The Attention Your Landscape Needs (Especially after that Extreme Weather Event!)
T
he calls for “Please help us everything looks dead” have been well overwhelming to say the least! That once in a lifetime (or maybe about every 30-40 years) snow and ice storms did not feel like the Texas we are all used to around here! What to do now? PLEASE DO NOT GO CRAZY CUTTING BACK AND RIPPPING EVERYTHING OUT! The absolute best advice I will give and have been giving to literally hundreds of our clients is to FEED EVRYTHING with a good Nitrogen Base Food! Something similar to what you put on your yard to fertilize. Things are in complete shock (Imagine if you stood out there that whole week what we would all look like! Good Lord.Ha-ha!) A name brand tree and shrub food will help tremendously! Place a handful of granules around under each shrub, continue your normal inch a week watering (rain counts if your lucky enough to get some) and simply wait 3-4 more weeks. You will be surprised what defoliated and defoliates and will come back to life! Anything that doesn’t turn lemons into lemonade you can freshen with a few new plants here or there for a new look to add some curb appeal. If you need suggestions you can always email a few pictures and I always email everyone back. (It may be 2 a.m. but I will email you back!!) Now, on to my regular column! Part of the joy of landscaping is the care and maintenance you give to your yard. Depending on the type of plantings and the size, some gardens can require constant fulltime care. If you’re not a big fan of yard maintenance, it might be wise to design a yard that’s easy to care for. The first thing to remember with any “yard scape” is that it’s a living, breathing entity. Even the simplest, easy-to-care-for yard will need watering, feeding, cleaning, and disease prevention. Consider the following list of projects around the yard: Flower Beds and Planting Areas The amount of time spent here will depend on your plantings. Some plants require constant attention; others are relatively maintenance free. 16
Most flowerbeds contain perennials, which are plants that come back year after year — expect some to die off over the winter. Check the condition of plants during spring, and replace dead plants with new ones. Cover ground with an organic mulch. This will help the soil retain moisture and keeps weeds to a minimum. Many flowers do best when you dead-head them (pinch off spent blooms), which encourages more flower growth. After the first hard freeze, cut back all the branches of your plants. And cover plants with mulch to protect them during the cold winter months. Refuse Removal During the fall, many plants lose their leaves. This leaf material makes a great natural mulch to cover and protect your plants against the cold winter. Remove all leaves from the lawn areas. The layer of leaves can restrict the amount of light reaching the lawn and trap water near the roots. Hedge and Tree Trimming Shrubs and trees need seasonal trimming. Get a pruning instrument and cut off any dead branches. You may also need to prune back live branches that are getting out of control. Many hedges need to be re-shaped several times a year. Electrical hedge sheers reduce a lot of arm strain on larger hedges. Do not prune or trim during the fall. This will stimulate growth during a time when the plants should be starting their dormant phase. Anna Living Magazine
Insect Control Nature has a cycle of life, and insects are a part of that. Most healthy plants stay relatively insect-free. For the occasional infestation, consider using natural methods of removal. Sometimes a plant can be washed down with a strong stream of water. Or many garden centers sell other insects (like ladybugs) to get rid of bugs and worms. Chemicals are also a choice; however, you should use extreme caution when applying them. They will not only harm “bad” bugs, but “good” bugs too. They can also harm household animals, birds, children and adults when applied incorrectly. Consider using household “natural” chemicals to control insects. (For example, placing a shallow plate filled with beer in your slug-infested garden often will attract then kill the slimy critters who chew holes in leaves.) Spring Clean-up This rite of spring signals the start of the growing season. Most gardens will need a good raking to clean out the leftover leaves and trash that have built up over the cold months. Consider applying a fresh layer of mulch to protect the fresh shoots from a late zapping of frost. This mulch will also keep the ground moist and cool during the summer months and keep weeds at a minimum. Weeding Ughhh! They just keep coming back! Removing the entire unwanted “weed” by its roots is the surest way to get rid of it. Herbicides do
