It has been very hard for me to work on the newsletter this month. Most of us living on this planet cannot understand the brutality of September 11^th. I did not know any particular person that was injured or killed in the incident, but like many of you I cried. The desperation and sorrow was felt for days and there really was no desire to do anything but pray for those who died or lost a love one.

Until I was eighteen I lived in Peru, in an area of Lima called San Isidro. Just down the street from our house there was an American styled super market that was bombed on two occasions. Around the corner there was a bank that was bombed three times. Besides these nearby incidents that shook our home and rattled our nerves many more attacks and bombing happened on a weekly or daily basis. We were accustomed to bombings and terrorist attacks even though they did not make much sense to us.

Almost 30 years have passed since I witnessed a terrorist attack. I love living in the United States. But, on Tuesday the 11^th what we all witnessed was not supposed to happen here. Even if we were thousands of miles away from the tragic events, they seemed to be happening next door. After a few hours you wished that the broadcasting channels would quit repeating the horrible site of the airplanes slamming into the buildings. But, as technology would have it more and more angles of the collision were being shown. The only way not to see the horror was to turn off your TV. As you tried to concentrate on something else the phone would ring and the caller would ask if you were watching channel …..

Not wanting to, you would turn the TV back on to hear the latest report of a rescued survivor or the president’s speech. Then as if on cue… another view of an airplane smashing in to the tower.I know that from every bad comes good; I want the good to be here now. I do not want to see the horrible events over and over again. During one of the immediate days following Tuesday the 11^th a customer came in with his two young boys to buy a fruit tree. He told his kids that the tree was to be planted to remember the events of that horrible day. The fruit that the tree was to bare was to represent the good that was to come out of this tragedy.Some of the readers of Organic Matters asked me if I was going on vacation. They caught on to my paragraph in the September issue of Organic Matters and I quote: ” Dumdedumdum, la deda, warm socks, hiking shoes, peanut butter, film for camera. Dumdedumdum, la deda ….

Yes, I am going to Peru to take my family to see where I grew up. We are also going to Cuzco and Machu Pichu. We have been planning this trip for several months and I know now that air travel will be much safer.

Clarification

Now, what did he say?

In our article last month titled “Repairing an Ugly Landscape”, Warren Johnson wrote:

Stay away from composts made from wood or wood by-products and yard waste, and especially from any composts containing sawdust. These products can actually rob nitrogen from the soil.

He meant to say:

Stay away from composts made from wood or wood by-products and commercial yard waste, and especially from any composts containing sawdust. These products can actually rob nitrogen from the soil. Compost that are made from wood or wood by-products should be thoroughly composted before using.

Fire Ant Control with Corn Meal

I received an email that I thought should be passed along: I applied a heavy layer of cornmeal on the mound and wet thoroughly, 24 hours later no fire ants were seen after disturbing the mound.

John Sutliff
Lindale, Texas

Things to Do in October

The rain we had during the last days of August did wonderful things to my lawn and garden. My grass was looking stressed out because of my son and his friends playing football on the front lawn. Some areas were looking yellow and worn down from foot traffic and lack of water but have managed to recuperate quickly. I fertilized my yard just last week and have already seen the yellow color disappear. Try some of the following garden activities and see if you can improve your lawn’s health before it goes totally dormant.

Fertilize: Of course I want you to use GreenSense Fertilizers and I would be extremely grateful if you ask your local nursery or feed store to carry more GreenSense products.

It really does not matter if you use GreenSense All Purpose Fertilizer 524, 624 or one of the inferior organic fertilizers. (I can’t mention names) The main thing is to get some food into the soil while we still have time for the plants to get some nutrients and energy to grow just a little more in hopes of covering bare ground, reestablishing roots that might have been damaged from summer stress, and hopefully choke out some of the summer weeds. Humate will compliment any fall organic treatment.

Overseed: I put out perennial rye grass during the first week of September and as luck would have it we received a bunch of rain. On the 18^th of September I mowed my lawn and fertilized it. It is starting to look reeeaaal good.

Even though September would have been a better time to over-seed your lawn, procrastinators get special dispensation. I mean its not like you are going to run out and do it now anyway. But, if you decide that you are going to over-seed, get it done before the 15^th.

Always try to wait until the lawn is dry before mowing. This is even more important to remember if you have rye grass, especially the annual variety. Wet grass will clump really bad making the lawn look worse then before it got mowed.

After you have applied rye grass, water to keep the soil moist. This will help the seed germinate quickly. This may mean you will have to water everyday. Continue watering until the grass is an inch tall. After that you may cut back on the watering to every three or four days until the roots are established. Fertilize the lawn and apply GreenSense Lawn & Garden Microbial Treatment to help loosen the soil. Remember, after all the extra rain we have had the topsoil will be somewhat compacted and microbes will loosen the soil, making root growth easier.

Lawns damaged as a result of the summer’s heat and drought or grub worms, can still benefit from a good application of an organic fertilizer. To encourage the spread of runners, lower your lawn mower a couple of notches so that the energy will be focused on lateral growth and not upright. If you had grub damage apply the Beneficial Nematodes. BN’s will attack grub larvae, plus some other 200 insects that have at least one life cycle in the ground.

Rethink: If you had St. Augustine grass growing underneath the shade of trees or in tight areas, between buildings or other structures, where the sunlight was not bright enough to sustain St. Augustine properly, consider using Fescue seed. We recommend Vega Fescue and have been using this variety in the Dallas area for years. If maintained properly Vega fescue will make a beautiful lawn, even under the canopies of large trees. Remember that fescue needs some sunlight in order to survive. If you have tried fescue and it has not done well because of the shade produced by a tree or structure, use a groundcover. I would much prefer to leave the branches of a tree untouched, than to trim it so much that it looses its beauty.

I just landscaped under a red oak at my house last month. It is not that the red oak is large; it's just that I do not really want to raise the lower branches of this tree; therefore I removed the grass that was not doing well. After preparing the beds with lots of cotton burr compost, I planted a native groundcover called Pigeon Berry immediately around the trunk of the tree and extended it out towards the back of the bed in an oblong shape about 3 feet by 15 feet. Behind the pigeon berry I went with a new Oakleaf Hydrangea that is a dwarf variety. This plant will have large white blooms in the summer, but even of more interest to me is the fact that the leaves of the Oak leaf Hydrangea turn a bright purple color in the autumn. When the leaves fall they reveal interesting, peeling bark on the stems, creating a variety of colors that go on throughout the winter months.

Watering: Now that we have had some early rains this is a good time to ease up on the use of city water. Some plants will be changing colors now, a good indication that they are going dormant. As a plant goes dormant its watering and feeding requirements minimize. If you give a plant too much water and fertilizer when it is trying to go dormant you may promote new growth that could be damaged during freezing temperatures.

Fall is a good time to wean plants and lawns from regular watering. Do not keep your sprinkler system turned on to scheduled watering. Check the moisture in the soil before watering. Even after heavy rains check the plants around the house that may be protected by the eaves.

Trees: You may not notice any damage now, but beware. If you cannot see any dried leaves or roots pretend that your tree has gone through a hell of a summer and has suffered heavy root damage. Well, you don’t have to pretend it has happened and you need to address this unseen problem. Follow Howard Garrett’s Sick Tree Program:

1. Aerate the root zone heavily. Start between the drip line and the trunk and go far out beyond the drip line. A 7-12 inch depth of the aeration holes is ideal but any depth is beneficial. An alternative is to spray the root zone with a living organism product such as Bio-Innoculant or AgriGro. GreenSense makes a similar product called Lawn & Garden Microbial Treatment.
2. Apply Texas greensand at about 40-80 lbs./1,000 sq. ft., lava sand at about 40-80 lbs./1,000 sq. ft., cornmeal at about 10-20 lbs./1,000 sq. ft. and sugar or dry molasses at about 5 lbs./1,000 sq. ft. Cornmeal is a natural disease fighter and sugar is a carbon source to feed the microbes in the soil.
3. Apply a one inch layer of compost followed by a three to five inch layer of shredded native tree trimmings. Native cedar is the best source for mulch. In turf use a one inch layer of horticultural cedar flakes.
4. Spray foliage and soil monthly, or more often if possible, with Garrett Juice (see formula below). For large-scale farms and ranches, a one-time spraying is beneficial if the budget doesn’t allow ongoing sprays. Adding garlic tea to the spray is also beneficial while the tree is in trouble. GreenSense makes a similar product called Foliar Juice.
5. Stop using high nitrogen fertilizers and toxic chemical pesticides. Pesticides kill the beneficial nematodes and insects. Fake fertilizers are destructive to the important mycorrhizal fungi on the roots.

Mycorrhizal fungi are an essential part of all plant growth. Mycorrhiza, which means “fungus-root,” work as an extension of the plant’s root system to help the plant take up soil nutrients and water in exchange for a steady source of sugars. The co-dependent (symbiotic) relationship has evolved over time to the mutual benefit of both the plant and the fungus. Thousands of research studies have shown the fungi/plant partnership helps plants to survive stress, absorb more water and essential elements, and increase resistance to root disease pathogens and pests. Without mycorrhizal fungi, plants cannot thrive.

If you want to go one step further use: MycorTree™ Root Saver™

MycorTree™ Root Saver™ is used as a vertical mulching and root zone treatment of trees and shrubs. It contains a blend of mycorrhizal fungi, beneficial bacteria, biocatalysts, organic soil nutrients, proteins, complex carbohydrates, humic acids, yucca plant extracts, seakelp extracts and TerraSorb™ hydrogels.

Application Rates: For use with coring drill or auger. Apply three ounces of MycorTree™ Root Saver™ per two to three inch diameter hole eight inches deep on 2.5-foot centers. Each 22-pound box treats 710 square feet of tree rooting area.

Directions for Use:

1. Remove mulch or grass from immediate area to be drilled.
2. Apply three ounces MycorTree™ Root Saver™ directly onto soil forming a small pile.
3. Drill directly through small pile of MycorTree™ Root Saver™ to an eight inch depth.
4. Mix product and soil by drilling up and down two or three times.
5. MycorTree™ Root Saver™ and soil are now mixed thoroughly throughout entire column of soil.
6. All soil and product mixture around outside top of hole should be put in hole.
7. Step on the vertical mulched hole to pack the mixed material.
8. Replace mulch.
9. Water after inoculating.

Planting: Fall is for planting! Before running out to buy more plants, transplant from the over crowded landscaped areas into new beds or existing beds. Determine if the plants that did not fair well through this summer would do better in another shadier bed. Transplant them now or wait until they are dormant.

Buy trees or shrubs that will grow large enough to shade specific areas of your lawn, garden and home. Do not forget to shade the a/c unit from next year’s hot summer sun.

Use plants native to your area. There is no reason to plant ill adapted trees and shrubs just because they cost less. Consult with your local extension service, join a Native Plant Society, consult books or better yet hire a Landscape Consultant or Landscape Architect that is familiar with Native Plants. Make sure that they are familiar with native plants! Many designers/architects say they know about native plants, but really do not. They often recommend native plants that are not suited for a specific location or function.

Winter Color: Pansies, dianthus, kale, cabbage and Swiss chard will do well for winter color. Plant now so that they will have a healthy root system and be able to withstand any freezing temperatures that we may get. Apply kelp at the time of planting and continue applications as directed throughout the winter.

Fall Vegetables: Be sure to harvest vegetables at their peak of flavor, and before they are damaged by frost or cold temperatures.

If you feel lazy some of the smaller vegetable plants can just be turned into the garden. Add molasses to the soil to encourage microbes to help break down this organic matter.

Prepare your beds for next spring by adding organic matter. Do not rake the soil even! Leave the soil rough to allow good water penetration. Grow a green manure cover crop like Hairy Vetch or one of the clovers or a combination of seeds and till it in before planting the bed in the spring. Compost fallen leaves.

Bulbs: If you haven't already purchased your bulbs, you better hurry. But, do not hurry to plant them. Remember that this newsletter is written down south and our soil temperatures are still warm. After a couple of freezes soil temperatures should be low enough to plant spring bulbs, such as crocus, daffodils, hyacinths and tulips bulbs. Remember two things about Tulip Bulbs—they are not good repeaters down south and they must be refrigerated for about 30 to 45 days before planting.

Composting: There are several cities in our area that offer composting classes or certification for Master Composters. The Cities of Garland, Plano and Grapevine offer composting classes regularly. If it grew on your yard learn to keep the dead plant there. Composting will produce organic matter that can be put back in the garden, over the lawn or in potted plants.

Fallen leaves and grass clippings should not be composted. If it is on the ground mulch it. Only compost the clippings if you have an excess amount of leaves and debris that make the lawn look messy. If you over-seeded with rye and need to mow the lawn do not catch your clippings, let them stay on the lawn.

Planning Your Landscape

Master Plan

It is very important for you to know what you are going to try to accomplish with your landscape project, therefore start by making a plan of the house on your property, including all concrete surfaces, and all fences. These are usually referred to as hardscape. Include your fence line or property line and all trees and shrubs that you know that you want to keep.

North—South—East—West

It is important to know that the sun comes up in the east and is cooler, and then it goes down in the west, where it is hotter for a long period of time.

During the summer the sun is on the north side of the house. During the winter it is on the south side of the house.

By knowing your light conditions you will not plant shade tolerant plants in full sun.

The winter brings freezing temperatures and heavy cold winds from the north-west. These temperatures can kill unprotected plants that are not hardy for our zone (8a).

Drainage

After a good rain walk around your property and make notes as to what areas are holding water, what areas are elevated and what path did the water take to drain away from the house.

If you have a pier and beam foundation it would be wise to make sure that you do not have an excess amount of water under the house. If you do, check periodically to see how long the water remains there. Check for any soil build up around the foundation or any eroded spots where back fill may be necessary.

Plant Knowledge

It is very important to use plants that work well for your specific situation, not your neighbors’ or your parents’. In a well-developed, aged neighborhood each tract of land is different.

Get on the web, take classes, visit nurseries and research in books. Recommended books are:

Plants of the Metroplex by H. Garrett
Plants for Texas by H. Garrett
Landscaping Texas Style by Neil Sperry
Native Texas Plants by Sally Wasowski

By using well adapted (proven plants) or native plants from your area you will have better chances of stress, disease and insect free plants.

Soil Preparation

Proper soil preparation is the key to healthy soils and plants. It is not worth planting a $20.00 plant in a 10 cent whole.

Do not buy the cheapest compost. But, if you do, make sure that you amend it with ingredients such as cottonseed meal, green sand, lava sand and humates.

We use GreenSense Cotton bur Compost as our main soil amendment.

Specialty plants require special amendments such as rock phosphate and sul-po-mag.

Transplant Existing Desirable Plants

If you have a plant that is ill placed but in otherwise good health, do not chop it down. Transplant it!

Do not hurry this, do it in two phases:

1. Divide the root ball into four equal sections and root prune two opposite sides. Apply seaweed or a root stimulator to the exposed roots and fill the hole back in.
2. After two or three weeks complete the circle. Measure the root ball and dig your transplant hole to fit the plant that you are to move.

Mulch

If you have prepared a bed and are not going to plant: Mulch!

If you just finished planting even one plant: Mulch!

It does not matter what you use as mulch as long as you know that there are no seeds in the mulch that might germinate.

Water

Know your plants’ water requirements.

Know your soil’s ability to retain moisture.

Stay tuned to the weather forecast. Be aware of freezing temperatures or drought.

Apply soil amendments that will help retain water.

Water irregularly.

Hey Don, What's All This Buzz About Worm Castings?

Don Trotter

Hello fellow Earthlings, and welcome, once again to the undersoil realm of the fantastic earthworm. In this discussion we will be touching on some of the many benefits of using earthworms and their casts (politically correct term for poop) in the garden.

Earthworm castings have been used for centuries to increase the quality of soil and to improve the overall health of plants growing in that soil.

Aristotle, the philosopher, called them “The Plows of the Earth,” Charles Darwin spent a great deal of time looking at and studying these amazing creatures. The net result of all this fuss about wigglers was that they became revered as the most helpful and beneficial organisms in any garden or on any farm or nursery where plants are grown directly in the ground.

Today, many of us don’t have the space or the inclination to make an attempt at worm or “vermi” composting so we go directly for the castings, which are sold at garden centers and nurseries all over the country. Worm castings have hit the mainstream because gardeners are finding out that they do so much more than just improve their soils.

Worm casts are digested organic matter that has been run through the gut of the earthworm. They are one of the most stable sources of organic matter for the garden and the biology they support is unlike that of any regular commercial or home made compost. Earthworms impart into their casts an incredible diversity of hygienic microorganisms that work to competitively exclude disease-causing organisms as well as a number of destructive pests such as root knot and root lesion nematodes. Worm castings have recently been discovered to fight other pests on plant surfaces also through aningenious little enzyme known as chitinase.

Chitinase is a degrading enzyme that eats the material chitin. Here is the fun part…pest insects are made of chitin. Chitinase is formed by several types of microorganisms that are found in the gut of the humble earthworm. Chitinase producing organisms are theorized to be taken up by plant roots in the water they utilize and are then moved throughout the plant via vascular tissue. This translocation results in chitinase being distributed into the leaves and other parts of the plant. When a pest insect such as an aphid, mealybug, whitefly, or any other plant feeding insect begins taking juices from a plant with chitinase in it they find out the hard way what chitin degrading means. The chitinase works to dissolve the insect’s stomach lining thus disabling the pest. It dies from the fact that its insides are being slowly dissolved. There can be no more effective way to control pest insects on plant that this method because insect pests cannot change what material makes up their bodies. And it is very difficult in nature to develop resistance to things that eat you.

Earthworm castings also have the added benefit of being loaded with other beneficial, hygienic microorganisms that will help your plants fight such regular maladies as powdery mildew, rust, black spot, and a number of other fungal pathogens through competitive exclusion. Competitive exclusion is the process by which one species dominates and eventually excluded another from surviving. With worm castings you get so many beneficial organisms that the pathogens do not stand a chance of survival.

When applying worm castings to the garden, it should be known that the best place for them is where your plants do the majority of their feeding, the dripline. Worm casts should be applied in a ring of about three-quarters to one inch in thickness around the dripline of your plants for maximum insect and disease repellency. This ring should be in the form of a band of between six inches to two feet wide depending on whether you’re using it on smaller shrubs or trees. A layer of organic compost over the top of the casts will help to keep them moist and protect them from the sun depleting their biology, which is sensitive to the rays of the sun.

So the next time you are cursing your poor soil quality, raving at your pest infestations, or lamenting the outbreaks of fungal diseases in your garden, reach for some earthworm castings. With a little patience you’ll see the amazing effect of the lowly earthworm on your precious gardening spaces. Next time we’ll be discussing shade trees and their value in the landscape. See you in the Garden!

Got Questions? Email the Doc at Curly@mill.net Don Trotter's natural gardening columns are printed nationally in environmentally sensitive publications. Check out Don's books Natural Gardening A-Z and The Complete Natural Gardener for lots of other helpful tips to tend your garden without chemicals. Both are available at all bookstores and on line booksellers from Hay House Publishing.