About Mary Kay Pope

Mary Kay is an asset to Backbone and a wealth of knowledge! Many customers come in and ask for her by name for all their plant questions. It's no wonder why, as Mary Kay has 47 years of experience in the horticulture field. She holds a B.S. in Horticulture from Ohio State University, a TMCNP and a TCLP from Texas Association of Nurserymen, a Specialist in Urban Trees Certification from Texas A&M, and is a Certified Arborist.

Are Epsom Salts Good for Plants?

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 [...]

By |2023-02-28T08:25:13-06:00February 1st, 2023|Vegetable Gardening, Lawn Care|
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Fruit Trees in Central Texas

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 [...]

By |2023-01-25T08:28:23-06:00January 24th, 2023|Fruit & Nuts|
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Weed Control with Horticultural Vinegar

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. [...]

By |2023-01-23T12:38:45-06:00January 23rd, 2023|Vegetable Gardening, Lawn Care|
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Nasturtiums in Central Texas

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 [...]

By |2023-01-17T11:48:53-06:00January 17th, 2023|Plants|
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Adaptive Perennial Color for Hot Texas Summers

  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    [...]

By |2023-01-16T12:19:14-06:00January 16th, 2023|Plants|
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Native Perennials for Central Texas

  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 [...]

By |2023-01-17T11:25:07-06:00January 16th, 2023|Plants|
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Oak Wilt Pruning

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 [...]

By |2023-01-16T09:43:48-06:00January 16th, 2023|Trees|
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Preparing for a Freeze

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 [...]

By |2024-12-10T10:55:07-06:00December 18th, 2022|Plants|
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Texas Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab

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 [...]

By |2023-02-28T08:25:50-06:00November 30th, 2022|Disease|
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Winter Watering of Established Landscapes in Central Texas

  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 [...]

By |2023-12-03T09:33:18-06:00November 30th, 2022|Lawn Care, Plants, Trees|
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Tree Care and Maintenance

Watering: -Water your tree religiously for at least one year using the following guidelines, and subsequent years during the hottest months or if we experience high heat or drought conditions. -At the time of planting the tree needs to be deeply watered. Two days after planting the tree needs to be deeply watered again. You can do this by turning on the hose and laying it inside the mulch reservoir, about six inches from the trunk, running it at a steady stream for about thirty minutes. If the reservoir does [...]

By |2023-02-28T08:26:07-06:00November 23rd, 2022|Trees|
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Fiddle Leaf Fig Care

Every era has had its favorite houseplant. In the 50’s and 60’s it was the African violet. The 70’s was a houseplant mecca, with macramé hangers and Peace Lily plants dominating the scene. The 80’s and 90’s had the Weeping fig, or Ficus benjamina trees in its favor. This decade definitely goes to the big, bold leaves of the Fiddleleaf Fig. Design-wise, this plant really makes a statement! It is hard not to notice the large, fiddle-shaped leaves and dark green color as you walk in a room. But how [...]

By |2023-02-28T08:26:20-06:00November 23rd, 2022|Houseplants|
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