tel: 512 280-1192 Friday, Feb 28 2014
Nursery Notes: Thanks to tomato expert Kevin Callaway for his
amazing in-depth lecture on Sunday, and thanks also to all in the
audience for visiting us. / Our newsletter hit the 1,500 mark of
subscribers this week, and we'll be shifting to publishing on Thurs-
days from next week onwards. Thanks for all your support, and
for spreading the word about our nursery./ Lots of tomatoes and
peppers, geranium hanging baskets and fruit trees in stock right
now. / Prepare to cover your plants one last time on Sunday night -
when temperatures will drop once more to freezing.
All aboard: 3-year-old Satchel Camp was enjoying the trains at
the nursery on Sunday afternoon. (photo: Darrel Mayers)
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Coming next Sunday: An Intro to Raised Bed Gardening 2 p.m.
March 9: Learn all about construction, soils, plant choice and irri-
gation from resident veggie expert Dwight Littleton. (free)
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A Modern Day Fix for a Chain-link Fence: how to create an in-
expensive cedar-panel wall to create more privacy, and a nice back-
drop for all your plants. From Rachel at Smile and Wave
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It's My Park Day: join the green army of volunteers spreading out
through Austin's Parks tomorrow mulching, planting and cleaning
up. This is the Austin Parks Foundation's biggest city-wide event.
More details, and a sign-up sheet here: It's My Park
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Central Texas Gardener: England comes to Texas: on tour, a visit
to the pretty gardens of the Stokers from northern England, and in
the studio, a chat with Dr. Bill Welsh (Texas A&M) about the impact
of English cottage design on gardens in the United States. Sat. noon,
4 p.m. or Sun., 9 a.m. www.klru
March is a month for pruning roses back, and also planting new ones. Glorious Old Blush -
pictured here - is one of those easy and reliable antiques whose delicate pink blossoms will
brighten up any garden.
Ten Activities for March
By Chris Winslow
1. Cut back roses and shape your shrub roses. Those tall bushes can
be trimmed to 1 ½ to 2 feet in height with open centers. Use a sharp
pair of pruners and a good pair of leather gloves. Climbing roses
should be left un-pruned until after their spring bloom. March is also
a good time to add roses to the landscape.
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2. Care for fruit trees. There is still plenty of time to spray winter-
ing insects with dormant oil. Pruning to open up the centers will
help to reduce disease problems with better air flow. Added sunlight
will help to ripen and color the fruit. A few ideas of additions to
your orchard: peaches, pears, plums, nectarines, figs, cherries, apples,
pomegranates, and persimmons.
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3. Tend vegetable garden. The first half of the month is the right
time to plant potatoes, asparagus crowns, broccoli, cabbage, cauli-
flower, Brussels sprouts, mustard and collard greens, carrots,
radishes, Swiss chard, and lettuce.
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4. Care for lawn. Before those summer weeds begin to grow, cover
the lawn with organic, pre-emergent corn gluten. Early March is a
great time to cut the lawn close and aerate if the soil has become
compacted. A quarter to half inch top dressing of manure-based
compost like Dillo Dirt will go a long way to revitalize turf grass
with nutrients, microbes, and beneficial bacteria. If the soil below
the turf grass is poor, aeration and Dillo Dirt will work wonders.
As a top dressing, Dillo Dirt mixed with a little sand can help to
level off the low places.
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For the second half of the month, with the last average frost date
is behind us, we can shift to warm season gardening. Some garden-
ing activities to concentrate on:
5. Fertilize turf grass. This will begin to grow as the ground warms
up. An organic lawn fertilizer with a 3 -1- 2 ratio can be applied to
the lawn at the rate of 10 to 15 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Be
sure to water the lawn fertilizer in thoroughly after applying.
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6. Insect control. With new growth from all our trees, flowers, and
shrubs… come the insects. Aphids will show up on just about every-
thing. A safe, organic spray, like All Seasons Oil will keep them at
bay without harming the environment or poisoning ourselves. Our
oak trees will be shedding their leaves and putting on new growth
any week. With this change come the oak leaf rollers and forest tent
caterpillars. Sprays with organic B.T. should be an effective and safe
way to control these damaging insects. Look for products with names
like Thuricide and Dipel to do the trick.
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7. Planting vegetables. The vegetable garden for the latter half of
the month will see an explosion of activity. It’s finally time to plant
tomatoes, peppers, snap beans, limas, corn, cantaloupes, cucumbers,
eggplant, and squash.
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8. Flower garden. The winter flower garden should be in full force.
Those snapdragons you planted back in October should be starting
their second (and best) bloom. Flowering cabbage and kale should
be at their peak. New annuals to set out are alyssum, dianthus,
lobelia, phlox, geranium, gerbera daisy, petunias, marigolds, zinnias,
and nasturtiums.
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9. Perennial care. Keep an eye out for those returning perennials;
don’t mistake them for weeds and pull them up. Better to surround
them with fresh compost and a little mulch. This spring will bring
a world of new perennials to plant. Many will be natives that will
thrive in our climate with minimal care and minimal water. Some
to look for are ox-eye daisy, black-foot daisy, skullcap, rudbeckia
and gloriosa daisies. There will be tons of salvia and lantana
varieties to choose from.
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10. Have fun! Above all, get outside and enjoy yourself. Nothing
can be more rewarding than eating homegrown vegetables and
enjoying your own beautiful landscape.
Happy gardening everyone!
Visit the website: www.itsaboutthyme.com Visit the nursery:11726 Manchaca Road, Austin, 78748 Like us
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