Timi DeBusk
Master Gardener, Master Naturalist
April 2008
SPRING IS HERE!!! Hooray! Finally, green has returned, spring plants are blooming, we can dig in and start planting our annuals and veggies. April and October have to be the greatest months for gardening in this part of Texas.
This is a great time to begin keeping a gardening journal if you don’t already have one. Keep notes about what and when you plant things, when they bloom or bear, what does well, what you aren’t as happy with. A garden journal is a great place to jot notes about things that you see that appeal to you. Jot down the name and where you saw it. In the future it is a great reference for when, where & why you planted certain things and what you can expect of them.
Once again, I have to talk about lawn fertilizers and weed control, etc. And once again, I plead with you not to use Weed 'n Feed products. We can feed our lawns and we can try to control the weeds, but not with the same bag of poison. If we establish great, healthy lawns the weeds will not be a problem. If we have to kill weeds, pre-emergents would be recommended. Spot kill with Round-up or similar herbicide if they are already established.
Clean up the live oak leaves from your lawns and use them for mulch or compost them. Then feed your lawns. Again, I have to preach the wonder of dillo dirt for lawns. If you don’t want to go to the work of loading and unloading dillo dirt, Milorganite is equally effective and easier for many to apply. It is simply dillo dirt that has been pelletized and can be applied using a broadcast spreader. You will not believe the difference it will make in your lawn.
Remember that Bermuda grass does not do well in shady areas. St. Augustine is about the only thing that will do well in the shade, but the down side of that is that you have to sod St. Augustine and it requires a lot of water. Water is becoming one of the planet’s most valuable resources and we need to ask ourselves if using it for a little patch of lawn (or a large lawn) is the best use of this precious commodity when there are alternatives.
Having grassy areas is important to many of us, but if we can grow grass that is more hardy and requires less maintenance and water, doing something else in the shady areas, such laying a layer of mulch or planting ground covers, may be wise.
At the nursery, I have set out trays of blooming petunias and geraniums and the butterflies have been abundant. I have spent way too many hours just watching them. May I suggest to everyone to plant a little dill somewhere. Dill is an ideal "host" plant for Monarchs. The monarch caterpillars will eat the plant, but it is a small price to pay to have these wonders of nature that migrate thru our Hill Country area. The monarch caterpillar is black, yellow and white striped. Learn to identify them so that you don’t mistake them for the bad guys. They are only caterpillars for about 2 weeks and then they emerge as wonderful, beautiful butterflies.
Remember to plant your tomatoes deep, right up to the top foliage. I recommend that you put a handful of bone meal in each hole that you plant your tomatoes and peppers in. If your tomatoes are especially tall and you can’t dig down that deep, make a trench and lay them sideways and then gently angle them up. They will develop roots the full length of the stem that is underground. The better the plant system underground the better the plant above the ground will be. That is true of any plant. That is why I recommend doing things that will build healthy roots and encourage great microbic action below the ground; i.e. Timi’s Potion. I have the recipe printed, so when you are by if you need one, just pick it up.
Herbs of all kinds are happiest in the spring. I love growing herbs, not just for culinary use but as bedding plants and nothing attracts butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds like herbs. Since herbs are at their very best this month and next, here is a great recipe;
5 sprigs of fresh marjoram
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
½ cup fresh parsley
½ cup fresh basil
2-3 fresh sage leaves
1 clove garlic
2-3 mint leaves, any flavor
1 tsp sea salt
Zest of 1 lemon or lime
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
Wash and dry all herbs. Strip herbs from their stems and add to food processor along with the grated zest and garlic. Pulsing the blade to chop the leaves, add the salt, then the butter. Flavor is best if allowed to rest for 30 minutes.
This is awesome on roasted pork loin, steak, and fresh veggies or used for a spread on toast or crackers. I love it to saute my fresh tomato slices and sprinkle with parmesan. Yummm – can’t wait for those first tomatoes.
Happy gardening - Timi
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