February 2012

It's a great time to live in South Texas.  Not many people can bask in 70 degrees and sunny weather during January, let alone start their spring plantings.  This month we can look for much of the same, and I for one am on the move in my outdoors space!  Get ready by attending our free garden seminars starting February 4^th.  They're always full of fun and helpful tips for all gardeners.  Garden magic is about to happen this month as all the best plants we covet start to arrive in our nurseries full of flowers and bursting with new growth.  Truly irresistible, fresh, fragrant, and full of life...Come see us soon!

Don't forget your honey on Valentine's Day!  We have beautiful baskets, candles, and pretty blooming plants to make your valentine smile!

Lawn Care:

·        Now is the time to apply pre-emergent weed control to your lawn.  Here is the one that works for us: Green Light Amaze. It controls some broad leaf and grass weeds including sand burs.  It will not kill already growing weeds; rather, it keeps the seeds from germinating.

·        You can overseed your lawn now with winter rye grass seed (or fill bare spots with this seed) at the rate of 1Lb. per 100 sq. ft. We have it in 5 to 50 Lb bags.

·        Fertilize your lawn when it begins actively growing. This is usually late February to mid March. We offer a large selection of lawn fertilizers including our own special formula and many organic blends that feed your lawn and soil. Come in and ask one of our Texas Certified Nursery Professionals to help you pick the best one for your lawn. All fertilizers require water to work.

Plan on watering once you apply.

· Eliminate broad leaf weeds with Image or Green Light Wipeout liquid or granules 

(Do not apply liquid Wipeout to Floratam).  Wipeout granule are ok to use on Floratm. 

 ·        Lay new sod anytime.

Plant:

·        Vegetable seeds - beans, beets, broccoli, carrots, collards, dill, lettuce, mustard, parsley, Swiss chard and turnips

·        Vegetable Transplants -tomatoes any time this month, peppers, squash and watermelon at the end of the month.  Protect these from late freezes

·        Flower Transplants - petunias, alyssum, dianthus, snapdragons, dusty miller, begonias, gerbera daisy, geraniums, impatiens, marigolds, phlox and bluebonnets

·        All containerized, bare rooted, and ball in burlap hardy trees, shrubs, vines, fruit trees, fruiting vines, citrus (protect from freeze) and roses

·        Herbs & seed potatoes

Fertilize:

·        Annuals and perennials with Miracle Gro or Osmocote Time Release Granules, organically with Medina Growin Green, Lady Bug Lawn and Garden, Hasta Gro, Maestro Rose Glo, or Plant Tone

·        Established roses with Bayer Rose & Flower Care, organically with Maestro Rose Glo or Plant Tone

·        Established citrus trees (3 years or older) with ammonium sulfate 21-0-0 available in 4 to 40 Lb. bags, organically with Citrus Tone, Medina Growin Green, Lady Bug Lawn and Garden, Hasta Gro, or Plant Tone

·        Cool weather vegetables with ammonium sulfate, organically with Medina Growin Green, Lady Bug Lawn and Garden, Hasta Gro, Maestro Rose Glo, or Plant Tone

·        Do not fertilize tropicals, they need to rest.

·        All granular fertilizer should be watered in well.

Prune:

·        Do not prune early spring bloomers such as azaleas, carolina jessamine, indian hawthorn, mountain laurel or redbud.  Prune these after they bloom.

·        Fruit trees - peaches, apples, plum, pear lightly to shape (do not prune citrus)

·        Hardy dormant trees - oak, mesquite, cedar elm, crape myrtle, Chinese tallow and soapberry 

Do not top trees!

·        Perennials that have finished their bloom

·        Pick spent flowers from annuals to prolong their bloom season

Watch Out For:

·        Scale insects on hardy trees and shrubs.  Spray with Neem Oil spray or Dormant Oil

·        Lawn fungus - this can be a major problem after long periods of wet, cool weather.  There are 2 major lawn fungus  - Take All Patch and Brown Patch

·        Treat Take All Patch with Fertilome Systemic Lawn Fungicide. Organically with Nature's Blend Organic Compost, or Peat Moss

·        Treat Brown Patch Fungus with Bayer Lawn Fungus Granules, or Fertilome F-Stop Granules. Organically with Serenade, Actinovate, or Actino Iron.

Watering:

·        Only as needed - but dry cold fronts, high winds and low humidity can dry plants quickly.

·        Established lawns only need water every couple of weeks, provided we don't get rain.

·       Be sure to check your sprinkler system and adjust accordingly.

When or if temperatures dip below freezing:

·        Move tropical potted plants inside or group them together in a protected area so they may be easily covered.

·        Mulch and water newly planted trees and shrubs well; water tropicals and potted plants.

·        Cover tropicals and tender plants with sheets, blankets or plastic(Note plastic can burn the outer foliage it is touching).

·        Bring fabric all the way to the ground allowing heat from the soil to be trapped around the plant.

·        Uncover all plants as temperatures rise to prevent the foliage from scorching.

Spring Garden Seminars for 2012

Seminars are held at are Airline store location.

      Saturdays from 10:00am to 11:00am

February 4^th

Basics Of Landscape Gardens: How To Be Successful With Trees, Shrubs, Annuals, & Perennials.

Speaker Matthew Pinkerton, Gill Landscape Nursery 

We all love our landscapes to grow well and look great, but do you know why some are more successful than others? Do you know there are 20 different growing regions around the world?  What the heck is a biennial, and why should you have some?  Come find out these and more fun facts about the world of horticulture. 

February 11^th

Get Ready For Spring!

Speaker James Gill, Gill Landscape Nursery

With spring just around the corner, we need to clean up our yards and get our gardens ready to plant.  Come learn all about trimming, pruning, and some basic maintenance to have beautiful plants and a beautiful garden this spring.

February 18^th 

Growing and Cooking With Fresh Herbs.

Speakers DeAnna Baumgartner of Gill Landscape Nursery and Amy Ramirez from the

Blue Dahlia Bistro in Austin Texas.

Herbs are some of the finest and surely flavorful plants we love in our gardens.  How cool is it to need cilantro and just go cut some from your yard. Growing is only half the fun. What's even more fun is using them for your culinary creations. Get the best of both as these ladies explore varieties and recipes for a fun, delicious hour.

February 25^th

What's New In Plants?

Speaker James Szadek of Monrovia Growers

Plant discovery, research, and production are a vital part of helping with our quest for successful plants for South Texas. Monrovia is a nationally recognized grower and leader in new plant development.  James of Monrovia will bring plenty of "show and tell" varieties to "google" over and some to take home and try!