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M U L C H
All bare soil. It keeps water in and weeds down.
We recommend using Cypress, Texas Hardwood and Pine Bark shredded
mulch in beds with
a depth of least 2 inches. Before cold weather arrives, check
mulch levels around your woody plants to make sure you have a
depth of 2 to 3 inches. Make sure the mulch is kept back several
inches from the trunk or stem to keep it as dry as possible
because excessive moisture will build up around their bases
leading to fungal problems. Areas not planted for winter can be
mulched to protect the surface and leave the beds to ‘rest’ for
spring planting.
F E R T I L I Z E
Flowers and Herbs
Fertilize winter annuals every few weeks to keep them vigorous and productive.
Pansies and other winter annuals such as Dianthus and Snapdragons should be fed
this month with a complete fertilizer. A blend of 3-1-2- or 4-1-2 ratio of
nutrients is adequate for most soils. Apply 2 cups per 100 sq. feet of bed. Work
into soil surface and water well. Water soluble formulas can easily be applied
as you water. Follow directions so plants won’t be burned by too much solution.
Pinch off faded blossoms to encourage further flowering.
Dianthus which is a bi-annual (meaning lasting two seasons) and Pansies and
Snapdragons which are annuals (lasting one season) will flower if maintained.
Trees, Shrubs, Vines, Lawns and Groundcover
We suggest waiting until next month to fertilize.
P R U N E
Trim dead or diseased leaves and wood and don’t put any diseased matter in
your compost pile. Common sense dictates that plants are more attractive when
you prune to maintain their natural shape and form. We disinfect our tools with
bleach and then oil them to prevent rust. You can also use alcohol or spray
disinfectants too.
We clean tools between plant species and don’t trim when the plants are wet to
avoid possible disease transmission.
Don’t prune your spring blooming plants because you can cut off the flower buds.
Wait until March to trim flowering perennials because of the possibility of a
hard freeze still this year.
Trees
You can prune deciduous shade trees such as Ash, Elm, Maple, Oak, Sycamore and
Pistachio, some fruit trees and summering flowering trees such as Crape myrtles
and Vitex which will encourage them to grow more densely this coming season.
Remember with Crape Myrtles not to ‘dehorn’ or cut off the tops but remove the
damaged limbs and the basal suckers (small shoots.) As a general rule, don’t cut
branches that are larger than the size of a pencil.
Live Oak trees should have been pruned by now. We prune them in the coldest and
hottest times of the year so the beetle (iridescent, purple colored) that
spreads the deadly Oat Wilt disease will be less active. Pruning later in the
season will leave your trees vulnerable to these beetles because they are
attracted to fresh cuts on the Oak trees. Also Shumard Oak, Red Oak and
Blackjack Oak should not be pruned between Feb 1 and June 1 because of Oak Wilt
susceptibility too.
The first 5 years of a tree’s life are critical to developing a strong, healthy
tree form. We remove any growth that inhibits an upward arch for a canopy
effect. This stops wasting the plant’s energy. Using loppers or a chainsaw, we
remove the weakest branches where they meet the central leader (main trunk). We
prune small limbs from branches if they are not growing upwards. We also remove
the little straight shoots called suckers flush at the branch and on the ground.
By pruning now, spring provides the most rapid healing time to give your trees a
chance to fend off infection.
Shrubs
We use loppers and hand pruners for shrubs. We trim them now severely to allow
for more growth. There are three ways to prune shrubs: selectively pick prune,
shear no more than a third off and remove old stems at the base.
Woody plants you may be training should be pruned just before the first spring
growth spurt begins such as Abelias, Hollies and Nandinas. Abelia pruned too
much won’t have as many blooms. These dependable shrubs bloom throughout much of
the growing season if left relatively untrimmed.
Encourage wood vines to branch from the ground by trimming back the terminal
buds on the ends of the vines once a month and continue until they have filled
the area. Summer flowering shrubs including Altheas, Gardenias, and Oleanders
may be pruned now. Resist shaping them into box or ball-shaped specimens as they
are more attractive in their natural state unless they are in a formal setting.
Pruning Roses
Repeat-blooming Roses can be pruned around Valentine’s Day while early spring
bloomers should be trimmed after blooming. Now is a good time to move rosebushes
around and add new ones. They need sunny, well drained sites to grow because if
in shade they get leggy and are susceptible to fungal leaf diseases.
Antique roses need to be pruned less then the moderns. Shrubs roses should also
be clipped so their free-form shape is maintained. Except for Tea roses, which
should not be cut back more than 1/4th, no rose bush should be cut back more
than 1/3rd.
Climbing roses don’t need to be cut the first 2 or 3 years except for dead or
damaged stems. Once past the 3 year stage, it will depend on the type. Climbers
such as Don Juan can be pruned now while they are dormant while Lady Banks Rose
shouldn’t be pruned this early in the year but later in the spring after they
have finished blooming.
Make each cut on your rose canes just above a ‘bud’ which points outward off the
stem and away from the center of the plant. Make your pruning cuts at 30-45
degree angles, taking care to use hand pruners with a sharp blade so the canes
are cut cleanly rather than crushed. If the stem’s center is white or green that
means it’s healthy. Brown and tan coloring means the stem is damaged so cut
slightly further down on the cane so you can cut into healthy wood and encourage
further growth.
L A W N S A N D G R O U N D C O V E R S
Lawns
If your lawn did poorly last year, test your soil this spring before you
fertilize to see exactly what is needed to improve its appearance. Local garden
centers or Texas County Ag Extension Agent should be able to provide you with
soil testing.
Pull out weeds you see now because it’s easier when they’re small and it’s
healthier than using a weed killer. The best way to eliminate weeds is to make
sure your grass is thick and healthy so it will be able to choke out weeds on
its own. Begin fertilizing lawns at the end of March. If you have too many weeds
to pull then use the appropriate weed killer for your lawn.
Apply a pre-emergent herbicide if you found your lawn infested last year. Proper
timing is the key to these preparations. To be effective it must be on the
ground before the weeds start germinating. Read the directions carefully. While
many pre-emergent herbicides are sold premixed with fertilizer in ‘weed and
feed’ combinations, it’s best to apply these products separately. To get the
most for your gardening dollar, buy your fertilizer separately and apply it when
the lawn is growing and able to use it.
Groundcover
Pull out any weeds you see or spot spray with a weed killer. The best way to
eliminate weeds is to make sure your ground cover is thick and healthy so it
will be able to choke out weeds on its own. Fertilizing groundcover begins in
late March to early April. Kill seeds germinating right now by using a
pre-emergent herbicide such as Eptam.
Groundcovers like Monkey Grass (Mondo Grass), Liriope and Asian Jasmine can get
ragged looking in late winter. Shearing with a line trimmer or mower can remove
the old growth. Use a high setting on your mower. Complete this trimming before
the new growth starts to emerge.
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16032 Pool Canyon Road
