Roses

THERE’S FUNGUS AMONG US.

With all this rain, our plants are happy to be well watered. But lurking around the corner are the fungal problems bound to happen, especially with roses, squash, and gerbera daisies. Use Fertilome Systemic Fungicide for control of powdery mildew, black spot, etc. It also works best as a preventative measure to stop the problem before it happens. If you’re an organic gardener, try using Serenade Fungicide instead. -Marta

We have a fresh shipment of Ladybugs and Beneficial Nematodes!

Fun facts about Ladybugs- Ladybugs aren’t really bugs at all, they’re beetles. There are almost 400 different kinds of ladybugs in North America. Female ladybugs can eat as many as 75 aphids in one day. They also like to eat scale, mealybugs and spider mites. Ladybugs smell with their feet and antennae. A ladybug’s jaws chew from side to side instead of up and down like our jaws. The color of a ladybug’s spots begin to fade as it gets older. Ladybugs are most active when their body temperature is 75 degrees or warmer. A ladybug’s bright color warns birds that it does not taste good. When a ladybug flies, its wings beat 85 times every second. Female ladybugs are larger than male ladybugs. Aphids are the first pest to hit in the spring. They love the new growth on plants. Buy your ladybugs now and keep them dormant in the refrigerator till your first outbreak of aphids, then release a few hundred at a time.

Beneficial Nematodes are microscopic creatures that live in soil where they feed on the eggs and larvae of soil borne-pests. They’re voracious predators of fire ants, fleas and white grub worms (the grubs that eat plant roots). Beneficial Nematodes are the ideal organic pest control because they’re a naturallyoccurring predator of pests but they don’t harm plants, animals or people. They’re completely non-toxic and they’re easy to use. You mix the nematodes with water, and then put the solution into a watering can or sprayer. A hose-end type sprayer is fine, as city water is fine to mix with the nematodes. Speaking of water, beneficial nematodes do need rain or supplemental watering in order to live and reproduce in your soil, so they’re not appropriate for dry land farms or completely xeric landscapes. Spray them out now to establish a colony to feed on ants, fleas and

grubs.

–DeAnna

Fresh Sprouts

Love fresh sprouts, but can’t eat them fast enough before they get old? That was my problem before I got my Botanical Interests Seed Sprouter (sold at our stores). Now I grow my own fresh and healthy sprouts from USDA Certified Organic seed, when I need them and only as much as I need. So easy, in just 7″x7″ on my kitchen counter.

– James

Mosquito Solutions: With all the recent rains, mosquitoes are here. First of all, remove any sources of standing water (that’s where they breed). For your favorite birdbath, use Mosquito Bits in the shaker,for larger ponds or ditches, Mosquito Dunks, both totally safe for birds and frogs. We have several ways to kill, control and repel them.Mosquito Beater hose-end (Permethrin) is an easy spray to killmosquitoes, ants, fleas & tics throughout the yard. It is safe to spray on all plants where mosquitoes hide. We also carry Mosquito Beater Granules which is a combination of natural essential oils to repel. It contains citronella oil, garlic, geranium oil, cedar oil and lemon grass oil. Covers 4000 sq. ft and lasts up to 3 weeks. Patio Egg Diffuser is an easy safe and effective way to help deter mosquitoes and other biting insects from your patio, porch and other outdoor living areas. It protects up to 200 sq. ft. and comes with enough refill oil to last up to 4 months.

Time To Fertilize Your Lawn, Trees & Shrubs! Use Gill Lawn and Garden for all your trees, shrubs, vines and groundcovers. Also good on your vegetable garden. Covers 6000 sq. ft. per bag. A good organic lawn fertilizer (which feeds the soil & microorganisms) is Medina Growin Green, which covers 3000 sq. ft. per bag.

Protect Your Roses: Roses are flushing with new growth, setting buds and blooming. That means aphids, thrips, black spot and powdery mildew are next. Bayer 3-in1 Insect, Disease and Mite Control works on all of these in one easy spray. Treat every 10 days to 2 weeks to maintain beautiful roses insect and disease free.Bayer Rose and Flower Care is an excellent fertilizer with systemic insecticide to keep them healthy, blooming and insect free as well. Apply this granules every 6 weeks to prevent aphids and thrips from attacking your roses.

-DeAnna

New Tree Do’s and Don’ts!

Do plant the tree at the right depth, with the top of the root ball as high or slightly higher than surrounding soil.
Do eliminate competition from lawn by clearing the grass out a minimum of 18″ (more is better) from the trunk and keeping the cleared area mulched.
Don’t “volcano mulch” the trunk of your new tree, 2″ of mulch over the roots and 1″ or less touching the trunk.
Don’t let a string trimmer get close enough to strip off the bark of your new tree.
Don’t use “weed-and-feed” fertilizer near your new tree.
Don’t excessively prune all lower growth off your new tree thinking it will make your tree grow up faster; it will actually slow growth of roots, trunk diameter, and height.
Do check watering frequently through the first summer and water as
needed.

Spring Insect Explosion

With the warm wet days of spring, the insect population explodes. Mother Nature multiplies at an amazing rate. Aphids, scale, thrips, and caterpillars of every size and shape have appeared. Do not hesitate to prevent these insects now.

We talked a couple of weeks ago about using the Bayer Tree and Shrub Protect and Feed as a drench to prevent the big spring bug invasion. Well, it is upon us, but still not too late to treat. We have plenty in stock, so come see us soon.

We are also hearing a lot about snails, slugs, pill bugs and cutworms out in enormous numbers. As soon as we plant our pretty spring flowers these bugs look at it as their own breakfast buffet. A safe and effective organic treatment is Monterey Sluggo Plus. Safe to use around vegetables, fruit trees, citrus, berries, flowers, ornamentals and all landscape plants. 1 lb. treats 2000 sq. ft. and lasts up to 4 weeks. Evening is the best time to apply the bait as pest travel and feed mostly by night or early morning.

Life has Never Been So Easy!

“A month ago, I installed a “Livin’ Easy” Rose in one of my front beds. It started out at about 18″ tall. Now, its 4 feet tall and full of bright orange 4 inch blooms which smell wonderful! The “Livin’ Easy” Rose is very “gardener friendly”, even for beginners. I look forward to many years of this wonderful Floribunda’s show. For roses and for other flowering plants, I recommend Maestro Rose Glo as a great source of nutrition to keep ’em blooming and looking their best!”

-Matt

You may have already done several items on this list, but with all the recent rains they may have been depleted or washed away, therefore another application may be necessary.

Fertilize the lawn, shrubs, trees and tropicals again with Gill Lawn & Garden or Milorganite.
Continue to feed vegetables and herbs with Espoma Plant Tone. Citrus and fruit trees with Espoma Citrus Tone.
Apply pre-emergent again to prevent weeds, Amaze or Dimension.
Spray post-emergent again or as needed to kill existing weeds, Weed b gon or Image. You could also keep the weeds mowed before they go to seed. Most will die with the heat.
Drench Hackberry trees for wooly aphids, bougainvillea for caterpillars, hibiscus and jatropha for mealybugs etc.. with Bayer Protect and Feed to prevent insects for 9 months.
Treat the lawn with Bayer Season Long Grub Control or Beneficial Nematodes.
Watch for Chinch bug activity in the hot dry spots of the lawn near sidewalks and driveways. Spray with Cyonara or Triazicide. For organic control use Spinosad or Diatomaceous Earth.
Treat for fungus. Check the lawn for brown patch. Roses, Crape Myrtles and Gerbera Daisies for powdery mildew and Plumeria for rust. Use F-stop, Serenade or Actinovate for the lawn and Fertilome Systemic , Serenade or Actinovate for plants.
Plant sun or shade loving heat tolerant flowers and tropicals.
Mulch everything including potted plants to prevent weeds and hold moisture for the summer.

-DeAnna

Sights, sounds, and smells of nature are all relaxing. For sights, think about plants to attract birds, butterflies, and hummingbirds. They are so fun to watch as they move from plant to plant gathering nectar. Hamelia, Firecracker Plant, Hummingbird Bush, Shrimp Plant, Cape Honeysuckle, Lantana and many more are available to bring nature to your yard. Our plant signs throughout the nursery identify which ones attract birds, butterflies, or hummingbirds. For garden sounds, think of rustling leaves, a hand tuned windchime or the sound of running water from a fountain, all sure to relax the mind. For smells, many plants have wonderful fragrances in the daytime and some at night. Gardenias, Indian Carnations, Maid of Orleans Jasmine, Sweet Almond Verbena, Angel Trumpets, and Reseda add wonderful aroma to the landscape. Night Blooming Jasmine can be smelled from what seems to be 100 yards away. The tiny flowers flare the tips open in the

evening to release the sweetest smell imaginable. While having a cup of coffee early in the morning or a glass of wine after a hard day of work, do what you have always heard, take the time to look around, listen close, and “stop and smell the roses”.

-DeAnna

We’ve covered organic fertilizers and organic insecticides. This week we will talk about organic fungicides. Serenade Garden Disease Control can be used on roses, vegetables, fruits, flowering plants, trees, shrubs and lawns. Use prior to disease development or at the first sign of foliar disease infection. Serenade prevents and controls black spot, leaf spot, powdery mildew, anthracnose, gray mold, scab and early blight. With all the recent rains black spot and powdery mildew are a problem, especially on roses. Actinovate and Actino-iron are also organic fungicides used for soil borne pl ant root rot and damping off fungi. Can be used to control diseases on vegetables, roses, trees, shrubs and lawns. It is a must for the control of phytophthera fungus which kills periwinkles. Actino-iron can be worked into the soil prior to planting or Actinovate can be mixed with water and sprayed or drenched around your flowers to prevent disease after planting and through the growing season. Horticultural Cornmeal is another natural substance that stimulates beneficial microorganisms to feed on pathogens such as brown patch in St. Augustine, damping off in seedlings, phytophthera and other fungal diseases. It also helps to build the soil. Remember all diseases are easier to prevent than to cure. Isn’t there an old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”.

-DeAnna

I’ve always known Cherry Green is an avid gardener. Year round, no matter how hot or cold it is, she remains a gardener. Whenever I see her about town, she asks if we have this or that, and most of the time it’s not your ordinary ligustrum or Asian jasmine. A few weeks ago, she was in the store looking for pink gaura, one of my favorites, but again, not a typical Corpus Christi landscape plant. In conversation, I asked if I could come tour her garden. What a treat!

Cherry & her husband Hix moved from the Dallas area in their 20’s to a neighborhood off Ocean Drive and have been there ever since. Cherry immediately went to work designing the garden and Hix assisted her in creating her dream landscape. As with many, their original plant choices leaned toward the East Texas varieties. Through trial and error, and a few hot and humid summers, they’ve migrated to more natives, more drought tolerant, hardier plants. Interestingly, when she acquires a new plant, she enters it in her data base by common and scientific name. In addition, she photographs her succulents since sometimes they are difficult to differentiate. I also think that could be a great way to record plant performance, bloom cycles, etc…

Cherry & Hix’s garden is truly an amazing collection of plant species. Their front yard is anchored with oaks and Natchez crape myrtles; beds are filled with bird of paradise, foxtail fern, Red Wave hibiscus, jasmines, chrysanthemums, Japanese yew, yellow plumbago and more. Their side yard includes Drift roses, Mexican oregano, exotic day lilies including Black Ambrosia & King’s Point, plumeria, hamelia, a way cool groundcover periwinkle, hibiscus and a great collection of succulents in pots by the side entrance to their home. Their back yard has beautiful mesquites, one with night blooming cereus growing up it. There are crape myrtles, a mountain laurel and a grapefruit, specimen plumeria, durantas, firecracker plant, irises, altheas, pride of Barbados, porter weed, night blooming jasmine, Indian carnation, milkweed, a beautiful specimen white bird of paradise, beautiful blooming gomphrena and a nice assortment of vines on their back and side fence. Again, they have a great collection of succulents in an interesting collection of containers. She jokes that her lawn is disappearing as her garden beds get larger.

Cherry has no qualms, when a plant becomes too big in its current location, to move it or dispose of it. She’s all about trial and error. A few days before our visit, she dug up an iris that had gotten too large for its space, divided it, and was readying them for planting in a more appropriate spot.

I was most entertained by where Cherry has acquired her plants. I’m proud to say many of her plants have come from Gill’s, but I’m not sure it’s a majority. It seems many of her plants have been given to her by friends and family. Gloria Swantner has shared many, as well as B.J. Kershaw, John McKeever, Laurie Mintz, our dear John Anderson, Judy Henderson and on and on. Cherry has purchased plants from our South Texas Botanical Gardens as well as other non-profit gardens, taken a few clippings here and there from hotels (for instance, one of our favorites on Congress Street in Austin). Her daughter, Lacy, is always scouting for her mom in her travels. Bonnie Cohen even brought a suitcase of cuttings from her mom’s garden in East Hampton, New York. I’m sure these plants, given to her by friends and family, hold a special place in her heart. And you can be sure, Cherry has reciprocated in plant giving!

Cherry joked, toward the end of our visit, that she tries to garden the two days prior to trash pick-up so her neighbors don’t have to look at her yard debris for too long. I feel sure they are grateful to have her in the neighborhood (anyone would with such a beautiful landscape), as I am to have her as a friend and a member of our gardening community. Thank you Cherry!

-Sally

You had beautiful roses in the spring, but now they’re looking like they might croak. Don’t worry! This is totally normal. Large flowering plants like roses or hibiscus can get stressed from this summer heat, so they might stop blooming, or even stop growing. Continue watering them through this heat spell, and when the temperatures drop in the fall your roses should flush back out. Using organic fertilizers help build up your soil conditions to keep your roses healthy! We recommend Rose Glo or Medina Hasta Gro.

-Marta

Roses

THERE’S FUNGUS AMONG US.

We have a fresh shipment of Ladybugs and Beneficial Nematodes!

New Tree Do’s and Don’ts!

Spring Insect Explosion

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