Gardening Calendar

I found that one of the most important components of being a successful gardener is to do each task at the right time. For this reason,  most gardeners keep some sort of journal that they can look back on from time to time.   Thomas Jefferson who was not only one of our first presidents but also a renowned gardener and meticulous record keeper. My garden records are sloppy to non- existent in comparison.  I like to keep all my notes for the month on one sheet of paper like this below.

I love to check off accomplished tasks - but otherwise, each month is a fairly blank sheet for me to keep notes like varieties, rainfall, harvest - anything I think is noteworthy.

Here are downloadable printable calendars for March and April.   Check back and I will add a link to a new calendar each month.   I hope this helps you as much as it does me!  

Happy St. Patrick's Day and happy gardening!

February in the Garden

Although Puxatawney Phil saw his shadow this morning and we will have six more weeks of winter, I think we can safely prepare for Spring.  There are a number of things that gardeners do before Valentine’s Day.  It’s not that there’s anything magical about February 14^th; but it is just before spring growth typically begins and is an easy date to remember.   Here's my guide for gardens tasks in deep south Texas:

• Rose growers prune around Valentines Day:  If you grow modern hybrid roses, cut them back to 18-24”.   Antique or “found” roses are simply pruned to fit the space; try not to remove more than 1/3 of any cane (or branch).   Do not prune spring-blooming climbing roses until after they bloom.   If course, remove any dead canes.   
• I also prune my peach and fig trees this month -  hopefully before they bloom and begin to set fruit.  The peaches are blooming right now in Harlingen.    Remove branches when they cross each other or when one is directly below another.  Keeping your fruit tree open will lessen the chance of disease.   Again, remove any dead wood. 
• At the end of the month, you can begin cutting back your woody shrubs.   Some (like lantana, mistflower, and Little John bottlebru) are budding and even blooming now, so I am very tempted to trim a little early this year.  
  
  
  
• Don't put away your freeze protection material just yet.  Mine are just a bunch of old sheets and light blankets.   Most of my plants are hardy to the mid-20s and if not hardy, will just suffer damage that will grow back when its warmer.   We have received some arctic blasts in February before.    According to Plantmaps, our last frost date is said to be between February 11 and February 20.    You can check your Texas frost map here. 
• Continue to collect and shred leaves for ground cover and to compost. 
• This is a great time to apply a layer of mulch to all your planting beds. 
• But tree-trunk-painting is NOT on my list of things to do this month.  Or any month!
  

PLANT: 

• Trees and Shrubs:   All trees, including fruit, with the exception of citrus.   This is also a good time to plant non-tropical shrubs.  
• Vegetables:  broccoli, carrots, cucumber, melons (cataulope and honey dew), peppers (sweet), radish, squash, tomatoes, watermelons.    Cucumbers and melons will cross pollinate so do not plant them near each other. 
• Herbs:  basil, catnip, dill, fennel, garlic, mint (in a pot to contain the roots), parsley, rosemary, rue, thyme.   A frost will harm your basil so it is best in a pot which can be brought in during inclement weather.  
• Flowers from Seed or Bulbs:  alyssum, amaryllis bulbs, larkspur, poppy, stock. 
• Flowers from Transplants: dianthus, ice plant, geraniums, impatience, kalanchoes, petunias, ruellia (Mexican petunia), and salvia
• Rose bushes

Vegetable Planting Date Sources:  Texas Extension Service and the Old Farmers Almanac .

FERTILIZE:

• Roses.   Include a systemic insecticide if you grow grafted roses.   Found or Antique roses are supposed to take care of themselves. 
• Citrus:  There are good organic and traditional citrus fertilizers.  Apply in January or February for a better bloom or in May or June as a post-bloom for better fruit set.  
• Acid fertilizer for your acid loving plants like gardenias. 
• Add some inches of high-quality compost to your vegetable beds before you plant.  

January in the Garden

January a wonderful month in deep south Texas to spend time in your garden!  But when we get 80 degree days like earlier this week, we're tempted to jump the gun on some garden tasks.  Here's a guide for January Garden Tasks in our area.  

• Gather and shred your fallen leaves.  They can easily be shredded with a mower or an inexpensive leaf shredder.   I have an electric leaf shredder, like the one pictured, that is indispensable this time of year.   The shredded leaves can then either be composted or used as mulch, where they will help suppress weed seed from sprouting and cool the soil during the summer. I have heard people say not to use live oak leaves because they contain too much tannin and tannin keeps the leaf from breaking down.   If you shred your leaves, they will decompose just fine.   Much to my husbands dismay, I am a proud leaf rustler.  I try to keep the back of my car empty so that I can pick up any bagged leaves that have been left at the curb.   You just can't have too many shredded leaves.
• Water only as needed.   Much of the landscape will be dormant and will not be using much water.   But dry cold fronts, high winds, and low humidity can dry your plants quickly so check them regularly.   Water an established lawn only every 10 days or two weeks.    
• Be prepared to protect your tender vegetation from any freezing temperatures that we may get. Go here to read more about this. 

PLANT: 

• Trees and Shrubs:   All trees, including fruit, with the exception of citrus.   This is also a good time to plant non-tropical shrubs.  
• Vegetables:  broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, Swiss chard, collards, kale, leaf lettuce, leeks, onion (plants, not seeds), parsley, potato, radish, spinach, and turnips.  
• Herbs:  basil, dill, fennel, mint (in a pot to contain the roots), rosemary, rue, thyme.   A frost will harm  your basil so it is best in a pot which can be brought in during inclement weather.  
• Flowers from Seed or Bulbs:  alyssum, amaryllis bulbs, calendulas, calla lillies, petunia, larkspur, poppy, stock, calendulas.     Some say you can still plant bluebonnets and nasturtium seed but, in my experience, those are best planted in October.
• Flowers from Transplants:   pansies, petunias, alyssum, dianthus, snapdragons, and violets
• Rose bushes

Vegetable Planting Date Sources:  Texas Extension Service and the Old Farmers Almanac . 

FERTILIZE:   Citrus trees that are at least 3 years old, your annuals and vegetables.  Do not fertilize tropicals right now; let them rest. 

PRUNE: 

• Landscape trees.  Most established landscape trees will require a certified arborist to properly and safely prune. 
• Peaches, figs, and other fruit trees.  I prune to remove dead wood, to shape the tree. and to keep it a size where I can reach the fruit.   We are going to plant a mango and an avocado tree and I am going to try to prune them shorter so their fruit is accessible.   I never wanted to grow them before because they get so tall, I felt like I'd be growing the fruit for the possoms, racoons, and other vermin.   
• Do not prune your shrubs yet.   Some of our worst cold snaps (and ice storms) have arrived in February.     

Gardening adds years to your life and life to your years.         

October in the Garden

October finds south Texas in the middle of its second growing season.  It's a great month for planting!

If you are planting spring wildflower seed, you will want to get it into the ground before November 15th.   A bluebonnets hard seed coating breaks down slowly with rain and heat.   When purchasing bluebonnet seed, look for “scarified” or treated seed to ensure quick germination.  Bluebonnet seed germinates in the fall, grows a rosette of leaves and lots of roots during the winter, and blooms in the spring.  Natural rainfall is usually sufficient to grow wildflowers.    Nastursiums should be treated much like bluebonnets.  I never could grow this lovely bright annual until a friend told me to plant it by Halloween.  Like magic, we had an abundance of nastursiums the following spring.   Both the leaves and flowers are edible.   The leaves have a peppery flavor and are a good substitute for watercress.   Use them on sandwiches or in salads.  

Back to gardening . . . .   Divide your spring-blooming perennials (Shasta daisy, daylily, amaryllis and iris). When clumps grow thick and don’t bloom well, it’s time to divide them – about every 2 to 4 years. Large clumps can be divided with a shovel. Add organic matter and compost to the planting bed before replanting your newly divided perennials. 

Your shrubs will benefit from a light pruning and fertilizing right now.   In particular all lantanas are probably pretty overgrown and leggy.   Mine were covered with mealy bugs so I trimmed them WAY back to remove the pest - probably overdid it a bit, but at least I don't have to mess with the mealybugs . . . .

Cold weather crops can still be added to your planting beds:  broccoli, brussel sprouts, carrots, cauliflowers, eggplant, lettuce, onions, and spinach are some staples in our winter vegetable garden.  Carrots are the only thing I'll plant with seed -  Tomatoes aren't considered a cool season crop, but we should have enough warm days ahead that we've added some new plants.  We've also kept three tomatoes and a couple of bell peppers from the spring garden and have pruned them back.   We'll see how they do. 

Pick your vegetables and flowers to keep the plants producing. Likewise, trim your herbs will keep them growing. Encourage leaf growth by removing the flowers. Plants won’t use as much water during cooler months so reduce your watering.

The fall is the best time to plant trees.  We've FINALLY planted a lime tree this morning and have spots picked out for six new live oaks to line the back of our yard. 

Don't you love Fall?   Get out there and grow something!

June in the Garden

It is so hot outside, it's hard to think about many garden projects.  But I've been ignoring my planting beds and I can already see that I'm really going to pay for the neglect.   My plants may be melting in our heat but the weeds are thriving! 

To help your lawn withstand our summer heat, do not mow it too short: 2” for Bermuda grass and 4” for San Augustine varieties.  Never cut more than one-third of the blade.   Do not bag your grass clippings.  Clippings should be left on the lawn to work their way back into the soil.  They contain nutrients that will produce a beautiful, green lawn.   A lawn needs about one inch of water each week.  It is best for your grass to receive the inch in just one or two waterings.  If you see some brown patched in your lawn, give the grass a good tug.  If it pulls up you may have grubs eating the grass roots.   Me, I like to squish them, but your nursery professional can guide you in their treatment.   

Frangipani - loves the heat and is propogated from stem cuttings

Afternoon shade may help tomato plants continue to produce.  Varieties with large fruits tend to split in high temperatures.   Squash and beans are probably done producing.  Remove your spent vegetable crops.   Most can be added to your compost pile or bin.  Avoid putting in anything that is diseased.  If you have beds that are empty, you can spread heavy plastic sheets.  The heat generated will kill weed seeds and make gardening next fall much more enjoyable.  For the best results, be sure to leave the sheeting on for 4 to 6 weeks.  If you don’t have weed issues, add one or two inches of organic material to your planting beds. 

Bougainvillea - another heat lover

I'm seeing aphids on our crotons and jatropha.   Coleus, copper plants, and firebush also ten to be susceptible to whitefly and aphid invasions. Regularly check for whitefly and aphids.  My first treatment for aphis is to simply spray the plant and physically remove the aphids.  Spray daily for about a week and they may just give up.   Next step is to spray with soapy water (or insecticidal soap).  The soap will suffocate the insect.  Make sure to spray under the leaves, where bugs love to hide. 

To encourage compact bushes with many blooms, pinch your poinsettias and chrysanthemums every four leaves. 

Even though it is hot, you can take cuttings from spring blooming shrubs right now.  Last week I took lots of cuttings from my father's gardenia.  Cut past the green wood, just below a node.  Remove all but the last set of leaves.  I'm trying to root some of them in water and some in potting mix.  I've got mine inside where they get some indirect light.   Hopefully, I'll have little gardenia shrubs to share in a few months. 

IF YOU ARE A DIE-HARD AND MUST PLANT RIGHT NOW, PLANT:

Flowers:  ruellia, gerbera daisy, dusty miller, gazania, vinca, night and day purslane, iceplant, snapdragon, zinnia, moss rose, coleus, celosia.

Bulbs:  caladium (in the shade)

Vegetables:   Peppers (from bedding plants - it's probably too hot for many seeds to sprout)

Herbs:       mint, rosemary, rue, oregano, hierba buena.   Mints are aggressive growers. If you want to keep it contained, considered planting it in a pot. 

Trees:  This is the area to have a little patience.  Unless you don't have a choice, wait until October to plant trees.

Palms:  Palms love, love, LOVE this heat!   You can plant any of them right now.  Ones that do great in deep south Texas are: Texas sabal palm, Chinese fan palm, Mediterranean fan palm, Washingtonia fan palms, Pindo palms, Queen palms (or Cocus plumosa), and Phoenix roebellini.

April's Garden Chores in Deep South Texas

FLOWERS (ANNUALS): Marigold, zinnias, cosmos & snapdragon from seed. Many more from bedding plants but beware when you buy from the Big Box Stores. They were selling impatience and pansies this week - after May it's so hot here they just melt.





VEGETABLES: Most of your planting should have been done by March 15th. But if you still have a little room, you may want to plant okra, southern or black-eyed peas. Zucchini and summer squash should be close to harvest. We are currently harvesting asparagus, tomatoes, and eggplant. The tomatoes were planted last fall and the eggplants are a full year old now.

HERBS: Dill can be planted from seed and the warm weather herbs can be planted from seedlings. Most of the garden centers currently have a nice selection of herbs in 3" pots but I'm still looking for Sweet Basil. Last summer we lived on pesto and I want to make sure we have enough. One of my friends who grows LOTS of herbs told me that Sweet Basil is only good a year and then you need to replace it. I added another Mint (Mojito season will be upon us soon) If you haven't grown herbs, you need to try a few. They are so much fun - huge benefit in the kitchen (or bar) - many are catepillar host plants -

CALADIUMS - Caladiums are just beginning to peak up out of the ground. April is your last month to plant them - and if you want your fancy caladiums to last further into the summer, look for a spot that gets afternoon shade. I like to put some in pots that can help disguise a struggling spot.

PRUNE - Most of your annual pruning should be done but I just today finished pruning the Firebush (Hamelia patens). Since Firebush blooms year around on new growth, it can be pruned at any time. But I like to give mine a big spring haircut and then take a little nip here and there as needed. If your roses are spring bloomers, you can cut them back now. Pinch the growing tips out of poinsettias, coleus, copper plants, and mums.

WATER - Top of my list is to add some drip irrigation to a number of beds. The price of the battery powered timers have dropped drastically and I've been told the batteries will last an entire year. Now all I need is a water source to automate much of the irrigation chores.

COMPOST - If your compost bin is like mine, it is now chocked full of brown (carbon) material - cut or shred your trimmings to add to the pile. I still notice bags and bags of leaves and twigs around over Harlingen. Maybe it's time for some leaf rustling!

MULCH - I think this is the most important thing you can do for plant health. It cools the roots and keeps weeds from sprouting and competing for water and nutrients. Around my house, we have some new planting beds so we've already spread over 100 bags this spring. To save money, some of the beds in the back of the house are going to get a base mulching with hay. Give your plants a nice 3 inches of mulch. Once you get all your beds done, topping them off each spring is a piece of cake! Remember to keep it a couple of inches away from your tree trunks.

PEST CONTROL - Be on the look out for aphids and scale. Honeydew is a sign of an aphid infestation. Horticultural soap can handle most small to moderate infestations.

August Garden Tasks

PLANT

Flowers: You can still plant zinnias, marigolds, and cosmos. Add to it some cool weather flowers, such as petunia, pansy (even though I've only had them do well a couple of times), delphinium, snapdragon, and stock.

Vegetables: Prepare for your fall vegetable garden. Tomatoes, peppers, squash, lima & green beans, and eggplant can go in now. Later in the month, when it's cooled down a bit, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and carrots can be put in the garden.


Herbs: I'm hoping to find some cilantro and italian parsley to add to my herb beds. They can't take our Summer temps. Note to self: Next Spring, look for a shady spot for some cilantro. Maybe it will last through the hot months.

You can still plant palms and other tropicals - just be sure to water well at planting and deeply once every 5 - 7 days.

HARVEST

I'm jealous if you have anything to harvest. I do have some eggplant that Dolly didn't shake off the stem. And the zinnias are growing and putting on flowers again.


PRUNE

This year, pruning will be my biggest August chore. We only removed the broken branches after Hurricane Dolly - and now we need to deal with a bougainvillea leaning over the sidewalk and broken limbs that are still partially attached. And, of course, there is trimming to be done where it had been too wet to get in and work safely.

Continue to pinch back your poinsettias for lots of flowers next Winter. Chrysanthemums want the same pinching treatment.

If your roses have grown leggy, you may want to do a little pruning on them. The plants feel rejuvenated and may thank you with some pretty blooms.

WATER

I don't know where the 15 inches we received on July 23rd has gone, but my grass is getting a little crispy. Even though the shrubs don't show it, I'm sure they are needing some irrigation now too. Remember, for good root growth, water deeply and infrequently.

COMPOST

All gardeners should have a compost bin or pile! I see bags and bags of leaves and twigs all over Harlingen. Time for some leaf rustling!

MULCH

How I wish I owned a chipper/mulcher right now! A nice layer of mulch will cool your plants roots and give your landscape a nice finished look. Keep it a couple of inches away from your tree trunks.

ENJOY THE FRUITS OF YOUR LABOR!

July Garden Tasks

PLANT

Zinnias, marigolds, and cosmos seed. At the end of the month, you can plant tomatoes and peppers for the fall (but good luck finding the plants ). You can still plant palms and other tropicals - just be sure to water well at planting and deeply once every 5 - 7 days.

HARVEST

Tomatoes (mine have quit setting fruit, but I have a few left to ripen), green beans, okra, and figs

PRUNE

Any dead wood in your trees. Continue to pinch back your poinsettias for lots of flowers next Winter. Trim your basil (and all herbs) so they keep growing well (put basil on top of your sliced garden tomatoes - Yummy!)

DON'T BAG IT

With our high temperatures, mow no more than a 1/3 of your grass' height and then let it be. If you mow weekly, the trimmed grass won't even be noticable on your lawn - and it will drop down to the base of the grass quickly adding nutrients to your lawn.

MULCH

A nice layer of mulch will cool your plants roots and give your landscape a nice finished look. Keep it a couple of inches away from your tree trunks.

READ

Doug Welch's Texas Gardening Almanac It is a wealth of information!

ENJOY

It's getting too hot to work much later than 10 a.m. so sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor.