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Over the years from various sources, we have compiled a lot of helpful
information. We are developing a database of weekly tips found in our
newsletters along with plants and products that we have spotlighted.
We include articles and guides developed here at The Natural Gardener
and by other gardening experts. There is also what to do each month
for your garden in Central Texas.
June
2005
Planting in Hot Weather
Summer in Texas is not the optimum time for planting, but with a little TLC
you can still be very successful. Now that the garden is well established,
it is a good time to fill in empty spaces in your garden with colorful
annuals or perennials. It is best to transplant in the early morning or late
afternoon so that the plants are not immediately stressed by the midday sun.
Water-in with one of the transplant helpers such as Landscape Plant Starter,
Alaska Start-up, Superthrive or Maxicrop Seaweed. Mulch well but be sure not
to place the mulch right up against the plant. Check often to see if the
plant requires water by sticking your finger in the soil. Looking at the
plant may not be a good indicator as it may look wilted in the heat of the
day and still not need more water. You may need to spot water the new
transplants for a while, as the whole bed will not need water as often. Be
sure not to water too often; you can kill plants with over-watering.
Investing a few moments
Take a moment to examine your yard and garden. Aside from admiring the
results of all the springtime work you put into the garden, you can also
watch for the early signs of any problem situations occurring with your
plants. This gives you the opportunity to appropriately treat disease or
insect damage before things gets out of hand. Often, you can control any
beginning bug problems by merely hand-picking. Watch for any areas of your
yard or garden that are getting too much, or not enough, water from your
sprinkler or drip system. Investing a few moments regularly to stroll
through your garden, paying close attention to the details, can reveal a lot
about the nature of your plants and garden and can also be tremendously
relaxing and rewarding.
Mosquitoes
Warm rainy weather brings the mosquitoes out in droves. There are several
things you can do to keep the mosquito population in check. Periodically,
check around your property for anything that can collect water in which
mosquitoes can breed. Either remove these things or make sure water is
dumped out of them (this is most effective when all your neighbors are
participating in the effort). For ponds, bird baths, gutters, rain barrels,
or any other standing water, you can use the israelensis subspecies of
Bacillus thuringienses, available in the form of Summit brand Mosquito Dunks
or Mosquito Bits. Garlic-based products, such as Mosquito Barrier or Dr. T's
Mosquito Repelling Granules also help to eliminate adult mosquitoes from
your yard. Although these products do have a strong smell when you first
apply them, the smell will dissipate within a couple of days. Herbal
products, such as Ecozone's Skeeter Shooo, or Burt's Bees "The Defender",
may be used as safe, non-toxic personal repellants.
Summer Magic
School's out, summer has begun, and this is a great time to start gardening
with your kids! Gardening can be good exercise and is a wonderful activity
to share with your children. Weeding, watering, planting, and identifying
insects and bugs in the garden help to educate and instill an enthusiasm in
children for the natural world. The magic of seeing a big, beautiful
sunflower or zinnia emerge from a tiny seed is enough to turn anyone into a
lifelong gardener. For that matter, it's not too late to plant cantaloupe or
watermelon. Melon seeds are large and easy to handle and most germinate
within 7 to 10 days. It's such a treat to watch these melons gradually
develop into big, sweet juicy fruit.
2004
Time of Day for Gardening Chores
As we come into the heat of the summer, it is very important that we
do certain gardening chores at certain times of the day. Watering should
be done very early in the morning so there is less evaporation, less
chance of disease developing on wet leaves overnight, and less stress
on the plant from the water drops magnifying the effects of the hot
summer sun. Feeding is best done in the morning before the dew has lifted,
when the stomata on the underside of the leaves are open to take in
the nutrients. Pest control products can be applied in the morning or
evening. Some products such as pyrethrin may actually be a little more
effective applied at night. Pyrethrin breaks down relatively quickly
in the sun so applying it at night creates a larger window of opportunity
for the pest to be affected by the product. Oil based pesticide-control
products, such as Ultra Fine (horticultural oil), Orange Oil, and Neem,
really need to be applied very carefully in the summer applying them
very, very early in the morning or late evening.
Planting in Hot Weather
Summer in Texas is not the optimum time for planting but with a little
TLC you can still be very successful. Now that the garden is well established,
it is a good time to fill in empty spaces in your garden with colorful
annuals or perennials. It is best to transplant in the early morning
or early afternoon so that the plants are not immediately stressed by
the midday sun. Water-in with one of the transplant helpers such as
Landscape Plant Starter, Alaska Start-up, Superthrive or Seaweed. Mulch
well but be sure not to place the mulch right up against the plant.
Check often to see if the plant requires water by sticking your finger
in the soil. Looking at the plant may not be a good indicator as it
may look wilted in the heat of the day and still not need more water.
You may need to spot water the new transplants for a while as the whole
bed will not need water as often. Be sure not to water to often as you
can kill plants with over watering.
Prepare Your Pumpkin Patch
The 4th of July is the time to plant pumpkin seeds if you want jack-o-lanterns
by Halloween! Reserve an 8 foot by 8 foot area for each pumpkin patch.
Make a hill of soil in the center and dig ample, good-quality compost
into the hill. Go ahead and cover the entire area with at least three
inches of mulch for now, to prevent weeds from seeding in. Right before
planting the pumpkin seed (anywhere from the day of planting to a week
before), gently rake off the mulch from the hill and mix in some good
organic fertilizer, such as Rabbit Hill Farm's "Buds and Blooms,"
or Lady Bug 8-2-4 with additional rock phosphate or bone meal. Make
four to six holes, one inch deep, in the top of the hill. Plant one
pumpkin seed in each, and pat down the soil. Water deeply. Sprinkle
a light amount of mulch over the seeded area (a half-inch or so) and
replace the three inches of mulch onto the sides of the hill. After
the seedlings emerge (in seven to ten days) clip all but two or three
of the strongest plants. As the plants grow sturdier, more mulch can
be added onto the bare soil around them, but do not pile up mulch onto
the stems. Keep your pumpkin hill well-watered, since these giants of
the vegetable world need plenty of moisture to grow.
Use Shade Cloth
As the temperature soars up and the sun bears down there are many opportunities
to use shade cloth. Many gardeners will rig up a shade structure for
tomatoes this time of year to help them through the heat. 30% shade
cloth can help the tomatoes produce longer into the summer and come
into the fall production time much healthier. Late in the summer you
can use the shade cloth to start your fall veggies while we are still
having hot days. Create a little shade house for newly seeded lettuces
and newly transplanted broccoli and the like and the plants will be
under much less stress and have a good start to their growing season.
Don't just give your plants a break from the sun and heat - give yourself
and fido a break also. Cover a portion of your patio or your dog pen
with some 50% shade cloth and you and your pet can enjoy much more time
outdoors.
2003
Summer Fertilizing
It is still time to do your early summer lawn fertilizing, especially
if it has been 3 months or more since you fertilized. Apply Ladybug
8-2-4 at a rate of 35# per 5,000 square feet. This fertilization will
give the grass one final boost before it goes into survival mode during
the heat of the summer. Remember, it is better to water deeply and less
frequently then frequent shallow waterings. Recommended heights for
mowing in warm weather are: Bermudagrass one inch; Buffalograss two
and a half inches; St. Augustine three inches; Zoysia one to two inches.
Vacation Care
It’s vacation time! But how can I leave my babies, I raised them
from seed? This is a real dilemma for gardeners, especially when vacations
are often taken during the summer, (a break from the Texas heat) which
is a stressful time for plants. Hopefully you have been preparing for
this as early as when you prepared the bed for planting by adding compost
and other amendments that encourage water retention. Weekly waterings
with seaweed will help build the plants tolerance to stress. Put the
plant in the best condition as possible before you leave. This could
include deadheading and taking care of any sign of pest or disease problem
you see; it will be multiplied by the time you get back. A plant protector
such as Cloud Cover can be sprayed on the plant to seal in moisture.
Mulch will also help with water retention (water well before putting
mulch down.) The garden should have a very good, deep watering before
you leave - more than normal.
The best thing to have for the garden to survive while you vacation
is a good friend or neighbor. You can encourage your friend to water
well by telling them they can harvest any vegetables or pick the flowers
while you are gone. Written instructions are a must. You need to let
them know if there are any special need plants. For example, put a ribbon
on the perennials that have just been planted that need to be watered
more often. Group containers together in a protected area, maybe a little
more shade then usual, for easier watering by the care taker. Saucers
can be placed under the container to hold extra water to provide the
plant with water for a longer time.
Be sure they understand how to water. A quick spray with the hose will
not really help. It is a good idea to have a drip system or sprinklers
set up in the appropriate places and leave good written instructions
on how long it will need to be on. A person, who has never used a drip
system, may not understand that it needs to be left on for several hours.
A wind-up timer is a big help as the caretaker can come and set it for
a couple of hours, then leave. Another good alternative is to have the
system on a timer that will water on preset days. Be sure to test the
timer before you rely on it while you are gone.
A final option is to let it go. This is an option for vegetable gardens
that have had good production and go into survival mode for the heat
of the summer and then start up again later in the season. Many of these
plants can be planted again from seed or transplants later in the season
for a great fall crop.
Houseplants can be placed in the shower for ease of watering and closing
the curtain will slow down the evaporation.
Weeds
WEED - I know this is a four-letter word and it is 110 degrees outside,
but it is a good time to weed. Many weeds are putting out seed heads
as you read this email and each seed head has hundreds of seeds and
if each of those seeds finds a resting spot… well you know the
rest. Weeds are easily and efficiently controlled buy pulling them so
they don’t go to seed - stopping the seed before it starts is a
good thing. A moist soil will allow for easier pulling. Water the area
the night before and then do the weeding the next morning before it
gets to hot. Unless you have a really good, hot compost pile put the
weeds in the trash.
See our June To-Do List
See our June Articles: Reflections
on Life and Organic Gardening
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8648
Old Bee Cave Road
