tel. 512 280 1192 June 14, 2018
Nursery notes: news alert: we remain a fully stocked nursery ; - )
New shipments of bedding plants, herbs, roses, perennials arrive
daily. Gift idea for dad: a beautiful arbequina olive tree: $50 -
$150. Chris is selling his Mother Curry Trees, laden with seed:
large $250, small $150 (cash only). Theft: we are sad to report
that some tools have been stolen from the nursery during regular
working hours. If you see anyone who doesn't work at It's About
Thyme moving equipment towards their car, please alert a member
of staff. Thank you, and please come by for a visit! ❦
Ripe tomatoes... come and get 'em Owner Diane Winslow offer-
ing a tempting display of 2018 Rodeo Sunbrites yesterday, grown
by Chris - with help from Happy Frog. Available for $2.49/lb. ❦
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Four simple summer snacks: let's get creative with crackers,
urges Jeanine from Love & Lemons. Almond butter and berries,
a taco creation, a crunchy caprese and a wasabi pea mash are all
presented beautifully in the latest edition of Love & Lemons. ❦
Why you need focal points: 'When you think of focal points,
does your panic button go off as if you’re back in school,' asks writer
Brandi Spade. It can be as simple as a plant, container, or object...
'that tells you where to look initially and then smoothly directs you
to the surrounding garden.' Fine Gardening ❦
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Central Texas Gardener: a visit to the EmilyAnn Theatre and
Gardens in Wimberley, a lesson in creative container gardening,
and learn how to turn a 55-gallon food-grade drum into a rain wat-
er collection barrel: Saturday 4 p.m. Sunday 9 a.m. KLRU ❦
Oranges and Lemons
by Chris Winslow
Have you ever thought about picking oranges from your own orange
tree? Or having the fragrance of a lemon grove wafting in through
your bedroom window?
Although we’re a little far north for commercial citrus, I’ve found
that here in Hays and Travis counties we can have lots of fun grow-
ing our own lemons, limes, grapefruits and oranges from seed. The
trick is to sow the seed while it is moist and fresh.
First of all take a trip to your local grocery store and buy some of
your favorite fruit. Store the seeds in the fridge and be sure to keep
them moist. I put seeds in a coffee cup with a damp paper towel in
it, adding to it over time.
When you have enough, place them in seedling cell trays filled with
peat moss and perlite or vermiculite.
Cover them lightly, and water them in with a fan sprayer, and put
them in a sunny, warm location.
The first seedlings will germinate in about 20 days and will con-
tinue to do so for a month or two. When they reach a height of 4 - 5”
I transplant them into 4” pots filled with a high quality potting soil
such as Metro or Scott’s.
Citrus grown from seed can take up to five years to flower… so
you have to be patient!
If you want fruit faster, then buy a grafted citrus – which will
bloom in its first year. Some of the most popular ones are calamon-
din and meyers lemon.
Calamondin is a cross between a tangerine and a kumquat. In the
Philippines they create a lemonade-like drink from these slightly
sour fruits. Meyer’s lemon – large and sweet - is a cross between
a lemon and a mandarin orange.
It is best to grow your citrus in a container because our winters are
a little too cold. Citrus trees become unhappy when the temperature
drops below the mid-20s.
If you want to plant them in the ground, look for a protected micro-
climate on the south-side of your house, preferably close to a rock
wall. Northern exposure is pretty rough on them.
Some gardeners protect their citrus by covering them during the
coldest nights. A customer in Shady Hollow has built a two-wheel
cart, and whenever the temperature drops down into the twenties
and he simply rolls his orange trees into the garage for protection.
Happy gardening everyone … and Happy Father’s Day too!
(We currently have some ruby red and rio red grapefruit for
$45, but can order any of the oranges or lemons mentioned
above.)
