Organic weed control / Hungarian Stew recipe / metal art on sale

tel: 512 280-1192 Thurs, September 18, 2014

Nursery Notes: on sale this weekend - tropical hibiscus $9.99

(reg. $19.99); Pride of Barbados reg. $14.99, now $9.99; and

the dollar table of spring & summer annuals remains on sale.

Also we have a sale table of select perennials - reg. $14.99 each,

now $9.99. 2 gal bougainvilleas reg. $19.99, on sale for $14.99.

All metal art - 50% off! / Veggies in this week: spinach, collard

greens, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, and Swiss chard,

cabbage, kale, cilantro, parsley, lettuce and spinach.

To brighten the upcoming winter months... we can offer some violas (photo

above) and pansies - $4.99 for a six pack, and 4" pots of snapdragons for $1.50.

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Make your own invisible air plant cage: When Ryan Benoit's

nursery received a huge shipment of Tillandsia, they came up with

the novel idea using wire mesh trellises. Find complete details on

construction at The Horticult

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Central Texas Gardener: Congratulations to Linda, Tom and her

team on their nomination for a Lone Star Emmy Award. On the

show this week: What Do Insects See? We see yellow or red, but

what do bees and butterflies see? Discover their color wheel to

attract pollinators. Sat. noon, 4 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m. www.klru

Hungry for some Hungarian Stew?

Nursery owner Diane Winslow, known as 'the Martha Stewart of

Manchaca' - offers this fall recipe, to coincide with Tuesday's

Autumnal Equinox. Enjoy!

1 ½ lbs. beef sausage links

6 med. potatoes

2-3 med. onions

1 large bag chopped kale or collards

10 cups chicken broth

1 tbsp. garlic (or 3 cloves crushed)

3 tbsp. spanish paprika

2 tbsp. dried or ¼ - ½ cup fresh parsley

2 pinches each of dried thyme, dried oregano, black pepper

¼ - 1 cup red wine (optional)

Weed Control with Corn Gluten

by Chris Winslow

For many gardeners, the easiest and most effective way to control

weeds is to grab a bag of ‘Weed and Feed’ and spread it over the

lawn.

The ‘weed’ part is an herbicide that kills unwanted lawn weeds

before they emerge. These products have names like Turflan and

Surflan, and when applied at the right time they control most turf

weeds for an entire season. There are, however, problems with this

approach… big problems.

These chemical controls are toxic. They will poison kids and pets

and songbirds… and anyone or anything that comes into contact

with them. They also contaminate surface water and groundwater.

Since most of us have kids and dogs and drink water from the high-

land lakes or wells, it is safe to say that these chemical herbicides

are not a good idea.

However I do have some good news. There is a product called corn

gluten that’s organic and safe. It looks a lot like cornmeal, and is

a by-product of the cornmeal milling process.

Corn gluten contains natural chemical elements that stop seeds from

forming roots. For this product to work, the most important thing

is timing. You must spread it on before the winter/spring and

summer weeds germinate.

A first treatment right now and into early March will control summer

weeds like dandelions and crabgrass. To control the winter/spring

weeds, apply it any time now, during the fall before germination

There is another huge benefit. Corn gluten contains 9 % nitrogen –

so it also works as a ‘weed and feed.’ It helps to green up those

plants that are growing while stopping the weed roots from forming.

Use it also for weed control in flowerbeds and vegetable gardens.

Just let the marigolds and beans sprout first.

Happy Gardening everyone!

Visit the website: www.itsaboutthyme.com

Visit the nursery:11726 Manchaca Road, Austin, 78748 Like us

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