rain

It’s officially Summer – don’t forget to hydrate your plants and yourself! Here are some useful watering tips from the plant pros to keep everything green and happy.

DeAnna: New Trees are Thirsty

I am hearing customers ask daily, “how often should I be watering my new tree?” We are watering trees twice a day here in the garden center; first thing in the morning and again mid-afternoon. Morning watering is most important to make sure the trees are well hydrated to handle the heat of the day. Big drinks of water are necessary to saturate the root balls. I recommend watering twice a day for the first 2 weeks, then once a day for 2 weeks, then every other day for 2 weeks. This is just an approximate schedule depending on the heat, wind, type of tree, and of course rain. I should have taken my own advice on my new Southern Catalpa tree at home – I got busy, and the tree got too dry: perfect on Saturday, damaged by Monday. Gonna strip the leaves and let it start over!

Harry: Let the Hose Do the Work!

I tell my clients all the time – don’t work too hard! Instead of holding the hose while you water, drag the hose to the base of the plant, then go turn it on to a slow trickle. This gets water down deep to the roots. If you turn the hose on full blast, most of the water will run off instead of soak in. This slow, deep watering takes time, but you can play with the dog while the hose does the work for you.

Diane: Don’t Scald Your Plants!

Run the hot water out of your hose before you water!! The longer the hose, the longer this takes. And remember that water can burn a leaf if it sits on the foliage (like the way a magnifying glass focuses heat), so always water the soil, not the leaves.

Hidalgo: How to Use a Jar or Glass to Prevent Soil Erosion

My Grandfather always had a big veggie garden with long planted rows that he watered by hand. He taught me this trick: to keep the water from blasting the soil and eroding at the base of your plants, slide a mason jar or heavy drinking glass over the end of the hose, lay it down, then turn on the water. This way the water hits the bottom of the glass first, then flows back gently and evenly instead of eroding the soil.

Mike: Aerate (Poke Holes) to Get Oxygen and Water to the Roots

Our heavy clay soil tends to compact and not allow oxygen and water to penetrate, especially after a rain. For trees and large shrubs (or any plant that looks like water is not soaking into the soil), I recommend aerating around the root ball about once a month. Drive a piece of rebar into the soil about 2 feet deep, about every 8 inches outside the root ball to help get oxygen and water down to the roots.

Ori’s houseplant basket with Starfish Sansevieria, Kiwi Dracaena, Calathea, and Rex Begonia Vine!

Many of us will be gathering with family & friends this holiday weekend to cook, eat, play games, and visit. Wonderful times and good rain clearing out for relaxing outside!

We’ve been working hard to stock the store with beautiful blooming annuals, perennials, hanging baskets, and tubs of flowers for last minute “dress up” for your garden for the holiday! Come see us this Friday & Saturday for the best of the best in gardening supplies to get your home, yard, and patio ready to greet your guests. We all wish you a very happy holiday weekend! Gill’s will be closed this Sunday for our time with family. Thank you!!

We’ve been blown away by the amazing Spring blooms at Gill’s this week! We’re always on the go, but no plant person can resist stopping to smell fresh roses or to brush against a Copper Canyon Daisy to release the wonderful scent. If you want to bring some fragrance to your landscape, here’s what we’d recommend planting now.

Sweet Mademoiselle Rose

The cool weather this week really brought out the color of our Sweet Mademoiselle Rose blooms! This is a new variety bred for the color and excellent disease resistance. The scent is soft, delicate, and unique – sort of like a rosy tea.

Almond Verbena

Almond Verbena blooms might be our favorite scent in the garden. They really do smell like sweet almonds, and when the wind is just right, you can smell them all the way across the garden center! Great cold hardy, tough, and drought tolerant plant for shady/partial sun spots. Easy to prune to your desired shape, and to encourage more blooms.

Maid of Orleans Jasmine

Maid of Orleans aka Arabian Jasmine is a vining evergreen shrub with wonderfully fragrant flowers that are used for tea and in the perfume industry. The fragrance is similar to Star Jasmine – sweet and intense! Hummingbirds and butterflies love it too.

Night Blooming Jasmine

Night Blooming Jasmine is not a true Jasmine, but it gets its name from the fragrant white blooms. It’s actually part of the Solanaceae family which includes potatoes and tomatoes. The blooms open at night an emit a very strong (in a good way) scent. Think of Night Blooming Jasmine as more of a sprawling woody shrub than a vine. Once established, they’re cold tolerant down to about 25 degrees.

Copper Canyon Daisy

Copper Canyon Daisy aka Mountain Marigold is native to the Southwest US and Northern Mexico. The bright yellow flowers are attractive to bees and butterflies, but its the foliage that smells so good. The fragrance that’s released when you brush against the plant is difficult to describe. Maybe fresh rain + a hint of lemon?

Arp Rosemary

We rarely meet a rosemary variety that we don’t like – they all smell great, and they have subtle differences in scent and flavor. We’re excited about Arp Rosemary this Spring because it’s cold hardy down to 20 degrees! Great in the ground or in a pot with an upright growth habit.

Citronella Geranium

Some would call the scent of Citronella Geraniums pungent, and others adore it. The most common use of the plant and it’s strong scent is to repel mosquitoes. Place it near the door or along walkways, and periodically disturb the foliage with a broom to release the fragrance.

Texas Kidneywood

Kidneywood is a Texas native shrub/small tree with delicately fragrant blooms and leaves. Kidneywood likes a location with dappled light (some sun/some shade) and is both cold hardy and drought tolerant. The blooms attract bees and butterflies and the wood is sometimes used for dyes.

Mexican Mint Marigold

Mexican Mint Marigold aka Mexican Tarragon or Texas Tarragon is an aromatic herb with beautiful flowers and a fragrance similar to anise or licorice. Great for a full-sun location, and makes a great potted plant since it needs good drainage. You can use it in the kitchen as you would tarragon with chicken, fish, compound butter, etc. And we think it makes the BEST salad dressing.

Sansevieria??

Did you know that Sansevieria sometimes bloom?! This is rare, but we have 1 here at Gill’s right now that’s about to flower. If you’ve never smelled a Sansevieria bloom, be sure to stop by in the next few days. We plan to keep it here until the blooms fade so everyone has a chance to smell the incredible (and incredibly strong) fragrance. If you want to encourage your Sansevieria to bloom, keep the roots constricted in a small pot and give it more light. No guarantees, but it’s magical when it happens.

Happy 2023! January is time to get started on garden resolutions. Planning a veggie garden? New landscape beds? More Texas native plants to support wildlife? So many possibilities, and we’re here to help. Here are our top must-do’s this month to set your projects up for success.

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. Prep Beds for Spring Planting

January is our month to plan and prep for Spring. Clean up, remove weeds, and prep your garden beds by adding some compost! We love Nature’s Blend Compost for veggie and landscape beds. A good ratio is 1 bag per 12 sq. ft. of space. If you make your own compost, that approximate ratio works well. It doesn’t have to be exact. Turn the compost a few inches into the soil with a shovel or garden forks for a good full-body workout!

2. Yes, You Can Plant in January!

Trees, shrubs, and perennials will build healthy root systems during their winter dormancy making for stronger, healthier plants in Spring and Summer. Just a few days after the freeze, we planted a butterfly garden with Texas Lantana, Mystic Spires Salvia, Texas Frogfruit, Skeleton leaf Goldeneye, and more. Yes, we plan to cover it if we get any more cold weather, but those plants are getting a head start now and will be ready to burst with growth this Spring!

3. Feed Your Citrus Trees

Meyer Lemons on the left with fertilizer, Meyer lemons on the right without!

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. 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.

4. Start Veggie Seeds!

January is time to start tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, chard, onions, carrots, beets, parsley and more from seed. We carry seed-starting trays, peat pots, and special cutting/seedling 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.

5. Start Your Post-Freeze Clean Up, but Not Too Much Pruning!

Remember – wait to do any major pruning of freeze-damaged plants until February. You don’t want the plant to think its time to start putting on new growth since we still may have another cold snap. However, there’s definitely some clean-up that can be started now. As a general rule, if freeze-damaged plants are mushy and slimy, go ahead and clean out the mushy parts. If freeze-damaged plants are dry and crunchy, leave them alone. That dry, crunchy foliage will help insulate against any more possible freezes.

Ornamental grasses, like Pink Muhly or Purple Fountain grass, are an 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.

6. Spend Time with Your Houseplants

Most houseplants will need more light and less water this month. Keep their leaves clean to help them take up sunlight and prevent bad bugs. Experiment with lighting/placement, and take them outside for a sunny day or 2.

FYI – the Gill team (Ori, Debbie, and Jesse) are headed to the Tropical Plant International Expo in Tampa this month. We can’t wait to tour houseplant growing operations and get the scoop on new varieties!

Fertilizing lawns now (before November 15th!) helps develop strong roots for healthy growth next Spring and Summer. And, if you’re concerned about weeds, now’s the time to take care of them. Here’s how!

Step 1: Fertilize Now!

Fertilizing while it is still warm is best because lawns 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 nutrients. Remember to water in your fertilizer with at least a half inch of irrigation. We recommend organic Medina Growin’ Green for lawns. We can lend you a fertilizer spreader as well – makes life a lot easier!

Step 2: Apply Weed Control

Applying Crabgrass & Weed Preventer will prevent broadleaf weeds (including sticker burrs on the island!) from sprouting. Be sure to water it in with ¼” of irrigation after applying. Crabgrass & Weed Preventer can be used to control weeds in flower beds too. To take care of existing weeds in the lawn, use Weed-B-Gone hose end spray. Keep Weed-B-Gone out of flower beds, and do not water it in.

Step 3: Slow Down Your Watering!

Watering once a week was appropriate in warmer temperatures, but we should water on average once every two weeks through November, and then turn off the sprinkler for December and January.

If we go 3 weeks with no substantial rain, then water beds and lawns thoroughly one time. 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.

Here comes the sun! Plants and lawns are certainly well-hydrated after all that rain. Our first impulse may be to fertilize as soon as the sun comes out, but we need to wait a little longer. Here’s how to make sure you get the best impact from feeding.

Lawns

In normal conditions, Fall lawn fertilizing should happen anytime between mid-September and mid-November. This year, we’d suggest waiting until later in September at the earliest. As you’ve probably noticed, since the soil was so dry before the big rains, it is taking longer for water to soak in or run off. You want your lawn to dry back out some before you fertilize so you can water the fertilizer in well (a good, evenly-applied ½ inch) and get it down to the roots. We love organic Medina Growin’ Green for lawns. One bag covers 3,000 sq. ft. and we have fertilizer spreaders available if you need to rent one.

Established Landscape Plants

The same principle applies to established landscape plants. After the rains, they are getting ready to explode with new growth. Give them a week or so to dry out a bit, then give them a good feeding. They’ll need the extra energy. Organic Medina Growin’ Green or Plant Tone are excellent all-purpose granular fertilizers for landscape plants. Granular foods can be applied about once a month and supplemented with liquid Hasta Gro every couple weeks.

New Plantings

If you got new veggies, flowers, or new landscape plants in before the rains, lucky you! Again, give them a little time to dry out a bit, then continue to feed with an organic granular once a month and supplement with liquid Hasta Gro every 2 weeks. Veggies are heavy feeders, especially if you want a big harvest. If you’re getting ready to plant now, be sure to get a bag of Bio Tone starter fertilizer. Mix a small handful into the soil when you plant to stimulate root growth.

Wow, that rain was an instant mood booster! Great news as we gear up for Fall gardening! Now that we’ve had some rain, it’s important to maintain that depth of moisture. Here are a few continued watering tips to be sure you make the most of it.

Remember: It’s easier to maintain depth moisture than it is to create depth moisture. It’s important to continue to water slow and deep to get water to the roots where it’s needed. For lawns, we recommend continuing to water deeply once a week. A long, deep soaking once a week is appropriate through mid-October.

This holds true for established landscape plants as well. Check them for water needs once a week and water accordingly. Keep in mind that new plantings (veggies, flowers, shrubs, trees) will need water daily for the first 2 weeks, then twice a week for another 2 weeks, then you should be able to taper down to once a week once their root systems are more established.

Pro tips:

Use a moisture meter – poke it down into the root ball to check for depth moisture.
Water at ground level, don’t spray from above. A long watering wand makes this a lot more fun.
Plants in pots/containers need watering from twice a day to once a week in these temperatures, depending on variety and location – check them more often!

Since we stayed cool so long in early Spring, most of us weren’t thinking about watering. But now that we’re in a long period of no rain, high winds, and warmer temps, good watering is critical. Here are our tips to make sure your lawn and plants are properly hydrated.

Depth Moisture: Water Longer and Deeper, Not Just More Frequently

Watering frequently seems like a logical thing to do, but lawns and plants benefit more from deeper drinks, less often. The goal should be to create depth moisture, so plant roots grow deeper in search of water. If you water frequently but not deeply, plant roots will stay shallow where the water is, which makes them less resistant to dry conditions, less resistant to pests and disease, and generally punier!

For lawns in clay soil areas (most of the Coastal Bend) right now, water deeply once a week. Try the tuna can trick: place an empty tuna or cat food can in your lawn, then water the area until the can is full. For clay soil, keep in mind that water runs off faster than it can soak in, so we need to use the TAMU Cycle and Soak Method. For sandy soil (Flour Bluff, Rockport, Padre Island, Port Aransas) you should water more frequently with less volume.

For landscape plants, water deeply at ground level to get water down into the root ball. Don’t shower from above. To prevent runoff, give each plant a short burst, then revisit each plant several times. Also keep in mind that too much water will rot the roots and not allow the plant to take up water and nutrients. Too much water/not enough water will result in very similar symptoms. Best to use a moisture meter – more on that below!

Water in the Morning

If you were running a race, would you rather have a good drink of water at the beginning of the race or no water until the end? Same goes for lawns and plants – they benefit from watering in the morning so they can sustain themselves through the heat of the day.

Moisture Meter – a Gardener’s Best Friend!

Take out the guesswork and use a moisture meter. We promise it’s not cheating! Take it around with you when you’re watering, poke it into the root ball of each plant, get an accurate moisture reading, and water accordingly. So easy to use and SO helpful. Can’t go wrong for about $10.

Try Moisture Retention Technology?

We are planning to experiment with a biodegradable product called Hydretain which uses “a liquid group of hygroscopic and humectant components that attracts moisture. In other words, by acting like tiny “water magnets,” they form microscopic droplets within the root zone. As a result, this process allows plants to utilize soil moisture which would otherwise be lost to evaporation.” If we can stand behind the results, we will likely carry it here at Gill’s.