38 | SUNRAYS JANUARY 2015
ONLINE:
SCTXCA.ORG
Begin 2015 knowing you can have a
lush, beautiful green landscape that is
drought tolerant. Whether you are new
to our area or have enjoyed lovely Sun
City for years, you can find intriguing
design ideas simply by driving around
and studying the beautiful community
and individual landscapes. Find what
fits your needs, lifts your mood, and
makes you feel comfortable! The help
you need to realize your goals is readily
available in each step to success in water
wise landscaping.
Plan:
Water wise, drought tolerant
landscaping begins with a plan. The
research-proven techniques best suited
for our area that preserve and protect
our environment can be found in the
Earth-Kind program at the Texas A&M
University Horticulture Earth-Kind
website
.
edu/earthkind/files/2010/10/design.pdf).
Also, be sure to check our Sun City
Design Guidelines; to locate them, please
go to
and log on with
your Member ID and password. Choose
“Site Index” at the top of the menu, then,
under “D”, choose Design Guidelines for
the most recent version.
Soil Amendment
: This process is the
essential first step to water efficient,
beautiful landscaping. Soil with organic
content in it will not only nourish the
plant but allow for drainage, aeration,
and better moisture retention. Begin
with a soil test which will tell you
any specific amendments needed,
then include four to six inches (or one-
third total) organics (compost). See my
November 2014 Sun Rays article for
additional details.
For information on soil tests, how to
submit a soil sample and meaning of the
results, go to
.
e du / SOI L _ CONSE RVAT ION _
January Tips for a Beautiful
Water Wise Landscape
Winola is a Williamson County
Master Gardener, a member of
the Sun City Garden Club and a
member of the Sun City Water Wise
Task Force.
Master Gardeners and other
experienced gardeners are available
to answer questions a half hour
before Sun City Garden Club
meetings each month. The Garden
Club meets the second Wednesday
of each month beginning with
the question/answer period at
12:30 p.m.
By Winola VanArtsdalen
NUTRIENTS/E-534.pdf. If you decide
to have your soil tested, go to soiltesting.
tamu.edu and click “Our Submittal
Forms,” then, “Urban Soil Submittal
Form.”
Plant Choice:
Native/adapted plants
are adapted to our changing climate.
These monthly
Sun Rays
articles
recommend plants, but the greatest
help available is the notebook produced
by the Sun City Garden Club, “What
Grows Here,” available at the Monitor’s
Desk at both Texas Drive and Cowan
Creek Centers. The Grow Green book,
“Native and Adapted Landscape Plants
of Central Texas,” by Texas AgriLIFE
Extension and City of Austin, is available
for purchase from the Member Services
Office at 2 Texas Drive.
On-the-spot help for choosing plants will
be available at the Sun City Horticulture
Club and Master Gardener plant sales
this spring. Further information will be
available in the March issue of
Sun Rays
.
Maintenance:
This column can be
found in every issue of
Sun Rays
,
featuring information about timely
planting, trimming, watering advice,
and more. Stay tuned!
If websites are too impersonal, come to the
Sun City Garden Club Help Desk before
each meeting, or contact the AgriLIFE
Extension Office. These organizations
are staffed by master gardeners who love
to share and help you! The Garden Club
meets the second Wednesday of each
month and begins at 12:30 p.m. with the
question/answer period.
JANUARY GARDENING TIPS
•Major pruning of non-flowering
landscape trees and shrubs is best done
while dormant. You can trim oak trees
now, but paint wounds on oak trees
immediately, any size, any season.
•Transplant dormant trees and shrubs.
•Trim shrubs and trees which bloom
on fresh spring growth (such as crepe
myrtles).
•Keep beds well-mulched.
•Check your sprinkler system once
a month. Water before a freeze, but
always avoid overwatering.
•Enjoy new seed catalogs, but
remember to choose native/adapted
plants!
Source: Texas A&MAgriLIFE Extension
Service
Horticulture Questions:
Contact Williamson County
AgriLIFE Extension Office at
512-943-3300
