Things to Do in March
Spring came early this year, bulbs are bursting in to bloom, weeds are popping up, the lawn is starting to grow, shrubs and trees are in bloom. So get off your couch and start gardening before everything gets out of control.
Unless you forgot what to do I have a list of chores for you to do. Sorry!
Watering: As things are growing early this year we need to water as needed. We have been having strong winds that will dry the plants up. Do not start to water on a schedule. Wait! Never water on a schedule. Never! Go out to the garage and turn your timer to rain or whatever setting lets the clock keep time, but does not let the water run until the day you check for moisture and think you need to water. Do not forget under the eaves of the house and under tall evergreens. This also means water your foundation.
Lawn Care: Fertilize using a good organic fertilizer. Greensense. Corn gluten Meal is a good fertilizer and a pre-emergent. Do something nice for your lawn and treat it to some extra goodies like molasses or humate. Lava sand and greensand taste good too. Greensense. If you had an excess amount of grubs, fleas or other insects apply Beneficial Nematodes now.
Vegetables: You should have spent all winter preparing your garden. For some reason I think that all my readers have procrastinated and both of you have done nothing yet. Well you still have time to prepare the garden soil for planting. The addition of compost and good additives like lava sand, green sand, humate and rock phosphate should be worked into the soil. NOW! Move it, moooovve IT!
Seeds: Should I ask if either of you have started your tomatoes, lettuce, and other flowers and vegetables from seed yet? Seeds can be started in pots, trays, egg cartons; what ever container you have available. Just make sure that you have holes in the bottom so that it drains. Start seeds in the home, in a sunny window or in a sunny protect porch. Remember to protect from freezes. I know several people that will keep the starters over the refrigerator since the heat of the machine helps the root system grow faster. When you start seeds indoors you get a jump on your neighbors, who, unlike you, have waited until it’s too late and must buy starters. Rohde’s
Pruning: You can prune roses now, but do not over prune. I normally remove the dead wood first, then start with branches that are rubbing each other, finally I might cut back the tops by 1/3, depending on the rose. I only prune bush roses lightly, and only prune climbers to keep them nice and tight. I am not saying that this is what books say, but this works for me. Enjoy spring blooms. Prune spring-blooming shrubs after flowering is completed. Quit trimming Live Oaks and Red Oaks, do not let anyone tell you that it is safe to do so. This is in areas where the Oak Wilt Disease is present.
Planting and Transplanting: Before running over to your favorite nursery, Rohde’s, transplant excess plants from overcrowded areas. Move plants that are ill placed or blocking your view. If you still have room and need more plants to fill in bare spots, then go to your favorite nursery. Transplanting should be done as soon as possible, before plants start their spring growth. If you can find bare root roses and fruit trees, buy them and plant them now. If the tree has not leafed out yet, lightly scratch the bark and look for green just barely under the surface. If the tree you want does not have leaves and the others do, do not buy that one. When you plant a new tree, don’t cut the top off. Wait until the tree leafs out and then remove the branches that did not. Do not stake trees. When allowed to move with the wind, develop trees greater trunk strength than trees that are rigidly staked.
Weeding: I know you do not believe what you are about to hear, the task that most people hate is weeding. The only way to discourage weeds is to keep after them, do not let them go to seed. Every flower creates seeds. So do the flowers from weed, some weeds can produce thousands of seeds per plant. Mow, chop, hoe, swing a golf club, use a weed eater or get on your hands and knees and pull. Do not worry about the holes left behind, you have just aerated that portion of the lawn. Use Corn Gluten Meal as a pre-emergent and remember that it has a residual buildup that makes it more potent with time. So use it at least twice a year.
Why Should We Be Using Organic Fertilizers?
by Gregory Rohde
I am going to start out by saying that I am not the smartest, most capable person to discuss the use of organic products and fertilizers. However Organic fertilizers are a great part of my livelihood and I know that I should at least be able to bull-shit (excuse me) my way through any discussion that involves these products. I did not get into the organics to become rich. I became a retailer of organic products and was displeased by the high prices I had to pay for products, so I got involved in the process of producing great products at reasonable prices. Because of this involvement I have been able to understand more than most people, but not as much as those who have nothing else to do but learn and get paid as they learn. This is my attempt to try to explain in my words the use of organic products.
I do know that there are certain elements required by plants for healthy growth. 16 elements to be exact we all know from grade school air and water-carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.
We have primary nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium; secondary nutrients: calcium, magnesium and sulfur; and micro-nutrients, zinc, iron, manganese, copper, boron, molybdenum and chlorine.
Apparently it does not matter how much of these elements are required by the plant, we know that without any one of these the plant will not be completely healthy, because they work together. To much of one can reduce the plants ability to take another. We have seen this many times when we use iron to help a plant become greener. After several applications of iron the plant may be green, but has slowed its growth or other symptoms appear. The plant tissue has no room for anything else. So, there has to be a balance.
The role of any fertilizer is to improve the fertility of the soil.
I have learned that when using organic materials to fertilize the plant, I am no longer caring for the plant, it is the soil that has become important to me. It is the soil that supports plant life, the soil is the bank that holds the necessary nutrients for the plant. The richer the soil is with organic matter, the healthier the plants will be.
I don’t mean to get away from the subject at hand, but on my first trip to a rain forest which happened to be in New Zealand’s southern island, I was amazed at the beauty of the area, the rich green shine of the leaves, the loosness of the soil and the way it crumbled in my fingers. I held the soil up to my nose so I could smell what good soil aromas should be and walked around with a brown smudge at the end of my nose until a stranger offered me his hankie and asked me to please wipe.
I knew that the rain forest was as old as old could be, but still very fertile, I knew that was what I wanted all my soils to be like.
Okay. I am back!
We know of synthetic, or chemical fertilizers and natural, or organic fertilizers.
Some people say that plants cannot tell the difference. Professors and people who study this for a living are not always right. They say that the difference between chemical and organic fertilizers is in the way the soil uses them. Organically we feed the soil not the plant. Each time we apply an organic matter we help improve soil fertility. This happens because organic fertilizers were once living organisms, plants, animal waste, or part of the earth such as lava sand or, humates or glacier rock. These by products are gradually taken in by the soil where they are stored until the plant needs them. On the long run the soil become rich in nutrients and very fertile allowing the gardener to tend to other things. After a while his work is done, he built up the health of the soil and now can find other things to do.
Until the 2nd World War nobody new what a Chemical fertilizer was. Because of the need to produce food quickly, synthetic formulas were invented to make plants grow faster.
Synthetic fertilizers are salt based and have more nutrient than organic fertilizers, most are fast release and do not work through the soil but go directly to the plant. Out of a 50 pound bag, only a small percentage of the product is used by the plant, the rest can stay in the soil for a long period of time, locking up other necessary nutrients or be washed into the gutter, stream, pond or other water source.
Not to long ago, a customer who is going organic on 350 acres, was asking a farmer that was leasing land next to him, what he planed to do with the soil once it became dead, due to all the synthetic fertilizers that he was dumping on the soil. "Find me another property to lease," was his answer.
The excessive application of synthetic fertilizers will reduce soil fertility.
To be fair, we need to compare the advantages and disadvantages, seen through the eyes of the other gardeners and farmers, those who still use synthetic fertilizers, because they do not know better,and people like me that have seen the difference and are trying to improve our way of life.
Planning for Flying Flowers
by Cindy Hepp, Milkweed Cafe
As warm weather approaches and you are eagerly planning for your spring gardens, why not plan ahead to bring in some flying flowers, or butterflies? Butterflies add movement, more color, and excitement to a garden. By planning to include the right mix of plants in your garden, you can anticipate watching every stage of the butterfly’s life cycle, from egg to adult. Watching the changes from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to adult butterfly is a fascinating experience. Having raised butterflies for quite some time, I’ve seen this metamorphosis more times than I can count, and it still amazes me. Butterfly species vary by geographic location, so providing favorites of the butterflies found in your area will provide you with a non-stop show of colorful wings from spring through fall.
Butterflies are attracted by nectar-rich blossoms planted in large masses of color. Buddleia, also known as butterfly bush is a fine example. Pentas, Tithonia (Mexican Sunflower), black-eyed Susan, and Joe Pye Weed are others that butterflies can’t resist. Butterflies need to nectar regularly, so you will be able to enjoy their colorful visits for much of each day.
Include host plants for the caterpillars, and female butterflies will grace your garden with their eggs as well. Milkweed species will provide food for monarch caterpillars, while dill, fennel, and parsley will attract the black swallowtails. Giant swallowtails will lay eggs on rue, and passionflower vines will bring in a variety of fritillaries and zebra longwings. Of course, you will have to adjust to seeing some ragged leaves where the caterpillars feed, but the trade-off is well worth it when the chrysalises are formed, and the adult butterflies emerge to continue their life cycles in your garden!
If you plan to attract butterflies, you don’t want to exterminate the very guests you’ve invited for dinner, so organic gardening techniques are a must. Pesticides and butterflies don’t mix! Plant a diverse mix of plants to discourage some insect pests, use organic solutions such as soap mixes sparingly, and learn to be tolerant of some partially eaten plants. You will make your garden butterfly-friendly and will be doing the earth a favor as well.
My book, In the Company of Butterflies, details all the finer parts of butterfly gardening and includes host and nectar plant lists, some organic gardening tips as well as a beautiful professionally-designed butterfly garden plan. You will also find detailed instructions for raising butterflies in your own home, both indoors and out. Rearing butterflies then releasing them to your garden or giving them as gifts to children or gardening friends is a very satisfying hobby and helps the butterfly population flourish. It is available for purchase at Rohde’s. So, place a bench or chair in a prime spot near your garden, grab your camera, and get ready to enjoy your butterflies!
Happy Gardening.
Creating Your Edible Landscape
by Judy Barrett
Beautiful plants are beautiful—but why not have beautiful and useful? And what better use can plants be than to provide fresh, healthy, and delicious food?
Although many people have vegetable gardens, most of us don’t consider adding edible plants to the overall landscape. By selecting plants carefully, your attractive landscape can also be a source of great food. You’ll soon find that you have a bountiful harvest that will provide taste treats year-round.
Trees
Fruit and nut trees are the obvious choice for your edible landscape. Pecans, walnuts, and almonds all grow in Texas. Peaches, plums, apricots, apples, jujubes, pears, loquat, papaya, and other fruit trees provide shade, encouragement for beneficial insects, plus really wonderful juicy taste.
The pecan is the state tree of Texas, and it is a fine choice for any but the very smallest landscape. Pecan trees are excellent shade trees and will grow in almost any soil type. Most people plant bare-root trees in the winter, and that is an excellent practice, but container-grown trees can be planted any time. Select a variety that does well in your area—ask your county agent or other people who have pecans in their yards. Most people prefer hybrid paper-shell pecan varieties because they make bigger nuts that are easier to shell, but the native tree is very hardy and the nuts, while small, are especially tasty. You can grow native pecan trees easily from seed. Select a spot in full sun with soil that drains well. Because pecan trees get large, make sure there is room for your tree to spread (80 feet by 80 feet). Plant the tree at the level at which it was growing and add a layer of compost on top of the soil to protect and slowly feed the new tree. Add mulch on top of the compost. Do not prune the tree. Spray your young tree regularly with liquid seaweed/compost/fish emulsion blend. You’ll have tasty nuts and wonderful shade in no time.
Plum trees grow all over Texas, and the fruit is great fresh, wonderful in jams, jellies and conserves, and even delicious made into fruit leather. Plums are compact trees that will fit into smaller landscapes. You can plant bare-root trees in the winter or container-grown trees any time. They should be planted in full sun, in well-drained soil. In the spring, the trees produce beautiful and fragrant flowers that are edible and very attractive to pollinators. Varieties such as Methley, Morris, Bruce and Santa Rosa are good choices in Texas. Our native Mexican plum also produces highly fragrant flowers, but the fruit is less than tasty for eating fresh. It does make good jams and jellies, however. It is often found at the edge of woods.
Shrubs
Small fruit trees and large herbs are excellent edible choices for foundation plantings or other spots in the landscape where you want something larger than a flower and smaller than a tree. Pomegranate, fig, elderberry, blackberry, blueberry, dewberry, rose, and agarita all have edible fruit that grows on attractive plants. Many herb plants are excellent landscape plants as well. Rosemary, germander, Mexican oregano, bay, turk’s cap, and althea all have edible leaves or flowers. Herbs have the added advantage of being virtually pest-free.
Rosemary is under-used as a landscape plant. It grows into a beautiful fat evergreen shrub in no time and with little care. Plant your seedling in a sunny, well-drained spot and stand back. Rosemary enjoys rocky, poor soil, but will also thrive in richer soil, as long as it dries out between watering. The beautiful blue flowers are an added benefit. The leaves taste and smell great and a stem tossed onto barbeque coals adds a terrific taste.
Turk’s cap is a perennial that forms an attractive shrub in either sunny or shady locations. Although it dies down in the winter, it quickly regrows in the spring. The flowers and fruit are edible and sometimes made into tea. Cheerful red flowers against the bright green largish leaves make this a good looking shrub that requires very little care. This old-fashioned plant is drought tolerant, resistant to disease and pests, and will grace any empty spot in the garden
Annuals/Perennials
Many different plants are both edible and attractive in the garden. Herbs, flowers, groundcovers, and vines can be found that will create just the sort of landscape look you want.
Although we most often think of vegetables growing in straight rows in a vegetable garden, many of them are very attractive plants that will fit right into decorative borders and plantings. Lettuce, spinach, kale and other greens are beautiful growing in beds during the winter months when very little else is green. Swiss chard, especially the new cultivars with vivid colored stems, will grow year-round in some areas and add color and texture to garden beds. Garlic, leeks, onion and shallots are pretty plants that have the added benefit of repelling pests from the garden. Grapes, beans and peas, and squash can cover an arbor or climb a fence and grace it with both flowers and fruit. You can also grow vegetables in containers as good-looking patio plants.
Edible flowers make beautiful additions to salads and desserts. Before you eat at any flower, make certain it is an edible variety and has been grown without toxic chemicals. The great benefit of growing your own is that you know they have been cultivated using organic principles and are therefore tasty and healthy! Common flowers such as marigolds, begonias, nasturtiums, daylilies, dianthus, pansies, purslane, salvia, hibiscus and roses produce edible blossoms. Sunflowers have edible petals and the seeds are also a taste treat. Most people won’t make a meal of flowers, but they are lovely garnishes for many kinds of dishes.
Herb plants have many uses. Thyme, oregano, and prostrate rosemary make excellent sunny spot ground covers. Mint and gotu kola cover the ground in the shade, and all of the herbs smell divine when stepped on.
It is easy to fit herbs into any landscape plan. Chives and society garlic are excellent border plants and much more useful than monkey grass. Basil comes in a variety of colors, tastes good, looks good, and blooms throughout the summer in the very sunniest spot. Fennel and dill make lovely ferny background plants that will feed both you and the butterflies. Comfrey, lavender, pineapple sage, beebalm and many other herbs produce beautiful flowers that look great in the garden and in arrangements in the house. Lemon grass make a wonderful clumping plant that is also a base for tea and many oriental dishes.
Many plants have medicinal properties in addition to their purely culinary uses. Including gingko, ginger, purple coneflower, and other medicinal plants into the landscape is fun and interesting.
Whether your edible landscape feeds you or the whole neighborhood, you’ll find that growing useful plants is rewarding in many ways. Your kids and grandkids will love helping and harvesting. Share your bounty with others and enjoy it yourself. All it takes is imagination to turn your whole yard into a buffet fit for a king and queen!
This article is excerpted from the March/April issue of HOMEGROWN: Good Sense Organic Gardening for Texas. Pick up a copy at Rohde's or subscribe at P.O. Box 913, Georgetown TX 78627 to have a copy delivered to your home every other month. Other articles in the March/April issue include "Growing Tomatoes in Containers," "Controlling Pests the Natural Way," "Native and Adapted Lilies," and much more useful information for home gardeners.