Roses

I always make it a point to garden in a way that works with nature and promotes life. Using the least toxic products when I have a problem or a pest in the garden is a big part of that equation. All pesticides and fungicides are killers, organic or not, so it is important to choose a product that is selective in what it kills. Bee Safe 3 in 1 Garden Spray is relatively new here at Gills and has quickly become one of my favorites for a few reasons:

It works. I use Bee Safe to treat aphids, mealy bugs, and powdery mildew with great success. It is also labeled for spider mites and fungal issues like black spot on roses – hence the name “3 in 1”.

Bee Safe is not a kill all. Bee Safe will not harm bees, butterflies, or hummingbirds. This is important because pollinators play a critical role in a healthy thriving garden.

It’s totally organic. Bee Safe is OMRI certified for organic gardening. The active ingredients are sesame oil and fish oil, which are very safe to use around your pets, your family, and the bees! It is also labeled for “same day use” which means you can spray your veggies and eat them in the same day. I’d still recommend washing them of course. And keep in mind that Bee Safe is an oil-based insecticide, which means you should spray it in the evening to avoid burning.

Promoting life in the garden is the best way to prevent pests in the first place. Make sure you are attracting pollinizers (like bees, birds, and butterflies), promoting beneficial insects, and adding compost to encourage healthy microbial activity in the soil. All these living things will work together to maintain healthy plants which are not as susceptible to pests.

-Wyatt

Don’t Worry About Leafcutter Bees!

Leaf cutters always cut extremely neat semi-circles and ovals, unlike caterpillars which leave irregular holes in leaves. They prefer soft tissue plants such as roses, plumbago, hibiscus and crape myrtles. There is no chemical control since they do not eat the leaves they cut. Nesting season is very short, so after a week or two, they go away… thank goodness!

Feed Your Veggies

Vegetables are heavy feeders. Use Espoma Plant Tone once a month to keep your vegetables producing through the season.

Watch Out For Cabbage Loopers

It’s time for tiny green looper worms to be eating the leaves of your broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. Use
Hi-Yield Thuricude or Fertilome Dipel Dust to control these pesky worms. It is completely organic and safe up to the day of harvest. Just rinse and eat!

New For Your Garden: Watercolor Rose

It’s a color extravaganza! The flowers may be simple in style, but they’re captivating to watch as they change colors completely with each day. Hues of yellow, pink, cerise & ruby are carried atop loads of clean deep green leaves on a very bushy full plant. Dark red new shoots add to the show. This beauty is delicate to look at and tough as nails when it comes to garden performance. Complimented with a moderate apple fragrance; we think you’ll enjoy this one in your rose garden!

You would think with our cold winter, snow and 2 freezes in the 20’s all the insects would have frozen. But no, there seems to be an explosion of nature’s critters this spring. Hot weather insects have started early. Aphids on anything and everything, spider mites are in abundance on roses, angel trumpets, hibiscus, junipers and more. Chinch bugs are beginning in the lawns, and scale is erupting on cast iron, flax lily and more. Be a good bug scout. Look and observe, and remember a few bugs here and there are not always bad. If you see an insect infestation that won’t be controlled by nature or patience and needs treatment, come and see us to help identify the problem and get you the right solution.

-DeAnna

If you’re like us, you cannot wait to get outside and get gardening! The cool, damp weather has hung around too long, but there’s lots to do in preparation for blue skies ahead. Here’s what you need to get done this month.

Check out our March 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 & wind!

1. Wrap Up Your Clean-Up

If you still have pruning and clean-up to do, there’s still a little time! Cool temps have delayed the burst of Spring growth a bit. Overwintered perennials like Lantana, Salvias, and Roses need pruning now – cut them back up to 50%.

2. Plant Your Fruits and Veggies

It’s time! We are thrilled to have a big healthy selection of Spring veggies and fruit trees this year. We haven’t seen peach and plum trees this nice in several seasons. One thing we recommend for all plantings, including veggies and fruit trees, is Nature’s Blend compost – the closest thing we’ve seen to ‘magic in a bag’! One bag can amend about 12 sq ft of clay or sandy soil.

3. Bring Back the Birds, Bees, and Butterflies!

Now is a great time to incorporate plants into your garden that attract & feed the birds, bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. They need your help finding food and shelter, and you need their help pollinating your blooming plants, increasing your veggie production, and eating bad bugs. Bees are drawn to most anything with a bloom but some fav’s are Gregg’s Mist Flower, Esperanza, & Lantana. Butterflies love Butterfly Weed, Salvias, & Mexican Flame Vine. Native plants like Turks Cap produce berries for birds, and Hummers love Duranta, Mexican Honeysuckle, & lots more!

4. Feed New Plants Now, Established Plants Soon

New plantings need a good start with a good organic plant food. We love BioTone, PlantTone, and Hastagro. Add BioTone to your soil when you plant, then use PlantTone once a month and supplement with Hastagro about every 2 weeks to continue feeding throughout the season. For established plants, wait to feed until they are actively growing – typically mid/late March or early April.

5. Flowers for Right Now

Nothing says Spring like planting flowers! The best choices this month are Petunias, Marigolds, Begonias, and Geraniums. These love the warm days and cool nights of our early Spring. Popular late Spring/Summer flowers like Vinca, Moss Rose, and Zinnias will start to arrive in April as temps stay warmer.

6. Apply Pre-emergent Now + Wait to Fertilize Lawns

Lawns are still mostly dormant and not yet actively growing. Now is the time to apply pre-emergent weed control before the weeds start growing. We recommend Dura Turf Crab Grass and Weed Preventer. Hold off on watering – water once a week at most, depending on rain. And wait to fertilize lawns until you see enough growth to mow your lawn regularly, typically late March/early April. We recommend Medina Growin’ Green or Gill Lawn and Garden Food.

Check out our March Garden Guide for more tips!

-Debbie

Webbing on tree bark, white stuff on plants, & what’s cutting circles in my leaves?

Bark Lice: Good

We get lots of calls about webbing on tree trunks this time of year. These are good bugs called bark lice. They create a protective webbing around their colony and go to work cleaning the bark of your trees. Do Not Spray. These beneficial insects help maintain your trees’ health…absolutely free!

Image c/o Texas A&M Agrilife

Mealy Bugs: Bad

White cottony clumps on tips, stems, and undersides of leaves in summer are most likely mealy bugs! They are bad bugs. People often think these are a fungus because of their appearance but one squish with your fingers will tell you they’re insects feeding on your plants. They especially love Hibiscus, Jatropha and some Salvias. Treat naturally with Safer Insect Killing Soap or Neem Oil during cooler evening hours. You can also spray Broad Spectrum Insecticide which controls mealy bugs and other nuisance insects. Always follow label directions.

Leafcutter Bees: Good

Surprise! Your plant has bees, not worms, cutting circles in their leaves. Leafcutter bees are all the buzz in area gardens as they build their nests. These are good bees! No need to spray or treat. The female will cut leaves in perfect circular patterns from thin leaves like Roses, Crape Myrtles, and Plumbago to block their nest openings. This only lasts a couple of weeks and your plants will be just fine. Like many bees, they are passive, but they can sting if harassed or aggravated.

–Debbie

How is it December already?! Time flies when you’re having fun in the garden. Here are our top to-do’s this month: what to plant, gift ideas, Winter watering advice and more.

Check out our December 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 These Now

There’s always the BEST time to get plants growing and here’s a few that LOVE this season as much as we do!

Strawberries…who could resist picking these sweet jewels in the Spring?

Onions…we grow short-day onion varieties here in South Texas. Lucky for us the 1015 Texas Supersweet is one of those along with tasty Texas Early White & Southern Belle Red.

Roses…. our mild winters are perfect for big, beautiful roses & the cooler temps will only make them prettier and the flower color richer. Need we say more?

Trees…shade, flowering, small, big, they all benefit from planting now. Good root development during the cooler months of winter gives them better growth in spring and a fighting chance next summer.

2. Think Gifts That Grow

With a few simple components you can create heartfelt gifts that will last and grow. Collectible houseplants, succulents in natural clay pots, colorful flowers in a hanging basket, winter bulbs like Paperwhites and Amaryllis…the possibilities are endless! Adorn your wrappings with fresh herbs from the garden for those special touches that mean so much! Need ideas? We’ve got plenty!

3. Alternative Trees for Holidays and Beyond!

If you want a Christmas-y tree to enjoy in your landscape after the holidays, Junipers, Norfolk Pines, Loblolly Pines, Magnolias and Ficus trees work beautifully. We even had a customer this season who decided on a large Queen Palm to decorate! If you bring these in for decorating, be sure they have good bright natural light. Keep watered but not too much, and as soon as the holidays are done…take them outdoors for a breath of fresh air and plant.

4. Plant, Feed, Water Winter Flowers

Winter flowers are AMAZING right now! Violas and Pansies are breathtaking and Geraniums are full of buds and blooms. All that blooming makes them hungry, so take a moment and fertilize your beauties. We love Plant Tone and or Hasta Gro. Both are organic and give you big results. Have that “one more empty pot” to fill?

5. Check Irrigation and Reduce Watering

Established lawns and landscapes (those more than 2 years old) can do with less water during winter. Even potted plants will stay moist longer this time of year. Check your irrigation systems to run less time and/or less often. Water lawns every 2 weeks if no rain. Water your landscape and potted plants when the soil feels dry. YOU WILL NEED TO WATER when we have cold fronts with low humidity and high winds and/or freezing temps.

Welcome to 2022! January is the planning month for South Texas gardeners. Time to think about what/where/when/how, and most importantly, why to plant! Here are our top January to-do’s to set you up for a fun and successful Spring.

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. Set Your Gardening Intention

What are your reasons for gardening this year? Could be for stress relief, exercise, improving the environment, growing and cooking delicious food, attracting birds, or just enjoying being outside. Think about why you want to garden first, then use the month to plan your new garden spaces, clean up beds, and prepare your planting areas.

2. Keep Planting – But Watch The Weather

Our South Texas Spring is only about 45 days away! Pleasant weather brings the itch to start planting everything, but January weather is quite unpredictable, and temps can drop suddenly. January is a perfect time to plant trees & shrubs, greens & herbs, and cool weather flowers, just hold off on the tender tropicals.

3. Fertilize Your Citrus Trees

Use organic Citrus Tone by Espoma once you’ve finished your harvest. This helps your citrus get ready to bloom this Spring and produce a bumper crop next Fall-Winter. Reapply in June. You can feed in between with organic Hasta Gro.

4. Plant Climbing Roses

Our favorite climbing rose, the Peggy Martin variety, are blooming like crazy right now. Climbing roses benefit from being planted now and should not be cut back until after they have totally gone out of bloom. Other shrub roses should be cut back late January/early Feb to promote new growth and more Spring blooms.

5. Houseplants – Find a Good Spot

The key to vibrant and healthy houseplants is often just finding the right spot. A good starting point is to place near windows that get good indirect light for at least some portion of the day. Be sure to keep houseplants away from A/C and heat vents, which will dry them out. This Pilea is happy on a high shelf about 5 feet from a Western-facing window that gets indirect/dappled light through the trees outside.

6. Lawn Care

This Winter we’ve been diagnosing and treating fungal issues in lawns including the dreaded Take-All Root Rot. Check out our tips for prevention which include applying Peat Moss and making sure that you are not overwatering. For weeds, Bonide Weed & Crabgrass Preventer will help stop weed seeds from sprouting. Weed Beater Complete kills existing weeds and helps stop new weeds from sprouting.

Citrus Trees

Fertilize your citrus NOW for more blooms, May/June for better fruit set, September/October for nutrients.

For citrus trees, we recommend fertilizing with Espoma Citrus-Tone – all organic

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

Knock-out Roses

We like to cut knock-out roses by the end of January or first week of February, even if they’re covered in blooms. We prefer to cut before roses have made their first big flush of Spring growth. Just like the hybrid tea roses, knock-out roses benefit from a hard trimming, usually down to 24”. Begin fertilizing mid-February.

We recommend fertilizing roses with all organic Rose-Glo. Works great for lots of other blooming plants.

Ornamental Grasses

Trim your ornamental grasses straight across (no “cupcakes”) to 3”-4” from the ground sometime in January. Follow up with a small amount of fertilizer late February or early March. Be stingy – too much fertilizer speeds up the growth, making the foliage flop over instead of stand up.

Next week, my grasses will be cut back and ready for a new growing season.

For ornamental grasses, Plant Tone, Medina Growin’ Green, or HastaGro are all great organic fertilizers. Just remember – not too much!

-Sally Gill