No Need To Wait… Plant Hardy Trees And Shrubs Now!
Are Your Tropicals Looking Winter Worn?
Hot weather tropicals such as hibiscus, bougainvilleas, esperanza, plumbago and many more suffer from the sudden temperature drops in the winter. Even though we have not had a freeze, the last really good cold snap made our plants look pretty bad. The leaves turn yellow and brown and most plants also suffer lots of leaf drop. This is normal so don’t be alarmed. In late February to early March you should cut all these plants back one third to half their size and fertilize. They will flush out with new spring growth and you will never know they looked so bad over the winter. The beauty of spring!!
Our Thoughts On Winter Watering
Since the temperatures are no longer in the 90’s and plants are not actively growing they require less water. This includes the lawn. Change your watering schedule on the lawn and established shrubs to every 2 weeks slow and deep instead of once a week. Potted plants no longer need to be watered everyday. Most could go every 2-3 days. Night-time dampness and fog helps to keep moisture in the soil. By changing your watering habits you help to reduce fungal problems which are prevalent with these conditions.
Debbie Pinkerton says
Hi Tina,
Magnolia trees can be a bit finicky. The Jane Magnolia tree is not recommended for South Texas. They are one of the deciduous magnolias that are used mostly in the southeastern part of the US. Here’s a resource to find out more about magnolia care in general and some specific information about Jane Magnolias.
https://www.gardendesign.com/trees/magnolia.html
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/magnolia-jane/