Weeds

It’s transition time for South Texas backyard farmers. It’s good to remove your tired plants that have finished their growing cycles, yet bare ground in the Summer can turn into a weedy mess… and fast! Help your garden and your muscles by planting a cover crop. These are plants that grow quickly, provide weed control, and help reduce soil compaction, which will make prepping for planting veggies this Fall a lot easier.

One of the best for Summer are Cowpeas aka Black-eyed peas. They are considered one of the most heat-adapted legumes in the US. They have dense growth to suppress weeds, provide nitrogen to the soil, and will help improve the soil once they are turned under. Extra benefit – you just might get to harvest fresh black-eyed peas from your own garden! They’re easily grown from seed.

If you love flowers, Zinnias are one of our favorites and you can enjoy their bouquets all Summer, while keeping weeds from taking over! Sunflowers are also fun to plant. Both of these also grow easily from seed.

How to plant….

Once you’ve cleared your area, do a quick turn of the soil, sprinkle an organic plant food… we love Espoma Bio-Tone or Medina Growin Green, follow the seed planting guide on package, and water. Give them a daily watering and soon you’ll have a new garden that looks great & helps keep your soil ready for planting Fall veggies!

Happy Summer Gardening,

-Debbie

Happy 2023! January is time to get started on garden resolutions. Planning a veggie garden? New landscape beds? More Texas native plants to support wildlife? So many possibilities, and we’re here to help. Here are our top must-do’s this month to set your projects up for success.

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. Prep Beds for Spring Planting

January is our month to plan and prep for Spring. Clean up, remove weeds, and prep your garden beds by adding some compost! We love Nature’s Blend Compost for veggie and landscape beds. A good ratio is 1 bag per 12 sq. ft. of space. If you make your own compost, that approximate ratio works well. It doesn’t have to be exact. Turn the compost a few inches into the soil with a shovel or garden forks for a good full-body workout!

2. Yes, You Can Plant in January!

Trees, shrubs, and perennials will build healthy root systems during their winter dormancy making for stronger, healthier plants in Spring and Summer. Just a few days after the freeze, we planted a butterfly garden with Texas Lantana, Mystic Spires Salvia, Texas Frogfruit, Skeleton leaf Goldeneye, and more. Yes, we plan to cover it if we get any more cold weather, but those plants are getting a head start now and will be ready to burst with growth this Spring!

3. Feed Your Citrus Trees

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

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. 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.

4. Start Veggie Seeds!

January is time to start tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, chard, onions, carrots, beets, parsley and more from seed. We carry seed-starting trays, peat pots, and special cutting/seedling 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.

5. Start Your Post-Freeze Clean Up, but Not Too Much Pruning!

Remember – wait to do any major pruning of freeze-damaged plants until February. You don’t want the plant to think its time to start putting on new growth since we still may have another cold snap. However, there’s definitely some clean-up that can be started now. As a general rule, if freeze-damaged plants are mushy and slimy, go ahead and clean out the mushy parts. If freeze-damaged plants are dry and crunchy, leave them alone. That dry, crunchy foliage will help insulate against any more possible freezes.

Ornamental grasses, like Pink Muhly or Purple Fountain grass, are an 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.

6. Spend Time with Your Houseplants

Most houseplants will need more light and less water this month. Keep their leaves clean to help them take up sunlight and prevent bad bugs. Experiment with lighting/placement, and take them outside for a sunny day or 2.

FYI – the Gill team (Ori, Debbie, and Jesse) are headed to the Tropical Plant International Expo in Tampa this month. We can’t wait to tour houseplant growing operations and get the scoop on new varieties!

Fertilizing lawns now (before November 15th!) helps develop strong roots for healthy growth next Spring and Summer. And, if you’re concerned about weeds, now’s the time to take care of them. Here’s how!

Step 1: Fertilize Now!

Fertilizing while it is still warm is best because lawns 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 nutrients. Remember to water in your fertilizer with at least a half inch of irrigation. We recommend organic Medina Growin’ Green for lawns. We can lend you a fertilizer spreader as well – makes life a lot easier!

Step 2: Apply Weed Control

Applying Crabgrass & Weed Preventer will prevent broadleaf weeds (including sticker burrs on the island!) from sprouting. Be sure to water it in with ¼” of irrigation after applying. Crabgrass & Weed Preventer can be used to control weeds in flower beds too. To take care of existing weeds in the lawn, use Weed-B-Gone hose end spray. Keep Weed-B-Gone out of flower beds, and do not water it in.

Step 3: Slow Down Your Watering!

Watering once a week was appropriate in warmer temperatures, but we should water on average once every two weeks through November, and then turn off the sprinkler for December and January.

If we go 3 weeks with no substantial rain, then water beds and lawns thoroughly one time. If freezing temperatures are in the forecast, run the sprinklers the previous afternoon to add heat to the soil and fill air spaces in the soil with water to exclude the cold air.

November in South Texas is all about spending time outdoors and gathering with family & friends. Cool weather, crisp evenings, outdoor fires & a beautiful garden… a welcome invitation. Here are our top tips for this month.

Check out our November 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. Fill Pots and Spots with Fall Flowers

Here’s our list of Fall/Winter flowers – tons of choices for outdoor color to redo pots & inground plantings. Flowers take a little time to grow and bloom. Plant early this month so they can be WOW for the holidays! Once they’re all planted, give them a good meal of organic Plant Tone or Hasta Gro. To keep them growing and blooming through the Fall and Winter, they’ll need regular feedings about once a month.

2. Plant Trees and Shrubs Now for Better Growth Next Spring

Now is the best time to plant cold-hardy shrubs and trees. They focus energy this Fall and Winter on building a good root system, which allows them to explode with growth next Spring, and prepares them for hot weather next Summer. Other benefits to planting now – easier digging and not as much watering as during warmer seasons. Always fertilize when you plant and follow our watering instructions.

3. Last Chance Lawn Care

Fertilizing lawns this month (before November 15th!) helps develop strong roots for healthy growth next Spring and Summer. We recommend organic Medina Growin’ Green or our Gill Lawn & Garden Fertilizer. Prevent weeds in your lawn by applying Weed Beater Complete or Crabgrass & Weed Preventer.

Read: Fall Lawn Care

4. Feed Your Landscape Too!

Landscape plants, including trees, all tropicals, perennials, and hardy shrubs need food early this month while they are still actively growing. Just like lawns, the idea is to give them a boost before they head into dormancy this Winter. We love organic granular fertilizer Medina Growin’ Green for trees and shrubs, and Rose Glo or Plant Tone for tropicals and blooming perennials.

5. Plant Herbs to Share and Use for the Holidays

Cooking without herbs would be such a waste of thyme! Sage, Rosemary, Cilantro, Parsley, Fennel, Dill, (and Thyme) are just a few herbs that thrive in our Fall & Winter months. Limited space? A sunny spot, container & a few favorite herbs is all you need. We can even pot them up for you.

Growing food organically promotes life – you get delicious and rewarding veggies by keeping it simple and working with nature, including the beneficial organisms in the soil. Join Wyatt Page this Saturday, March 5^th at 10am at Gill’s for his talk on organic veggie gardening tips. Here’s a preview from Wyatt!

Amend the soil. Great gardens start with great soil. Our Corpus Christi Clay (and Padre Island Sand) need a little help. The key is to incorporate beneficial microbes, enzymes, and fungi that create a perfect environment for plant roots to grow.

Nature’s Blend Compost. Till in 1 bag per 12 sf of garden. Helps break up clay soil and adds a bunch of beneficial organic material. Excellent for veggie gardens and all other plantings.
BioTone Starter fertilizer. Add a small handful of BioTone when you plant each plant. A key ingredient in BioTone are mycorrhizal fungi which attach to plant roots and help them grow.
Worm castings and Dried Molasses help encourage soil life too.

No chemicals! Chemical pesticides, fungicides, and weed killers damage beneficial life in your garden. Here are some organic solutions that work:

Bad Bugs and common pests: Treat bad bugs like aphids, mealy bugs, or leaf miner with organic Spinosad Soap or Neem Oil as needed. Even better than that – let nature do the work and let lady bugs, spiders, and lizards eat them!
Fungal issues: Fungal problems like powdery mildew and rust can be treated with Neem Oil or Bee Safe Garden Spray. You can use horticultural cornmeal when planting to prevent fungal problems like blight.
Weeds: Proper mulching (2-3” thick) is the best way to prevent weeds! Make sure you stay on top of hand pulling as weeds pop up. Spray horticultural vinegar to kill new weeds on contact.

Get help from pollinators: Attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies will help increase vegetable production. In my garden I like to plant Salvias, Turk’s cap, and wildflowers mixed in with all the veggies to attract more pollinators.

Start small: Veggie gardening is lots of fun, but it does take time! If you are new to veggie gardening, I would encourage you to start small and build your garden little by little each season. A simple 4×8’ area, raised bed, or a few large pots/containers can produce quite a bit of food!

See you this Saturday!

-Wyatt

We are beyond excited to host you all in person for our first Garden Talk of 2022! James’ ‘Get Ready for Spring’ talk is a long-standing tradition. If you’ve got questions or just want to learn more about how to prep your garden and landscape for big Spring growth, join us at 10am this Saturday. Here’s a preview from James of some of the topics he plans to cover.

Prune Old Growth to Make Way for New Growth

Clean, sharpen, and lubricate your pruning tools before starting, and before putting tools away. Remember that once you have cut it, you can’t put it back on, this applies to tree limbs, and to human digits, so proceed carefully! My feeling is, cut old growth before new growth has started, to avoid wasting carbohydrate reserves of the plant, and to minimize damage to tender new growth when dragging cut branches out of the plant.

Prepare Your Soil and Get Planting!

Before planting new shubs, vegetables, or annual or perennial flowers, we should prepare the soil with compost. My favorite is Natures Blend Compost, the closest thing to “magic in a bag”. It keeps clay soil lighter and looser, or in sand, helps hold moisture and nutrients available for roots, and provides slow release organic fertility and growth stimulants. Cold tolerant trees, shrubs, annuals, and perennials benefit from being planted as far away from summer heat as possible, so NOW! And it’s time to get your spring veggie garden planted too. Follow up with a good organic mulch after planting, such as our hardwood mulch, that will suppress weeds, retain moisture, moderate soil temperatures as it gets hotter, and contribute to soil texture and fertility as it decomposes.

Early Spring Lawn Care

Do not apply lawn fertilizer on grass too early. When lawns are actively growing and need mowing once a week, that is the time to fertilize grass, usually around the first of March. Some weeds will be coming up in beds and lawns, and some of them can be controlled by hand pulling after a rain, some by mowing regularly so they don’t get tall enough to make seed. But some will be best controlled by applying Bonide Weed Beater Complete, LAWNS ONLY, to kill existing broadleaf weeds and prevent new weeds from sprouting. Or in beds, Bonide Crabgrass and Weed Preventer, which will not kill existing weeds, but prevents new weeds from sprouting. Always read and follow label directions for best results. I like Ortho GroundClear Weed & Grass Killer to help control emerged weeds in flower beds. It is organic, and safer to use around desirable shrubs.

Feed Your Fruit Trees

Now is time to fertilize fruit trees with Espoma Organic Citrus-tone, or Fertilome Fruit, Citrus, and Pecan Tree Food. The nitrogen in both is critical to production of healthy foliage, which is what provides necessary carbohydrates for fruit. You will repeat application later in spring, and again in fall. Also, citrus trees should have sprouts removed that come from below the graft, as they will produce only sour fruit.

When to Remove Stakes from Newly Planted Trees

If you have trees planted in the last year or two, with stakes still holding it upright, late winter/very early spring is a good time to check that staking. Loosen the ties, then try to rock the tree. If the rootball stays stable but the trunk bends, remove the staking and ties. If the rootball still moves, the staking should stay another season, but the loop around the trunk may need to be loosened so the new growth is not choked by the staking tie.

Check Your Sprinkler System and Hoses

If you have an automatic sprinkler system, hopefully it has been turned off most of the winter. It would make sense to do a run-through now, to take notes and make repairs on any plugged, sunken, or missing heads, line breaks, or non-functional valves. You may need to start watering once a week in March. If you use hoses and sprinklers, now is time to mend hoses and replace missing hose washers.

Fire Ants and Other Pests

If you are seeing fire ant activity, you can apply Come and Get It Fire Ant Bait now, but my favorite times are at the spring and fall daylight saving time changes. All Seasons Horticultural & Dormant Spray Oil is best applied before new leaves emerge to control scale, mealybug, and other problem insects that may be overwintering on your shrubs or ornamental trees, such as bicolor iris and bird of paradise.

-James

Lots of us are gearing up to host friends and family for Thanksgiving and other gatherings this week. Can’t wait! Here are 3 ways to create the biggest impact outdoors with the least amount of time on your part.

1. Instant Color!

Fall flowers look ahhhmazing right now. Plant a few Pansies, Violas, Ornamental Cabbage and Kale, or Snapdragons in beds or in pots for an instant pop of color. Plant or set your containers in the most visible locations (like near walkways and entryways) that get at least 6 hours of sun throughout the day. Feed with organic Plant Tone when you plant for a quick bloom boost.

2. Quick Cleanup

Now is a great time to do light trimming on trees, shrubs, and perennials. Don’t do any major surgery right now, just a little light shaping goes a long way. For trees, always trim up from the bottom, not down from the top.

If you have oak trees, we bet you’re seeing more acorns than ever this year! The freeze in February + all the rain we’ve had throughout the year increased acorn production big time. They’re not fun to walk on, and some will sprout and grow into saplings, which you don’t want either. They can be difficult to rake up but try this amazing acorn hack using the back side of a leaf rake!

3. Seal the Deal with Fresh Mulch!

Fresh mulch can transform a space with very little time and effort on your part. A couple of tips: 1) estimate 1 bag of mulch per 12 square feet of bed space. This gives you a good mulch depth of 2-3”. Good depth makes it last longer, holds in more moisture, protects from cold, and helps keep weeds at bay. 2) Make sure you get a nice straight line at the back of the bed where the mulch meets the foundation of your house, or wall/fence. This is a quality check we use on landscape projects – makes all the difference!

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.