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Gill Garden Center + Landscape Co.

Corpus Christi, TX Garden Center

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I have had several customers bring me Tussock Moth Caterpillars they found munching on their oak tree leaves.

The creamy white hairs on the caterpillar are long and bristle-like and spread out in tufts down the sides. Two long, sharp black pencil like hairs protrude near the front and rear and these hairs are connected to poison glands, which excrete venom on contact. Contact with the venom may result in itchy irritation.

You can spray your tree with Hi Yield Thuricide Concentrate or Natural Guard Spinosad Hose-end. Both of these products are organic and safe to use on all plants. Thuricide reacts with the cells of the stomach lining of the target pest causing them to not be able to feed within hours of ingesting. Spinosad is a contact kill, but still safe and organic for all plants.

(photo via ocala.com)

-DeAnna

Landscape plants, trees, and lawns are waking up for spring and putting on new growth, which means…time to fertilize!! Using a good organic fertilizer makes big difference:  healthier, stronger, more disease and pest-resistant, more drought-tolerant, and more beautiful plants. Now that Stage 3 watering rules have been revised, we can water in fertilizer for landscape beds and trees without issue. But should we still fertilize lawns if we can’t water lawns? 

The short answer is yes! Using a good organic lawn food, like our go-to Medina Growin Green, promotes root growth and long-term health, which makes lawns more tolerant of less water. Ideally you’d want to water the fertilizer in, but you don’t have to. Medina Growin Green is gentle and won’t burn your lawn. You can apply it now and water it in slowly over a few weeks. If you have trees in your yard, keep in mind that fertilizer and water need to be applied at the drip line, aka where rainwater naturally drips off the outer edge of the canopy. Therefore, if you apply fertilizer to your lawn and water it in for the trees, your lawn will get the benefit too. You can also try to time your lawn fertilizing with a light rain. We typically don’t recommend waiting for rain to fertilize since a heavy rain would wash most of the fertilizer granules away. But, given the watering limitations, taking advantage of a light rain is a good solution. 

Homeowners can also collect free effluent water at the Oso Wastewater Treatment Plant to use to water lawns. Apply for a quick and easy residential permit from the City of Corpus Christi here. Gill’s plans to provide this service as well, but the permitting process for businesses takes a while longer. Once we receive our permit, we’ll get the word out. 

Another great option is to collect rainwater or recycled gray water at home. If your washing machine is in an accessible location, it can be as simple as connecting a water hose and having it drain into a rain barrel or water tank. Just 1 single washing machine load can produce 15-30 gallons of water. Talk to a plumber about setting this up if your washing machine is not as accessible. Dishwasher too! As long as you use the gentle “free and clear” or fragrance/chemical-free detergents and soaps, your gray water will be great for the lawn.  

Very important:  We do not recommend using chemical lawn fertilizers, especially when water is limited. With chemical fertilizers, you get a quicker green-up and more top growth, which requires more water to maintain. Whereas with a good organic, you get deeper roots that can withstand less water. 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.

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.

 

 

 

We’ve been getting a ton of lawn questions spanning all sorts of possible issues from weeds to watering to lingering bugs to fungus to fertilizing – you name it! Yes, we can help you figure out what’s going on with your lawn! Here’s where to start.

Bring Us a Grass Sample

Are you noticing brown or yellow patches in your lawn? Yellow strips near sidewalks? Thin, patchy spots? A sad lack of green? Any of these could be symptoms of serious pest damage or fungal disease. We can sometimes tell a lot from pictures if you want to email us or send us a message to any of our social media accounts, but often pictures lead to more questions. The quickest and best way for us to figure out what’s going on is to bring us a grass sample. Simply take a small shovel-full of grass from an area where good grass meets not-so-good grass. Make sure you get the roots and some underlying soil. Then bring that chunk of grass, roots, and soil to Gill’s in a bag or box. We’ll take a look, determine what’s causing the problem, and get you what you need to resolve. You can take that sample shovel-full and plug it right back into your lawn when we’re done. 

Prevent Problems with Good Watering and Maintenance

Healthy lawns with healthy roots are far less likely to be attacked by bad pests or fungus. You gotta water! You can still maintain proper watering even given our current watering restrictions. Once every 2 weeks is sufficient now, and you can water less than that as temps cool. The key is to water deeply to maintain depth moisture. Use empty tuna cans or sprinkler gauges to measure and be sure you’re applying a good inch of water evenly across your lawn. This will ensure you’re getting water down to the roots and forcing the roots to grow deeper. Of course you should adjust your watering schedule if we get a good rain, but don’t count on rain to do the job for you. Always water in the morning – watering in the evening invites fungal issues. When you mow, be sure your mower blades are sharp. Dull mower blades will shred grass blades leaving a dull brown look across the lawn. And don’t cut too short:  proper mowing height for St. Augustine is 3″, and Bermuda is 2-2.5″. 

Prevent Weeds First, Then Fertilize

If you want to prevent new weeds form sprouting, now’s the time to apply preemergent Weed Beater Complete or Hi-Yield Turf & Ornamental Weed & Grass Stopper. Remember this:  treat for weeds, wait 2 weeks, then fertilize. Do not use “weed & feed” products. There’s still time to fertilize, but that window is closing. Fertilizing lawns in October (aka “winterizing”) is essential for developing strong roots and healthy growth next spring and summer. We recommend feeding with organic Medina Growin Green! Amazing stuff! A 40lb bag covers 3000 sq ft of lawn, and for a small fee, we can rent you a spreader which makes it very easy to apply. Not only does Medina Growin Green work wonders on lawns, you can use it in all areas of your landscape, including your veggie garden. 

Maybe You Have too Much Lawn?

If you’ve read this far, you might be thinking, “Hmm…this sounds like a lot of work!” You might consider whether it’s time to reduce some of your lawn space and convert it to planting beds or native groundcover plants that require less maintenance and far less water than a turfgrass lawn (St. Augustine, Bermuda, Zoysia, etc.). Turfgrass lawns are often referred to as biological deserts, meaning they’re monocultures that don’t support many species in the ecosystem. A fresh-cut, perfect green lawn might be pleasing to look at, but we’d argue that planting beds bursting with butterflies and birds and color is more fun. You can even create lawn-like open green areas with low-water native groundcover like Frogfruit or Horseherb that you don’t need to mow! You’ve got options and many good reasons to find areas of your lawn to reduce/convert. 

 

 

Fall is OUR ABSOLUTE BEST TIME for planting veggies, trees, flowers, and just about everything else! Some rain in the forecast…and some cooler temps…fall is shaping up beautifully. But time is of the essence! A lot of the things we do in the garden this month will set us up for success for seasons to come. Here are our top must-do’s for October.

Check out our October Garden Guide for more tips!

1. Plant Trees Now for the Best Start – Citrus Too!

We’ll say it again… planting trees is all about growing roots. Trees planted in fall grow more next spring & summer because they spend time all fall and winter working on their root system. Having that established root system also helps prepare them for hot temps next summer. Live Oak, Burr Oak, Magnolia, Anacua, Cedar Elm, & Wild Olive are some of our South Texas fav’s and we’ve been getting some gorgeous specimens, big and small. And don’t forget about citrus trees! We have a nice fall crop of lemons, different lime varieties, kumquats, mandarins, and more. For years we’ve been trying to source larger citrus trees and it finally happened! In addition to our 5gal citrus, we’ve got some larger 15 and 30gal! Planting a small 5gal citrus tree is great, just know it will need a couple of seasons of growth before it can support bearing fruit. The larger 15 and 30gal citrus trees can start giving you fruit right now! 

Read: The Advantages of Fall Planting

2. Plant Your Fall Veggies

Some of the best… Broccoli, Cauliflower, Lettuces, Cabbage, Carrots, Beets, Radishes, Cilantro, Artichokes, and the list goes on! October is our window for planting! Remember – veggies are heavy feeders, so it’s important to keep fertilizing throughout the season. We recommend using BioTone Starter when you plant, followed by a good organic granular like Medina Growin Green or Plant Tone on the 1st of each month, then supplement with liquid Hasta Gro on the 15th of each month. Set these reminders on your phone/calendar and you’ll have BIG harvests with plenty to cook and share. 

Watch:  Coastal Bend Veggie Gardening Guide

3. Plant Fall Flowers Galore

Take advantage of the weather while the days are still long. It’s the perfect time to start cool weather Impatiens, Marigolds, Snapdragons, Violas, Petunias, Calendula, Begonias – the flowers and colors that say, “FALL!”. Warm days help flowers develop roots so they can look their best during the cooler months ahead. Since we don’t experience dramatic changing of the seasons here in South Texas, we create that fall feeling with gorgeous fall colors!

4. Ready, Set, Fertilize Your Lawn + Prevent Weeds

Fertilizing lawns this month is essential for developing strong roots and healthy growth next spring and summer. We emphatically recommend organic Medina Growin Green! Amazing stuff! A 40lb bag covers 3000 sq ft of lawn, and for a small fee, we can rent you a spreader which makes it very easy to apply. Not only does Medina Growin Green work wonders on lawns, you can use it in all areas of your landscape, including your veggie garden. If you want to prevent weeds, now’s the time to apply preemergent Weed Beater Complete or Hi-Yield Turf & Ornamental Weed & Grass Stopper. Remember this:  treat for weeds, wait 2-3 weeks, then fertilize. Do not use “weed & feed” products! 

Read: Fall Lawn Care

5. Plant for Hummingbirds and Migratory Birds

Right now is a great time to plant all kinds of blooming plants that hummingbirds and other migratory birds need. Some of our favs for South Texas are native Flame Acanthus (aka hummingbird bush), Salvias (like native Salvia greggii and Salvia leucantha), Cape Honeysuckle, native Turk’s Cap, native Beautyberry, native Loquat, Firecracker plant, Coral bean – the list goes on and on. We have been covered in hummingbirds here at Gill’s!

 

We’ve had lots of lawn questions so far this spring, particularly about weeds. The short answer is…yes you can treat the lawn for weeds right now, but if you do, you need to wait to fertilize. This is one reason why we advise strongly against using any “weed and feed” combo products. Why would you want to fertilize the weeds you’re trying to get rid of?! Just remember: weed THEN feed. Click below to watch a quick PSA from DeAnna about how to take care of weeds first, then apply our favorite lawn food.

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!!

Fall is OUR ABSOLUTE BEST TIME for planting veggies, trees, flowers, and just about everything else! It just feels good! But time is of the essence! A lot of the things we do in the garden this month will set us up for success for seasons to come. Here are our top must-do’s for October.

Check out our October 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. Plant Food

Some of the best… Broccoli, Cauliflower, Lettuce, Cabbage, Carrots, Beets, Radishes, Cilantro, Nasturtiums, and the list goes on. Remember – veggies are heavy feeders. We recommend feeding with an organic granular like Medina Growin Green or Plant Tone on the 1st of each month, and again with liquid Hasta Gro on the 15th. Set these reminders on your phone/calendar and you’ll have much better production.

Watch:  Coastal Bend Veggie Gardening Guide

2. Plant Fall Flowers

Take advantage of the weather while the days are still long. It’s the perfect time to start cool weather Impatiens, Marigolds, Snapdragons, Violas, Petunias, Calendula, Begonias – the flowers and colors that say, “FALL!”. Warm days help flowers develop roots so they can look their best during the cooler months ahead.

3. Ready, Set, Fertilize Your Lawn + Prevent Weeds

Fertilizing lawns this month is essential for developing strong roots and healthy growth next Spring and Summer. We emphatically recommend organic Medina Growin Green! Amazing stuff! A 40lb bag covers 3000 sq ft of lawn, and for a small fee, we can rent you a spreader which makes it very easy to apply. Not only does Medina Growin Green work wonders on lawns, you can use it in all areas of your landscape, including your veggie garden. If you’re dealing with a weed problem, treat for weeds, wait 2-3 weeks, then fertilize. Do not use “weed & feed” products! Prevent weeds in your lawn by applying Weed Beater Complete or Hi-Yield Turf & Ornamental Weed & Grass Stopper.

Read: Fall Lawn Care

4. Plant for Hummingbirds and Migratory Birds

Right now is a great time to plant all kinds of blooming plants that hummingbirds and other migratory birds need. Some of our favs for South Texas are native Flame Acanthus (aka hummingbird bush), Salvias (like native Salvia greggii and Salvia leucantha), Cape Honeysuckle, native Turk’s Cap, native Beautyberry, native Loquat, Firecracker plant, Coral bean – the list goes on and on. We have been covered in hummingbirds here at Gill’s!

5. Plant Trees Now for The Best Head Start

We’ll say it again… planting trees is all about growing roots. Trees planted in Fall grow more next Spring & Summer because they spend time all Fall and Winter working on their root system. It also helps prepare them for hot temps next Summer. Live Oak, Burr Oak, Magnolia, Anacua, Cedar Elms, & Wild Olive are some of our South Texas fav’s and we’ve been getting some gorgeous specimens!

Read: The Advantages of Fall Planting

Garden Talks at Gill’s continue this Saturday at 10am with another very special guest! We’re excited to welcome Andy Chidester of Medina Agriculture Products , makers of our favorite organic fertilizers, Medina Growin Green and Hasta Gro! Andy is a seasoned speaker, Master Gardener, Master Composter, and an all-around awesome resource for veggie gardening. She’ll discuss bed prep, what vegetables and herbs you should be growing, how to attract pollinators to the garden, how to get more bang with your fertilizer, and more! Bring your veggie questions!

A few words from Andy:  “I began making mud pies in my grandmother’s vegetable garden at an early age. This led to a lifelong addiction to gardening from vegetables, herbs, butterflies and bees, and now houseplants! I have worked in the horticultural industry since 1998, I am a State of Texas Master Gardener and Composter. And I am a soil geek that is still learning!  I don’t know it all and always learn something when teaching a class! My next adventure – I am hoping to become a beekeeper!  So, let’s have some FUN!”

This event is free and open to everyone, plus we’ll be doing some gift card and other giveaways! Can’t wait to see you all this Saturday!

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