Don’t let the cold weather keep you from getting outside and working in the garden. Now is a great time to take care of things so you are ready for spring because it’s just around the corner. Here are some helpful tips for things to do in the garden.

• Start seeds for vegetables to transplant later. Check for watering needs regularly as flats and small pots dry rapidly.
• Grow cool season vegetables such as onions, carrots and potatoes.  Sow seeds or starters directly in the soil.
• Work the soil in your bedding areas to aerate and reduce compaction. This will encourage a healthier root system and improve water efficiency. Add organic matter now before planting. A word of caution – be careful as to not work the soil when it is wet, especially if you have a heavy clay soil.
• Deadhead or remove the spent flowers of cool-season annuals to encourage continued flowering.
• Now is the time to dig, divide and transplant summer flowering bulbs. Most bulbs benefit from being divided every two to three years.
• Plant trees and shrubs right now to establish a healthy root system before the hot temperatures arrive.
• Prune fruit trees before bud break.
• Prune damaged and dead limbs from those shade trees, but absolutely never “top” or dehorn a tree.
• Do not prune oak trees right now! Unless we have another cold snap and our temperatures are below freezing, we are outside the time frame to prune our oaks. If you have to prune because of limb damage or breakage, do this. To reduce the risk of transmitting oak wilt, immediately seal the wound with a wound sealer or latex paint and sanitize your equipment with a 10% bleach solution before moving to another tree.
• Cut back ornamental grasses before new growth emerges. If you already have new growth, trim to just above this.
• Continue to maintain your mulch layer. Mulching helps to regulate soil temperatures, reduce soil erosion, prevent weed germination and reduce water loss due to evaporation.
• Don’t forget about your overall landscape design. As we venture to our local nurseries and bask in the delight of newly-arrived plants, we are easily tempted. Go to the nursery with a plan and know what plants you want to add to your landscape.
• Don’t forget about your houseplants. Now is a great time to repot, divide, prune and propagate those favorite indoor plants.
• In a few weeks, prune those ground covers such as Asian jasmine and Mondo grass. Mow at the highest setting on your lawnmower. This will remove twiggy growth and maintain a dense canopy for your ground cover.

March is the usual time for bud break across the Big Country! For gardeners, the bug has bitten and we want to be outside playing in the dirt. Don’t be in too much of a rush to plant those summer-flowering annuals and perennials because it is still winter, and we tend to have late-season freezes. For those summer bloomers, planting should be done when the nighttime temperature is consistently at or above 60 degrees and the soil temperature is at about 65 degrees Fahrenheit. There is much that can be done this month, and here are some helpful tips to get you in the garden.

-       Start seeds for vegetables and summer annuals indoors for transplanting later. Check for watering needs regularly as flats and small pots dry rapidly.

-       The best time to plant trees and shrubs is almost at an end. However, you still have time if the plant is still dormant. Container-grown shrubs and trees can be planted anytime during the year but they perform better when planted while dormant. The key is that the plant needs time to establish a healthy root system before the hot temperatures of summer arrive. Make sure trees are well-staked so they can withstand the gusty winds of March. Remove stakes once the roots are established.

-       Prune spring-flowering shrubs and trees when they are finished blooming.

-       Continue to maintain your mulch layer. Mulch should be replenished and at least three to four inches in depth to be effective. Mulching helps to regulate soil temperatures and reduces water loss due to evaporation.

-       Monitor your landscape for early arrival of insects such as aphids. If needed, use least toxic methods such as insecticidal soaps and ornamental horticultural oils.

-       Work soil in bedding areas to aerate and reduce compaction. This will encourage healthier root systems and improve water efficiency. Add organic matter now prior to planting.

-       When landscape plants begin to leaf out, most plants will benefit with some fertilization. Use natural organic matter such as finished compost or a high nitrogen fertilizer, especially if your soil has not been tested recently.

-       Get your soil tested! It is difficult to manage your landscape if you do not know what you are working with. Heavy and repeated use of a broad spectrum fertilizer such as 13-13-13 may cause more harm than good, especially in heavy clay soils. Soil tests should be repeated every three years. 

• The key to having a lush healthy lawn is to manage it appropriately and the first step is to know the measured area of your lawn before you apply fertilizers or herbicides.
• You cannot effectively manage the health of your lawn if you do not know the size of the lawn area.
• When we apply fertilizers, a pre or post-emergent herbicide, or a pesticide without knowing the measured area, this often leads to misapplication of the chemicals and inconsistent results. Do this by measuring each lawn section in square feet. Then, add each of these sections to determine the entire square footage of the total area of the lawn. Most commercial products have rates of application based on per 1,000 square feet.
• The great thing about measuring the lawn area is that you only have to do this once. Then, you have the information and knowledge to purchase the correct amount of lawn care products when you visit our local nursery and garden centers.
• Turfgrass Specialists with Texas A & M University and Texas AgriLife Extension have recommended a management plan for homeowners. However, dependent upon your desires and goals as well as the amount of time you want to spend working on keeping your grass alive will determine how much effort and time you put into it.
• There are basically three levels of management options – low, moderate and high level management. Some grasses perform better using a “LOW” management approach while others will require a more intensive management approach. Using these classifications, follow these recommendations to manage your warm-season grass lawn areas:

• LOW Apply Nitrogen during the spring and/or late growing season period. Common Bermuda – 2 lbs N/1,000 sq ft per year Hybrid Bermuda types – 2 lbs N/1,000 sq ft per year Buffalo grass – 0 to 1 lb N/1,000 sq ft per year St. Augustine (sun) – 2 lbs N/1,000 sq ft per year St. Augustine (shade) – 1 lb N/1,000 sq ft per year Zoysiagrass – 1 to 2 lbs N/1,000 sq ft per year
• MODERATE Building upon the “LOW” level program, apply one additional application during the summer to enhance turf density and overall quality. Common Bermuda – 2 to 3 lbs N/1,000 sq ft per year Hybrid Bermuda types – 3 to 4 lbs N/1,000 sq ft per year Buffalo grass – 2 lbs N/1,000 sq ft per year St. Augustine (sun) – 2 to 3 lbs N/1,000 sq ft per year St. Augustine (shade) – 1 to 2 lbs N/1,000 sq ft per year Zoysiagrass – 2 to 3 lbs N/1,000 sq ft per year
• HIGH Building upon the “LOW” level program, apply 2-3 supplemental summer applications to enhance quality as needed. Common Bermuda – 4 to 5 lbs N/1,000 sq ft per year Hybrid Bermuda types – 5 to 6 lbs N/1,000 sq ft per year Buffalo grass – Not recommended St. Augustine (sun) – 3 to 4 lbs N/1,000 sq ft per year St. Augustine (shade) – Not recommended Zoysiagrass – 3 to 4 lbs N/1,000 sq ft per year

• Care of warm-season grasses is critical during the extreme conditions that our summer season. The unusually high levels of rainfall we have had recently are much-needed, but because we are well above our annual rate of precipitation, we shouldn’t have to irrigate right now. So, if your lawn is yellow-ing and seems to be struggling right now, then it might be time for you to consider a different management plan. A “LOW” management system might be just what your lawn needs.

It’s July and it is hot. For the dedicated gardener, be careful of the heat as you spend time outside. Take advantage of the cooler hours in the morning and late evening to get those gardening chores done.  Drink plenty of water and take frequent breaks. Here are some helpful tips to help you in the garden this month.

·         Deadhead or remove spent flowers to encourage late-season flowering

·         Shear back 3 or 4 inches of Salvias and lantana to remove spent flowers and encourage compact growth.

·         For Spring-planted trees and shrubs, continue to water to get them established.

·         Pinch back or shear spent blooms from Crape Myrtle and Vitex to encourage re-bloom.

·         It is not recommended to plant trees or shrubs during the summer months. A better option would be to go “window shopping” at the nursery centers for the trees and shrubs you want to purchase and plant in the fall.

·         Change or alternate the pattern and direction you mow the grass. This will prevent the grass from developing a “grain” or laying down in one direction.

·         If you are planning a vacation, mow your lawn the day before you leave. Don’t lower the blade and try to remove more grass! This will cause stress and scalding of the grass. Make arrangements for the grass to be mowed while you are away.

·         Have a purpose and goal when pruning. If the gusty wind has snapped a limb, then prune dead and damaged branches from shade trees to prevent splintering and further damage. Fall and winter months are the ideal time to prune.

·         Oak trees should not be pruned until next January or February. If you must prune a broken limb on an oak tree, sanitize your equipment with a 10% bleach solution and seal the pruning cut immediately with a wound paint. The disease, Oak Wilt, is becoming a serious problem in our community and you can help prevent it by pruning an oak tree at the best time.

·         Prep your soil for the fall vegetable garden by amending the soil with partially-decomposed manure or plant matter. Water in and cover with leaves or mulch. This is called “sheet composting” and the composting material will continue to decompose and your bedding area will be ready for fall planting.

·         Continue to maintain your mulch layer. Mulch should be at least three to four inches deep. Mulching helps to regulate the soil temperature, keep weeds from germinating and reduces water loss due to evaporation.

August is here and needless to say, it is hot. There are chores to be done, and the landscape needs special attention during the heat of summer in West Central Texas. This is usually one of the driest months for our region, and rainfall may be sparse. With new watering restrictions in place, when and how you water becomes even more important. 

Here are a few tips to care for your landscape this month.

Make the best use of the water you have by watering early in the morning before the wind speeds pick up. Evaporative loss of water is higher during the heat of the day and when wind speeds increase. Select sprinklers that emit larger drops of water as these are a better choice than emitters that reduce the flow of water to a mist.

Water deeply and less frequently. Turfgrass and woody shrubs need about one inch of water each week during this long summer period. But, if your heavy clay soil does not take up water very quickly, you should adjust the timing of those irrigation zones to make sure water is not running off the landscape. Your irrigation schedule should be adjusted to allow for slow infiltration of the water. Be a WISE waterer, and keep water on the landscape.

Check that mulch. Soil that is exposed can heat up to more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit. This is hot enough to kill those tender root hairs near the surface. Soil that is mulched will be as much as 10 to 20 degrees cooler.

August is the last month to plant a new lawn before winter temperatures arrive. Newly-installed lawns need at least six to eight weeks to establish a healthy root system. Bermuda grass is a better choice for West Central Texas because it does not require large amounts of water when compared with St. Augustine grass. Fertilize established lawns with an all-nitrogen fertilizer and water in immediately.

Get your soil tested. It is difficult to manage your landscape when you cannot be sure of what you are working with. A basic soil test will tell you what nutrients are present, and what may need attention. 

Prune roses back, but do not remove more than one-third of the plant. Prune and remove spent blooms on annuals and perennials to encourage continuous blooming well into fall.

Are your tomatoes worn out and not fruiting? Even though the plants are still growing, they will not set fruit in this high heat. Pinch back top growth and side dress established plants with fertilizer to encourage new growth and to keep them healthy. Once cooler temperatures return, they should flower and set fruit, and you will have a fall tomato crop.

If it’s too hot outside for you, spend some time indoors and plan your fall garden. Start seeds for cool season color such as snapdragons, pansies and dianthus.

Cooler temperatures and shorter days are our clue that autumn is here. Well, we are still awaiting those cooler temperatures typical for autumn but, the day lengths continue to shorten. We have such a narrow window when summer days meld into cooler days during the fall months. So, now is the perfect time to take care of the chores outside and get your garden ready for the colder, winter months.

Excellent cool-season performers for our area include pansies, snapdragons, dianthus, violas and ornamental kale and cabbages. These flowering beauties and ornate foliages can add a beautiful show of color to your landscape design and do not require a lot of maintenance. Adding herbs to your landscape is also an excellent idea. Rosemary is a proven performer for our climate and its evergreen foliage will add beauty, texture and fragrance to your landscape. The aromatic essence that this plant emits is simply divine and you can use cuttings in your favorite recipes. Other plants that will add fragrance and beauty to your landscape include salvias and sages. Salvias and sages, oh my! Gardening is all about the senses! Colors, smells, and textures enhance the beauty of the home landscape as well as soothe the soul.

Now is the time to begin looking for trees and shrubs that you want to add to your landscape design. Fall and early winter are the best times to incorporate new woody-stemmed plant specimens because as deciduous trees and shrubs are dormant, they can concentrate their energy on developing a healthy root system versus trying to survive if planted in the heat of our summers. As temperatures continue to cool, visit your favorite nursery or garden center and survey those trees while the trees showcase the beautiful fall foliage colors.

Before you get those clippers and hedgers out, wait another month or so. Now is not the best time to prune! You can actually cause more damage and stress to your trees and shrubs. Let your plant use this time as there is still ample sunlight to do their best work – photosynthesis. Before deciduous trees lose their leaves, they are gathering and storing energy for next spring’s growth. What you can do right now is take a hard look at your plants and determine what you need to prune when the time is here. Try this! Look over your trees and shrubs that you want to prune. Use paint to mark those branches that should be removed because damage has occurred or those that need to be shaped up because of the plant’s form.  As you begin to think about pruning, make sure to sanitize your pruning equipment before moving to the next plant.

Check your list and make sure you include the following as part of your “To-Do List” to make sure your garden and landscape are ready for the colder temperatures.

• As you make your final cutting of your turf area, use a mulching mower if possible. As the leaves fall from the deciduous trees, mow and mulch the leaves back into the lawn area. In addition to providing nutrients back to the soil, you also decrease the amount of lawn waste occupying our landfill.
• Clean debris from annual and perennial beds to discourage insects from over-wintering.
• Keep watering as part of your ongoing landscape maintenance.
• Put down your pre-emergent weed killer for those cool season weeds such as winter rye and henbit.
• Fertilize your deciduous and evergreen shrubs with a slow-release fertilizer.
• Don’t forget to divide those bulbs or add new varieties of bulbs to your landscape.
• Dig those Caladiums and store for next year.
• Start caring for your Christmas cactus if you want it to bloom in December.
• Take cuttings of Begonias, Geraniums and Coleus and grow as indoor house plants.
• Keep those bird feeders full and clean of debris.

“Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme!” Try herb gardening! Plant seeds or transplants of your favorite herbs and enjoy the fragrance and the added benefit of using the herbs in your favorite recipes. Mint varieties are great additions to the garden also. Use caution when planting mint because it is quite invasive and can quickly take over your beds. As an alternative, use containers to plant mint because you can more easily control its growth.

As you begin to plan your holidays, don’t forget about your landscape and indoor plants. With all of the bustling about and enjoying time and fellowship with family and friends, we forget and neglect our “green” friends that give us so much pleasure throughout the year. Mistakenly, I have done terrible things to my plants during the holidays. So, remember to continue to water. Indoor plants suffer right now because of the heat and dryness of the indoor environment. Check the moisture of the soil regularly to ensure your plants do not dehydrate.

Here are some other things you need to take care of this month:

• Check that mulch layer! Mulch is the most important thing you can do in your landscape that has so many positive rewards. Several inches of organic material added to your bedding area can help retain moisture in the soil – reducing irrigation needs which helps us conserve our precious water resources. Mulch also helps keep those soil temperatures regulated so you decrease damage from cold winter temperatures. On top of that, it serves as a slow-release fertilizer and keeps weeds under control. Mulch is great!
• Continue to irrigate. Plants that are allowed to dry out are more susceptible to freeze damage.
• This is a great time to get your soil tested. By testing your soil, you are better able to determine the needs of your landscape plants. Every plant’s needs are different. By testing now, you will have plenty of time to amend the soil before spring plantings begin.
• If your yard is covered with leaves like mine, don’t be discouraged, view this as a resource. Don’t bag those leaves! Use that lawnmower to mulch the leaves. Those leaves serve as a great slow-release fertilizer that will add nutrients back to your soil – naturally. Use mulched leaves in your beds or garden area and not just your turf area.
• Now that you have mowed the leaves, it is time to put away the lawnmower. However, before you store the lawnmower, drain the gasoline from the tank. Gasoline left in the tank can collect water leading to engine damage.
• Anytime the soil is dry enough to work with is a great time to prep beds for late winter and spring gardening. Cover the bed areas with a thick mulch layer to prevent crusting and to limit soil erosion. Remember, mulch is great!
• You still have time to plant bulbs. Bulbs are a great addition to the landscape. Many range from early, middle to late bloomers and there are many different varieties you can use. Be cautious of mail-order bulbs because most are not adapted to our region and will not perform well. An example of this is tulips. Tulip bulbs are readily available, but most are better adapted to more northern climates. Actually, we treat tulips more as an annual here in our area. So, don’t expect your tulip bulbs to come back year after year.
• Now is the best time to plant trees and shrubs. Fall and early winter plantings always have an advantage over spring plantings. By planting now, you give the plant time to get settled and establish a healthy root system before spring growth occurs.
• Wait a little while before pruning your woody-stemmed plants. It is best to prune when the plant is in its full dormancy.