September is a month of changes. Now is the time for fall fertilizing. This is the most important feeding of the year.

Use a winterizer on all lawn grasses. Chemical fertilizer will need to be watered in very soon after applying. Organic fertilizer is naturally slow release and you can wait to water if necessary.

If the liquid spray fertilizer is used, it doesn’t last as long as granular. It’s recommended to use granular for the fall feeding. Do not use a weed and feed product on your lawn. The weed killer will damage the shrubs and trees. It may not kill them right away, but eventually it will stunt or kill them.

The products should be applied separately. If you plan to overseed with rye or other grass seed, don’t use a pre-emergent herbicide; the seed will not germinate.

When planting bulbs; daffodils, narcissus, paperwhites, tulips, etc. plant three or more bulbs to a clump for maximum effect. Don’t hurry to plant; keep them in the refrigerator vegetable tray until after Thanksgiving. Daffodils and ranunculus may be planted now, but the other bulbs should be refrigerated. When you plant, use a spoon of Bonemeal in the planting hole.

September thru October 15 – plant bush beans, beets, brussel sprouts, cabbage, leaf lettuce, carrots, radishes, summer squash and cauliflower. Check the number of days for production. Our first frost date is usually in early November, but you know Texas weather.

Plant petunias, snapdragons, and dianthus transplants. Wait until cooler weather before planting the pansy family; viola, Johnny-jump-ups, and pansies. For fall color, plant asters, mums, snapdragons, alyssum, flowering cabbage and kale plus many perennials that are in bloom.

I purchased two Mexican Sages to plant in an empty flower bed near City Hall. Mexican Sage is a very good, drought tolerant plant. It has long violet blooms and the plant grows to a size of 4’x4’ …it will be planted with purple lantana, Mexican petunia and salvia greggi.

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Oxblood Lilies (rhodophiala bifida) are beginning to bloom. That means that fall is just around the corner.

I’ve always been excited when I walk outside and there they are. Some people call them September Surprise, Schoolhouse Lilies, or Naked Ladies. They pop up in unexpected places without warning. They are in the Amaryllis family and are similar to Red Spider Lilies (lycoris radiata).

The Oxblood Lily was brought from Argentina to the Comfort area by a German plant enthusiast. More Oxblood Lilies are found in the central Texas area than any other.

If you want to move the bulbs, wait until the bloom and leaves have died down; don’t disturb them while the leaves are still green. Dig the bulbs and move them to another location (sun or shade). Check out the lilies in front of City Hall. There are many more than last year.

Brown Patch is beginning to appear in some St. Augustine lawns. If circular spots begin to appear, use whole ground corn meal and spread around the outside of the circles and inside the area; this is an organic control. You can use an approved fungicide to control the fungus.

Lightly prune roses and feed granular rose food; one cup per bush. Follow two weeks later with a liquid fertilizer. Don’t feed after early October. This will prepare the roses for a burst of bloom in October.

Fall is for planting. You will hear this often in the following weeks. Trees, shrubs, and flowers are still in bloom and you have a choice of colors. Sales are very good now. This is one of the best times to purchase perennials. Most of the plants are still in color and you can give them a head start for next spring and summer. Take advantage of a friend’s offer of divided plants. These are tried and true for our area.

It’s time to plant Bluebonnets and Wildflowers; fall flowers, except pansies. The weather needs to cool more before planting pansies. Protect seedlings from pill bugs with bait and insecticide dust barriers. Keep soil moist until the seed germinates.

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August didn’t break records like last year, but it seemed hotter. September will have several weeks of hot weather. Take precautions and water plants regularly, wear sunscreen and a hat, and drink lots of water. There is much to do before fall planting.

Clean the areas around fruit trees. Pick off any fruit that is still hanging on and pick up leftovers and ruined fruit from the ground, under the trees. Mulch the area under the trees to drip line. Don’t prune at this time. If the branches have scale infestation, they can be sprayed with summer oil sprays to prevent the infestation from getting worse. The next spraying will be during the winter.

I have pulled out several tomato plants and cut back a few that I think will continue to make fruit. Adding fertilizer and compost will help. If you still have fruit, you can try it.

Prepare the planting beds by ridding the area of weeds. Place several sheets of newspaper over the weeds, cover with fertilizer and compost, and continue to water it, which will help with the decomposition.

August: Things to do to prepare for fall gardens and landscapes.

1. Remove webworms from pecan and landscape trees, by trimming branches, or treat with Bacillus thuringiensis (or Bt).

2. Pinch faded blooms from crape myrtle for more blooms. Don’t trim branches.

3. Set out transplants of fall vegetables; tomatoes, peppers, eggplant – provide afternoon shade.

4. Stop pinching asters, mums, blackberry canes, and poinsettias.

5. Thin iris. Share with friends or replant in full sun.
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6. Add a layer of compost to the vegetable garden before planting.

7. Prune roses, except climbers, for a profusion of blooms in the fall.

8. For spring flowers, sow seeds of larkspur, cornflower, California poppy, snapdragon, sweet alyssum, and wallflower. Tip: Save large salt shakers; fill with seeds to plant straight rows.

9. Sprinkle powdered detergent or ground cayenne pepper around sweet corn to keep raccoons away. Tip: To “silk” ears of corn, use a wet terrycloth wash cloth. It does a great job of removing the silk and doesn’t do any damage.

10. August is the latest you should wait to seed Bermuda. The grass seed must be kept wet until it germinates. Sometimes you must water it three times a day. If you have a large area, it is easier to place sod. It will cost you more in the beginning, but it is easier to keep sod wet than seed. Be sure to rent or borrow a roller filled with water; the roots need to be in contact with the soil.

11. Begin locating and purchasing wildflower seed. These should be planted in September and October. Remove weeds and rake the soil. The seed must be in contact with the soil. Don’t cover them; just rake the soil over the seed and walk on the seeded area.

12. If you need to move or plant palms, this is the time of year. They need to have warm weather to be planted or moved.

Did you enjoy the blooming ‘Green Cloud Senisa’ (sage) this past week? Everywhere you looked, there were lovely violet flowers. I was surprised that the white (regular) sage, the ones with the lavender blooms, had very few blooms. A long-time ‘tale’ is when the sage blooms, it will rain; very often, it does rain.

Lawns have been a real problem this spring and summer. Most folk lost grass due to the drought last summer and then the hardest freeze that we had in twenty years. Not only St. Augustine, but Bermuda and zoysia are affected.

Chinch bugs hit my yard for the first time. The infestation usually begin in areas near sidewalks or curbs, the hottest part of the lawn. The irregular dry patches are surrounded by yellowing, drying grass in spots, and patches. It increases rapidly.

To test for chinch bugs, cut the bottom out of a coffee can and push the can an inch into the grass, near the edge of a dead patch. Fill the can with water. If present, chinch bugs will float to the top.

Treat this infested area with insecticidal soap, like Safer soap or organic multi-purpose insecticide. Check with your favorite nursery and read the label before you purchase the item. It should have the insect listed before you can be certain it will kill the chinch bug.

Grub worms are also a problem. Cut out a 12 inch square of turf and if there are 5-10 grubs in this area, treat it the same as chinch bugs or apply beneficial nematodes (tiny worms that kill the grubs). The grubs attack St. Augustine, zoysia, Bermuda, and buffalo grass. If you can pick up a dead clump of grass, roots and all, you will have grub worms.

The best time for treatment is June and July, after the June bugs have laid their eggs. Keep this area well watered.

The Monarch butterflies have been visiting our area for three to four weeks.

Things to do in July:

1. Raise mower height. Mow St. Augustine at 2-3 inches, and Bermuda, Buffalo, and Zoysia grass at 1-2 inches.

2. Several weeks before planting fall vegetables, place compost in the planting area, making hills, and let it sit before planting. Water them each time you think of it. Add one large tablespoon of cottonseed meal to each planting hill when transplanting fall vegetables or flowers. Continue watering as needed on a regular basis.

3. Pecan trees – Apply an approved fungicide and insecticide on pecan trees to help prevent foliage damage.

4. In early July, plant sweet corn, okra, beans, sweet potatoes, squash, black-eyed peas, crowder peas, watermelon, and cantaloupe. Transplant tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. Tomato transplants have to be planted by August 1. Look for Sunpride and Surefire.

5. Plant summer color – Bougainvillea, lantana, zinnia, mandevillas, salvia, allamanda, hibiscus, periwinkle, portulaca, purslane, copper plant, candlestick plant, penta, tecoma stans, marigold, plus many others.
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6. Cut back perennials one-third. Continue to feed and water; this creates more blooms. Continue to pinch the tops of mums and asters until the end of July.

7. Plant new sod and keep it wet until it is rooted. Roll the new sod for good soil and root contact. Don’t fertilize at this time. It was fertilized before cutting for sale.

8. Watch for spider mites, white fly, web worms, tent caterpillars, aphids, and grasshoppers. Check St. Augustine for chinch bugs, dry brown spots in the hottest areas, usually near sidewalks and driveways. Check with your nursery for proper insecticides.

Tip: Add a sponge or clay saucer, placed in the soil in the bottom of the basket when planting. It will act as a reservoir and get your pots through the hottest days without wilting.

Blanco has been a busy place these past weekends, with the Lavender Festival, June 11-13, and the All-School Reunion, June 19. The festival was a success, although we haven’t had any numbers or details yet, and the reunion was a full house.

Have you paid attention to the colorful crape myrtle trees around our little town, and especially downtown Hwy 281 and the courthouse grounds? KBB planted 25 crape myrtles last summer and some of them are beginning to bloom. We are looking forward to their blooms in the next 10-15 years. There are many varieties of crape myrtles. They are a very strong and drought-tolerant plant. For instance, the crape myrtles growing in the Super S Foods parking lot were planted in 1983. They are Red Bird crape myrtles. They were the only red trees that I could find at that time; now there are several red crape myrtle trees available. Our landscape company watered and fertilized them the first year, and they’re still blooming after 27 years. The fastest growing crape myrtle is Basham Party Pink. It is a very large tree and has pink and lavender blooms. Crape myrtles usually bloom from early May until frost. Removing the spent blooms and continued watering and fertilizing will increase the blooming time.

I hear good reports of heavy production of fruit trees this year. Figs, plums, peaches, and pears should be watered and fed as needed.

It’s time to begin preparing the garden for fall planting. Start your seeds for fall tomatoes, okra, peppers, and eggplant. Continue to water and fertilize your garden on a regular basis. Pick the squash, peppers, tomatoes, and beans while they are tender.

The second-generation Pecan Casebearer insect will emerge 42 days after the first. Apply an approved insecticide, fungicide, and zinc sulfate. Continue to water and mulch all plants to keep down weeds and help retain moisture.

Tip: Keep tomatoes evenly watered to avoid blossom end rot and cracking.

We hope that you had a special Memorial Day. The weather was perfect for boating and families enjoying themselves. Now it’s time to get to serious yard work.

This past Tuesday, June 1, was productive for us. Armando Pena, Barbara Dowdy, Ruby Duecker, and I planted Katie Ruella and added New Gold Lantanas to the City Hall front yard, as we lost several this past winter.

We also added more Moss Rose to the pots along the sidewalk. We will be removing the snapdragons from the pots and adding summer flowers. Nathan and his crew brought mulch and hauled it to the front of the City Hall.

I have had requests for a list of plants that deer won’t eat. It really depends how much food is available to them during the heat and cold.

There are more than what I have listed, but these will give you plants to look for and make choices: agritias, artisma, boxwood, cactus, Copper Canyon Daisy, esperanza (yellow bells), holly (yaupon, Chinese, burfordi), iris, junipers, lantana, palm, oleanders, sage (senisa), salvias (many varieties), santolina, Turk’s cap, vitex, rosemary, and yucca – but the deer will break off the blooms if they are hungry.

There are many wildflowers available the deer will leave alone. Spray Bob-X once a month around the roses and vegetables. It works better than anything being advertised. The deer will leave most highly scented plants alone.

Spider mites, aphids, ants, and caterpillars are causing havoc with many of our plants. Try spraying the undersides of the leaves with a strong stream of water; many times it will knock the insects off.

You can use a Safer Soap spray or you can mix a solution of 1 gallon water, plus 2 tablespoons of liquid seaweed, plus 1 tablespoon liquid molasses. Spray once or twice a month. Do not spray this mixture on white flowers because it will give them a dirty look.

For the caterpillars, use BT worm killer, spray or dust. Or you can use Dipel dust. The small caterpillars have started on the vinca. They will completely ruin the groundcover and they are not easy to control. I would spray first and then use the dust. Unroll the leaf and you will find a small worm. Sometimes, you need to trim the vinca.

Powdery mildew and other fungal diseases, caused by high humidity and warm temperatures, are showing up on melons and cucumbers in the garden, and some of the crepe myrtles. Visit your favorite nursery or store and ask for a low-toxicity fungicide. Read the label and follow the directions.

The bugs and weeds are a real problem this spring.

With the caterpillars, pill bugs, thrips, and grasshoppers, the plants are having a bad time. The canker worms and web worms are attacking the trees.

Usually, if the edges of the leaves are chewed, it’s a caterpillar or grasshopper; if the leaves have holes in the middle of the leaf, look for pill bugs, snails, or slugs.

Check with the nursery or feed store for the correct insecticide. For the worms, use Bacillis Thurengsis (B.T.); try Sluggo Plus on the slugs and pill bugs. There are two kinds of snails. The one with the cone-shaped shell is a good snail, so don’t kill it.

Wait for the foliage of the spring bulbs to turn brown before trimming them. Trim off the iris when they have finished blooming.

Fruit and nut tree spraying is necessary for proper fruit production. Contact the County Extension office in Johnson City at 868-7167 for a spraying schedule.

Water deeply and not so often. Lawns and plants need at least one inch of water each week, if it doesn’t rain. We have been hearing rumors of another drought this coming summer. Mulch trees, shrubs, and plants to help conserve water. It will also help with the weeds.

Mowing the lawn regularly will help eliminate weeds. Raise the mower blade to 2 1/2 to 3 inches for St. Augustine; continue mowing Bermuda lawns 1-1 1/2 inches. Lawns need one inch of water per week.

If you haven’t fertilized the lawn and plants, this is the time. Use a slow release or organic fertilizer. All organic fertilizer is slow release.

How does your garden grow?

It has been over a year since we began to plant the garden in Bindseil Park.

We began planting May 24, 2005, most of the plants were an experiment because the sun and shade were difficult to gauge and it changed as the months passed.

The shade plants–begonia, Cast Iron and Turks Cap–have done well. Many of the annuals, including marigold, zinnias and celosia, did okay, and some reseeded this spring. The Blue Salvia, Indigo Spires, Pride of Barbadoes, Canyon Creek Daisy, Coneflower, Salvia Greggi and Cannas could have used more sun.

The partial shade made them grow taller than usual or it could have been the mixture of Compost and Cottonseed meal. (Which is a great planting combination.)

The Pavonia, given to KBB by Curtis and Laura Trail, is spectacular! We planted 2-1 gallon plants and now they cover an area 4×5 ft. and they are in full bloom all the time.

Our Provence Lavender grew as we expected. It has been blooming in July and August. The sad thing is, we have to had to pull up four blooming plants.

The ‘Pets of the Park” (dogs) seem to enjoy stopping along the walk. What started as little spots on the lavender became completely infected plants.

We soaked the area with a solution of water and baking soda. I spoke with Mr. Pemberton, owner of Lavender Hill as he donated the plants for the park.

He suggested removing the plants and let the sun dry out the soil for several days before replanting.

We will be cutting the remaining lavender back 1/3 in October.

Experimenting with plants is exciting. Sometimes you are disappointed.

A garden friend told me: when plant dies, it’s a chance to try something new in the same spot.

She is right.