Page 75 - 574220 SunCity Flipbook

April tips for a beautiful
Water-wise landscape
By Winola VanArtsdalen
It’s best to plant in the fall, but you
know you’ll do it now! Gardeners feel
that call of spring, and “Gotta plant!”
Having soil ready, careful planting and
watchful maintenance will reward you
with healthy, beautiful plants. If you plant depends upon this careful handling!
in spring, vow to only handwater new
plantings while getting establilshed rather
than turning on the sprinkler system and
wasting water on the whole zone.
Organic amendments such as compost,
aged manure and other natural
materials break down into humus,
which opens tight soils like our clay,
improving drainage as well as increasing
moisture and nutrients retention. It is
best to amend the whole bed. Pull back
mulch, spread an inch or less of compost,
stir in a bit and cover with mulch. For
best results, do this two to five weeks in
advance so microorganisms can prepare
the nutrients for plant’s use. When
planting, use a plank or kneeling pad
to avoid compacting soil or, even better,
put in a stone path to step through bed.
Wait for a cloudy day to plant, especially
if you are transplanting or have bought
bare-root plants. Water the hole and
plant the night before, so roots are
hydrated. For bare-root plants, make a
conical soil mound and spread roots over.
Cover with soil, water in and mulch.
For container plants, dig hole depth of
plant in pot and double the width plus a
few extra inches. Dig one hole at a time
and only remove one plant at a time, so
they stay hydrated. This is not a time
for mass production!
Place plants in containers in bed and
walk around viewing from all directions
to be sure you have plant correctly
placed. Put container in hole to be sure
it is correct depth.
Never pull a plant from the pot! You
may go around edge inside pot with blade
of a knife to loosen. Cover pot surface
with hand, spreading fingers over the
soil around the stem. Turn pot over and
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rest the plant in your hand; then pull
the pot away. Keep one hand on top of
rootball and turn plant right side up,
placing your other hand under rootball
to support it. The future of your plant
If roots of plant have so filled the pot
that they keep their shape, tease them
loose and spread out in the hole. If roots
are encircling the rootball, use a knife
to slice open root ball from top to bottom
in three or four places. This is necessary
to keep roots from “girdling” the plant
and killing it in later years. Look to be
sure you have “face” of plant looking
toward you and carefully place in hole.
Fill soil around roots carefully but firmly
to avoid large air pockets. Soak slowly
with water. Mulch 3” and water again.
Check to be sure plant stays moist,
but not soggy! Plants may need water
once or twice weekly while becoming
established, depending on weather. If
sunny, protect with shade cloth at least
the first week.
APRIL GARDENING TIPS
• Continue weeding. Mulch with
organic matter to enrich soil while
controlling weeds and conserving
moisture.
• Cut back perennials such as salvias
when showing three or four inches
new growth below. I find I have to
keep trimming plants like scullcap
and salvias beyond that early spring
trimming, but stop trimming fall
bloomers by the end of July.
• Do not depend on plant labels
surviving forever. You really need a
garden plan to remember names of
plants.
• Do not trim oak trees susceptible to
oak wilt February through June
• Spring sometimes brings a high
population of oak leaf rollers - nuisance
worms - falling from trees. Their
number depends on previous winter’s
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 and answer period at
12:30 p.m.
weather and population of natural
predators such as trichogramma
wasps, a gnat-sized nonstinging wasp.
Successful applications of treatment
are difficult and purchasing the
wrong type or spraying in the wrong
area could cause harm to butterfly
larvae. Healthy oak trees will
usually survive even if defoliated by
multiple generations of oakworms, but
weakened and stressed trees are more
susceptible. If you are concerned, it
would be best to seek professional
treatment.
Source: Texas A&M AgriLIFE Extension
Service.
Horticulture Questions:
Contact Williamson County AgriLIFE
Extension Office at
512-943-3300
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