Gardening Tip of the Month

September 2012 - Keep soils hydrated even between plantings for thriving Fall vegetables.  Dry soils lead to poor microbial activity... Work on revitalizing soils a few weeks before planting time.  Watering beds regularly until planting will also make a significant difference in germination. 

April, 2012 - Randy Lemmon: "Plant spring flowers/annuals now. Select shorter, more compact ones. Taller ones are likely to be more root bound.

March 2012 - Check your purple folder for the Vegetable garden Planting Chart!

October 2011 - The Lazy Gardner's Motto: If a plant has unacceptable levels of insect/disease problems, don't treat! Get rid of it. Replace it with a plant that doesn't have unacceptable levels of insect/disease problems in your area!

September 2011 - Since Houston soil is highly alkaline, beds benefit from compost or Epsom Salt as most plants like slightly acid soil. Epsom Salt, 1 T per gallon of water. (every two weeks for fleshy skin on tomatoes and peppers)

April 2011- Look to animals and plants to tell you about how the seasons are progressing! This is called phenology, derived from the Greek "phaino," which means "to show"or "to appear". Watch plants leaf, buds burst, trees fruit, animals hibernate, birds and butterflies appear, and insects emerge, and you'll find that nature tells you what time of year it is -- which affects this year's planting dates, wildflower viewing, beekeeping, allergy season, and more!

March 2011 - Organic way to get ride of ants: Try putting grits on the mound without distrubing it. The ants will eat the grits which expand causing them to die. This will take a few days to work. Fire ants have several entrances to their mound, so be sure to cover the entire mound!

February 2011 - Don't prune climbing roses - they bloom on old growth. Of course, a light grooming after their spring bloom will keep them in bounds. It is not necessary to prune old garden roses or antique roses unless you want to give them a light grooming to control the overall size of the bush.

January 2011 - For tender in-ground plants, use flower pots or cardboard boxes to cover them from the freeze. When freezing rain is forecast, cover plants with sheets and blankets, then cover these with heavier plastic and secure with bricks and stones. Do NOT wash frost/ice off of plants in the morning after a freeze. This raises thetemperature to quickly and usually damages the plant's cell tissues

December 2010 - ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAYS!


November 2010 - If you have a water feature with fish, put submerged plants in the pond so the fish can get the food they need when they need it.

October 2010 - Fresh Bay Leaf in pantry grain container will deter moths and dried leaves spread in an herb garden are natural insecticide dust
September 2010 - Our theme this year - Communicating through Gardening

May, 2010 - Enjoy your summer! Make sure your plants get enough water in the hot summer months.

April, 2010 - Everyone has a favorite plant. Learn about your plant and share it with your friends and neighbors. Who knows, you may both like the same one!

March, 2010 - All citrus normally need pruning only every two years or so. This year is a bit different, though, because of the freeze. If you pruned last year, you must do it again this year before flowering begins. You really need to remove the blooms this year and next on most citrus trees to ensure the best production from year three onwards. (Randy Lemons website - see link)

February 2010 - Trim roses after Valentine's Day and patiently wait 2 more weeks before trimming everything else.

January 2010 - Make sure your garden and potted plants remain moist. Water gives off heat, and this can protect plants from freezing, epecially boarderline citrus trees, such as lemons and limes. Damp soil retains heat better than dry soil, protecting roots and warming the air near the soil.

November 2009 - When making floral arrangements, think of the sun. Put lighter colors reaching for the sun and the darker ones in the "shade"
October 2009 -Now is the time to apply fungicide - granular or liquid - to your lawn. Also, leave the yellow "slim mold" on your mulch -- it won't hurt anything!

September 2009 - "As Seen On TV" - Aqua Globes - they really do work!