Gill Garden News
August 2012
 

 

The days of summer are waning and we are getting ready for the start of our fall planting season.  August starts us off with tomatoes and peppers.  But that's just the beginning of all the things you can grow in autumn. So you have to get ready and that means planning and preparing your soil.  So get your garden hat on and digging fork out to break a sweat. As you break up your soil, add some good compost and molasses. Turn it again. Add some fertilizer and water. You are now ready to plant.  The first plants and seeds will be here mid-August. There's no time to waste.  See you soon!

 

Join us as we celebrate Gill's Great Fall Gardening Kickoff Day, September 15th at our Airline Store.  It's going to be a whole lot of fun with many local garden groups here and great garden talks throughout the day. Our speakers Chuck Sodek from The Red Barn Nursery in Austin, Steven Ackers from Back to Nature Compost Co., and our very own James Gill will share their expertise and answer gardening questions. The Native Plant Society, The Bonsai Society, The Master Gardeners, and many more will be set up in our garden center to hand out information about their plant passions. Be sure to come by our nurseries to register for some great prizes given away later that day.  See you then!

 

September 15th Garden Talk Schedule

 

9:00 to 9:30 - Pruning and Trimming In Fall

Speaker: James Gill

 

10:15 to 11:15 - Vegetable Gardening     

Speaker: Chuck Sodek

 

1:30 to 2:00 - Making Good Soil              

Speaker: Steven Ackers

 

3:00 to 3:30 - Lawn Care For Fall           

Speaker: James Gill

 

Kids love to get dirty and what better place than in the garden?  It's great exercise, educational, and best of all...FUN!

 

Plant:

        Tomato, eggplant, and pepper transplants after August 10th.  Be sure to keep watered well and evenly shaded from the hot afternoon sun.

        Seeds of beans, cabbage, peas, winter squash, and turnips.  Start in pots and then transplant to garden.  Protect from intense heat and sun.

        If you want pumpkins by Halloween, plant your seeds by August 10th.

        Sow bluebonnet seeds now for spring bloom.

        All tropicals including allamandas, mandevillas, palms, pentas, blue daze, hamelia, hibiscus, esperanza, and plumbago will continue growing and blooming.

        Annuals such as zinnias, moss rose, gomphrena, purslane, periwinkles, caladium and coleus will continue to flourish.

        Don't forget that "house plants" are generally tropical in nature and love a nice shady or semi shady patio to put on the best show.  Ficus, schefflera, corn plants, dracenas, ivies, ponytail palms, and bromeliads all like heat and humidity.

        All container grown trees, shrubs, and vines

 

Prune:

        Continue removing faded flowers from annuals and perennials to encourage new blooms.

        Faded blooms and seed pods from crape myrtle to promote additional blooming

        Dead wood from trees and shrubs

        Trim plants as needed to maintain size and shape.

        Palms as needed

        Poinsettias early in month - last pruning for December color

 

Water:

        Check all newly planted material for water every day.

        Check pots, containers and hanging baskets often, as they dry out quickly and need more water.

        Apply mulch as needed to help conserve moisture.

        Make arrangements for someone to water if leaving for more than 2 days, especially with new plants.

 

Fertilize:

        All trees and shrubs with Gill Lawn and Garden Fertilizer, Green Diamond Supreme Lawn Food, organically with Milorganite, Medina Growin Green, Lady Bug Lawn and Garden or Gardenville

        Annuals and perennials, with Miracle Gro or Osmocote Time Release Granules, organically with Medina Growin Green, Lady Bug Lawn and Garden, or Hasta Gro

        All hibiscus and tropical bloomers with Green Diamond Hibiscus Food, organically with Maestro Gro-Rose Glo

        All granular fertilizer should be watered in well.

 

Lawn Care:

        Organic fertilizers such as Milorganite, Lady Bug Lawn & Garden, Medina Growin Green and Gardenville are excellent fertilizers that feed plants and soil and are the best choice during hot, dry periods.

        Lay new sod anytime, and Bermuda seed anytime this month.

        Apply Ironite or Hi Yield Iron Plus to yellow spots in lawn. Organically use Texas Green Sand.

        Mow as required.  Keep St. Augustine cut to about 3", Bermuda at 1" - 2".

        Watch for Chinch Bugs and Grub Worms.

        Water well every 7 to 10 days.

 

Watch out for:

        Caterpillars or their damage (chewed leaves).  Spray with Gardentech Liquid Sevin, organically with Greenlight BT Worm Killer or Spinosad

        Fungus, Powdery Mildew - Daconil, or Fungaway, organically with Neem Oil, or Serenade

        Chinch bugs in lawns - treat with Spectracide Triazicide liquid or granules, Bayer Complete, or Cyonara, organically with Diatomaceous Earth or Pyrethrin.

        Mealy bugs - treat with Liquid Sevin, Bayer Tree & Shrub, Spectracide Triazicide, or Bonide Systemic, organically with Neem Oil, or Pyrethrin.

        Spider mites - use Spectracide Triazicide, or Bonide Systemic, organically with Neem Oil, or Spinosad.

        Fleas and ticks - treat lawns with Cyonara, or Spectracide Triazicide, organically with Spinosad, or Diatomaceous Earth Crawling Insect Killer.

        Borers in mesquites, cottonwoods, ash, raintrees, chinaberry, and yucca. Use Greenlight Conquest, Organically with Spinosad or Fertilome Borer Bagworm Leafminer Spray.

 

 

**** Be sure to follow label directions as not all chemicals can be used on all plants.

September 15th kicks off the fall season, but we know there's a lot more to learn.  The following are more Garden Talks held every Saturday 10 to 11am at the Airline store. They'll be outdoors, weather permitting.  They are all free and questions are always welcome!

 

September 22nd Landscaping With Edibles

Speaker Phillip Elbert, Landscape Designer, Gill Landscape Nursery

 

September 29th Growing and Using Herbs

Speaker Mary Dunford, owner Natures' Herb Farm, San Antonio Texas

 

October 6th Organic Gardening

Speaker Andy Chidester, Ladybug Brand Garden Products, Austin Texas

 

October 13th Container Gardening

Speaker Merlien Wilder, Gill Landscape Nursery

 

Be sure to visit our website, for weekly specials and more information.

www.gillnursery.com