fall

Anytime between mid-September to mid-November is prime time to fertilize the lawn, trees, shrubs, vines and groundcovers.

Fertilizing while it is still warm is best because plants are still in their active growing season and taking up the nutrients provided. Once the weather starts cooling down plants begin going into dormancy and therefore are not as likely to take up the nutrients needed for the fall and winter.

Remember to water in the fertilizer with at least a ½ inch of irrigation. Never depend on the rain to water in your fertilizer, because as you know, it never rains when predicted, and also never gives us that perfect ½ inch. It either rains too much, too little, or not at all. Making sure the timing is right and proper amount of water is applied assures your lawn of getting the full benefit of the nutrients it needs to maintain healthy leaves and roots for the dormant season.

We carry our Gill Lawn and Garden and also several organic lawn fertilizers. Never use Weed and Feed if you have any trees or shrubs in the yard. Trees are a broadleaf just like a weed, so it will try to kill them as well. Weed killers and weed preventers can be used in October once our temperatures moderate in the 80’s.

Check out our September Garden Tips for more.

It’s always fun and rewarding to find those plants that take care of themselves with just a little help from your hands. Say hello to nasturtiums! This simple edible is one of my all time favorites to sow from seed. The foliage is vibrant green and reminds me of small living Frisbees rambling around a flowerbed or trailing out of pots or baskets. The flowers are delightful 5 petal trumpets coming in the perfect colors for your fall plantings.

Nasturtiums do best planted in the fall where they enjoy our warm days and cool nights. You will enjoy them well into the following spring. They play out in our hot summers but are known to reappear in fall once again. No help from you needed. They thrive in full to part sun and well drained soil.

To grow nasturtiums from seed, simply sow directly in soil that is been turned and loosened. A bit of Nature’s Blend compost is helpful. Scatter them, lightly cover with soil, water, and wait. If you like, you can start them in pots mixed with other annuals and let them grow up through making your own mixed bouquet.

We love these from Botanical Interest Seeds and think you will too!

Peach Melba, fiesta orange, jewel blend, cherry rose, Alaska-has variegated leaves, and a new one called black velvet that looks almost chocolaty! Gotta try it this year! See you soon

-Debbie

September

It’s not too late to get your squash, cucumber and beans seeds in the ground for a fall crop. It’s important to get them up and going before a cold snap.

Mid-September Through Fall

Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower & brussel sprouts best planted now from transplant.

Lettuce, kale & spinach can be planted in seed & transplant now through the fall for winter and spring harvest. Same with radishes, carrots & beets.

Mid November

Onion seeds are planted mid October. We will have the onion sets in the store mid-November for planting. Harvest period is January, February and March.

January

We’ll have seed potatoes in the store in January for April harvest.

Our favorite soil amending for veggie gardens is:

For a new garden:
Cotton Burr compost

To recondition an existing garden:
Nature’s Blend (cotton burr compost & manure)

At planting:
Rocket Fuel (bat guano, green sand & more)

Once a month through the season:
Plant Tone (poultry manure with innoculants)

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

Trees, shrubs, and perennials get a great bonus when planted in Fall. South Texas enjoys relatively warm soil temperatures through Fall and Winter, and cooler air temperatures direct the new plant to grow roots all through this time.

So, a plant put into the ground in Fall will grow twice as fast the following Spring as one planted in Spring due to having developed twice the root system, and it will also suffer much less stress in its first South Texas Summer.

We are lucky that we can garden year-round here, but Fall is our best season for planting!

Do These for Tree Success:

Choose a space suited for the size of mature trees
Plant in Fall to benefit from cooler temps & root development. Dig the hole as deep as the container & about 12” wider. Use compost to improve existing soil if needed.
Fertilize with Agriform tablets or Plant Tone mixed into soil around the root ball.
Mulch around trees & keep grass & weed eaters away from tree trunks
Stake trees especially in high wind areas
Follow watering directions

(click to expand)

fall-planting

-James and Debbie

We just received a nice selection of geraniums for last minute planting in your garden for the holidays! Ours are the zonal “Fantasia” variety with large ball shaped clusters of flowers and rings on their leaves. These geraniums are known to be compact and very hardy.

Originally from South Africa, geraniums like part sun to full sun fall through spring. They can be planted in well drained soil in flower beds or in containers with good rich potting soil. They make good cut flowers, really don’t have pest problems and don’t need a lot of water. They love being fertilized with Hasta Gro.

We promise this will brighten any sunny spot in your garden all winter and spring long. Hardy to the upper 20’s (which probably won’t happen this winter). Enjoy!!

-Sally

Sally and I recently tripped up to “San Antone” to celebrate my sister Marie’s 70th. So much to see and do, but since all three of us are “plant people”, I think the highlight of the trip for all of us (besides the cake, of course) was the San Antonio Botanical Garden. We have been visiting since it opened in 1980, and have always enjoyed the 33 acres of plants, walkways, stone, and sculptures. On this trip, though, we were surprised to find it received a $22 million expansion this past fall!

The original garden includes a sensory garden full of textures and smells in addition to the visual, a striking fountain, and wisteria arbor, a hilltop overlook, rose gardens and perennial gardens, East Texas and South Texas habitat areas of native plants and pioneer-era cabins, and a lot more. Subsequent additions include the Kumamoto En Japanese Garden, and the Halsell Conservatory, several greenhouses containing exotic cacti and succulents, palms and tropicals, bromeliads and orchids.

The new expansion includes a very attractive entry garden and a culinary garden/teaching center, and a great new gift shop, with more on the way. Next year will see the opening of a new Family Adventure Garden, with nature play and learning areas. We can’t wait to go back, and I highly recommend this trip. Hopefully you can share it with your kids, or grandkids, a niece or nephew, or a friend. Spread a little plant joy, it’s fun and easy at the San Antonio Botanical Garden.

Here is another great article from My San Antonio for more info: First look at the $22 million San Antonio Botanical Garden expansion ahead of its opening.

Great memories of family trips to the gardens back in the 80’s with our son Stuart!

–James

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!