GARDENING CALENDAR

TEXAS AGRILIFE EXTENSION SERVICE

BEXAR COUNTY  BY DAVID RODRIGUEZ

March 13, 2010

Remember that many trees and shrubs are damaged or killed each year by the careless application of weed killers, including those found in mixes of fertilizers and weed killers. Always read and follow label directions very carefully. Weeds in a lawn usually indicate a poor lawn-management program and can usually be chocked out in a healthy turf.

Fertilize roses every 4 to 6 weeks from now until early October with one cup of 19-5-9 slow-release fertilizer for every three feet of height.

Beware of close-out sales on bare-root trees and shrubs. The chance of survival is rather low on bare-root plants this late in the season. Your best bet at this time of year is to depend on well rooted and established container-grown plants for landscape use.

Freeze-damaged beds of Asiatic jasmine ground cover should be sheared back and fertilized just as new growth emerges to encourage new flushes from the base.

David Rodriguez is the County Extension Agent-Horticulture with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service 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.