Use this calendar to help you plan your gardening tasks.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION. Check back later for an updated listing of monthly tasks.

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 that you are ready for spring – because it’s just around the corner. Here are some tips to help for managing your garden and landscape.

- 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 directly in the soil.

- Sow seeds in flats or containers to get a jump on plant growth. You still have time to start seeds for cool season flowering annuals such as petunias, begonias, and impatiens Warm temperature plants, such as tomatoes, peppers, marigolds, and periwinkles, should be sown in early February.

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

- The life of the plants you purchased or received at Christmas can be extended with proper care. Keep soil moist and ensure good drainage away from the pot. Keep the plant out of range of heating ducts and drafts. Keeping the room cool at night, preferably at 60 to 65 degrees F is ideal.

- Lightly fertilize pansies with ½ pound of 21-0-0 or blood meal per 100 square feet of bedding area.

- Now is an excellent time to transplant mature or established trees and shrubs while they are dormant. This is also an excellent time to select and plant container-grown roses. If you love our research-tested Earth-Kind™ roses, next month we will begin taking pre-orders for our spring rose sale. So, look for information on this event in mid-February.

- Don’t fertilize newly transplanted trees or shrubs until after they have started to grow in the spring, and then only very lightly the first year.

- Check junipers and other narrow-leaf evergreens for bagworm pouches. The insect eggs overwinter in the pouch, and start the cycle again by emerging in the spring to begin feeding on the foliage. Remove pouches and destroy them to prevent potential damage in the spring.

- Now is a great time to get those pruning shears and loppers sharpened if you have not done this yet. When you do prune, have a goal and purpose. Prune woody ornamentals to maintain the shape and form of the plant and to remove diseased or dead material. Trees should never be “topped” because this destroys the architectural structure and beauty of the plant’s form. Always use quality shears that will make clean cuts. Keep equipment clean and sanitized.

- January and February are the months to accomplish pruning of fruit trees such as peach, plum and apricot trees. At least, plan on pruning before bud break. Annual pruning helps to keep the harvest within reach and to thin out crowded branches which allow more light to penetrate the canopy.

- When pruning shrubs, first prune out any dead or damaged branches. Then, thin out by removing about one-third of the canes or stems at ground level, removing the oldest canes only. Finally, prune to shape the plant, but do not cut everything back to the same height.

- Hold off on pruning bush roses until February or early March. Remove dead, dying, and weak canes. Leave 4 to 8 healthy canes, and remove approximately one-half of the top growth and height of the plant.

- Climbing roses should be trained but not pruned. Weave long canes through openings in trellises or arbors and tie them with jute twine or plastic/wire plant ties. Securing canes now prevents damage from winter winds, and contributes toward a more refined look to the garden when roses are blooming. Wait until after the spring flowering period to prune climbing or once-blooming shrub roses.

Plan now for your spring gardening. Time spent as an armchair gardener is fun, and you can get a lot of great ideas from those catalogs.

Melissa Clifton Sturdivant is the County Extension Agent for Horticulture in Taylor County and can be reached by email at dmclifton@ag.tamu.edu or at 672-6048.

 

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.

  

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.

Flowering Annuals/Perennials

·         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.

Trees/Shrubs

• 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.

Groundcovers/Lawns

• 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.

Pruning

·         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.

Miscellaneous Must-Do’s

·         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.

Start gathering seed from flowering plants in your garden. Allow seeds to air dry for a couple of days and then store in an air-tight container.

 

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.