rain

How about that nice rain last Sunday?! And we have chances for more – hooray! Rain makes everybody feel better – plants, people, weeds, bugs… Here are a few important to-do’s for making the most of a good rain and keeping potential issues from getting out of hand.

Water + Mulch to Maintain Depth Moisture – Very Important!

This may sound counterintuitive, but you need to continue watering regularly even when we’re getting good rainfall. Supplemental watering after a rain will help push moisture further down into the soil and allow the soil to hold depth moisture for a longer period. This is very important during spring before we reach warmer summer temps. The better depth moisture we maintain now, the deeper plant roots will grow, which will allow plants to withstand warmer temps and longer periods between waterings. Keep in mind, it takes far less water to improve and maintain depth moisture than it does to rebuild it once the soil gets really dry. And remember – mulch is your best friend! A good 2-3″ mulch layer works wonders for retaining moisture and reducing water needs. It also insulates roots and keeps them cooler and healthier.

If you’re interested in capturing a large amount of rainwater every time it rains, reach out to us here to discuss adding rainwater cisterns to your landscape. You’d be surprised how much you can collect. Just 1 inch of rain on 1,000 sq ft of roof = 600 gallons of water!

A Few Easy Solutions for Bugs After a Rain

If you haven’t noticed already, you’ll soon notice a lot more bug activity in your garden. Don’t worry, and don’t over-treat, just stay observant. For 2 very common culprits, aphids and spider mites, use organic Spinosad Soap. If caterpillars are causing a lot of damage in the veggie garden, you can use organic Bt spray or dust. To prevent mosquitos, use organic Mosquito Dunks or Bits in your rain barrels, bird baths, and anywhere you have standing water. They’re harmless to birds, pets, and other bugs, but they prevent mosquito larvae from hatching. These can also be used to create very effective mosquito traps. Just fill a bucket with water and some leaf/grass clippings, and add a dunk or granular bits.

You may have also seen fire ant mounds appear out of nowhere after the rain. We’ve had good success using organic Come & Get It Bait to take care of them. If you have other bug questions, give us a call or stop by.

What About Weeds?

If you’re thinking of treating for weeds, keep in mind that most weed killers need several days of sunshine to be effective. So, not a good idea to use them when we have intermittent rain in the forecast. Instead, the best plan of attacking weeds right now is to take advantage of the soft ground and pull em up! One of the most satisfying sounds in the garden is that “pop” you hear when you pull a weed and get the entire root. And once again, mulch is your best friend for suppressing weeds too!

-Jesse

Woohoo for rain here in town and in the watershed!! Makes for a lot of happy plants and people. But with rain comes a major increase in bug activity, some of which can cause major problems. Here are the main offenders to watch out for and how to get rid of them.

Dreaded Aphids

You’re bound to encounter aphids sooner or later. They’re commonly found in the veggie garden and attacking new growth of landscape plants like hibiscus, Indian Hawthorn, and even Texas Sage. If it’s just a few, you can blast them off with a steady stream of water. Or use organic Spinosad Soap or systemic Cyonara if the outbreak is bad and causing a lot of damage. Ladybugs are also a great natural control – they love eating aphids.

Disgusting Spider Mites

Look for these little white specks and fine webbing…spider mites! They’re also common in the veggie garden and they like plumeria, junipers, and all kinds of houseplants. Spinosad soap is a good control.

Menacing Mealy Bugs

Look on the tips, stems, and undersides of the leaves for these white insects clustered together. If they go unnoticed for a short period of time , they will produce a protective cottony barrier over their bodies to protect themselves. Many times we hear “I have a white fungus on my plants”, but it’s usually mealybugs. Spinosad Soap and Cyonara can be used to kill these pests. Multiple applications may be needed. Thorough coverage is a must, and we recommend spraying once a week for 2-3 weeks to make sure you have killed them all. If you only have a few clusters of them at the tips of your plants you could smash them with your fingers and rinse, or cut off the affected tips and throw away the bugs in a sealed bag.

Hungry Caterpillars

Look for 2 main signs and you’ll know its caterpillars: big holes chewed through leaves and black speckles of frass (poop). If you inspect your garden every day and it’s just a few chewed leaves here and there, you can usually find the caterpillar and relocate it. If they’re causing more damage than you’re comfortable with, you can treat with organic Bt. The active ingredient, Bacillus thuringiensis targets caterpillars only. It’s harmless to birds, bees, pets, and people. We carry Bt in a hose-end sprayer, a hand spray bottle, and in powdered form called Dipel Dust. The nice thing about the dust is that its super easy to sprinkle and you can easily see where you’ve applied it.

Annoying Ants

If fire ants are present underground, you’ll see their mounds pop up after a rain. We’ve had good success using organic Come & Get It Bait to take care of them. Sprinkle on the mound, and they’ll take the bait down into the colony and die. You can also drench the mound with Spinsosad soap or Orange oil.

Nasty Squash Borers

Your squashes are in danger! Squash borers love to bore into the mases of the stem of your squash plants and eat them from the inside. To prevent them from getting in, spray the stems of your squashes with Spinosad Soap. You can also inject your squashes with a simple solution of Bt to kill them if they’re already inside. Just mix Bt with water as the label recommends, then fill a syringe and inject the base of the stem.

Gross Scale Insects

The photo above is a leaf from a Cast Iron plant that a customer brought in. This one happens to be infested with 2 different types of scale insects. Notice the white specks and the brown gunky spots. There are many different types of scale that go after our common landscape plants like Cast Iron plant, Flax Lily, Hibiscus, Indian Hawthorn, and more. Have no fear! All-Seasons Horticultural & Dormant Oil Spray is here! Horticultural oil is a mineral oil solution that works by coating the insects and suffocating them. It’s safe and harmless for humans, pets, birds, and other wildlife, but very effective against scale insects and other plant pests. Just don’t use it when temperatures get above 90 degrees or you’ll risk burning your plants. If temps warm up, use Neem Oil sprayed in the evening.

Artistic Leaf Miners

Have you seen these abstract paintings on the leaves of your pepper plants? Leaf miners! Aside from their obvious scrawlings, they typically don’t affect plant health much. If it’s just a few leaves here and there, just remove those leaves and carry on. If it’s a lot of damage, remove the affected leaves and spray the remaining leaves with spinosad soap or neem oil, which will signal to the flying leaf miners that this is not a good place to land and lay eggs.

Flying Flea Beetles

Flea beetles are tiny – about ¼” or smaller. They leave their signature pin size chew holes in newly planted herbs & veggies. They’re also fond of flower buds just before they open. Spinsosad soap will take care of them. Plan to spray late in the day or early evening when bees are not foraging. It is safe for bees once the spray dries.

Grubby Grub Worms

We’ve been seeing June bugs, which means grub worms will follow soon, typically early to mid May. If you want to prevent them from doing damage to your lawn, use Bonide Insect and Grub Killer granules. In this case, ‘season long’ means about 3 months. So, you may need another application in mid July.

Abundant Pill Bugs

Pill bugs aka rolly-polies are everywhere right now. They’re actually crustaceans, not insects. They usually don’t cause much damage to plants, but if they’re out of hand, you can treat with organic Sluggo Plus. Or, you can get them drunk… Fill a cat food or tuna can half way with beer, and the pill bugs will crawl in, get drunk, and drown.

Vampiric Mosquitos

They’re sure to be hatching as we speak… To prevent mosquitos, use organic Mosquito Dunks or Bits in your rain barrels, bird baths, and anywhere you have standing water. They’re harmless to birds, pets, and other bugs, but they prevent mosquito larvae from hatching. These can also be used to create very effective mosquito traps. Just fill a bucket with water and some leaf/grass clippings, and add a dunk or granular bits.

1. Join Us for Workshops & Events!

We’ve got a big May planned here at Gill’s with another round of fun workshops and events. Next weekend, on Saturday, May 9th, we’re inviting kids to come pot up a free flower for Mom for Mother’s Day. The following week, we’re hosting our first ever Ikebana workshop led by our fav local floral designer, Julia Prohorova aka Wild Veggie Bouquet! We’ve got Bigfoot’s Rockeaters coming for a cactus growing talk later this month, plus round 2 of our Nightbloom Market after-hours shopping event – this time with more vendors! Click here for more info, RSVPs, and tickets!

2. Plant Blooming Perennials and Trees

It’s time to plant lots of different blooming perennials and blooming trees. Get them established in May so they are rooted and acclimated to withstand warmer temps this summer. Staples like Esperanza, many varieties of Salvia, Lantana, and tons more are all blooming beautifully right now. And blooming native trees like Retama and Wild Olive are looking great right now. Added bonus: blooming perennials and trees attract lots of butterflies and hummingbirds!

3. Plant and Harvest Veggies

Warm weather veggie time! Plant all kinds of peppers, zucchini, squash, melons, and okra this month for continued harvesting into the summer months. If you planted tomatoes, cucumbers, and other early spring veggies, you’ll be harvesting now or very soon. Be sure to harvest often! It keeps birds & insects from finding them first, and helps redirect energy to produce more fruit. If you do have insect issues in your veggie garden, our go-to organic control is Spinosad soap – safe for food but takes care of a lot of common bad bugs.

4. Mulch for Many Reasons!

We all know that fresh mulch is the quickest garden makeover! But did you know that applying a proper 3” layer of natural mulch keeps underlying soil temps more than 20 degrees cooler?! A good mulch layer keeps weeds at bay, and as it breaks down over time, it add nutrients to your soil. And perhaps most importantly right now, a good mulch layer retains moisture, which means big water savings.

5. What About Watering?

Speaking of watering, despite long-term drought conditions and potential water emergencies in the news, we need to continue to water smartly. Watering consistently now (just enough) will help maintain depth moisture, make the most of rainfall, and help plant roots grow deeper – all of which will reduce water needs and save water in the long run. Does all of our plant water need to come from the tap? Nope! You can conserve a lot of city water by collecting rainwater, A/C condensate, water from dehumidifiers, and re-using gray water from washing machines and dishwashers. If you’re interested in collecting a lot of rainwater, the Gill’s landscape team installs custom rainwater collection systems using stainless steel cisterns that are very attractive in the landscape and last a lifetime. Just 1″ of rain on 1,000 square feet of roof space can catch 600 gallons of rainwater. Get in touch!

6. Set Your Mosquito Traps!

We are big fans of the simple bucket mosquito trap. Just fill a bucket 3/4 with water, add a good handful of lawn or plant clippings, and toss in a Mosquito Dunk or Mosquito Bits. These dissolve in the water and release bacteria that target mosquito larvae and kill them before they hatch. And they’re organic and not harmful to birds, bees, pets or humans! Set a few of these traps, sprinkle some organic Mosquito Beater granules around walkways and patios, and use Skeeter Screen incense sticks near where you’re working or hanging out outside. Remember that using chemical mosquito foggers kills all the good bugs too, some of which help control mosquitos and other bad bugs.

7. Gifts for Mother’s Day and Graduations

Let us help you find something pretty, useful, or both for the gardening moms and grads in your life. Pottery, birdbaths, wind chimes, quality garden tools, hats, gloves, garden decor, plantable greeting cards, gardening books – lots of options. You can purchase Gill gift cards online here. Or come find the gift that gardeners love most – plants 🙂

We’ve passed the halfway point for 2026…that was fast! We hope you’re having lots of fun this summer – holidays, BBQs, weekend trips, and garden projects! Here are our top must-do’s to keep your plants healthy and happy in July, including tips for planting, watering, and summer pests to watch out for.

1. Yes, You Can Plant in the Summer!

Myth: I’ve heard that you can’t plant in the summer because its too hot… FACT: Of course you can!! You can plant just about anything in our summers, including trees, as long as you have a good plan for watering. In fact, summer is a great time to plant crape myrtles because they’re blooming and you get to choose the color IRL! While we’re past the season for spring veggies like tomatoes, there are still plenty of summer veggies like okra, peppers, eggplant, and melons to plant now. If you want your own fresh pumpkins for Halloween, start ’em in July. Plus, now’s a great time to set table for the fall hummingbird migration with their fav blooming perennials like Firebush, Firecracker plant (pictured), native flame Acanthus, and Dicliptera aka Hummingbird Bush. Don’t let any myths discourage your summer gardening!

2. Watering: Think Depth, Not Frequency

Proper hydration happens when you get water down to the roots of the plant. This means watering deeply, not more frequently. Plants need long, slow, deep drinks! Encourage those roots to dive deeper for water. Even with recent summer rains (yay!!), continue to watch your watering and maintain that depth moisture. If you notice this summer that you’re having to water your potted plants a lot more often, it could be time to re-pot. As the pot fills up with roots, you end up with less soil and therefore less moisture retention.

3. Mulch to Keep Roots Cool

Another way to save water is to keep landscape beds and gardens mulched through the summer. Studies show that a good 3″ layer of mulch will keep your plant roots more than 20 degrees cooler! Not only that, a good mulch layer also helps retain moisture AND keeps weeds at bay. Healthy plants, less watering, and fewer weeds – that’s a win/win/win! It’s important to use natural wood or pine straw mulch that breaks down over time, NOT the red dyed stuff! As natural mulch breaks down, it adds nutrients and makes your soil more workable. Keep in mind, mulch is also a great placeholder. If you have areas that you plan to plant later, keep them mulched to keep weeds out and keep your soil healthy and ready to plant when you are.

4. Watch for More Bugs in Summer

Not all bugs are bad, so it’s important to know your bugs before you spray anything, even organics. A few bugs here and there is most likely not cause for alarm. If you do get an infestation, cut the plant back first, give it some fertilizer, then treat for bugs. By pruning first, you won’t have to treat every leaf on the whole plant. We see plants come back better than ever using this method. If you’re not sure about bugs or pruning, we’re here to help. During summer, watch out for mealybugs on plants like Hibiscus and Turk’s Cap, lacebugs on Lantana, and chinch bugs in the lawn – especially near sidewalks and driveways! We’ve got solutions for all of the above.

5. Yes, You Should Fertilize in the Summer!

Continue to feed plants, especially heavy bloomers and veggies through the summer. Keep in mind that strong, healthy plants are less susceptible to pests and disease. Speaking of strong, try a good liquid foliar food like Medina Hasta Gro about every other week in addition to your granular feedings about once a month. The foliar food sprayed directly on the leaves really makes those leaves stronger and more robust. Lots of gardeners like to use liquid seaweed in the summer for a similar purpose, to help fortify and summer-proof your plants. What about lawns? If you haven’t fed your lawn yet, you can still do that too. If you have, you don’t need to feed it again until the fall.

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.