BOO!

Oh wait, that is for Halloween. It has been so long since I have done a newsletter that I bet many of you were afraid that something terrible has happened and I have bad news for you.

Well I have good news:

1. All the plants in your landscape are not going to die.
2. If you water wise your landscape can actually benefit from this drought.
3. Howard Garrett will be back on some radio station leading the world away from the use of unnecessary harsh chemicals used in our every day life.

What are we going to do about the drought?

Personally I have tried washing my car, my daughter’s car my and wife’s car. No rain. I have washed the windows at my house and the nursery.

Still no rain!

I tried dancing under the full moon just last night while I sang an old Indian song and prayed for rain. Failed again!!

So, I am going to write this article to help you prepare your garden and landscape for drought conditions. More then likely it will rain.

Now, remember that I type with three fingers. I have improved since last year. The time it takes me to write an article takes quite a bit of scheduling to fit into my busy day. Therefore as soon as you read this we will begin to get torrential rains that will fill the lakes to capacity.

Last years record breaking heat and dry conditions have caused large amounts of organic matter to breakdown leaving humus in its place.

Humus is a good thing it has the ability to retain and slowly release nutrients to plants. It does take many years to produce humus. We can help in many ways.

1. Using organic fertilizers that contain various forms of organic matter.
   Organic fertilizers are made from several ingredients to formulate the final product. Green Sense uses animal or plant by products. The final analysis of most organics products (5-2-4) is much lower then chemical fertilizers (sometimes as high as 30-30-30) but the organic products do not use inert filler like the chemicals. Chemical fillers use clay to fill the bag to their specified 40 or 50 pounds. Do we need more clay in our soils?
   
   If you live in the Dallas area, the answer is no. Natural fertilizers break down into organic matter that will help separate the clay soils, leaving room for air and moisture penetration. As the organic matter breaks down, slowly, it allows plants to find nutrients in the long term; this allows a more even growth with out the rapid growth that occurs almost immediately after application.


2. Compost as top dressing. As long as you are using superior compost there is really nothing better for the lawn or garden. There is municipal compost that I know people are getting for free or paying very little for.
   
   I know that free or cheap is enticing, but is it always good? No.
   
   I have been disappointed with most recycling companies because they use waste products that are not always “clean”. By “clean” I mean that the products used to make the compost may be sludge from municipal waste plants or contaminated woods that contain chemical spills, such as pallets, where containers may have leaked oil containing products or hazardous chemicals. We would never know.
   
   Cotton bur compost is very rich in nutrients and contains NPK. At one time Back To Nature had their compost registered as a fertilizer, this means that it contains NPK as well as micronutrients. Because the cotton bur that Back To Nature uses cotton grown in the Texas High Plains no chemical defoliants are used.
   
   To go one step further Back To Nature produces another product called Nature’s Blend. This product contains composted cotton burrs, composted cattle manure, alfalfa and humate. Alfalfa is high in nitrogen and contains Triacantanol, a natural growth enhancer, and may help in the suppression and control of certain fungal diseases in lawns. Humate activates beneficial soil organisms and is an important source of humic acid and micronutrients. NATURE’S BLEND WITH ALFALFA AND HUMATE works great as a top dressing or soil amendment.
   
   We know of several companies that only apply this product to lawns that they maintain.
   
   We have been using Nature’s Blend for years and like the other companies have been able to suppress brown patch as well as Take All and St. Augustine decline. The lawns on which they have applied this material have improved so much that neighbors and friends have requested this service.
   
   We like applying compost after aeration so that the particles will quickly reach depyths in the soil were roots of plants can quickly take advantage of the breakdown and leaching that occurs from the compost.


3. Humates as mentioned as a component of Nature’s Blend is a petrified compost that comes from New Mexico. The carbon in humate enhances microbial activity as balancing soil structure. It also helps break down organic matter at all levels including thatch build up.
   
   Improved soils will help control weeds. We know by testing that Humate alone will help control weeds by improving the soil so much that weeds just quit growing. Many farmers that have had a difficult time controlling grass burs have praised the reduction of the grass bur and the increase yield in grasses and hay production.

CSI

I know that there is not a living person who has not seen at least one episode of CSI.

Personally I think that the only one worth watching is the original filmed in Las Vegas.

If you had paid attention to the episode that you watched you more then likely learned a lot about carbon matter and organic breakdown. One of the episodes that I liked the best was the one where one man dies in a room filled with ice. His body does not start to breakdown even when it was determined that he had been dead for several days.

On the hand, another guy dies in the desert and within hours his body starts decomposing so quickly that it melts almost like a candle.

Now think of the organic matter that you placed on your flowerbeds or lawn. The compost or organic matter that was placed as top dressing, including mulches and grass clippings that were left at the time of mowing, (as they should have been), broke down quickly because of the exposure to heat and air.

The compost that you worked into beds lasted a little bit longer due to the lack of extreme heat and air. They lasted a little longer, but eventually broke down to the humus that we talked about.

Now is the time to replenish the spent organic matter.

As the leaves of your trees fall do not rake them up to be bagged. Mow them with your lawn mower. Rake up the excess and place this in flowerbeds or on soils that have been used as dog runs. If you are one of those neat people that think that you have to have shredded mulches to make the bed look good then spread out the leaves placing the mulches over the leaves.

If you want to go one step better then after placing the leaves mix some compost over the leaves to help these break down, and then place the mulch as a final dressing.

Watering

The organic matter that you will put down will help retain moisture and prevent the soil from reaching high temperatures. A mulch of 3 inches thickness can lower the soil temperature by 20 degrees. Don’t believe me. On a warm day when temperatures are above 90, place a thermometer under a three-inch layer of compost. Please let me know if I am lying.

Moisture will eventually dissipate, evaporate or be taken up by the plant. You will need to water, but do you need to water frequently? You know the answer to that question: NO!

Please take time to know the output of your watering system.

It does not matter what watering device you use, impact, fan, tractor or automatic system with pop up heads or rotors. Please take time to know the output of your watering system.

Did I repeat myself? Yes, but I am good at that because I learned that nobody ever listens to me the first time.

At a recent garden exhibit The City Of FT. Worth were handing out rain gauges to be placed in the lawn so that one can measure the amount of water coming out of any water device that throws water upward. Like all those mentioned above rather then a soaker hose or an open-end hose. I was thrilled to see them give out as many as the onlooker needed. I hate FT. Worth in general, sorry but I do not get over there enough and when I do it results in my getting lost or receiving a citation for speeding, because I am late for an appointment or confused, I drive the wrong direction on one of their one way streets.

Anyway, after the City of Ft. Worth handed out the measuring devices I feel better about that not so distant neighbor. I wish other cities would do the same.

At my house I placed five coffee cans through out each zone and timed how long it took for an average of one inch of water to fall into the cans. Twenty-one minutes. But, I also realized that in only nine minutes I had water running down the sidewalk. My system has 15 sections and I did test each section to make sure that the same amount of water came out in the same amount of time.

I do water my lawn and flowerbeds when needed not when scheduled. That means that I have to walk my property several times a week to make sure that plants are not wilting or that the soil is not cracking. If during my tour I notice that just one area is dry I will drag the hose over rather than turn the system on.

I do have a soaker hose that I use to water the foundation of my house. Actually I have the soaker hose divided into seven sections to ensure equal pressure and water distribution. Even though my house has 33 piers I still water weekly. This is my second house and I have not had any foundation movement whatsoever since I have been keeping the foundation moist.

Corn Gluten Meal

I think the window of opportunity is closing soon. If you have not put out CGM by the 20th of March, I am not sure it will be effective.

By building the health of the soil you will be able to control weeds with long-term results. Measure your lawn and make sure you have the total square footage of your lawn. Do not cheat most products go out at a rate of 20 pounds per thousand square feet. Feed your soil at least once every three months. If you have extra money to burn you can apply more often at a lower rate.

Watch it rain tonight!

PS I heard that Howard Garrett will broadcast from 660 AM.