Bugs

Growing food is all the trend as farmers markets, farm to table restaurants, and the phrase “locally grown” gives credit that the food will be the freshest available! But to grow your own? Even better!

Fall is about the best time to grow food and especially true if you are new to South Texas gardening. Days are getting shorter, a little cooler (don’t laugh), less bugs, and less problems. Selections are virtually endless. Beans, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, all kinds of greens, carrots, turnips; and the list goes on! You’ll be amazed at how delicious and easy food gardening can be!

Top to plant now? Tomatoes and peppers. Both of these need the warm days and will appreciate cool nights. There are tons of tomato varieties. Celebrity & Tycoon are favorites for slicing; Sweet 100 & Juliet are delicious cherry tomatoes. The best pepper to plant? You can’t go wrong with a jalapeno or serrano. Good flavor, usually not too hot, & great for salsa. A great way to check how hot a pepper is; cut the top off enough to catch a little of the pepper core. Place the core top on your tongue. You will know how mild or hot it is and how much to use.

Mid-September and it’s time to start planting cool weather veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, lettuce, cabbage, turnips, beets, spinach, kale, and a garden of culinary herbs. Don’t be afraid to try your hand at planting by seed. Botanical Interest is a fantastic seed company, all non-GMO with great organic varieties.

Do you need a large planting space? Not at all! A 4×8 space with at least half a day sun is plenty for a family of 4. Water troughs and large pots make great planters for food.

Help your soil to help your plants. Adding compost, dried molasses, and organic fertilizer to new and existing garden areas will feed the soil microbes that also feed your plants. Our favorite compost is Natures’ Blend Compost by Back To Nature. If you are planting in containers, use a good potting mix.

Plan to water and fertilize with a good organic fertilizer. We love Medina Hasta Gro, Espoma Plant-Tone, and Bio-Tone fertilizer. Find more details about watering and care of your garden through out the fall season on our website.

The most important part? Have fun gardening. Enjoy your harvest!

-Debbie

It is not webworms! Webbing on the bark of trunks and branches is a good thing. Don’t spray!!

Bark lice is natures clean-up crew. These tiny creatures are scouring the bark for plant, animal, or fungus life which they eat, and while they perform this housekeeping chore, they spin this web for protection.

Usually the web will disintegrate in two or three days and will disappear almost a suddenly as it appeared. Leave them alone and let them do their job of cleaning up your trees or shrubs. Thank goodness for good bugs!

Photo: agriflife.org

-DeAnna

Lots of fun to be had this Summer – holidays, BBQs, weekend trips, and landscape projects! Here are our top must-do’s to keep your plants healthy and happy this July.

Check out our July 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. Watering: Think Depth, Not Frequency

Proper hydration happens when you get water down to the root ball of the plant. This means watering deeply not more frequently. Run irrigation systems or sprinklers once a week before 10am or after 6pm per current city watering rules – this is what we recommend for summer watering even when restrictions are lifted. Long, slow, deep drinks for plants, trees, and lawns!

2. Train Your Plant Sitter

Be sure to have a trusted plant-sitter come water your plants while you’re away on summer excursions! It’s a good idea to spend a little time showing them how you water. Don’t just write it down, walk them through it. You know your plants and which ones get tired and thirsty the fastest.

3. Collect Cool New Houseplants

Now’s a great time of year to work on your cool indoor jungle. The greenhouse is restocked with all kinds of interesting choices, including the pictured Hoya macrophylla aka “wax plant” or “honey plant”. The variegated edges become vibrant pink with more sunlight, and it blooms beautiful fragrant star-shaped flowers. Great to hang/drape in medium to bright indirect light. Keep in mind that constant A/C indoors will dry out plants. Keep an eye on watering (use a moisture meter) and don’t place houseplants near an A/C vent. We are experimenting with a small humidifier on one of our indoor plant shelves.

4. Make Shade!

We find lots of uses for shade cloth here at Gill’s. It’s great for shading plants, of course, and can also be used to block wind. It’s also an excellent addition to a pergola, breezeway, or outdoor dining area to create some extra shade this Summer. Easy to cut to the custom size/shape you need.

5. Watch for More Bugs in Summer

*This is what a mealybug infestation looks like!*

Not all bugs are bad, so it’s important to know your bugs before you spray anything, even organics. A few bugs here and there is probably not cause for alarm. If you do get an infestation, cut the plant back first, give it some fertilizer, then treat for bugs. By pruning first, you won’t have to treat every leaf on the whole plant. We see plants come back better than ever using this method. If you’re not sure about bugs or pruning, we’re here to help.

Did you know grubworms come from June bugs? Many folks are reporting seeing June bugs all over the porch since the first of March. They are making their mating flight to lay eggs, hatch grubs and feed off the roots of your grass. Once you begin seeing them you wait 5-6 weeks before you treat. If you have ever lost your lawn to grubs, you know the devastation they can cause. There are several ways to control grubs.

First, is the watch and monitor. If you notice sections of the lawn are prematurely wilting, or turning brown you can dig down and look for grubs. If you find more than 4 in one square foot area, then it is recommended to treat the affected areas with a granular or liquid insecticide drench.

Second, you can spray out Beneficial Nematodes. These microscopic worms attack white grubs and other soil inhabiting insects. Nematodes must be supplied with adequate moisture to help them move down into the soils where grubs are feeding. At least ¼ inch of water must be applied before and ¼ inch just after, nematodes are sprayed into the lawn. Repeat applications may be necessary to maintain a good colony of them. One container covers 2000 sq. ft.

Third, you can apply Bayer Season Long Grubworm killer which lasts for 3 months to give a chemical kill of the grubs. This product attaches to the roots of your grass and kills them as they feed. This year peak time to treat is the first two weeks of April.

-DeAnna

1. Fertilize in Fall.

It’s great to fertilize in spring, and again early summer, but fall fertilization is probably the most important of all, and the most neglected. September 15 to November 15 application makes the nutrients available while the roots are still active. This will result in better turf density (and so fewer weeds), stronger roots, and residual nutrient inside the grass runners for faster green-up next spring. Apply the recommended amount, as excess fertilizer can result in fall and winter fungus.

2. Water Properly.

A long deep soaking once a week is appropriate through mid-October, then water just once every two weeks through fall and winter, if we don’t get an inch of rain. Excess frequency of watering also encourages fungus problems. Resume once a week watering mid-March to April.

3. Watch for Insects.

Chinch bugs have been a scourge this summer! Grub damage can start showing up late summer. And there is always the possibility of Fall Armyworms or Sod Webworms in fall. Don’t take your neighbor’s advice, please bring in a sample of lawn as soon as you see any problem (still somewhat alive but showing symptoms) and maybe a photo, and let us advise on proper treatment. Don’t just douse any and all brown spots with pesticide. Some may be old drought/heat damage, some may be fungus.

4. Mow Properly.

Once a week minimum during rapid growth. More frequently is even better if you can manage it (notice how often you see the mowers on the golf course). This results in better density and therefore fewer weeds. Keep your blade sharpened for best grass health. During late fall and winter fungus season, see if you can get your yardman to sterilize his mower before getting on your lawn to minimize spread of fungal spores from other yards (good luck with that!)

5. Control Weeds.

If you have followed recommendations 1-4, you are already ahead! But the next step, if you feel it necessary, is a pre-emergent weed preventer, such as Bonide Weed & Crabgrass Preventer 9.5lb or Bonide Weed Beater Complete 10lb, applied in October and again in January. Follow label recommendations for best results, you do not want to over or under apply. We do not recommend weed-and-feed fertilizers, because plants and shrubs all need fertilizer, but weed killers can damage or kill shrubs and trees, and effective application times for fertilizers and weed killers are very different. If you have some broadleaf weeds (clover, sow thistle, dandelion, chickweed) occurring in January or February, you can spot apply a broadleaf weed-killer such as Weed-B-Gon for Southern Lawns.

-James

Brown, dry looking lawn? Check for Chinch bugs.

“I can’t possibly water enough. This summer must be hotter than last summer.” I don’t think our summers have gotten hotter, but as I age, I do not handle the heat as well. Most plants that grow in South Texas, on the other hand, love our heat and humidity. Crape Myrtles, Esperanza, Bougainvillea and Firebush are just a few that love the heat and thrive in it.

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The key is to water properly and give the plants what they need when they need it. Once your plants are established (on average after 2 years in the ground) they only require once a week watering. Water plants slow and deep early in the day so they are well hydrated. It may be easier to water when you get home in the evening, but that is not the best time for plants.

When a plant becomes stressed from heat, lack of food, high winds or other environmental conditions it becomes weakened and susceptible to bugs and disease attack. So try to keep your plants watered, fed and happy so they can resist insect attack and develop a stronger root system to handle our climate. Having the right plant in the right place and given proper care makes for a happy landscape and a happy gardener!

We’re here to help you identify the best care for your plants. We have automatic shut off timers, soaker hoses, sprinklers, fan sprays and more to help make your watering easier. As well as thinking about the health of your plants, remember to think about yourself. Try to garden early in the day or later in the evening. Seek out shade when possible and always drink plenty of water.

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-DeAnna

It’s a wonder to watch crape myrtles go from ordinary to extraordinary in what seems a matter of days. Look down most neighborhood streets to find a multitude of white, pinks, reds, and purples high above homes. Crapes are a beautiful long lived addition to your landscape. They are cold hardy, great color for summer; provide fall colored foliage, interesting bark, and drought tolerant once they’re established.

Crape myrtles come in groups of sizes; the tallest reaching 30’ or so, the smallest barely 2’. Something to consider when adding them to your landscape! All need lots of sun and room to grow to their potential. Now’s the best time to pick your favorite color; plan to water every day. They are thirsty the first summer.

There are a few things to help with your crape myrtle success. Please do not commit crape murder trimming your trees like hedges each winter. No tree should ever be topped like a crew cut.

Aphids and lace bugs can leave black sooty mold on the leaves. We recommend using the Bayer Tree & Shrub drench to keep your plants clean and pest free. Apply in the spring when your tree first starts to put on new growth. It lasts a season so 1 treatment will take care of the time when bugs are their worst. If you’re planting now, keep an eye for these critters, and treat with a topical control like Cyonara.

Consider a crape myrtle for some wow in your summer landscape, they will give you years of enjoyment!

-Debbie

Bugs

1. Watering: Think Depth, Not Frequency

2. Train Your Plant Sitter

3. Collect Cool New Houseplants

4. Make Shade!

5. Watch for More Bugs in Summer

1. Fertilize in Fall.

2. Water Properly.

3. Watch for Insects.

4. Mow Properly.

5. Control Weeds.

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