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Summer heat is here, and proper watering is crucial for good plant health! A dry, stressed plant loses young feeder roots and is the first to be attacked by insects. Here are some of our best tips for ensuring that your plants are getting the water they need to thrive through Summer.

Water in the Morning

It is much better to water in the morning, don’t wait until evening, to make sure the plants are well hydrated going into the heat of the day. I always say if a plant has to wait for water until the evening, it’s like running a marathon, but you cannot drink until the race is over. Think how thirsty those plants must be when our temperatures are mid to high 90s and they are dry until you get home from work!

New Plants Need More Water

Since new plants have a much smaller root system that has not spread throughout the surrounding soil, they are not yet able to absorb extra moisture. It is very important to saturate the root ball of the plant at each watering – the best way is to use a hand-held watering wand. A good rule of thumb is to water new plants twice a day (depending on the plant variety) for the first week, then once a day for 10 days to 2 weeks, then every other day for 2 weeks, then twice a week through the Summer until the weather starts cooling down. For example, if you planted new plants on June 12, this would be a good watering schedule:

Established Plants Still Need Watering

Remember: “established” means over a year old. Sprinkler systems and drip irrigation are great for established landscapes with large root systems. Now that the root system has spread out, it can pull moisture from a larger surrounding area. If you don’t have a sprinkler system or irrigation system, you can set up a hose-end sprinkler with large droplets or water by hand.

Use a Moisture Meter – its not cheating!

Some plants show signs of heat stress and wilt even though they have been watered well (ex. Coleus and Impatiens). To help determine if any plant has been watered to the right moisture level, we carry Moisture Meters – just stick it into the root ball of the plant and the meter tells you whether you need to water or not. No guessing! If you know you have watered, but the plant still looks thirsty, wait till sundown, and look at the plant again; it’s usually perked back up and happy. Plants wilt and fold up to protect themselves, then perk up once the sun goes down and temperatures drop.

Happy Gardening!

– DeAnna

The Potting Shed is up and running at Gill’s, so we thought we’d go over a few pro tips to help ensure success with indoor and outdoor potted plants.

1. Pick the right size pot

Generally, it’s good to pick a pot that allows for some room to grow all the way around the root ball when you plant. You don’t want to go too big because the soil will hold too much moisture.

2. Use a good potting soil (potting mix)

Potting soil (potting mix) is made for use in pots – its’ specially blended to have the right drainage. You notice that it’s a lot lighter and looser than topsoil or soil you dig out of the ground.

3. Give your plant some food!

We recommend using organic Bio-tone fertilizer when planting to help your plant get a great start. Then use a good organic such as liquid Medina Hastagro once every 2-4 weeks.

4. Plant at the proper depth

All plants have surface level roots that you do not want to cover up with soil, so don’t plant too deep. You also don’t want soil all the way up to the lip of your pot or it will overflow when you water!

5. Use a Moisture Meter

Quick and easy way to tell if you are watering too much, not enough, or just right!

Happy Potting,

Wyatt

It’s transition time for South Texas backyard farmers. It’s good to remove your tired plants that have finished their growing cycles, yet bare ground in the Summer can turn into a weedy mess… and fast! Help your garden and your muscles by planting a cover crop. These are plants that grow quickly, provide weed control, and help reduce soil compaction, which will make prepping for planting veggies this Fall a lot easier.

One of the best for Summer are Cowpeas aka Black-eyed peas. They are considered one of the most heat-adapted legumes in the US. They have dense growth to suppress weeds, provide nitrogen to the soil, and will help improve the soil once they are turned under. Extra benefit – you just might get to harvest fresh black-eyed peas from your own garden! They’re easily grown from seed.

If you love flowers, Zinnias are one of our favorites and you can enjoy their bouquets all Summer, while keeping weeds from taking over! Sunflowers are also fun to plant. Both of these also grow easily from seed.

How to plant….

Once you’ve cleared your area, do a quick turn of the soil, sprinkle an organic plant food… we love Espoma Bio-Tone or Medina Growin Green, follow the seed planting guide on package, and water. Give them a daily watering and soon you’ll have a new garden that looks great & helps keep your soil ready for planting Fall veggies!

Happy Summer Gardening,

-Debbie

From 10,000 to 5000 years ago, the Sahara Desert was wet, green, and covered with lakes! Over those thousands of years, minerals precipitated out of the water and were deposited on the lake beds. Now that it is a dry desert, high temperatures cause rapidly rising hot air currents to lift those minerals high into the atmosphere, where prevailing western winds carry the dust across the Atlantic to the Americas.

While the dust movement varies in intensity over time, it is almost always present to some degree. In the winter, dust is typically sent to South America. In the summer, it sends the clouds toward North America.

The effects of the dust on human respiratory allergies are regrettable, but plants love the minerals contained in the dust, primarily the phosphorus and iron. Saharan dust is a primary nutrient source of the Amazon rain forest, the “lungs of the world”, enabling the production of oxygen and the sequestering of carbon dioxide. For plants, and us, as we depend on them, this brown cloud does have a silver lining.

-James Gill

In the past few weeks, lots of customers have been bringing us grass samples and photos of their lawns with tell-tale signs of 3 of the most common summertime pests: Take All Root Rot (fungus), chinch bugs, and grubworms. Here’s what to look for and some tips for prevention and treatment.

1. Take All Root Rot

TARR is the most serious and may be the most likely. We have seen lot of cases this year and it’s becoming a more common problem. Be on the lookout for yellowing areas in the lawn that eventually die leaving weakened brown or black dead roots. Spread Natures Blend compost over the area if the symptoms are mild or Disease X fungicide if more widespread. To be sure – bring us a grass sample and we can diagnose.

2. Chinch Bugs

Watch the edges of lawn near the sidewalk and driveway that look dry and wilted after you know you have watered well. Watch our quick video on how to check for chinch bugs, or bring us a grass sample and we can diagnose. Once you determine that chinch bugs are present, you can treat with hose-end Cyonara or Diatomaceaus Earth for an organic control.

Chinch bugs are more likely to attack a dry stressed lawn before a healthy, well-hydrated lawn. Look at your grass blades early in the morning. If the blades are folded, then the lawn is dry and ready to be watered. It will naturally be folded in the heat of the day which is why you should check early in the morning.

3. Grubworms

Areas of the lawn show signs of wilt even after you have watered. Dig down and look for grubworms under the soil. They eat the roots off your grass and other plants as well. You can treat for grubs with Season Long Grubworm Killer or Bayer 24 hour Grub Killer. Temperatures are too warm right now, but a good organic solution is to apply beneficial nematodes in the Spring so that they can colonize and be ready to eat grubs when they arrive in late Summer.

-DeAnna

Summertime is a great time for succulents. We’ve got a big selection of fun and unusual varieties for lots of color and texture combinations. Check out our quick video and tips for keeping your succulents happy.

1. Use ½ soil + ½ perlite or sand for happy succulents

We recommend using a mixture of half perlite or sand and half potting soil as the medium for your succulents to be potted into. Don’t use beach sand because it has too much salt! Having well-draining soil is especially important for succulents and cacti to help prevent them from being overwatered and rotting.

2. Succulents need food and water too!

Succulents and cacti prefer not to sit in wet soil for very long. Our favorite way to check the dampness of the soil is by using a moisture meter to make sure that all of the soil in the pot is dry before watering again. To keep your succulents happy and healthy, fertilize during the Spring and Summer seasons – we like using organic Hastagro every 2-3 weeks.

3. Most succulents need morning sun

Most succulents thrive in direct morning sun and afternoon shade, while most cacti make great all-day direct sun plants. Keep that in mind when looking for the perfect spot. Succulents do great outside, but if you want to keep them indoors, find a place that gets bright light.

Happy Gardening!

-Kelsie

Now that we’ve weathered our first big storm this season, we’re cleaning up and thinking about how to be better prepared next time. Here are some important tips for keeping your landscape storm-ready.

Trim Your Trees

Remove dead or rotting tree limbs, brown palm fronds, and even healthy limbs that pose a threat to homes, other structures, people, or traffic. Do not remove healthy tree limbs or green palm fronds that are not a hazard; excess vegetative removal is detrimental to plant health. Try to do this far enough ahead that limbs are removed from property well ahead of a windstorm. A good habit is to trim trees once a year, that way you don’t need to scramble when a storm is coming.

Protect Potted Plants

Move potted plants inside the garage or other protected area, especially those with delicate structure or foliage. If they are too heavy or not enough room, move them into a corner, or behind hedges, and tip them over (water first so soil is heavier). Of course, also stow away lawn furniture, bird feeders, wind chimes, bbq pit, etc.

Keep Storm Water Flowing

Clean gutters, clear downspouts, do drainage repairs as necessary, including digging/cutting drainage swales and removing any impediments to drainage. Double check that drainage paths are clear to speed runoff of storm water. We often find stacks of bricks, lumber, firewood, etc. placed where they prevent fast water flow out to the front yard.

What About the Lawn?

Remember to shut off sprinkler system. If we are likely to get excessive rain, don’t start with saturated soil. Mow the lawn. It may be awhile before you can mow it again, plus water runoff flows faster with short grass, and short grass makes it easier to rake up debris after the storm.

Assess Your Trees and Plants After the Storm

Start by clearing streets of broken branches and straightening small trees that have become tilted, if feasible. If you need guidance on which trees or plants can be saved and what should be removed, call a trusted tree care professional or garden center. We can help save you time and effort.

-James

August is almost here! It’s time to start making the transition into an exciting new Fall planting season. Here are our top must-do’s for this coming month.

Check out our August 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. Choose Plants that Provide for Wildlife

Important fact: birds, bats, bees, butterflies, beetles, and small mammals that pollinate plants are responsible for bringing us one out of every three bites of food. Plants attract and provide food for them to keep the cycle going. For example – plant Zinnia and sunflower seeds now, and they’ll be ready to feed migrating birds this Fall. Take it a step further and plant Texas natives! They provide for pollinators and require less water once established.

2. Pick Out Your Seeds

Watching your plants grow from a tiny seed is exciting and rewarding! Our Fall Vegetable Planting Guide provides the specific seed-planting dates to help plan your Fall garden. Most new seeds are already here! Look out for some of the rare and heirloom seeds we’re bringing in over the next couple weeks! We’ve been researching how to use liquid seaweed to improve seed germination. Worth a try! Another tip: use peat pots or seed starting trays to start seeds indoors, then move to a covered patio once they sprout. This will protect the seedlings and slowly acclimate them to the outdoor heat.

3. Prepare Your Garden Beds

August is the time to start preparing for Fall vegetables. Clean out beds and pull weeds. To get your soil ready, we recommend mixing Nature’s Blend Compost or Cotton Burr Compost into your soil to replenish nutrients and loosen the soil before planting. About 1 bag per 12 sq. ft. is good. Once prepped, add a thick layer of pine straw mulch, which will help retain moisture, keep weeds from sprouting, and keep the soil cooler until you’re ready to plant. As you plan your space, think crop rotation – don’t plant the same veggies in the exact same place you planted them last season, or you encourage pests and diseases.

4. Water Sufficiently AND Efficiently

With our temps and lack of rain, it’s vital to water your plants and lawn sufficiently AND efficiently. The goal with summer watering (with or without watering restrictions) should be to create depth moisture. For lawns and established plants and trees, this means watering less frequently, but watering deeply when you water. New plantings will require water every day to get the roots established. Use a water wand with a cut-off valve to make it easy on you and conserve water. Pro tip: Conserve water by watering at ground level, not spraying from above. This way, water soaks down to the roots rather than evaporating off the leaves.

5. Mulch for Moisture Retention

We know fresh mulch is the quickest way to refresh the look of your landscape. Proper mulching has other big benefits, especially during dry and hot weather. A good 2-3” deep layer of mulch will keep your plants and the soil moist and cool for longer after you water. Give the main trunks or stems of your plants a little space – mulch 2-3” deep throughout the bed, but no more than 1” deep against the main trunks/stems of plants.

6. Beware of Bad Bugs

White cottony clumps on tips, stems, and undersides of leaves in summer are most likely mealy bugs! People often think these are a fungus because of their appearance but one squish with your fingers will tell you they’re insects feeding on your plants. They especially love Hibiscus, Jatropha and some Salvias. We’ve been seeing a lot of spider mites too. You’ll notice a fine webbing and small sandy speckles (see photo). The mites themselves are usually on the underside of leaves. Both can be treated organically with Spinosad soap, Bee Safe 3-in-1 spray, or Neem Oil during cooler evening hours.