GARDENING CALENDAR

TEXAS COOPERATIVE EXTENSION

BEXAR COUNTY BY DAVID RODRIGUEZ

February 10, 2007

• “Scalp” the lawn late in the month to remove winter-killed stubble. Set the mower down one or two notches. Wait at least another month to fertilize the lawn with an organic 4-2-3 analysis and Texas greensand for the spring. This fertilizer recommendation will help increase the breakdown of any high levels of thatch.
• If you have not done so, January through early April is a good time to top-dress your lawn with ½ inch of compost as well as aerating with a core aerator.
• This is a good time to fertilize healthy trees. A simple calculation is based on trunk diameter – use two to three pounds of an organic slow-release type of fertilizer with a 4-2-3 analysis per inch diameter of tree trunk. Spread the fertilizer evenly throughout under the drip zone of the tree.
• Fertilize winter bedding plants such as pansies, snapdragons, calendulas, dianthus, and cyclamen with an organic slow-release type of fertilizer consisting of a 4-2-3 analysis by using one-to-two pounds per square foot of bed area. Supplement every three weeks with a water soluble fertilizer with a 6-12-6 analysis.
• Fertilize evergreen trees, such as live oak, at the rate of 3-5 pounds of a 4-2-3 analysis per 1,000 square feet of root area. Fertilize deciduous trees (oaks, cypress) at the rate of five-to-ten pounds per 1,000 square feet.
• If you want to treat for ball moss, February is the ideal month. Ball moss does not kill trees. Trees that are heavily infested have been weaken or are under some type of stress due to drought or compaction of the soil. Consider using a potassium bicarbonate based product as well as maintaining a healthy tree by removing dead limbs (seal oak wounds with a pruning sealant).

David Rodriguez is County Extension Agent-Horticulture with Texas Cooperative Extension in Bexar County. For more information, call the Master Gardener “Hotline” (210) 467-6575 or visit our County Extension website at http://bexar-tx.tamu.edu