September 29 2007 Timely Tips

GARDENING CALENDAR

TEXAS COOPERATIVE EXTENSION

BEXAR COUNTY BY DAVID RODRIGUEZ

September 29, 2007

  • Remember, “Fall is for Planting.” Many nurseries and garden centers are passing on the savings to you, the customer. The cooler fall weather is the ideal time in establishing plants throughout the winter season, this leads to optimal spring growth and development. New trees, shrubs and most landscape plants would be happier in establishment throughout our mild winters then our extreme hot summers.
  • A great fall plant would be the American Beauty berry. It is an excellent background shrub for full sun or semi-shaded areas to add to any ones landscape. The added feature is the wonderful purple berries that the wildlife enjoys.
  • This is a great time to plant cannas, day lilies, bearded irises, Shasta daisies, and wood violets for spring color. Incorporate at the planting stage around 20% enriched compost and bone/blood meal into the planting area.
  • Looking to establish a lovely yard now in the full sun? Consider sowing the newest outstanding selection of Bermuda grass called Blackjack. You have at least a couple of prime weeks left for establishment throughout this fall season. Blackjack is a hardy, warm season turf grass type, which is low maintenance and quite drought tolerant once established.
  • Feed citrus or any cold-sensitive plants this month but not much later. A later application of fertilizer would encourage new growth flushes, which could easily freeze with only a light frost. One application of a 4-2-3 or 6-2-4 analysis is plenty ’til spring and not so risky. About two to three pounds of fertilizer, per every three feet of height thoroughly watered in, is sufficient.

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.

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