The Gill’s Garden Talk series continues this Saturday, 2/11/23 at 10am! Join us for Re-Thinking Your Landscape: Smart Choices for South Texas with Kathy Hubner, professional Landscape Designer here at Gill’s. Kathy has a reputation for landscapes that endure and she’ll share her ideas for plants that can withstand freezes and South Texas summers. This is a great opportunity to ask questions and get inspiration for your landscape. One attendee will win a $100 Gill’s gift card, and we’ll do some other giveaways too! Watch Kathy’s video invitation below – see you Saturday! p.s. – we’ll have heaters on the patio and if it’s too chilly, we’ll move inside.
Video
Have you set your 2024 new year’s gardening resolution?! January is time to get moving and set yourself up for big success this spring and beyond. Beds need prepping, veggie seeds need starting, citrus trees need feeding, and YES you can get a head start on planting too! Here are our top must-do’s (and don’t do’s!) this month.
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. Plan and Prep Beds for Spring Planting
January is our month to plan and prep for spring. Clean up, remove weeds, and most importantly, prep your garden beds by adding some compost! We love Nature’s Blend Compost for veggie and landscape beds, including raised beds. A good ratio is 1 bag per 12 sq. ft. of bed space. If you make your own compost, that approximate ratio works well. It doesn’t have to be exact. If working out is part of your new year’s resolution, get outside, grab your garden forks or a shovel, and turn some compost into the first few inches of soil!
2. Feed Your Citrus Trees
Fertilize your citrus trees in January for more blooms, again in May/June for better fruit set, and again in September/October for nutrients. We recommend fertilizing with Espoma Citrus-Tone – all organic and highly effective. Remember to fertilize trees, including citrus, at the drip line. That means spread fertilizer in a circle where the rain naturally drips down from the leaves, not right up against the trunk.
3. Wait to Prune!
Remember – wait to do any major pruning of most plants until February! We can be tempted to want to do too much pruning in January, but you don’t want plants to think its time to start putting on new growth since we still may have another cold snap. Even if we do get a cold snap that damages some foliage, wait to prune because that damaged foliage will help insulate against more possible cold weather.
Ornamental grasses, like Pink Muhly or Purple Fountain grass, are a January exception. They should be cut back this month. Trim them straight across (no cupcakes) 3”-4“ from the ground. Use a bungee cord or piece of rope to gather them up, then cut straight across with your shears.
4. Start Veggie Seeds!
January is time to start tomatoes, kale, chard, onions, carrots, beets, parsley and more from seed. We carry seed-starting trays, peat pots, and Espoma Organic Seed Starter soil for starting seeds indoors or on a protected/covered patio. A good rule of thumb is that once the seedlings have made their first true set of leaves, they are ready to be transplanted into a larger container outside or directly into the garden bed.
Check out our full Spring planting guide here. And stay tuned because we’re planning all kinds of cool events for 2024, including a seed starting workshop this month!
5. Grow Potatoes and Onions!
January is prime time to plant potatoes and onions! We carry Red La Soda and Yukon Gold potatoes because they are better suited for South Texas growing conditions than larger varieties. Watch Matt’s video guide to planting potatoes here!
Plant onions in a row every 3-4″ then thin them by plucking every other green top as they grow. This will allow the onions to grow to full size. Keep in mind that both potatoes and onions need well-drained soil. Great for raised beds!
6. Adjust Lighting and Water for Houseplants
Generally, most houseplants will need more light and less water this month. A moisture meter will come in handy to be sure you’re not overwatering. Experiment with moving houseplants to sunnier windows, and take them outside for a sunny day or 2. Keep their leaves clean to help them take up sunlight and prevent bad bugs. We like using a very light solution of Neem oil + water to wipe down leaves here at Gill’s.
7. Yes, You Can Plant It in January!
Why wait?? Trees, shrubs, and blooming perennials planted now will build healthy root systems during their winter dormancy making for stronger, healthier plants in spring and summer. Not to mention all kinds of cool season flowers and veggies that love our January weather. Keep an eye on the forecast, but remember that new plants are easy to cover with frost blankets if we get a cold spell.
Spring in South Texas starts around February 15th – only 33 days away! We may or may not have another cold snap ahead of us, but it’s time to start planning our Spring projects and starting veggie seeds. The first day for planting Spring seeds is January 15th give or take a few days – aka RIGHT NOW! We are expanding our selection of seeds to include lots of open-pollinated and heirloom varieties like rainbow beets from Sow True Seed and Bosque blue tomatoes from Baker Creek, plus tried and true staples from Botanical Interests.
Simple Method for Starting Seeds
Starting veggie seeds indoors is great because you can keep the tiny seedlings protected until they’re ready to move outside. I’ve tried a few different methods for starting seeds but have been most successful using a damp paper towel, then folding the seed inside the towel and placing it in a sealable bag or dish. This will create a “mini greenhouse” effect and will help the seed germinate. I leave them in the bag for no longer than 24 hours, then plant them in light and fluffy seed/cutting soil in a seed starting tray or peat pot. When planting new seed be sure the soil is damp at the time of planting and always water with a light sprinkle. This will prevent your seeds from floating/washing out of the soil. I make the hole about a fingernail’s depth, gently place the seeds in the hole, and cover lightly with the damp soil. Check out my video demo of this process – quick and easy!
After the seeds sprout, you can slowly acclimate them to outdoor sunlight by moving them to a covered patio or other protected area. Be sure to keep them damp so the tiny roots don’t dry out. Then, a good rule of thumb is that once the seedlings have made their first true set of leaves, they are ready to be transplanted into a larger container or directly into the garden bed out in the sun.
Seeds to Start in January
- Tomatoes!
- Cold Crops and Greens: broccoli, cauliflower, kale, swiss chard, lettuce, spinach, and mustard greens
- Root Crops: onions, carrots, beets, and potatoes
- Herbs: parsley
Check out our full Spring planting guide here.
FYI: If you want to skip seeds and start transplants outside now, you totally can! We’ve got broccoli, cauliflower, celery, spinach, onions, potatoes, and lots of herbs that are ready to go. We even brought in a few early tomatoes this week 🙂
-Wyatt
If you know you are watering well, but still see edges of lawn near the sidewalk and driveway that look dry and wilted, you might have chinch bugs. Here’s a quick video on how to identify.
Once you determine that chinch bugs are present, you can treat with hose-end Cyonara or Diatomaceaus Earth for an organic control.
Keep in mind: Chinch bugs are more likely to attack a dry stressed lawn before a healthy, well-hydrated lawn. Give lawns a deep drink (a good 1” of water) once a week, in the morning. Deep drinks encourage roots to grow deeper, which makes lawns more resilient to dry conditions and to pests.
B.Y.O.C. (Bring Your Own Container) Party
Do you have an empty pot begging to be planted? Or an interesting container you’d like to repurpose as a planter?? Bring it to Gill’s this Saturday for our B.Y.O.C. party! Bring your container, choose your plants, and plant it up! Use our potting shed and potting stations – we’ll provide the potting soil + potting tips, and we’ll clean up the mess. Here are a few ideas and things to consider.
Think Drainage!
All container gardens need drainage holes. This is a must. Either find something that already has holes, like this partially rusted-out iron kettle, or find something that you can easily cut or drill some holes in, like an old cooler!
Similar Watering Needs = Compatible Combinations
Combine plants in your container gardens that have similar watering needs. For example, you wouldn’t want to pair a cactus with a tropical houseplant in the same container. But you could do a desert bowl with different cacti + succulents or a jungle container with different houseplants. We also love combining flowers with veggies and herbs – similar watering needs and they look great together.
Think Contrasting Sizes + Textures + Colors
This is where you can really make things pop. Find something low-growing that spills and hangs to pair with plants that stand taller as a backdrop. Color, size, and texture combinations are endless.
Re-watch James’ Container Gardening Video for more tips and inspiration:
See you this Saturday! We’ll be potting all day 9 am to 5:30 pm – come by anytime.
Right now is a very exciting time for us South Texas Gardeners. It doesn’t feel like it yet, but our Summer season is coming to a close, and our best growing season is right around the corner. That’s means it’s time to decide what you’re growing and get going! Here are our tips for getting started.
Plan Your Garden
It’s veggie time – start by thinking about what you like to eat! You can produce a surprising amount of food for you and food to share in a small backyard (or front yard) garden. If you have limited space, containers or small raised beds are great. Watch James’ guide to container gardening – Grow Food Everywhere! Consider mixing Fall flowers like Marigolds, Lobelia, or Violas with your herbs and veggies.
Start Your Seeds!
If you’re starting from scratch (seed), right now is the time to start cabbage, squash, beans, and lots of others. Here’s our schedule for popular Fall veggie seeds. Also, check out Wyatt’s video demo about starting seeds – it’s not the only way, but it really helps with germination. If you prefer transplanting, we’ll start getting all our Fall veggie plants in the next week or 2. Our Texas growers have been prepping for a big Fall.
Clear out Weeds and Tired Plants
As our Summer veggies and cover crops finish their life cycle, harvest what you can and clean out the rest. When you start prepping your soil for new plants, you’ll be encouraging new growth, including weeds. So, take your time pulling weeds and get as many of the roots as you can.
Prep Your Soil
If you’re planting in the ground, your soil needs a good turning before planting. This is a good time to add some compost as well. By turning about 1 bag of Nature’s Blend compost into every 12 sq. ft. of soil (or a similar amount if you make your own compost), you create a perfect environment for young plant roots to take hold. If you’re prepping raised beds, we love Gardener’s Magic soil. It’s specially formulated for raised beds; just dump the bags in and start planting.
Think Trees Too
Fall is THE best time to plant trees in our area. Cooler temps mean less watering for you and less stress on the young tree. Planting in Fall also gives the tree roots plenty of time to get established before temps warm up again next Spring/Summer. New citrus and fruit trees have arrived this week, and lots of our South Texas favs like Cedar Elm, Live Oak, and Crape Myrtles are here with more en route. Check out Josh’s citrus planting demo – lots of these planting tips are great for all kinds of trees.
Since the freeze, we’ve all been busy cleaning up, waiting for some plants to recover, AND lots of new planting. We thought it would be helpful to go over some basic planting tips to be sure your plants get off to a strong start.
Many citrus trees around the Coastal Bend appear damaged after Winter Storm Uri. For citrus trees you want to try and save, the best thing to do right now is wait and see. Some may be goners, some may bounce back, and others may have delayed effects from the freeze. It may still be weeks or months before we know for sure. If you want to go ahead and replace or plant new citrus trees, now’s the best time – check out Josh’s how-to video below.
We are happy to present this video in collaboration with Grow Local South Texas!
