Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) is a cool season, ANNUAL broadleaf weed with square stems and pink to purple flowers. It is mostly noticed in the early spring after it has had a chance to grow all winter in the lawn and then begins to bloom. These blooms produce seed which will lay dormant over the hot summer, then begin to germinate in the fall as the temperatures cool. The plant itself dies completely in hot temperatures and does not come back from the roots. Wild [...]
CHECK FOR SPIDER MITES EARLY!!!!!! Don't wait for your Italian Cypress or other evergreens to turn gray, then completely brown before determining if they have spider mites. By then it will be too late. This is one pest that you want to stay ahead of. If you wait until you see the symptoms, it will likely be too hot to spray. The best time to treat for spider mites on Italian Cypress or other evergreens is in February. Even if your Cypress [...]
Myth: Epsom Salts are a good fertilizer and will promote blooms, make tomatoes and peppers more productive and are a general “cure-all” for the garden. Fact: Epsom salts contain magnesium sulfate (MgSO4), a very simple chemical consisting of magnesium, water and sulfur. Magnesium is one of the minor elements which plants need to grow, and it is rarely deficient in soils in Central Texas. It may be deficient in a sandy, acidic soil, but we don’t have to worry about that here! A soil test will confirm if the soil [...]
Fruit Trees in Central Texas It’s fruit tree planting time again. Such a rewarding experience! There is one caveat, however. Fruit trees may be grown in Central Texas as long as their basic conditions are met. Sun is required for fruit trees to grow and produce fruit. Be sure to locate your trees where they will receive at least 8 hours of direct sun each day. Water is required for fruit trees to thrive and produce fruit. Once a tree is established, soaker hoses supply water to the tree roots [...]
Weed Control with Horticultural Vinegar Are you looking for a more “natural” way to kill unwanted grass and weeds? Fortunately, we have options! One method that has been around for years is using 20% Horticultural Vinegar as a “burn back” method to kill weeds. “Burn back” is exactly what it sounds like. The Vinegar “burns” back the leaves of the weed. The vinegar is not translocated to the roots like the chemical methods of weed control, and it is likely that the weed will grow back from the roots again. [...]
Nasturtiums in Central Texas Nasturtiums are a cool-season annual in Central Texas and are easily grown from seed in pots or seeded directly in the garden. Native to the mountain regions of Central Mexico, Argentina and Chile, they thrive in cool temperatures, but do not tolerate freeze or frost. The plants will fade when it gets hot, so planting when it is cool is mandatory. Nasturtiums are easy to grow from seed, and are a fun project for late winter gardens. Nasturtium seeds are large and have [...]
Pride of Barbados Caesalpinia pulcherrima Full Sun, well-drained soil 8' x 8', reseeds readily Herbaceous perennial. Do not cut back until late winter. Will be late to emerge in the spring. Deer resistant in most areas. Zone 8 (W. Indies and subtropics of the Americas) Tropical Milkweed Asclepias currasavica Full Sun/Part Sun 3'-4' x 3'-4' Re-seeding annual. Collect seeds when seedpods are ripe and save to plant next year. Somewhat deer resistant, but not reliable. Zone 8 (S.Central, Central America) Firecracker Fern [...]
Acanthus, Flame Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii 3’-5’ by 3'-5' Sun. Summer blooms attract hummingbirds. May be trimmed to shape during the growing season. This is a deciduous woody shrub that may also be trimmed right before it flushes in the spring. Deer resistant. Zone 7 (Edwards Plateau) Betony, Texas Stachys coccinea 12"-18" by 2'-3' Shade, Part Shade. Low growing herbaceous perennial with red flowers from April to October. Cut back to the ground in late February. Not reliably deer resistant. Zone 7. (Trans-Pecos region [...]
Oak Wilt Pruning Those of you who have heard the adage “February through June DO NOT PRUNE” probably know that it is in reference to the spread of Oak Wilt. We avoid pruning Oak Wilt susceptible trees like Live Oak and Red Oak during the time that the Nitidulid Beetle is active. This beetle has been identified as a vector of the Oak Wilt Fungus. It feeds on the sweet, sticky fungus that forms under the bark of infected Red Oaks in the spring, and can transmit that fungus to [...]
Preparing for a Freeze Winter temperatures in Central Texas can be unpredictable. Knowing what we need to protect and how to protect it is the “all important” question. Obviously, we need to protect any tropical plants in pots if a freeze of any kind is expected. We have a blog that covers that. Click HERE to learn more about protecting tropical plants. Every situation will be a bit different, so I will try to simplify it as best as I can. General Information: *Well-hydrated plants are usually more tolerant of cold, [...]
The Texas Plant Disease and Diagnostic Lab at Texas A&M University will test samples of diseased leaves from trees/shrubs and samples from lawns showing possible signs of disease. Please read the directions for payment and collection of samples. NOTE: They do not want DEAD LEAVES! Living tissue is best for diagnostic purposes. For a lawn sample, a 4"-6" divot with about 1" of soil/roots taken from the area NEXT TO the affected area (transition zone) is preferred to sending a sample of dead grass. Tree/shrub leaves that are just beginning [...]
Winter Watering in Central Texas If you think you have a hard time adjusting to Central Texas drought, seasonal flooding, or freak freezing temperatures, think of what our plants go through! At least we can drink water, go inside to the air conditioning or warm ourselves with central heat. While rain and temperature are things that we cannot control, we can control the amount of water that our plants receive. When we are in a drought year, it is very important that we use our water carefully while keeping [...]
