March Gardening Tips...

By Pat Kriener, Village interpreter and Master Gardener

Spring is just around the corner!  For a Texas gardener every year we are tempted to purchase plants that look so tantalizing in the garden center even though the next cold spell will kill them. Of course there is no way to stop us, so now what do we do with our ill-advised purchases? We have to make a “Just in Case it Freezes Plan,” and this basic plan really applies to all of your plants in the winter (especially your cold tender plants).  Water deeply, mulch at least 3 inches and if your plant is very cold susceptible, cover with frost cloth, a sheet or a pot with hay.

• Annuals – Color is here! The garden centers are awash with the colors & scents of spring. In Texas our cool weather plants thrive in the spring but start looking to replace or freshen your beds with some hardier plants for the summer.  Think COLD SNAP with every purchase. I bought stock & marigold today.

• Bulbs - It’s time to divide summer bulbs. Plant your summer blooming bulbs, African iris, agapanthus, alpinia, cannas, dahlia, gladiolus, lilies, oxalis, naked ladies, society garlic, spider lily to name a few. The daffodils are blooming..one of the first to heralds in spring.

• Compost Bin – Make a new compost bin using 3 old pallets. Simply stand them up to create a 3-sided box and screw or wire them together. Leave the front open, or attach one more pallet using hinges so it can open and close. You can even add two more pallets for two compost bins. Throw all plant clipping, leaves, vegetable and garden waste in your new bin. Cold compost will take up to 9 months to convert your waste into compost, but a hot compost will do it in 4 months. Top-dress all beds & trees with compost.  

• Containers – For those of you with limited space or who just love to container garden the garden centers are full of annuals, perennials, herbs, vegetables and more. Create your own salad bowl or edible flower garden right next to the kitchen door.  

• Herbs - start indoor seeds, divide large clumps, cut back winter damage, clean containers, top dress & mulch and plant hardy herbs. I bought rosemary today and I highly recommend this plant to anyone who is looking for a 5 ft. tall & 5 ft wide edible landscape shrub--smells great, blooms and is a great wildlife plant.

• Greenhouse - I must confess any of my plants that over-winter in the greenhouse have spent more time out than in with our mild temperatures; but they are on a covered porch and I keep a few blankets and sheets ready to cover them for a sudden frost. Just think more room in the greenhouse for those ill-advised purchases!  Mainly it’s time to start summer vegetables and annual plants by seed, and perennials by cutting or division. Watch the temperatures and airflow.

• Lawn - Weeds in your yard? Think of them as our pollinators' winter food. Can’t do that? Then  how about soil indicators? Many weeds thrive in certain kinds of soils, so their very existence can help you determine what kind of soil you have. Alkaline Soil – henbane, Acidic Soil – dandelion, Compacted Soil – wild mustard, High Fertility – purslane, Low Fertility – yarrow. Still can’t stand the weeds?  Mow your yard short, keep it short until the temperatures climb, and kill out many of the weeds we have now. Use an organic pre-emergent like corn gluten meal to destroy weed seeds. Remember that it destroys any seed so don’t use in your vegetable garden if you plant by seed or in your wildflower beds or fields. Check with your local garden center for what will work best for you & your yard.

• Mulch to keep your beds weed free and retain moisture. Pull back your existing mulch, put 10 sheets of newspaper down then replace your mulch. If it is less than 3 inches thick add more.

• Perennials - many are showing signs of life. Make sure they are watered and mulched to protect them in a cold snap. 

• Problems -.For questions or problems check with your local Extension Agent, Master Gardener or Garden Center.  

• Rainwater – My barrels filled up during that last rain we had, but we are still behind in rainfall and I am using the water faster than I want. I have every container or bucket I can find on the back porch to catch any additional rainfall we may get.  http://twri.tamu.edu/newsletters/TexasWaterSavers/tws-v3n2.pdf

• Roses – Want a little color in your life?   This is a great time to visit the garden centers and check out the new stock of roses.

• Trees - Plant trees, trees and more trees. Then watch the Lorax by Dr. Seuss (the old or new version).  Remember what happens UNLESS you speak for the trees!

• Vegetable Garden –Plan your Spring Garden NOW before it’s too late! You can still start spring seeds inside to be planted in 6 to 8 weeks. Plant now:  collards, kohlrabi, lima beans, mustard, onion sets, shallots, radish, snap beans and Swiss chard. Plant late March: peppers, southern peas, summer squash, tomatoes, watermelons, and winter squash. I could not resist buying a few tomato plants even though I know it is too early.  So if you are like me, pot them into a 1 gal pot and put in the greenhouse. Don’t have a greenhouse?  Plant them and put your tomato cage over them. Wrap the cage in plastic and have hay ready to toss over them when that cold snap hits.  Don’t have tomato cages?  Simply cut the bottom out of a 1 or 5 gal black pot, bury it in the ground a couple of inches and plant your tomato plant inside.  Cover if needed.

• Watering – Water in a 7-day cycle if we do not get any rain. In the winter sudden freezes can kill a plant if is dry, but be sure to water the soil not the leaves. It is primarily the roots that need the protection of moisture and mulch, but if the plant is tender, toss frost cloth or a sheet over the plant.

• Wildflowers – It is time to spread seed!   Make sure the seed you are buying is for Texas. This year just for fun let’s make Wildflower Seed Balls 1. Mix compost and dirt out of your yard (mine is clay so it sticks together easily). 2. Grab a glob of soil mix in your hands and work it just like making mud pies but form a ball instead. Golf ball size works great but there is not right or wrong size 3. Roll your Seed Ball in your Texas Wildflower Seed Mix until covered. 4. Let dry 2 – 3 days 5. Toss or place balls where you want them to grow.

• Wildlife in the Garden - Get your feeders and houses cleaned and put up now. I am so excited I already have bluebirds making nests in my houses. You can tell they are bluebird nests because they are made of dry grass with no trash or weeds and just few feathers for softness. If you are wondering why I want bluebirds, they are insect eaters and one of their favorites are grasshoppers.

Garden Clippings: February Gardening Tips

--By Pat Kriener, Village Interpreter and Master Gardener

February is for pruning! Sharpen those tools and give your yard a massive haircut by following the helpful tips in this month’s guide. Since you are in the pruning mood, don’t forget to remove dead trees, limbs and plants near the house to help "Firewise" your landscape for the upcoming wildfire season. For more information about Firewise Landscaping, wildfires and how to prevent them contact the Texas Forest Service.

• Annuals – prune back any damage and deadhead to encourage new growth and flowering. We still have a few months that cool weather plants will thrive, but keep a look out for some of the hardier spring annuals to arrive. Dianthus, pansies, snapdragons and violas are some of the hardiest for winter.  Plant by seed into the ground alyssum, annual phlox, calendula, and nasturtium and stock.

 

• Bulbs – Plant gladiolus now, and in mid to late Feb. plant caladium bulbs. If you find spring bulbs on sale at this time, remember they will not do well if planted so late; but if you come across some amaryllis or paper-whites that look good and haven’t started to sprout, snap those up and plant. Early Spring Bulbs are up & growing in the beds; watch for the early bloomers such as paper-whites and daffodils. Start planning for next month when it’s time to divide your summer bulbs.

 

• Compost Bin – Throw all clipping, leaves, vegetable and garden waste in the compost. Top-dress all beds & trees with compost:  it’s a wonderful slow release fertilizer.

 

• Container Plants – Prune and reshape evergreens, deadhead and trim back winter flowers to encourage new growth & blooms.

 

• Fruits & Nuts- Prune Fruit trees now, plant B&B, bare root and container grown trees. Start looking for bush fruit: blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries and vine fruit (grapes & muscadines.)  For more information on Fruit & Nut growing in Texas, check out http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/fruit-nut

 

• Greenhouse - Check all over-wintering plants for winter damage, disease, fungus and pests. During this time of year temperatures can fluctuate severely outside of the greenhouse, so make sure you keep a sharp eye on your temperatures and airflow inside the greenhouse. Start spring annual plants & vegetables by seed for planting in 6 to 8 weeks.

 

• Herbs – Want an easy to grow landscape plant that mounds up to 2 feet tall and wide, drought tolerant, tolerates poor soil, full sun and blooms white?   Look no further than Mother of Thyme!

 

• Lawn – Mow or cut back winter grass & weeds to keep them under control. Talk to your local garden center about additional ways to control them (hopefully organic!)  Don’t bag those leaves--mulch them for fertilizer or place in compost

 

• Mulch now to protect your plants from the summer heat without getting heatstroke.

 

• Perennials – At the end of Feb. or after we have had at least 2 hard freezes, prune back all dead material. This is still a great time to move them and to top dress with compost and mulch.

 

• Problems - To learn more about plant diseases and pests, contact your local Extension Agent, Master Gardener or Garden Center.

 

• Rainwater - Put out buckets & barrels to catch rainwater for garden beds and houseplants. For more information on using rainwater wisely go to. http://twri.tamu.edu/newsletters/TexasWaterSavers/tws-v3n2.pdf

 

• Roses – Tea roses--prune on Valentines Day to about 15 inches tall. EarthKind Roses do not need pruning other than to remove dead or damaged limbs.  Top dress and mulch existing roses.

 

• Tools – this is the time to do tune-ups on mowers, tillers, shredders, chainsaws and any other garden equipment. All hand tools need to be oiled and cleaned--especially your pruning equipment--to get ready for February pruning.

 

• Trees – Prune back dead limbs and low hanging branches. Do not prune oaks unless it is around 30 degrees or above 100 degrees to keep Oak Wilt from spreading. Plant trees, trees and more trees

 

• Vegetable Garden –Plan your Spring Garden NOW! Get your materials ready for seed propagation; seed mats, pots, soil and seeds. Start cool weather and spring seeds inside to be planted in 6 to 8 weeks. Plant transplants of beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, collards, English & snow peas, Irish potatoes, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, mustard, onion sets, shallot sets, spinach & turnips. Cleanup beds, add compost, and cover with mulch.  I am planting like crazy:  I have my seed potatoes cut and drying to harden off which is how my Dad always did it.  I also have to dust them with ash before I plant because that’s the way my husband's family planted potatoes. Sometimes gardening is simply remembering times past with family. 

 

• Watering – Water in a 7-day cycle if we do not get any rain.

 

• Wildlife In the Garden - Bats & bluebirds will be looking for spring homes soon so get those houses up now. If you don’t have a house already, go to the following websites and they can give you detailed instructions on how to make them. The best reason in the world to encourage bats & bluebirds to your yard is one little brown bat can eat 1000 mosquitoes in a night & bluebirds are simply ravenous for grasshoppers. www.Batcon.org  & www.texasbluebirdsociety.org.

Gardening Tips for January...

By Pat Kriener, Village interpreter and Master Gardener

Being a Texas gardener I always say January is for scheming and dreaming.  I spend several hours scheming with the following catalogs, magazines and books trying to make my garden dreams come true:

Wilhite seed www.wilhiteseed.com,

Native American seeds www.seedsource.com

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds www.rareseeds.com

Womack Nursery www.womacknursery.com (great resource for berries and fruit trees)

Texas Garden Magazine www.TexasGardener.com

Organic Gardening Magazine www.organicgardening.com

Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew

Texas Organic Vegetable Gardening by Howard Garrett

Texas Fruit & Vegetable Gardening by Greg Grant

The Holistic Orchard by Michael Phillips & Chelsea Green

• Annuals – Plant dianthus, pansies, snapdragons and violas are some of the hardest for winter.

 Plant by seed into the ground alyssum, annual phlox, calendula, and nasturtium and stock.

• Bulbs – Plant tulips & hyacinths now. Forcing bulbs is always a favorite winter gardening project for paperwhites, amaryllis and calla lilies. If the stores still have the kits they should be on clearance sale but to create your own simply plant paperwhite bulbs in glass bowl or container filled with rocks to their shoulders. Just add water, keep in dim light until first green shows then place in bright light. Early Spring Bulbs are up & growing in the beds, watch for the early bloomers. 

 

• Compost Bin – Throw all clipping, leaves, vegetable and garden waste in compost. Top-dress all beds &  trees with compost--it’s a wonderful slow release fertilizer

 

• Container Plants – Searching for different container ideas? Grab a friend and go to antique shops, garage sales or search your own kitchen cabinets for items such as old stock pots, coffeepots, teapots, Jell-O-molds, bread pans, strainers, flour sifter, recycled vegetable cans, sugar bowls and cream pitchers. Worried about drainage? Add holes or layer the bottom with pebbles and organic charcoal.

 

• Fruits & Nuts- plant bare root and container grown trees. Start looking for bush fruit: blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Vine fruits:  grapes & muscadines.  

 

• Greenhouse – Cut heating costs by using black barrels or buckets filled with water to create solar heating in the greenhouse.  Put the buckets in the sun to absorb heat and the water inside will help hold the heat so the temperatures do not drop as rapidly. Keeping the lid closed will hold the heat in longer but open them if humidity is needed. Also they make it handy for quick watering. Time to seed propagate spring perennials, annuals and early spring vegetables. Check all over-wintering plants for winter damage, disease, fungus and pests. Watch temperatures and airflow.

 

• Herbs - Being an herbalist and an avid gardener I want everyone to have herbs in their yard for the simple reason they are a multipurpose landscape plant. Next time you need a 5 ft. evergreen shrub think about using rosemary; many varieties bloom off & on all year, smell great and have many culinary and medicinal uses.

 

• Lawn – Mow or cut back winter grass & weeds to keep them under control. Talk to your local garden center about additional ways to control them...hopefully organic! Don’t bag those leaves; mulch them for fertilizer or place in compost. 

 

• Mulch - If you haven’t put new mulch down, pull existing mulch back and cover beds with newspaper (at least 12 sheets thick); cover with at least 3 inches of mulch.

 

• Perennials – Now is a good time to move them. Mulch 2 to 3 in. deep, Deadhead but do not cut back until we have had at least 2 hard frosts.  If unsure when to cut back, just wait until February.

• Problems - To learn more about plant diseases and pests contact your local Extension Agent, Master Gardener or Garden Center.

 

• Roses - EarthKind Roses are still in the garden centers. Top dress and mulch existing roses. It’s also a good time to transplant roses if you need to move them.

 

• Rainwater - Put out buckets & barrels to catch rainwater for garden beds and houseplants. For more information on using rainwater wisely go to. http://twri.tamu.edu/newsletters/TexasWaterSavers/tws-v3n2.pdf

 

• Tools – this is the time to do tune-ups on mowers, tillers, shredders, chainsaws, and any other garden equipment. 

 

• Trees - Fall & winter are the best time to plant trees. 

 

• Vegetable Garden –Plan your Spring Garden NOW! Get your materials ready for seed propagation; seed mats, pots, soil and seeds. Start cool weather and spring seeds inside to be planted in 6 to 8 weeks. Plant transplants of beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, collards, English & snow peas, Irish potatoes, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, mustard, onion sets, shallot sets, spinach & turnips. Cleanup beds, add compost, and cover with mulch.

 

• Watering  - Watering your plants before an oncoming freeze is the best way to protect them. Water your lawn & plants on a 7-day watering cycle unless it rains.

 

• Wildlife in the garden – Hummingbirds over-winter in Texas so please keep at least one feeder up. Great time to select sites for bluebird, bat and mason bee homes.

Enjoy this slow month for gardening

November Gardening Tips

--by historical interpreter and Master Gardener Pat Kriener

Did you enjoy our cold snap? Did you have your plants prepared for it? It came a little early this year but most of us who follow old plant lore started preparing at least 3 weeks ago: that’s when the Mexican Mint Marigold started blooming. According to plant lore, the Mexican Mint Marigold blooms within a few weeks of our first light frost. Usually this is in mid to late October, but seeing the Mexican Mint Marigold bloom jump-starts me into winterizing my garden. This is a wonderful culinary herb that has a licorice scent & taste and blooms in the spring & fall with small yellow marigold-like flowers.

• Annuals for fall & winter - the hardiest are the pansies, violas, ornamental cabbage & kale.  Don’t overlook allysum, cyclamens, dianthus, English daisy, mums, primrose and stock even though they may die back if temperatures get below 25 degrees. Water well and cover if the temps drop. Check your garden center regularly for new arrivals. Plant in front of existing perennials where you can, so they will hide & shelter them as they die back.
• Bulbs – Forcing Paperwhite Narcissus for blooming at Christmas takes 4 to 6 weeks from the time you plant until full bloom, depending on conditions. You can buy Forcing Bulbs Kits or plant bulbs in a glass bowl or container filled with rocks and water. Keep in dim light until first green shows, then put in bright light. Keep planting those spring bulbs.
• Compost Bin – Throw all clippings, leaves, vegetable and garden waste in compost.  Top-dressing beds with compost is a wonderful slow release fertilizer.  For large composts, use a broom handle, piece of rebar, stick or shovel handle to make ventilation holes in the pile. Turning a compost pile is recommended by many experts, but there are also several who state ventilation works just as well. I would love to hear what you think.
•  Container Plants – move tender plants inside this month or at least make space so they can be moved in quickly. Pots always come with visitors:  toads, ants or other bugs. Water heavily with the hose to get the toads out and then use orange oil solutions for the bugs:  follow the directions on the bottle. Winter pots--use winter annuals and hardy plants. When freezing temperatures are predicted, water and cover if needed. Make sure your pots have plenty of mulch.
• Fruits & Nuts- plant B&B, bare root and container grown fruits peaches, apples, pears, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries. Strawberries need to be planted as early as possible to develop a good root system before it freezes (mulch heavily). Pecans & walnut trees can be planted this month. Existing plants:  mulch & top dress and remember to make sure they get watered.
• Greenhouse – If you haven’t wrapped your greenhouse in plastic or cleaned out your glass green house, do it now! Take cuttings of any tender plants you want for spring. Make room for cold tender plants already in pots and plants you potted up last month.  This is the time to take cuttings of many of our woody plants such as rosemary. Winter annuals and vegetables – continue to propagate by seed and transplant all plants with true leaves but first harden them off a few hours every day  for 3 to 5 days outside before planting . Try an eco friendly way to heat your greenhouse using black buckets with water in them. They can have lids on them or not. I have hooked mine up to my sink so when I run water it goes into the bucket and I have the hose hooked up to the last barrel so I can use it for watering if need be.
• Herbs - All of the evergreen herbs such as rosemary, thyme, parsley, oregano and others can be harvested all winter; if you do not have them in your garden plant them now. Grow tender herbs such as basil indoors or in the greenhouse. Use lavender cuttings in vases for a fresh scent, hang to let dry to create dried arrangements and wreaths or hang in closets for moth repellant.
• Lawn –Don’t bag those leaves--mulch them for fertilizer, use them for mulch in your beds or create a compost pile. Overseed bare areas with rye-grass seed to avoid erosion.
• Mulch – Check your mulch to see if you have at least 3 inches on your beds. This is a great time to get out there and mulch everything from your beds to your trees. Mulch will help protect them from our extremes in temperatures during this winter.
• Plant for Fall Color – Trees – Shumard Oak & Texas Smoke Tree.  Shrubs – American Beautyberry & Holy, Possum haw.  Perennials – Mexican Bush Sage, Mexican Mint Marigold & Sedum, Autumn Joy.  Roses – Belinda’s Dream & Knock Out. Vines - Trumpet Vine & Virginia Creeper.  Fall Blooming Bulbs such as Autumn Crocus are planted in the spring.
•  Perennials – Plant NOW! Get ready for the winter by mulching at least 2 to 3 inches. Deadhead but do not cut back until we have had at least 2 hard frosts.  Pot up tender ones to be easily moved into the house or greenhouse when the weather turns bad.
• Rainwater -. Don’t forget to put out buckets to catch rainwater.  For more information on using rainwater wisely go to: http://twri.tamu.edu/newsletters/TexasWaterSavers/tws-v3n2.pdf
• Roses – New stock of EarthKind Roses are showing up in the garden centers. Top dress and mulch existing roses. Stop deadheading to get rose hips for teas and jams for the upcoming winter. Climbers can be pruned back as soon as they stop blooming.
• Vegetable Garden –. It’s time to plant Garlic! Other Vegetables to Plant: Beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, collards, cucumbers, garlic, kohlrabi, lettuce, kale, mustard greens, radish, shallots, snap beans, spinach and Swiss chard. Always check “Days to harvest” on the package and usually our first hard frost is in Mid-Nov. Plant your broccoli, cabbage, collards and lettuce you started from seed last month. Cleanup beds, add compost, and cover with mulch. If you are not replanting plant a “green manure”--Vetch, crimson clover and oats are good choices.
• Watering – If we do not get rain, a 7-day cycle is best for your plants but you may want to water earlier when we are going to have a sudden temperature drop and your plants are on the dry side. Watering will help insulate the plants from the cold. Make sure you keep the water off the plants by ground watering or if you have to use a sprinkler system that you water when there is no danger of your plants freezing. I know I have driven down streets and seen icicles hanging off plants just because the system is on a timer.
• Wildflowers - Hurry!  Time is getting short to get those wildflowers planted for spring blooms

If you haven’t already winterized your gardens, do it now.