rain

Kathy Hubner, one of our landscape designers, went on a tour of Irish gardens in July with the Association of Professional Landscape Designers. These photos were taken at the lake at Castletown Cox in the county of Kilkenny.

“In July I had the good fortune to escape the summer heat and tour Irish Gardens.

I knew the landscape would be lush and green. It was.

I knew it might rain. I was prepared.

I never dreamed the combination would make me feel like I’d stepped into a Monet painting!”

1. Fertilize in Fall. It’s great to fertilize in spring, and again early summer, but fall fertilization is probably the most important of all, and the most neglected. September 15 to November 15 application makes the nutrients available while the roots are still active. This will result in better turf density (and so fewer weeds), stronger roots, and residual nutrient inside the grass runners for faster green-up next spring. Apply the recommended amount, as excess fertilizer can result in fall and winter fungus.

2. Water Properly. A long deep soaking once a week is appropriate through mid-October, then water just once every two weeks through fall and winter, if we don’t get an inch of rain. Excess frequency of watering also encourages fungus problems. Resume once a week watering mid-March to April.

3. Watch for Insects. Chinch bugs have been a scourge this summer! Grub damage can start showing up late summer. And there is always the possibility of Fall Armyworms or Sod Webworms in fall. Don’t take your neighbor’s advice, please bring in a sample of lawn as soon as you see any problem (still somewhat alive but showing symptoms) and maybe a photo, and let us advise on proper treatment. Don’t just douse any and all brown spots with pesticide. Some may be old drought/heat damage, some may be fungus.

4. Mow Properly. Once a week minimum during rapid growth. More frequently is even better if you can manage it (notice how often you see the mowers on the golf course). This results in better density and therefore fewer weeds. Keep your blade sharpened for best grass health. During late fall and winter fungus season, see if you can get your yardman to sterilize his mower before getting on your lawn to minimize spread of fungal spores from other yards (good luck with that!)

5. Control Weeds. If you have followed recommendations 1-4, you are already ahead! But the next step, if you feel it necessary, is a pre-emergent weed preventer, such as Amaze or Dimension, applied in October and again in January. Follow label recommendations for best results, you do not want to over or under apply. We do not recommend weed-and-feed fertilizers, because plants and shrubs all need fertilizer, but weed killers can damage or kill shrubs and trees, and effective application times for fertilizers and weed killers are very different. If you have some broadleaf weeds (clover, sow thistle, dandelion, chickweed) occurring in January or February, you can spot apply a broadleaf weed-killer such as Weed-B-Gon for Southern Lawns.

James

Anytime between mid-September to mid-November is prime time to fertilize the lawn, trees, shrubs, vines and groundcovers. Fertilizing while it is still warm is best because plants 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 the nutrients needed for the fall and winter. Remember to water in the fertilizer with at least a ½ inch of irrigation. Never depend on the rain to water in your fertilizer, because as you know, it never rains when predicted, and also never gives us that perfect ½ inch. It either rains too much, too little, or not at all. Making sure the timing is right and proper amount of water is applied assures your lawn of getting the full benefit of the nutrients it needs to maintain healthy leaves and roots for the dormant season. We carry our Gill Lawn and Garden and also several organic lawn fertilizers. Never use Weed and Feed if you have any trees or shrubs in the yard. Trees are a broadleaf just like a weed, so it will try to kill them as well. Weed killers and weed preventers can be used in October once our temperatures moderate in the 80’s. We will talk about them more as the season approaches.

DeAnna

This new flyer from the City Of Corpus Christi explains our current landscape water guidelines. We’re happy we are able to pick the one day of the week that works best for us to water!

Download here.

1. Proper Watering

This is the most important of all. Water slow and deep to make sure at least one inch of water is applied to all established lawn and landscape plants for our long hot summers. Smaller bedding plants such as annual color and perennial beds will require a second supplemental watering since they have a smaller root system.

2. Mulching

Use hardwood mulch three to four inches deep in planting beds to help conserve moisture as well as control weeds. Most mulch is applied too thin, only two inches rather than three to four. Do not bury crown of plant or trunk of shrubs.

3. Top Dress The Lawn

A thin layer of Nature’s Blend Compost applied several times a year helps to enrich the soil and will cut watering demands.

4. Insect Controls

Many insects are seasonal. Chinch bugs attack lawns in the hot summer months, so watch the edges of your lawn for the first signs. Spider mites also love the hot dry summer season. Keep an eye on junipers, pittosporums and houseplants for signs of mottling on the leaves or leaf drop and treat as soon as possible. Mealy bugs are also a hot weather insect and leave white cotton along the stems and undersides of many plants. More than one application may be needed to control some of these insects.

5. Fungus Control

This is not always an issue in the summer, but can be if we are getting periods of heavy rain. Proper year round watering and adding Nature’s Blend several times a year will help minimize fungal issues.

6. Fertilizing

Keeping your plants fed for the summer is very important, but applying at a lower rate may help to keep them healthy without encouraging too much new growth. Using organic fertilizers keep the plants healthy which minimizes insect attacks, Milorganite Fertilizer for instance.

7. Pruning

Some plants will need to be pruned in the summer to keep them more compact and not overgrown. Be careful, though, since some plants can sunburn easily when removing the upper leaves which have been shading the rest of the plant.

8. Weed Control

Some weeds burn off in the summer heat. Pre-emergents, such as Green Light Amaze and Hi Yield Weed & Grass Stopper can be applied year round in landscape beds to prevent weeds. Organic weed killers, such as Nature’s Guide Horticultural Vinegar, for landscape beds, are most effective in hot summer temperatures. But broadleaf lawn weed killers cannot be used in your grass once temperatures get above 85 degrees due to burning. Keep the grass mowed to remove seed heads of weeds. Mechanical means is always the best.

9. Proper Mowing Height

Proper mowing height will shade the ground and cause less water evaporation from the soil, reducing water needs. St. Augustine is best at three inches, so raise the mower. Also a sharp mower blade helps the grass look fresh and green, while a dull blade leaves ragged edges that turn brown and cause the lawn to look somewhat dead and dull.

10. Proper Plant – Proper Place

With any landscape make sure you have thought out the full mature height and width of plants, sun requirements and water needs before planting. You should never be constantly pruning a plant because it is too large for the space. That is the wrong plant for the spot. Also group like water need plants together. The most drought tolerant plants should be those furthest from the water source.

Now that you have worked hard at planting and maintaining the landscape, take the time to kick back, relax and admire the beauty you created. Gardening is great therapy! it not only burns calories, it also reduces stress from a hard day’s work and helps to lower blood pressure. Colleges are even offering courses in horticultural therapy. Gardeners live longer lives; plants give you reason to get up and get moving!

-DeAnna

Emily, a Landscape Design Assistant here at Gill’s, loves orchids. Before joining us, she worked at the Naples Botanical Gardens in Naples, Florida, growing orchids. Emily, pictured here, shares her knowledge – enjoy!

Orchidacaea is the largest flowering plant family in the world. This family has more than 25,000 documented species which is about four times the number of mammal species in the world today! The Royal Horticultural Society estimates that we are close to nearing half a million hybridized varieties, along with new orchids being created in labs or discovered every day.

Orchids are a very diverse plant species as they occur naturally on every continent except Antarctica. They can grow as epiphytes which attach to trees, lithophytes which attach to rocks, or terrestrial which grow in the ground like most plants. They are known for being the tropical, bright-colored beauties in the rainforests and they are also known for being the state flower of Minnesota – the Showy Lady’s slipper. Orchids also occur in every color except for true black or true blue – if you see these colors it is likely that they are either dyed or you are seeing a very vibrant spectrum of purple.

Perhaps the most beneficial orchid is Vanilla planifolia – the vanilla plant. This is a vining species whose roots start in the ground and began to attach to a tree and vine to the top. When this orchid flower is pollinated and creates a seed pod, the seeds are the little black specs that you see in your vanilla bean ice cream! This is the only orchid that is being farmed for industrial purposed in the food and cosmetic industry.

The one thing that almost every orchid species has in common is their floral arrangement: The outer three flower parts are sepals and the inner three flower parts are beautifully colored petals. A fun fact is that a study has been done to prove that humans have such a fascination with orchids because the orchid flower has bilateral symmetry – like a human face – which makes humans have an affinity to caring for them. It has been said that “When someone looks at an orchid, it looks back at you.”

Orchids can see out of reach for many of us as they are one of the oldest plants to live on Earth – over ten million years! On average they take seven years to grow from seed to flower! And people have been known to catch “orchid fever” when collecting them (read the book Orchid Fever by Eric Hansen!) But, it is important to not became intimidated by orchids. In fact, they require a certain amount of neglect in order for them to grow happily. Here are some tips for growing your own orchid collection:

Here in Corpus Christi, you can grow your orchids outside year round – only needing to bring them inside if the temperature is going to drop below 40 degrees, or 45 if you want to play it safe.
Keeping in mind that most of the orchids you will find for sale grow epiphytically on tree trunks, they receive dappled light under the tree canopy. Try to mimic that environment always. If you are growing indoors, Eastern facing light is always best as it is the cool, bright light of the morning.
Next, think again of the natural environment of your orchid. The root systems are exposed in nature and not potted. A good way to mimic this is to water once a week by leaching the pot, allowing the water to drain through the bottom for a few minutes. Never let your orchid sit in water as this will rot its roots – this would never happen in nature because after a rain storm the wind would dry the orchid’s roots. Air flow is vital to the health of your orchid.
Fertilizing your orchid should be thought of as giving a vitamin supplement. You should not fertilize with the intention of encouraging blooming. You will want to feed a balanced fertilized, like Fertilome Water Soluble Plant Food 20-20-20, and remember the “weekly/weakly” solution: feed fertilizer once a week at a 50% dilution rate.
Pest control is best done with a preventative mindset rather than waiting until you have a problem to treat it. I believe the best preventative is neem oil (Natural Guard Neem Ready To Use) – this is an organic treatment that you can apply to your orchids twice a month. The crucial part of applying neem oil is to be sure to never apply it in temperatures over 85 degrees or in the sunlight as it can burn the leaves of your plants. The best solution is to spray in the evenings so that it has all night to dry.
Repotting your orchid should only occur when your plant’s roots began growing over the side and attaching to the pot. It is normal to have aerial roots that stick out of the pot. Simply remove your orchid from the pot, throw away all of the old bark or sphagnum moss mixture, clean up the roots by pulling dead roots away with your hands (try to avoid cutting anything) and then re-pot in a bark mixture.
A special note on Phalaenopsis, the most popular orchid kept as a houseplant, is that this particular orchid does part of its photosynthetic process through its roots – this makes it very important to keep it potted in a clear plastic container so that its roots can see the light

Please take some time to enjoy some of the beautiful orchids in my life and find some inspiration to be patient with yours!

–Emily

Now is the time to kill any weeds that have popped up in the lawn. The weather needs to be warm and sunny for 3-5 days with no rain or water on the lawn for Weed B Gon to work the best. It comes with a hose-end applicator on the bottle and enough to spray over 2500 sq. ft of lawn area. Do not mow first, but do make sure the lawn is watered well before spraying. And yes, it is safe to use on Floratam St. Augustine. Give it a full 2 weeks to work its magic and by then the grass should be out of winter dormancy and it will be time to fertilize.

–DeAnna