spinosad

There’s an abundant palette of garden herbs & flowers that thrive when planted in Fall. No need to keep them separated – pair them together for the perfect garden to table companions.

The classic herbs for the Fall season align with those familiar flavors for soups and holiday meals. Sage, Thyme, Rosemary, Parsley, Oregano, Cilantro, and Chives are well known and very successful in South Texas gardens.

Epazote, Yerba Buena, and Yerba Anís (aka Mexican Mint Marigold or Mexican Tarragon) also grow well here in South Texas. Epazote is used when cooking beans to ease digestion. Yerba Buena is a relative of mint commonly used in teas and to freshen breath. Yerba Anís is the flavor associated with licorice, but the fresh leaves + oil and vinegar make an amazing salad dressing.

Fall is prime time for flowers too: Pansies, Violas, Calendulas, Nasturtiums, Roses, Lavender, Anise Hyssop, Marigolds, & Ornamental Cabbage and Kale are all beautiful AND edible with proper care. (Remember to not use chemical fertilizers & treatments on your flowers, especially if you plan to eat them.)

Instead of thinking of separate herb and flowerpots or beds, try planting them together. Maybe a soup garden with Parsley, Sage, Thyme, and Violas. Or a salsa garden in a large pot with Cilantro, Mexican Oregano, and Pansies for color.

Herbs and flowers can be planted in ground; making sure the soil is well drained; or in containers using a good potting mix. All will need at least 4-6 hours of sun and regular watering, especially at first planting.

Our go-to organic solutions for herbs and flowers (and all things edible):

Hasta Gro, Espoma Plant Tone, & BioTone for feeding.
Spinosad, Neem Oil, and Beesafe 3 in 1 spray to prevent and control pests.

Need more ideas? Come see us!

-Debbie

Oak Tree Caterpillars

Be on the look-out for oak tree caterpillars in your oak trees. They cluster together in large groups feeding on the leaves of your trees or you may notice poop under your tree (on your patio or walk.) They can be killed with Thuricide sprayed onto the leaves or with Fertilome Borer, Bagworm, Tent Caterpillar Spray containing Spinosad. If your trees are too large to spray or you just don’t want to, they will not kill your trees. The tree will leaf back out in the spring. I have had customers say that early in the mornings they could hear them chewing the hard oak leaves. Crunch, Crunch, Crunch!

Pansy Time

Pansies love the cool days of fall and winter. Plant them in full sun. Use Hi-Yield Blood Meal at the time of planting for larger and more profuse blooms. Once they become established use Maestro Rose Glo to keep them blooming throughout the season. You can also plant their dwarf counterpart violas. They have smaller leaves and blooms, but tolerate heat and moisture better.

Powdery Mildew on Mesquite Trees

With the cooler temperatures, shorter days and heavy rains in the past few weeks, powdery mildew fungus has attacked mesquite trees. Since the trees are getting ready to drop their leaves for the winter, it is not necessary to spray them. They will leaf out and be fine next Spring.

Rust on Plumeria

Plumeria are suffering from rust fungus caused by the same weather conditions. The undersides of the leaves have yellow- orange or reddish brown pustules. Since you should be withholding water from the plumeria so they can go dormant for the winter, be sure to gather up the leaves as they drop and discard in the trash. It is not necessary to spray unless the condition re-occurs in the spring.

We all know how hard you’ve worked to have a beautiful landscape. Now how do you keep it thriving and surviving the summer heat? Here are some of our top tips for keeping everyone happy and healthy:

Water….we need it and so do your plants. Water in the morning or evening before 10am or after 6pm. Keep the water on the plants, lawn, flowerbeds, not in the gutter, sidewalk, or street. Sprinkler systems are great for established lawns and landscapes. Water established lawns once a week. New plantings really need to be hand watered to insure the water is getting to the root system. Check new plantings daily for water needs.
Fertilize the lawn, shrubs, trees, and tropicals with Milorganite, Medina Growin Green, or Gill Lawn & Garden Fertilizer. Be sure to apply early morning or evening and water in. Milorganite won’t burn but needs water to start working.
Feed your veggies and herbs Espoma Plant Tone. Citrus and fruit trees with Espoma Citrus Tone.
Treat the lawn with Bayer Season Long Grub Control if you see brown areas in the lawn that are easily pulled up, usually a sign of grubs eating the roots of your grass.
Chinch bugs love hot dry areas in lawns. They make the lawn look dried out along sidewalks and pavement. Treat with Cyonara, or Triazicide in easy ready to spray bottles. For organic control, use Spinosad or Diatomaceous Earth.
Revamp your old spring annuals with some die-hard summer color. Flowers like purslane, zinnias, moss rose, periwinkles and sweet potato vine will need water but thrive in our summer heat. If you are so inclined, try adding spineless prickly pear, Texas sage, and other desert beauties that add color and form to landscapes.
Prune the old spent blooms and seed heads from your crape myrtles. It’ll help them to repeat their summer show of color.
Nothing wrong with playing in the water hose or sprinkler with your kids. My dogs and I have a grand time in the evening playing, cooling off and watering the lawn all at the same time.
Treat for fungus if needed. Roses, crape myrtles, and gerbera daisies are prone to powdery mildew and plumeria develop rust. Good air circulation is important and if needed use Fertilome Systemic Fungicide, Serenade, or Actinovate.
Trim to shape plants to keep good form but avoid heavy pruning during the summer heat. This is good for the plants and you.
Mulch everything including your potted plants to help hold moisture and reduce weeds.
Most important…enjoy some time in your outdoors!

-DeAnna & Debbie

Have you noticed little white moths flying in the grass as you water? Perhaps a flock a birds pecking in the lawn? Both of these could be a sign of sod webworms.

These tiny little green worms eat your grass blades down leaving the brown thatch beneath visible giving the appearance of a dead patch. The grass will also be stunted in that area since they have eaten the blades.

Inspect closely and should see irregular bites out of the edges of the blades. Another easy way to check for these worms is to fill a bucket with soapy water and drench the area. The sod webworms will come to the surface and be visible.

An easy organic solution is to spray Spinosad or BT (a.k.a Thuricide) to the lawn. You could also use Cyonara, Triazicide or Broad Spectrum Insect Killer spray.

-Deanna

Image credits: L R

Army worms are common every fall with little notice from homeowners. Rarely do they do much damage to lawns and plants but sometimes the weather is just right and they come out in huge masses. Abundant rains in August and September have aided in this year’s migration. They will eat the grass blades of your lawn and other plants, usually without any long-term damage but if their numbers are creeping you out and you’re worried about chomped up plants, you can spray with Natural Guard Spinosad or most contact insecticides like Cyonara or Mosquito Beater. Or just let nature take its course.

–Debbie Pinkerton

I have had several customers bring me Tussock Moth Caterpillars they found munching on their oak tree leaves.

The creamy white hairs on the caterpillar are long and bristle-like and spread out in tufts down the sides. Two long, sharp black pencil like hairs protrude near the front and rear and these hairs are connected to poison glands, which excrete venom on contact. Contact with the venom may result in itchy irritation.

You can spray your tree with Hi Yield Thuricide Concentrate or Natural Guard Spinosad Hose-end. Both of these products are organic and safe to use on all plants. Thuricide reacts with the cells of the stomach lining of the target pest causing them to not be able to feed within hours of ingesting. Spinosad is a contact kill, but still safe and organic for all plants.

(photo via ocala.com)

-DeAnna

May means Mom’s Day, graduations, and more BBQs and family holidays outside! May is also Mental Health Awareness Month. As gardeners, we know growing plants and being outdoors are necessary for our wellbeing…and so much fun! Here are our Top 5 Must Do’s this May to help you and your garden make the transition to warmer weather.

Check out our May 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 Blooming Perennials

It’s still time to plant lots of different blooming perennials. Get them established now so they are better adapted to withstand warmer temps this Summer. Staples like Esperanza, many varieties of Salvia, Jatropha, Lantana, and more are all blooming beautifully right now. We’re excited about Cape Town Honeysuckle this month (see pic above). It grows to about 4-5’ tall and wide, whereas its relative, Cape Honeysuckle, grows to 8’ or more. Lots of blooms and lots more options for placement. Added bonus: these blooming perennials attract pollinators like butterflies and hummingbirds!

2. Plant and Harvest Veggies

Warm weather veggie time! Plant peppers, zucchini, squash, 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 soon. Be sure to harvest often! It keeps birds & insects from finding them first. If you do have insect issues in your veggie garden, our go-to organic control is Spinosad – safe for food but takes care of bugs. And remember to keep watering as the weather warms up. Soaker hoses are great to snake around your plants keeping water close to the ground and root systems.

3. Tend Your Lawn

It’s vital to water your lawn once a week unless we have rain. Invest in a sprinkler that’ll do the work – we have them. Hand watering the lawn may feel therapeutic, but you won’t get good coverage and depth.

When mowing, the proper height for St. Augustine lawns is around 3 inches. For Bermuda lawns keep mowed to around 2-2.5 inches.

Feed with Natural Fertilizers: Medina Growin Green or Milorganite. These feed the lawn and the soil with great results. Water in to get them started.
Watch for lawn insects & treat when needed. Grub worms & chinch bugs are easy to control when caught early but there’s no need to treat unless you have them. Bayer Season-long Grub Control will do the trick for grubs. Cyonara takes care of chinch bugs.

4. Look for Thirsty Plants

Watch your plants and they will show you when they need a drink. Most show signs of wilting (see photo). That’s a sign they need water soon. Once you give them a drink, they perk up quickly. But some will not tell you until it is too late, like a live oak tree. Invest in a moisture meter. They help to read the moisture with a poke into the soil around the roots. We have them and they’re very easy to use.

5. Gifts for Moms and Grads

Let us help you find something pretty, useful, or both for the gardening moms and grads in your life. Pottery, birdbaths, wind chimes, garden tools, hats, gloves – lots of options. Or the gift that gardeners love most – plants!

Check out our May Garden Guide for more tips! Happy gardening!

These three insect groups are or will be the source of many gardeners’ angst this Spring. All three can do serious damage to food gardens from chowing on leaves to boring holes to piercing tomatoes… but don’t worry! One organic solution takes care of all.

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.

Squash borers are the larvae of the squash borer moth. They lay their eggs at the base of the squash stem where the larvae bores into the plant. This causes the plant to die.

Stink Bugs and Leaf Footed Bugs are famous for the spots they leave on prized tomatoes. They pierce the fruit leaving holes that begin to rot. The immature-nymphs look like red spiders. But not to be confused with the nymphs of the boxelder bugs which are NOT detrimental to gardens. Boxelder bugs are a mild nuisance, but they don’t damage plants.

Your best solution for all three of these pests is Natural Guard Spinosad Soap. This organic spray controls all of these plus other garden pests very effectively. Plan to spray late in the day or early evening when bees are not foraging. It is safe for bees once the spray dries. Follow the instructions and these bad bugs will leave your food plants alone.