Valentine’s Day is a time to remember our loved ones with candy and flowers. It also is the perfect time to prune roses. Late January to mid February is the best time. Prune established hybrid teas, removing dead and small twiggy growth, leaving strong healthy canes to a plant height of 18-24 inches. Try to prune to an outward facing bud to maintain spreading, open growth. Prune shrub roses like Knockouts 1/3 to 1/2 the plant height. Do not prune climbers until after the Spring bloom, then removing only the oldest canes and cutting back healthy, vigorous canes no more than 1/3. Remove spent blooms throughout the season on all rose varieties, cutting back to the first 5 leaflet cluster. You can also begin fertilizing your roses in late February with Bayer Systemic Rose and Flower Care, or organically with Maestro Rose Glo. Gill Landscape Nursery stocks disease resistant roses (ask for them), but if you have hybrid teas, as soon as new growth appears you should begin a spray program to control insects and diseases. Bayer 3 in 1 Insect, Disease and Mite Control, takes care of all rose problems. For organic controls, use Neem Oil for insects and disease or Serenade to control diseases. A regular spray program keeps your roses healthy and happy. Remember fungal diseases are always easier to prevent than to cure.
Insects
Pre Spring tips…do now & save time later!
Do
- Apply Pre-emergents Amaze or Hi Yield Weed and Grass Preventor with Dimension to prevent spring weeds.
- Spray All Seasons Oil to kill and prevent scale insects this spring on flax lily, cast iron plant, irises, pittosporums & hollies.
- Treat for lawn fungus as a cure and preventative due to damp weather with F-Stop or Bayer Lawn Fungus Control, organically with Serenade or Natures Blend.
- Prepare veggie gardens for spring plantings. Pull up all old vegetables, and rework the soil with Cotton Burr Compost or Natures Blend.
Don’t
- Prune indian hawthorns, azaleas, or carolina jasmine since they are an early spring bloomer.
- Prune tropicals, ex. hibiscus, bougainvilleas, lantanas, plumbagos, etc..
- Spray a weed killer (it is too cold to be effective).
What To Plant
Late spring/summer blooming annuals and perennials:
For sunny areas:
Zinnias, periwinkles, moss rose, purslane, lantana, blue daze, false heather, salvia, ice plant, gomphrena, ruellia, coreopsis, and pentas.
Read: Create Your Own Butterfly Garden
For shady areas:
Shrimp plant, ageratum, agapanthus, caladiums, coleus, begonia
Vegetables
Seeds:
Okra, beans, black eyed peas, watermelon, ornamental gourds, cantaloupe
Transplants:
Peppers, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, okra
Indoor Plants
Pro Tips for Houseplants
- If your houseplant looks unhappy, think location first. It may need to be moved to a different spot with different lighting.
- Keep them away from the AC vents (they like humidity and the AC dries them out)
- General rule for watering; water well then re-water once the soil feels dry to the touch
- Spring is time to start fertilizing your houseplants. Your plants will love organic Hasta Gro
- If they are getting too big for their pots, bump up to a slightly larger pot. Watch video
Read: Plants, the Perfect Rx for Clean Air, Pro Planting Tip: Not Too Deep
Fertilize
Established citrus trees
(3 years or older)
Fertilize organically with Citrus Tone, Medina Growin’ Green, Hasta Gro, or Plant Tone.
Azaleas, gardenias, and magnolias
Fertilize organically with Maestro Gro-Rose Glo, or Espoma Azalea Tone.
Annuals and perennials
Fertilize organically with Medina Growin’ Green, Hasta Gro, Maestro Rose Glo, PlantTone, or conventionally with Hibiscus Food.
Established roses
Treat organically with Maestro Rose Glo, PlantTone, or conventionally with Hibiscus Food
Trees and shrubs
Fertilize trees organically with Medina Growin’ Green or Milorganite. Feed shrubs organically with Medina Growin’ Green, Plant Tone, or Liquid Hasta Gro.
Warm weather vegetables
Fertilize organically with Medina Growin’ Green, Hasta Gro, Maestro Rose Glo, or Plant Tone.
Prune
Early spring bloomers:
Early spring bloomers: Including azaleas, indian hawthorn and caroline jessamine – wait to prune until AFTER they bloom
Hedges:
Trim hedges as needed to maintain good form.
Poinsettias:
Prune to approximately 12” tall.
Watch Out For
Watch out for pest outbreaks on everything from vegetables to trees. They should be out in full force and hungry. Watch for powdery mildew and blackspot on roses.
Read: With The Spring Flush Comes Insects
Caterpillars:
Treat organically with Spinosad or Thuricide, or conventionally with Cyonara.
Read: Caterpillar Alert!
Read: Are Your Bougainvilleas Being Chewed?
Scale:
Treat organically with Neem Oil Spray, Spinosad Soap, Bee Safe 3 in 1, or conventionally with Cyonara.
Read: Does Your Hackberry Have Wooly Aphids?
Beetles, Aphids:
Treat organically with Spinosad Soap, Diatomaceous Earth, Bee Safe 3 in 1, or conventionally with Cyonara.
Fungus, Powdery Mildew:
Treat organically with Neem Oil or Revitalize Fungicide 5, or conventionally with Fertilome Broad Spectrum Fungicide, Systemic Fungicide
White Fly:
Treat organically with Insecticidal Soap, Neem Oil, Bee Safe 3 in 1, or conventionally with Cyonara.
Mulch
Apply mulch around trees, flowerbeds and vegetable gardens to reduce weeds and help retain moisture. Good mulch layer = less watering!
We recommend: Hardwood, black velvet, cedar, and pine straw mulch. These reduce weeds well and will not float away. They're all natural and will break down over time and add nutrients to your soil. Plus, they keep underlying roots up to 20 degrees cooler!
Lawn Care
Fertilize when the grass is actively growing
Feed organically with Medina Growin’ Green or Milorganite. Organic lawn food is best for long-term root and soil health.
Eliminate broadleaf weeds
Treat with Ortho Weed B Gon for Southern Lawns for broadleaf weeds, Image for grassy weeds and sticker burrs.
If you treat for weeds, wait 3 weeks before you fertilize.
Read: Time to Fertilize and Get Rid of the Weeds!
Lay new sod
Lay new sod or plant Bermuda seed anytime this month.
Read: St. Augustine Turf Grass: Varieties We Sell and Their Characteristics
Watch: How to Repair Dead Patches in Your Lawn
Watch: How to Collect a Grass Sample
Water
*While turfgrass lawn watering with city water is prohibited during current watering restrictions, residents can use free reclaimed water from the Oso Wastewater Treatment Plant. Apply for a permit here. Residents can also hand water trees, which should be done at the drip line, therefore lawns can get some benefit from good tree watering.
Planting Season!
Fall is Our Best Planting Season!
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!
Plant
Vegetable Seeds
Beet, carrot, cilantro, collards, lettuce, mustard, onion, parsley, radish, Swiss chard, spinach, and turnip.
Read: Best Timing for Popular Fall Veggies, Keith’s Swiss Chard Success Story
Flower Seeds
Bluebonnets and other wildflowers, larkspur, sweet peas, nasturtiums.
Read: Fall is Wildflower Planting Time!
Vegetable Transplants
Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, strawberries, parsley, cilantro, and other herbs.
Read: How to Keep Your Vegetable Garden Healthy This Fall, Get Your Greens! Sally’s Kale Smoothie Recipe
Flower Transplants
Alyssum, begonias, bluebonnet, calendula, chrysanthemum, dianthus (pinks) dusty miller, flowering cabbage and kale, geraniums, gerbera daisy, impatiens, lobelia, marigolds, pansies, petunias, phlox, salvia, snapdragons, stock, verbenas, and viola.
Read: Success with Fall Flowers, Marigolds & Mums!
Flower Bulbs
Begin refrigerating bulbs that require chilling such as paperwhites. Amaryllis can be planted now.
Read: Amaryllis & Paperwhites
All container grown trees and shrubs
Read: Burr Oak – an Awesome South Texas Tree
Read: Best Tips of Planting Trees This Fall
Indoor Plants
- Check the window lighting for your indoor plants. The sun is moving with the change of the season and may bring more or less light indoors.
- Heater vents can cause blemished foliage and dry plants out more quickly. Watch your placement of any new plants coming indoors.
- With cold fronts coming, plan to move your house plants indoors, if you have moved any outside during warmer weather. Provide adequate lighting & adjust watering.
- Let this be your last feeding for your outdoor tropical plants that are becoming houseplants for the winter. They need to rest.
- Keep watch for any tagalong critters or insects & move them back outdoors. Treat if needed.
Fertilize
Read: Organic Gardening
Winterize Your Lawn
Winterize your lawn with organic Milorganite or Medina Growin’ Green.
Tropicals
We recommend: Organic Maestro Rose Glo, Hasta Gro, or conventional Hibiscus Food
Roses
Organic: Maestro Rose Glo
Poinsettias
Organic: with Maestro Rose Glo
Blooming Annuals and Perennials
Organic: Medina Growin Green, Hasta Gro or Maestro Rose Glo
Conventional: Hibiscus Food, or Osmocote 14-14-14 Time Release
Read: Success with Fall Flowers
Vegetables
Organic: Hasta Gro, Medina Growin Green, Maestro Rose Glo, or Plant Tone
Conventional: Hi Yield Ammonium Sulphate, or Osmocote 14-4-14 Time Release Granules
Christmas Cactus
Organic: Hasta Gro
Read: How to Get Your Christmas Cactus to Bloom!
All plants that are especially stressed, or recently transplanted
We recommend organic Hasta Gro.
Lawn Care
Apply conventional Fertilome F-Stop as a preventative to brown patch fungus, which shows up as temperatures drop during fall and winter months.
Apply organic Nature’s Blend or Peat Moss to lawns prone to Take All Patch Fungus, or conventional Scotts Disease X.
Read: Protect Your Lawn: Recent Take All Root Rot Sightings (TARR)
Continue to water deeply every 1 to 2 weeks if little rainfall.
Read: Top Five Tips for a Beautiful Fall Lawn, Fall and Winter Lawn Care
Watch Out For
Masses of worms eating your oak tree.
Treat with organic Spinosad or Thuricide or conventional Cyonara
Read: Oak Tree Caterpillars
Grub Worms in Lawns
Treat with Bayer 24 hour Grub Control Granules
White Flies on tropicals and perennials, especially lantana and hibiscus.
Treat with organic Spinosad Soap, Bee Safe 3-in-1, Neem Oil, or conventional Eight Garden Spray Tree & Shrub drench, or Bonide Systemic Garanules.
Chinch Bugs in Lawns
Treat with organic Diatomaceous Earth, Spinosad or conventional Cyonara
Mealy Bugs
Treat with organic Neem Oil, Spinosad Soap, or Bee Safe 3-in-1, or conventional Cyonara, or Bonide Systemic Liquid or Granule
Read: Mealy Bugs are Here!
Mosquitoes
Use Mosquito Beater Liquid for quick kill or Mosquito Beater Granules to repel
Read: Mosquito Solutions
Fleas and Ticks
Treat lawns with organic Spinosad, or Diatomaceous Earth Crawling Insect Killer or conventional Cyonara
Powdery Mildew on Crape Myrtles & Roses
Use organic Neem Oil or conventional Fertilome Systemic Fungicide
Note: Please, Please, Please, don’t kill the bees!
They are one of the best sources we have to pollinate our fruits, vegetables, flowers, and shrubs.
Read: Best for Bees!
Water
Water your newly planted vegetables and bedding plants regularly, but take care not to overwater with cooler nighttime temperatures.
Cut back on watering your established plants and lawn as temperatures cool down, since they use less water. If you are unsure when to water, use a moisture meter to take out the guesswork.
Prune
Your hardy, woody ornamentals and tropicals only to shape, not severely.
Summer perennials.
Plant
Flowers from Seed
Carnations, larkspur, nasturtium, petunias, poppy
Garden Guide: Planting Fall & Winter Annuals
Flowers from Transplant
Pansies, petunias, alyssum, dianthus, snapdragons, ornamental cabbage and kale, geraniums
Hardy Trees, Shrubs and Vines
The roots of hardy plants grow during our cool months even though their leaves may be changing color or falling from their branches. This provides a better root system so they thrive in spring and can survive the long, hot summer. Live oaks, magnolia, cedar elm, hawthorns, holly, sage, junipers, roses, just to name a few, are winter hardy and would be appropriate to plant now. Read more: Plant Hardy Trees And Shrubs Now
Garden Guide: Planting Trees, Shrubs & Groundcovers, Roses
Veggies from Seed
Beets, cabbage (all types), carrots, chard, lettuce, mustard, onions, peas, radish, spinach and turnips
Christmas cactus is one of nature’s gifts for those who are gardening challenged. Just keep them dry and in very filtered light. How’s that for easy?
A beautiful holiday plant, the Christmas Cactus blooms at Christmas and also sometimes around Easter if cared for properly. Keep the plant in a well lit location (like near a window) away from direct sunlight-too much heat and light can stunt the growth and burn the leaves. It should also be away from drafts, heat vents, or other sources of hot air. Feel the soil with your fingers; if it is dry, it’s time to water thoroughly. Before watering again, check to see that the top inch of soil has dried thoroughly first. Mist leaves as well as watering the soil.
Read more: Christmas Cactus.
Fall bulbs like paper whites and amaryllis, will make a spectacular show this winter and now is the time to plant them.
Paperwhite Narcissus
1. Refrigerate for 4-6 weeks prior to planting.
(plant around Thanksgiving for holiday blooms!)
2. Fill a clear vase with a few inches of pea gravel.
3. Nestle bulbs side by side into the gravel.
4. Add water up to the bottom of the bulb and
place near a sunny window.
Amaryllis
Plant in a pot or in the ground. If planting in the ground, place in morning sun and afternoon shade. Every three years in October, you can dig up and divide these bulbs as they multiply underground! Feed regularly with Hi-Yield Bone Meal every 4-6 weeks.
Indoor Plants
Bring fresh air and interest indoors. Houseplants like schefflera, sanseveria, pothos ivy, & philodendrons bring a clean organic feel to your home. While you move plants in from outdoor areas, be sure to check for insects and treat if needed.
Read: Plants, the Perfect Rx for Clean Air
Poinsettias indoors do best in cool dry areas with indirect light. An easy way to water them is with a few ice cubes every few days. Read: Poinsettia Care
Fertilize
BEDDING PLANTS
Fertilize organically with Hastagro, Medina Growin Green, or Milorganite, or conventionally with Osmocote Time Release 14-14-14.
Do not fertilize TROPICALS this month. They need to rest.
LAWN
If you didn’t fertilize your lawn in October or November, instead of applying a chemical fertilizer, we recommend you use an organic fertilizer such as Medina Growin Green or Milorganite. These products feed the grass & soil microbes slowly and naturally.
Watch Out For
Read: Protect Your Lawn – Recent Take-All Root Rot Sightings
SCALE
Insects on hardy trees and shrubs. Spray with Neem Oil spray or Dormant Oil.
Read: What’s Bugging You Now?
LAWN FUNGUS
This can be a major problem after long periods of wet, cool weather or over watering. There are two major kinds of lawn fungus – Take All Patch and Brown Patch. Treat Take All Patch organically with Nature’s Blend Organic Compost, or Peat Moss, or conventionally with Fertilome Systemic Lawn Fungicide or Scotts DiseaseEX.
Treat Brown Patch Fungus with Fertilome F-Stop Granules.
Water
- Only as needed – but dry cold fronts, high winds and low humidity can dry plants quickly.
- Established lawns only need water every couple of weeks, provided we don’t get rain.
- Be sure to check your sprinkler system and adjust accordingly.
Prune
- Perennials that have finished their bloom.
- Pick spent flowers from annuals to prolong their bloom season.
Harvest Citrus
- Starting in December, and more in January, harvest your lemons, limes, grapefruit, oranges, and other citrus fruits. What a great holiday gift!
- If you notice any fruits with black gunk on them, it's likely honeydew from insects. Treat with organic All Season Horticultural Oil spray to suffocate any lingering insects.
Be Ready for Frost Protection!
- We never know if we might get an early freeze in December, so have your frost blankets handy.
- When covering plants for a freeze, make a tent to capture ground warmth - not a lollipop! The frost protection cloth should extend all the way to the ground and be pinned to the ground or, better yet, weighed down with bricks or firewood - something heavy so they don't blow away in high winds.
