flowers

After a long summer, the recent rains and cooler temps have worked wonders for our lawns and landscapes. Everything is bursting with new growth, which means everything is using a lot of energy, which means…we need to fertilize!! Use our simple fertilizing tips and you’ll see a big difference: healthier, stronger, more disease and pest-resistant, and more beautiful lawns and plants! Here’s how.

First off, let’s clear up a couple of common misconceptions about fertilizing. Don’t wait for rain in the forecast to fertilize. Yes, granular fertilizer needs to be watered in, but gently. Rain will actually wash most of it away into the street rather than down into the lawn. Wait for a few dry days in a row to fertilize. Also, don’t try to treat for weeds and fertilize at the same time. It doesn’t work! That’s why we don’t sell and don’t recommend “weed and feed” type products. Treat for weeds first, wait a couple weeks, then fertilize.

Now, on to the tips! We carry a few different fertilizers that do slightly different things for different plants, but you really only need one – Medina Growin Green! One 40lb bag of Medina Growin Green covers 3,000 sq. ft. of lawn and you can use it on everything else too! It’s all organic and works like magic on lawns, veggie gardens, trees, shrubs, flowers, blooming perennials, you name it.

Make it easy on yourself and borrow one of our lawn spreaders which will apply an even layer of fertilizer to the lawn. Then water it in by hand or by sprinkler, just not too much. Granular fertilizer, like Medina Growin Green, is meant to slowly work it’s way down into the root system. You’ll still see some bits of fertilizer on the surface after you water it in which is A-OK. Take the remainder of the bag and “chicken feed” it around the base of your other landscape plants, veggies, herbs, and flowers. For trees and larger shrubs, sprinkle fertilizer out away from the trunk at the drip line (aka the outer edge where rainwater drips down).

Follow this schedule: fertilize lawns, trees, and hardy shrubs with Medina Growin Green once this fall (right now!). Fertilize veggies, flowers, and blooming perennials once a month. Since veggies are heavy feeders, you can follow up with liquid Hasta Gro every 2 weeks. Simple and very effective!!

It’s full-on FALL FLOWER TIME here at Gill’s! Time to add new splashes of color to landscape beds, pots by the front door, and start flowers to cut and share. We’re seeing absolutely stunning Snapdragons, Petunias, Impatiens, Violas, Begonias, ornamental cabbage and kale, Lobelia, Calendulas, Dianthus and more! Here are 4 important tips for the best and brightest blooms through the fall and winter.

1. Plant Fall Flowers Before the Time Change

Fall flowers need sun! Especially when they’re freshly-planted babies. So, part of the urgency of planting fall flowers now is to take advantage of the light before our days start getting shorter. We like to use the end of daylight savings time as a marker – get your fall flowers planted before November 5th!

2. Sacrifice Lingering Summer Blooms?

Even if you still have some lingering summer blooms (like Zinnias, Purslane, Coleus) most of them won’t last much longer. It’s better to pull them now to make way for new fall color like Impatiens, Petunias, Violas, and Snapdragons that will last through the fall and winter and into the early spring. One exception that you might decide to over-winter are Periwinkles. They’ll melt in cool weather and look rough, but their roots will continue to grow. If you have the space and the patience, you could cut them back in late January/early February and you could have gorgeous Periwinkles again in spring.

3. Enlist the Help of Fungi

When planting your fall flowers, add Bio-tone Starter Plus! The “plus” means + mycorrhizae, which are fungi that have a symbiotic relationship with plants. Mycorrhizal fungi absorb nutrients and transfer them back to the host plant. As a result, there is an increase in the absorption surface area of the plant’s roots. That means bigger and better roots, which is great for all plants, especially delicate fall flowers.

4. Keep Feeding Through the Winter!

Flowers are heavy feeders! If you want continued blooms, be sure you continue feeding your flowers once a month through the fall and winter with a good quality granular organic fertilizer. We love Rose Glo or Medina Growin Green for fall flowers. No need to be precise, just set a reminder to sprinkle some around your flower beds and outdoor pots once a month. For an extra boost, supplement with liquid Hasta Gro every 2 weeks.

November is one of our most beautiful months in South Texas – nice weather for spending time outdoors! Now’s the time for fall flowers and planting trees! And there’s still time for veggies, too. Good timing this month will keep us looking good through the fall and winter and set us up for showtime next spring. Here are our top must-do’s for November.

Check out our November 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. Fill Pots and Spots with Fall Flowers

Here’s our list of Fall/Winter flowers – tons of choices for outdoor color to redo pots & inground plantings. Flowers take a little time to grow and bloom. Plant early this month so they can be WOW for the holidays! Many of these fall flowers, like Petunias, Lobelia, and Geraniums will looks great through the winter and look their very best next spring. Good reason to plant now! Once they’re all planted, give them a good meal of granular organic Rose Glo. To keep them growing and blooming through the fall and winter, they’ll need regular feedings about once a month. For an extra boost, follow up with liquid Hasta Gro in between your monthly feedings.

2. Plant Trees and Shrubs Now for Better Growth Next Spring

Now is the very best time to plant cold-hardy shrubs and trees! They focus energy this fall and winter on building a good root system, which allows them to explode with growth next spring, and prepares them to withstand hot weather next summer. Other benefits to planting now – easier digging and not as much watering as during warmer seasons! Always fertilize when you plant and follow our watering instructions.

3. Still Time to Plant Veggies!

We’re still bringing in lots of fresh cool-season crops like broccoli, kale, lettuce mixes, Swiss chard, spinach, cauliflower, beets, onions, and more! Three big tips for fall/winter veggies: 1) Mulch well to help protect tender young veggies 2) Water well, but not too much 3) Keep feeding! Organic Plant Tone or Medina Growin Green once a month, followed by liquid Hasta Gro every 2 weeks for a bountiful harvest!

4. Last Chance Lawn Care

Early this month is our last chance to fertilize aka “winterize” lawns for strong roots and healthy growth next spring and summer. Our tried and true favorite lawn food is organic Medina Growin Green. November is also the time to prevent spring weeds in your lawn by applying Weed Beater Complete or Hi-Yield Weed & Grass Stopper with Dimension.

Read: Fall Lawn Care

5. Feed Your Landscape Too!

Landscape plants, including trees, perennials, and hardy shrubs need food early this month while they are still actively growing. Just like lawns, the idea is to give them a boost before they head into dormancy this winter. We love organic granular fertilizer Medina Growin’ Green for trees and shrubs, and Rose Glo or Plant Tone for blooming perennials.

6. Plant Herbs to Share and Use for the Holidays

Cooking without herbs is a waste of thyme! Sage, Rosemary, Cilantro, Parsley, Fennel, Dill, (and Thyme) are just a few herbs that thrive in our cool season. Limited space? A sunny spot, container & a few favorite herbs is all you need. We can even pot them up for you. A container herb garden makes a great gift…

December is here! These last few weeks of 2023 are sure to fly by. Our advice: make sure you spend some time in the garden to balance out the hectic holiday season. 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 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. 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…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, 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.

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! Silverware herb markers, handmade ornaments, quality tools and gloves, nature-themed holiday cards, 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.

Gill’s is here to be your holiday stress antidote! Come take a stroll and pick out a few gifts for the green thumbs on your list. We’ll help you find the right plants, useful tools, nature gifts for kids, holiday cards, and all kinds of other unique and fun gifts to help connect your loved ones to the outdoors. Here’s 12 of our favs.

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 citrus trees! And if you don’t want to do any digging, we’ll 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. 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. 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 + Bird Baths

These Gordo birdhouses have been a huge hit this fall. People seem to love them and birds too! Pair these with a nice stone bird bath and some bird-attracting plants and you’ll make the birders on your list very happy.

7. Cyanotype Print Kits

Cyanotype photography or printing is a technique that involves laying an object, like a leaf, on paper coated with a solution of iron salts before exposing it to light to create stunning white and blue images. The kit comes with everything you need to make your own prints! Just find the leaves and flowers you want to capture – no darkroom or other tools required!

8. Silverware Herb Markers

These might be our fav garden markers we’ve ever seen. Herb markers etched into old silverware!

9. Rain Chains

Rain chains are THE gift for nature lovers who enjoy the soothing sound of rain. They’re a beautiful alternative to gutter downspouts, guiding rainwater gently into planting beds.

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. We have some ready to go, or all the supplies for you to make your own.

11. Nature-Themed Children’s Books and Holiday Cards

This year, we’re featuring new children’s books and holiday cards by author and illustrator Phoebe Wahl. Her first book, Sonya’s Chickens, was the recipient of the Ezra Jack Keats Book Award, and her most recent book, Little Witch Hazel is an Indie Bestseller. Perfect gifts for a young gardener!

12. When in Doubt – Gift Cards!

Can’t go wrong with a Gill’s gift card! Good for plants or 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!

Over the past couple weeks, we’ve talked to lots of customers about adjusting watering for winter. Most are still watering too much. Plants and lawns need less water, but it’s been tricky to gauge lately with warmer weather and intermittent rain. Here are a few winter watering do’s and don’ts.

DO: Slow Down Watering for Established Lawns and Plants

Slowing down watering will slow metabolism in your trees, shrubs, groundcovers, lawns, and potted plants, and this makes them more tolerant of a freeze. Also, excessive frequency of lawn watering in winter makes grass more susceptible to Take All Root Rot fungus.

DON’T: Run Sprinklers More than Once Every 2 Weeks

At this point (mid-December through the end of January), most sprinkler systems should be turned off and only used as needed, and no more than once every 2 weeks. If freezing temperatures are in the forecast, run the sprinklers the previous afternoon to add heat to the soil and fill air spaces in the soil with water to exclude the cold air.

DO: Continue to Water Winter Flowers and Veggies

Newly planted trees and shrubs, newly potted plants, and winter annual flowers and vegetables in active growth will need more regular watering, and may be particularly sensitive to a cold, low-humidity dry north wind. If there are zero clouds in the sky, and you are licking your lips, and there is a stiff breeze blowing, that dry breeze can necessitate watering despite the cool/cold temperatures.

DON’T: Be Fooled by Light Rainfall

We typically don’t get much significant rainfall in December and January, we get periodic misty drizzle. Keep in mind that even if it drizzles all day, very little moisture penetrates our heavy clay soil. This fascinating article from Texas A&M explains that it takes a whopping 2.5″ of rain to fully penetrate and soak clay soil down to 12″ deep. So, even if we get a little rain, it’s important to continue to water new plants, winter flowers and veggies. When in doubt, use a moisture meter!

Have you set your 2024 new year’s gardening resolution?! January is time to get moving and set yourself up for big success this spring and beyond. Beds need prepping, veggie seeds need starting, citrus trees need feeding, and YES you can get a head start on planting too! Here are our top must-do’s (and don’t do’s!) this month.

Check out our January 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. Plan and Prep Beds for Spring Planting

January is our month to plan and prep for spring. Clean up, remove weeds, and most importantly, prep your garden beds by adding some compost! We love Nature’s Blend Compost for veggie and landscape beds, including raised beds. A good ratio is 1 bag per 12 sq. ft. of bed space. If you make your own compost, that approximate ratio works well. It doesn’t have to be exact. If working out is part of your new year’s resolution, get outside, grab your garden forks or a shovel, and turn some compost into the first few inches of soil!

2. Feed Your Citrus Trees

Fertilize your citrus trees in January for more blooms, again in May/June for better fruit set, and again in September/October for nutrients. We recommend fertilizing with Espoma Citrus-Tone – all organic and highly effective. Remember to fertilize trees, including citrus, at the drip line. That means spread fertilizer in a circle where the rain naturally drips down from the leaves, not right up against the trunk.

3. Wait to Prune!

Remember – wait to do any major pruning of most plants until February! We can be tempted to want to do too much pruning in January, but you don’t want plants to think its time to start putting on new growth since we still may have another cold snap. Even if we do get a cold snap that damages some foliage, wait to prune because that damaged foliage will help insulate against more possible cold weather.

Ornamental grasses, like Pink Muhly or Purple Fountain grass, are a January exception. They should be cut back this month. Trim them straight across (no cupcakes) 3”-4“ from the ground. Use a bungee cord or piece of rope to gather them up, then cut straight across with your shears.

4. Start Veggie Seeds!

January is time to start tomatoes, kale, chard, onions, carrots, beets, parsley and more from seed. We carry seed-starting trays, peat pots, and Espoma Organic Seed Starter soil for starting seeds indoors or on a protected/covered patio. A good rule of thumb is that once the seedlings have made their first true set of leaves, they are ready to be transplanted into a larger container outside or directly into the garden bed.

Check out our full Spring planting guide here. And stay tuned because we’re planning all kinds of cool events for 2024, including a seed starting workshop this month!

5. Grow Potatoes and Onions!

January is prime time to plant potatoes and onions! We carry Red La Soda and Yukon Gold potatoes because they are better suited for South Texas growing conditions than larger varieties. Watch Matt’s video guide to planting potatoes here!

Plant onions in a row every 3-4″ then thin them by plucking every other green top as they grow. This will allow the onions to grow to full size. Keep in mind that both potatoes and onions need well-drained soil. Great for raised beds!

6. Adjust Lighting and Water for Houseplants

Generally, most houseplants will need more light and less water this month. A moisture meter will come in handy to be sure you’re not overwatering. Experiment with moving houseplants to sunnier windows, and take them outside for a sunny day or 2. Keep their leaves clean to help them take up sunlight and prevent bad bugs. We like using a very light solution of Neem oil + water to wipe down leaves here at Gill’s.

7. Yes, You Can Plant It in January!

Why wait?? Trees, shrubs, and blooming perennials planted now will build healthy root systems during their winter dormancy making for stronger, healthier plants in spring and summer. Not to mention all kinds of cool season flowers and veggies that love our January weather. Keep an eye on the forecast, but remember that new plants are easy to cover with frost blankets if we get a cold spell.

The weather this week is making us want to get outside and garden!! We’re stocking up on veggies, Texas native plants, trees, and lots of flowers and blooming perennials as we head into Spring! Here’s our top 7 gardening tasks to focus on this month to kickstart an amazing season.

1. Be Ready for Cool Weather and Start Planting!

Keep your eye on the forecast for cold snaps, but don’t delay your planting projects. Cool season flowers, trees, shrubs, veggies, and more need to be planted this month to take advantage of cool weather and get a head start on root growth. If we do get another freeze, new plants are easy to cover!

2. Start Your Veggies!

It’s time to start veggie favs like tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, beans, lettuces/greens, & more! Prep those beds with Nature’s Blend compost and get going. If you’re short on space, use containers! Stop by and we’ll help you plan your veggie garden and get you everything you’ll need for a bountiful harvest.

3. Come Learn All About Growing Tomatoes with DeAnna This Saturday at 10!

Tomatoes need to be planted early this month. So….join us this Saturday, 2/3 at 10am for our garden talk, Tomato Time with DeAnna Baumgartner, Gill’s manager and tomato expert! DeAnna will share valuable tips for growing all kinds of tomatoes in the ground and in containers or raised veggie beds. This talk is great for beginners and experienced tomato growers alike. Bring your questions and share your plant knowledge as we hang out and talk about everything tomatoes. We’ll hold the talk outside if the weather’s nice, or inside the greenhouse if not. One attendee will win a $100 Gill’s gift card, and we’ll do some other giveaways too!

4. Keep Feeding Veggies & Flowers

Blooming plants need food! Veggies are especially heavy feeders – they need to be able to sustain blooming and producing fruit. We recommend mixing in a little Bio-Tone Starter when you plant, which contains mycorrhizal fungi that promotes root growth. Then feed with a good organic, granular plant food like Plant-Tone or Medina Growin Green once a month, and supplement with liquid organic Hasta Gro in between. An easy way to remember this is to set an alarm or calendar event for granular feeding on the 1st of the month, then Hasta Gro on the 15th. These will add nutrients to your plants and keep your soil alive and healthy too.

5. Mid February = Time to Prune!

February is the time to get plants cut back to make way for big spring growth! Since we just had a freeze, we recommend waiting another week or so until mid-February. Most perennials like Lantana, Turk’s Cap, and Salvias need a good pruning back to about 4-8″ – don’t be shy! For any plants with woody stems/branches (like Esperanza and Hibiscus) that look dead or damaged, do the scratch test before pruning. Start up high and scratch with your fingernail, a dime, or the back side of a knife. Don’t scratch too deep. If you see the bright green cambium layer (like the photo), that means it’s still alive! If you see brown/gray when you scratch, keep working your way down the plant until you see green. That will tell you where to cut. As always, contact Gill’s if you’re not sure or have questions about whether or how to prune specific plants.

6. Keep Watch for Winter Insects

Scale is a variety of hard bodied sucking insects that range in appearance from white oyster shells to brown boogers 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, but it must be done now. The oil spray literally coats and suffocates the the eggs that are waiting for spring to hatch. It’s also good for treating indoor plants that may have scale or spider mites.

7. Got Weeds?

Right now, hand pulling the thistle while the ground is moist and keeping the clover mowed before it flowers are the best options to control 2 of our most common weeds. Weed killer sprays (like Weed B Gon) work with warm weather and sunshine with no rain or heavy night fog. We need to wait to spray until temperatures are consistently between 75-80 degrees. Be patient and wait a few more weeks since you should only spray one time or you risk damaging your lawn.

Check out our February Garden Guide for more tips!