Photinia Leaf Spot

My Photinia Leaf Has Spots? If you have Red Tip Photinia in your yard, you are most likely familiar with the red-purple photinia leaf spots that can appear on the leaves. This spotting is caused by a fungus, Entomosporium, and can cause damage to Photinia and Indian Hawthorn. Other plants in the rose family that may be infected include loquat, flowering quince, pyracantha and pear. We frequently see severe damage after periods of frequent rainfall, although overhead watering for lawns that hits the shrubs is also a factor. The disease starts [...]

By |2020-07-22T16:41:06-05:00April 25th, 2017|Disease, Plants, Trees|
Read More

Sweet Potatoes in Central Texas

Sweet Potatoes April is the time to plant Sweet Potatoes in Central Texas! Although they do prefer sandy soils, they are able to adapt to many different types of soil in your garden-just as long as it drains well. If you have clay soil or drainage problems, work in lots of compost and make raised beds or planting ridges 8”-12” high. You will want to plant your sweet potato slips as soon after purchasing as you can, preferably when the weather is warm and settled. Don’t worry if your slips [...]

By |2020-07-22T16:41:33-05:00April 20th, 2017|Vegetable Gardening|
Read More

Growing Roses in Central Texas

Growing Roses Knowing which class of rose you want to grow is an important decision. Shopping for roses can be confusing, and having a basic knowledge before you choose your rose can increase your chance of success. Roses with similar characteristics are grouped in to a number of different “classes”. Hybrid Tea roses are usually grafted (budded) on a vigorous rootstock, and bear large, many-petaled flowers that grow on a long stem. They can bloom continually throughout the growing season, and many are fragrant. These roses usually grow quite tall, [...]

By |2024-09-29T11:25:41-05:00April 19th, 2017|Plants|
Read More

Weed and Feed – Good or Bad?

Weed and Feed Why are Weed and Feed products not recommended in Central Texas? It’s simple, really. For spring application, we address both pre- and post-emergent weed problems early in the season, many times before the grass has re-emerged from winter dormancy. The grass will not require fertilizer until it has emerged in the spring and has been growing well enough to have been mowed at least two times. For fall application, we address the weed seeds early, by using pre-emergent in mid-September to October, BEFORE they have germinated. We [...]

By |2021-01-12T12:32:10-06:00April 4th, 2017|Lawn Care|
Read More

Tree Borers

Tree Borers Many tree boring insects are attracted to weakened, damaged, dying or dead plants. They are referred to as “secondary invaders” because they attack a plant only after it has been weakened by stress or injury. Wood boring insects that attack living, healthy trees are known as “primary invaders”, and may eventually kill trees. It is important to differentiate the two when implementing borer control methods.     Borer infestations usually go unnoticed until the tree shows external signs of damage, such as browning leaves or dying branches. The [...]

By |2022-03-13T10:06:26-05:00April 4th, 2017|Insects, Trees|
Read More

Trees That Fail to Thrive

Failure to Thrive The vast majority of diagnostic questions I receive each year are related to trees with health issues. Many of these issues could be avoided by proper (and consistent) care of the tree from the day it is planted. Sometimes things do go wrong, and knowing what to do can be instrumental in reviving the health of a tree. Trees have the amazing ability to “compartmentalize” diseased and damaged tissue, and to produce healthy tissue around it. If a tree has been stressed by environmental issues such as [...]

By |2024-03-17T08:12:24-05:00April 4th, 2017|Trees|
Read More

Organic Fertilizer for Lawns

March-April is the time to wake up the SOIL! As we watch our lawns begin to green up and grow enough to mow them, they will benefit from an application of an organic fertilizer to aid in their carbohydrate production. The general "rule of thumb" is to apply fertilizer to lawns after you have mowed it 2-3 times. However, that applies to chemical forms of nitrogen, not organic forms. (Avoid  chemical forms of fertilizer with a very high nitrogen analysis. High nitrogen can predispose lawns to diseases such as Take [...]

By |2022-01-24T12:49:33-06:00April 2nd, 2017|Lawn Care|
Read More

Spring Application of Pre-Emergent Herbicide

Remember the old adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”? That seems to have been written about the use of pre-emergent herbicides. Who wouldn’t prefer spreading a product on our lawns and beds that STOPS the weed BEFORE it comes up? A real no-brainer for me! Because weeds are classified as “warm-season or cool-season” according to the temperature at which they germinate, we can address a particular weed we may have by timing the application of pre-emergent appropriately. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it [...]

By |2022-01-24T08:17:16-06:00April 2nd, 2017|Uncategorized|
Read More

GUIDELINES FOR LAWN WATERING IN CENTRAL TEXAS

Lawn Watering in Central Texas Understanding the water needs of our lawns will ensure greater success with maintaining a healthy lawn. A lawn that is properly watered can compete aggressively with weeds and avoid stress that contributes to lawn diseases. LAWNS:  Creating a deep root system is probably the single-most important goal during hot weather.  Lawns should be watered to a depth of 6 inches during each irrigation.  To calculate the length of time to run irrigation, collect several empty tuna fish cans or cat food cans and set them [...]

By |2020-08-11T09:52:37-05:00April 2nd, 2017|Lawn Care|
Read More

Growing Artichokes in Central Texas

Artichokes are actually a thistle native to the Mediterranean. Like many plants from the Mediterranean, they require well-drained soils, and produce best in deep, fertile soils. Adding compost to sandy or clay soils will improve the drainage and fertility of the soil. Choose a location in full sun, and space plants 3’-4’ apart, as the plants will grow quite large. ‘Green Globe’ is a variety that does well in Central Texas, and are usually readily available at planting time. You can plant crowns in January, or container-grown stock later in [...]

By |2021-01-03T15:13:26-06:00April 1st, 2017|Uncategorized|
Read More

Grow Lettuce From Seed in the Garden

I have heard many gardeners lament that their lettuce seed will not germinate. Perhaps looking at what lettuce seed requires in order to germinate will help those who have had difficulty with germination in the past. Lettuce grows best in a soil amended with well-decomposed compost, such as our Heirloom Leaf Mold Compost, or Happy Frog Soil Conditioner. Because it is a leafy crop, lettuce responds to relatively high levels of fertility. Add 2 teaspoons of Happy Frog Marine Cuisine or Happy Frog Tomato and Vegetable Fertilizer per square foot [...]

By |2023-10-10T15:47:37-05:00April 1st, 2017|Vegetable Gardening|
Read More

Agave Snout Weevils

The Agave Snout Weevils are at it again! The females have spent the past spring chewing into the Agaves and Yuccas and laying their eggs. They chew into the leaf bases, leaving behind a bacteria (Erwinia) as they go. That bacteria rots the heart of the plant. A small hole at the base of the leaf may indicate the entrance of the beetle. The eggs have now hatched into grub-like larvae, and have tunneled into the rotting heart of the plant. Damage to a Yucca caused by Agave Snout [...]

By |2023-02-28T08:44:09-06:00April 1st, 2017|Uncategorized|
Read More
Copyright | All Rights Reserved
Go to Top