for plants, supplies, and services too. You could give the gift of landscape design, a food garden next spring, a planted tree, or anything else we provide. We can help you with ideas too!

We know that watering restrictions, especially the new Stage 3 ban on most outdoor watering, are cause for alarm for gardeners. We are in close contact with City leadership, and we’re here to help you navigate the situation. As always, Gill’s is here to show you what you CAN do in the garden, not what you can’t do.

1. URGENT: You CAN (and should) Ask City Leadership to Revise the Drought Contingency Plan

At a minimum, we need to be able to hand water to keep trees and established landscapes alive through the drought. We all need to continue to contact City leadership to urge them to make necessary revisions to the Drought Contingency Plan. We wrote the letter below as a template for you to use. We recommend copying it, customizing it however you wish, and sending it via mail and/or email to City Council members, Mayor Guajardo, City Manager Peter Zanoni, and Corpus Christi Water COO Drew Molly (their contact information can be found at these links). If you can contact the new incoming 2025 Council members, reach out to them too! Here’s our letter template for you to use:

Dear City Council Members, Mayor, City Manager, and Corpus Christi Water:

The Stage 3 ban on all outdoor water use is not compliable for citizens or enforceable by the City. We need a Drought Contingency Plan that citizens can comply with and conserve water while still protecting their investments in their property.

We ask that you review and revise the Drought Contingency Plan. Specifically, section 10.3. Stage 3 Response should be revised to include:

Allow irrigation of landscaped areas on any day if it is by means of a hand-held hose (with positive shutoff nozzle), a faucet filled bucket or watering can of five gallons or less, or drip irrigation system with a positive shutoff device.
Allow temporary exemptions to watering restrictions for new plantings for up to 60 days.

Since we know that residences account for less than half of city water use, and we know that only some of those users water their landscapes, the Stage 3 ban on hand watering and drip irrigation would save only a very small portion of overall water use. These small water savings are not worth the negative environmental impacts and economic hardships they will cause.

Please revise the Drought Contingency Plan as soon as possible.

Respectfully,

[Your Name]

2. You CAN Water Potted Plants, Food Gardens, and Food-Bearing Trees

We confirmed with City leadership this week that you CAN water all potted plants, food gardens, and food-bearing trees by hand-held hose with positive shutoff nozzle at any time without the need to apply for an exemption to watering rules. That means winter veggies and herbs, citrus and fruit trees, and all your festive potted arrangements are all safe. We’re envisioning lots more food gardens and edible landscapes in 2025!

3. You CAN Still Apply for Watering Exemptions for Other New Plantings

For any new plantings, you CAN use the City’s form to apply for an exemption to the watering restrictions to help get the plants established. We handle these exemptions for our landscape clients, and we can help you with the calculations and technical information depending on the type of watering you’ll be doing. Just give us a call or stop by!

4. You CAN Collect and Recycle Water to Use Outside

There are no limits or restrictions on the use of rainwater, A/C condensate, dehumidifier condensate, or gray water (recycled water) for outdoor watering. Consider adding a few rain barrels or investing in a larger rainwater harvesting system like the one we have at Gill’s – yes, we sell stainless steel cisterns in lots of different sizes and our landscape department can install them for you. Some of us have also been experimenting with gray water collection from our washing machines and dishwashers. A single washing machine load can produce 15 to 40 gallons of gray water! As long as you use chemical and salt-free cleaning products, most plants and lawns will do just fine with recycled gray water.

5. You CAN Still Make Big Landscape Improvements While Saving Water

There are still lots of options for adding new functional landscape design elements and improving your property. Now’s a great time to start planning new projects like patios, walkways, pergolas, outdoor seating and dining areas, new raised beds, and new layouts accented with smart plant choices. Think low-water Texas native plants, big statement cacti and agaves, replacing lawn areas with native groundcover plants like Frog Fruit or Wooly Stemodia…we’ve got options!

Lawn Care

Weed Control

Spot treat existing weeds growing now with natural horticultural vinegar or Captain Jack's Deadweed Brew. Both will burn any foliage so take care to not spray your plants or lawn.

Prevent weeds with Hi Yield Weed & Grass Stopper or Weed Beater Complete

Bare Spots & Brown Lawns

You can overseed your lawn now with winter rye grass seed (or fill bare spots with this seed) at the rate of 1 lb. per 100 sq.ft. We have it in 10 to 50 lb. bags.

Do not think about fertilizing until your lawn begins actively growing. Generally this is around early March.

Note: You cannot apply both winter rye and pre-emergent weed control in the same lawn. The seed will not sprout.

Read: Why Won't My Weed Killer Work?, Our Secret Ingredient for a Happy Lawn

What To Plant

All containerized, bare rooted, and ball in burlap hardy trees, shrubs, vines, fruit trees (not citrus) and roses.

Use Nature's Blend to prepare the garden soil and frost blankets to protect tender veggies from the cold nights.

Vegetable Seeds

Beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, Swiss chard, collards, lettuce, mustard, radish, spinach and turnips.

Start pepper and tomato seeds indoors to transplant into garden later.

Vegetable Transplants

Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, onion sets, seed potatoes, and spinach.

Tomato transplants can be nurtured in pots now and set in the garden in February.

Flower Seeds

Petunias, alyssum, carnations, larkspur, nasturtium, poppy, dusty miller, stock, calendulas and bluebonnets.

Flower Transplant

Pansies, petunias, alyssum, dianthus, snapdragons, and violas, flowering cabbage & kale.

Read: Flowering Cabbage & Kale - Another Winter Treasure

Houseplants

Give your indoor plants a checkup. Look over the foliage, remove any old or dead leaves to freshen their look and keep them healthy.

Be sure to set your plants in the proper light indoors but watch that the heater and/or AC vents do not blow directly on them. Windows provide good natural light - open blinds and curtains during the day.

Read: Indoor Gardening: EZ as a ZZ!

Water when needed, but plants will not drink as much during Winter months. Remember you can add more water, but hard to take out!

Fertilize houseplants organically with ½ strength Hasta Gro.

If your plants look unhappy, they might need re-potting. Be sure to use a good all-purpose potting mix.

Read: Plants, the Perfect Rx for Clean Air

Fertilize

Established Citrus Trees

Fertilize organically with Medina Growin Green, Citrus Tone, or Hasta Gro; or with conventional fertilizer ammonium sulfate 21-0-0.

Cool Weather Vegetables

Fertilize organically with Medina Growin Green, Hasta Gro, or Plant Tone; or with conventional fertilizer ammonium sulfate.

Cool Weather Annuals

Fertilize organically with Medina Growin Green, Maestro Rose Glo, or Plant Tone; or a water-soluble fertilizer like Hasta Gro.

Do not fertilize tropicals. They need to rest.

Watch Out For

Scale Insects

Watch for scale insects on hardy trees and shrubs. Spray with Neem Oil or Dormant Oil spray

Read: Organic Gardening 101 - What's Buggin Ya?

Lawn Fungus

This can be a major problem after long periods of wet, cool weather. There are 2 major lawn fungus – Take All Patch and Brown Patch.

Treat Take All Patch organically with Natures’ Blend Organic Compost or peat moss; or use conventional Fertilome Systemic Lawn Fungicide or Scotts Disease Ex.
Treat Brown Patch organically with horticultural corn meal or Nature’s Blend compost, or conventionally with F-Stop Fungus Granules.

Read: Protect Your Lawn: Recent Take All Root Rot Sightings (TARR)

Watch: How to Collect a Grass Sample

Prune

Fruit Trees

Prune peaches, plums, and figs lightly to shape. Do not prune citrus.

Hardy Dormant Trees

Prune oak, mesquite, cedar elm, & crape myrtle. Do not top trees! Prune from the bottom up.

Perennials

Perennials that have finished their bloom.

Water

Only as needed – but dry cold fronts, high winds and low humidity can dry plants quickly.

Established lawns only need water every couple of weeks, provided we don’t get rain.

Be sure to check your sprinkler system and adjust accordingly.

When or if temperatures dip below freezing:

Move tropical potted plants inside or group them together in a protected area so they may be easily covered.

Mulch and water newly planted trees and shrubs well; water tropicals and potted plants.

Cover tropicals and tender plants with frost blankets (which we sell), sheets, household blankets or plastic (Note plastic can burn the outer foliage it is touching).

Bring fabric all the way to the ground allowing heat from the soil to be trapped around the plant.

Uncover all plants as temperatures rise to prevent the foliage from scorching.

Read: Some tips on preparing for a freeze in last week's "Freeze Alert"

When or if temperatures dip below freezing:

Move tropical potted plants inside or group them together in a protected area so they may be easily covered.

Mulch and water newly planted trees and shrubs well; water tropicals and potted plants.

Cover tropicals and tender plants with frost blankets (which we sell), sheets, household blankets or plastic (Note plastic can burn the outer foliage it is touching).

Bring fabric all the way to the ground allowing heat from the soil to be trapped around the plant.

Uncover all plants as temperatures rise to prevent the foliage from scorching.

Read: Some tips on preparing for a freeze in last week's "Freeze Alert"

Lawn Care

You can still apply pre-emergent weed control to your lawn to prevent more weeds from sprouting. We recommend Hi Yield Weed & Grass Stopper with Dimension

You can overseed your lawn now with winter rye grass seed (or fill bare spots with this seed) at the rate of 1 lb. per 100 sq. ft. We have it in 5 to 10 lb. bags. Just remember you cannot use a pre-emergent when planting seed.

Fertilize your lawn when it begins actively growing. This is usually late February to mid March. We recommend organic Medina Growin Green. All fertilizers require water to work, so plan on watering after you apply.

Eliminate broadleaf weeds with Image, Ortho Weed-B-Gon for Southern Lawns, or organic Capt. Jack's Lawnweed Brew once our temperatures warm to the 70’s.

Control growing weeds naturally with Horticultural Vinegar or Captain Jack's Deadweed Brew treating only the weeds. It will burn all plant foliage.

Lay new sod anytime.

Watch: How to Collect a Grass Sample

What To Plant

Vegetable Seeds

Beans, beets, broccoli, carrots, collards, dill, lettuce, mustard, parsley, Swiss chard and turnips Herbs, onions, & seed potatoes

Garden Guide: Updated - Vegetable Planting Dates

Vegetable Transplants

Tomatoes any time this month, peppers, squash and watermelon at the end of the month. Protect these from late freezes. We carry frost blankets!

Read: Growing Fresh Food, Pro Planting Tip: Not Too Deep

Read: Organic Gardening

Flower Transplants

Petunias, alyssum, dianthus, snapdragons, dusty miller, begonias, gerbera daisy, geraniums, impatiens, marigolds, phlox and bluebonnets

Garden Guide: Spring/Summer Annual Planting Guide

All containerized, bare rooted, and ball in burlap hardy trees, shrubs, vines, fruit trees, fruiting vines, citrus (protect from freeze) and roses.

Garden Guide: Planting Trees, Shrubs & Groundcover

Indoor Plants

Give your indoor plants an inspection for insects. Most common are mealybugs, spider mites (not a spider), and scale.

White cottony stuff on the backs and crevices of the foliage: mealy bugs.
Spotted leaves with a sandpaper feel & tiny red specs: spider mites.
Black mold on foliage with waxy bumps on leaves: scale

All of these can be controlled naturally with Neem Oil or Spinosad Soap. It’s a good idea to spray/treat your plants outdoors then bring them back in once they’re dry.

Fertilize your indoor plants with organic Hasta Gro liquid and add nutrients with Worm Castings.

Give plants a gentle wash either outdoors or in the tub or sink to remove dust

Repot anytime with good potting mix.

Invest in a moisture meter to help with watering decisions.

Fertilize

Annuals & Perennials

Fertilize organically with Medina Growin Green, Hasta Gro, Maestro Rose Glo, or Plant Tone.

Established Roses

Fertilize organically with Maestro Rose Glo or Plant Tone.

Established Citrus Trees

(3 years or older) Fertilize organically with Citrus Tone, Medina Growin Green, Hasta Gro, or Plant Tone, or conventionally with ammonium sulfate 21-0-0 available in 4 to 20 Lb. bags.

Cool Weather Vegetables

Fertilize organically with Medina Growin Green, Hasta Gro, Maestro Rose Glo, or Plant Tone, or conventionally with ammonium sulfate.

All granular fertilizer should be watered in well.
Do not fertilize tropicals - they need to rest.

Water

Only as needed – but dry cold fronts, high winds and low humidity can dry plants quickly. Established lawns only need water every couple of weeks, provided we don’t get rain.
Be sure to check your sprinkler system and adjust accordingly!

Garden Guide: Good Water Practice for Established Trees, Shrubs & Lawns

Prune

Don't Prune:

Early spring bloomers such as azaleas, Carolina jessamine, Indian hawthorn, Mountain laurel or Redbud. Prune these after they bloom.

Do Prune:

Fruit trees – peaches, apples, plum, pear lightly to shape (do not prune citrus)
Hardy dormant trees – oak, mesquite, cedar elm, and crape myrtle – Do not top trees!
Perennials that have finished their bloom.
Pick spent flowers from annuals to prolong their bloom season.

Read: Looking Sharp For Spring: How to Sharpen Your Tools

Pruning Roses – do it now!

Prune established garden roses early to mid-February. Remove dead or small twiggy growth, leaving strong healthy canes to a plant height of about 18”. Try to prune back to an outward facing bud to maintain spreading, open growth. Don’t prune climbers until after the heavy spring bloom, then removing only the oldest canes and cutting back healthy, vigorous canes no more than 1/3. Cut the flowers throughout the year. This will encourage new buds to form to cut and enjoy again.

Watch Out For

Lawn Fungus

This can be a major problem after long periods of wet, cool weather. There are 2 major lawn fungus – Take All Patch and Brown Patch.

Watch: How to Collect a Grass Sample

Read: Protect Your Lawn – Recent Take-All Root Rot Sightings

To Treat: Treat Take All Patch organically with Nature’s Blend Compost or Peat Moss, conventionally with Scotts Disease EX Lawn Fungicide or Fertilome Systemic Lawn Fungicide.

Treat Brown Patch Fungus with Fertilome Systemic Lawn Fungicide, or Fertilome F-Stop Granules.

Watch: Brown Patch Fungus

Scale Insects

Found on hardy trees and shrubs.

To Treat: Spray with Neem Oil Spray or All Season Oil

Leaf Chewing Worms & Insects

To Treat: Thuricide, Spinosad or Dipel Dust

When or if temperatures dip below freezing:

Move tropical potted plants inside or group them together in a protected area so they may be easily covered.

Mulch and water newly planted trees and shrubs well; water tropicals and potted plants.

Cover tropicals and tender plants with sheets, blankets or plastic. (Note plastic can burn the outer foliage it is touching)

Bring fabric all the way to the ground allowing heat from the soil to be trapped around the plant.

Uncover all plants as temperatures rise to prevent the foliage from scorching.

We carry frost blankets!

Lawn Care

Weed Control

Spot treat existing weeds growing now with natural horticultural vinegar or Captain Jack's Deadweed Brew. Both will burn any foliage so take care to not spray your plants or lawn.

To prevent weeds, apply Hi Yield Grass and Weed Stopper or Weed Beater Complete to help control existing weeds and prevent new ones.

Apply Weed-B-Gon for Southern Lawns or Image to kill the existing weeds once our weather warms up to 70-80 degrees with no rain for about 5 days. They are safe for Floratam & Raleigh St. Augustine and Bermuda. Give them 2 weeks to fully work and then it should be time to fertilize the lawn.

Fertilize

Fertilize when the grass is actively growing. Apply organic Medina Growin Green or Milorganite to your lawn. Water in well (approximately 30 minutes per area). These organic fertilizers will feed your lawn and soil with minimal watering. Lay new sod anytime, bermuda seed anytime this month.

Read: Treat For Take-All Patch in Lawns

Watch: How to Collect a Grass Sample

What To Plant

Most annuals and perennials can now be purchased as transplants this month. Here is a list of some of our favorites: (L-R) caladiums (plants and bulbs), larkspur, petunias, salvia, gerbera daisy, alyssum, false heather, celosia, lantana, coleus.

Read: Fuel For Your Hungry Hummers

Vegetable Seeds

Beans, okra, radish, pumpkins, and watermelons, squash, cantaloupe, basil, corn

Vegetable Transplants

Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, and strawberries
Garden Guide: Vegetable Planting Dates

Hardy Trees, Shrubs, Vines, Grasses

All hardy and tropical trees, shrubs, vines and grasses. I can’t think of one that can’t be planted now!

Bulbs & Caladiums

Late spring and summer bulbs such as caladiums, and elephant ears

Houseplants

March is a great time to clean, trim, and feed your houseplants. As the sun becomes stronger, plants may require more waterings. Check more often. Consider repotting in Spring. Over Winter, houseplant roots can outgrow their existing pots.

Fertilize

AZALEAS, GARDENIAS, MAGNOLIAS

Fertilize organically with Maestro Gro-Rose Glo or Espoma Azalea Tone.

HIBISCUS & TROPICAL BLOOMERS

Fertilize all hibiscus and tropical bloomers organically with Maestro Gro-Rose Glo, or conventionally with Hibiscus Food.

ALL TREES & SHRUBS

Fertilize organically with Milorganite, Medina Growin Green, Plant Tone, or Hasta Gro.

ANNUALS & PERENNIALS

Fertilize organically with Medina Growing Green, Hasta Gro, Maestro Rose Glo, or Plant Tone, or conventionally with Osmocote Time Release Granules.

ESTABLISHED ROSES

Fertilize organically with Maestro Rose Glo or Plant Tone.

ESTABLISHED CITRUS TREES

Fertilize organically with Citrus Tone.
Read: Fertilize Your Citrus Now

All granular fertilizer should be watered in well.

Prune

All dead and freeze damaged wood from hardy and tropical trees, shrubs, vines and perennials
Wait to prune early spring bloomers like Azaleas, Carolina Jessamine, climbing roses, Texas Mountain Laurels, and Indian Hawthorn until after they finish their bloom.

Water

Water all plants well after planting, and regularly through the first year. Plants will begin to use more water as they grow and bloom.
Outdoor potted plants dry out quickly, as do hanging baskets and small annuals.
Mulch all plants to help hold moisture.

Garden Guide: Good Water Practice for Established Trees, Shrubs, and Lawns

What to Watch Out For

Protect your Lawn from Oak Leaves

Live oaks are following their natural pattern of dropping old leaves before the new leaves come on. Now it’s time to get those oak leaves off your lawn before it suffocates the grass. Under large oaks, since the grass is often thin and stressed anyway because of shade, using a blower is less stressful on the weak turf than a rake.