Plant Care
Ongoing plant care is important for healthy plants and prolonging the life of your landscape. However it can be very tedious, time consuming and a headache when dealing with a disease pest or problem. This is why we added it to our service list.
We do have clients that enjoy working on their plants and flowerbeds so we decided to give you 14 of our best tips for plant care.
Watering your plants
During the summer watering every day is important! Spring and fall in South Texas is usually pretty cool and wet enough to water 2 or 3 times a week. During winter we recommend watering 1 or 2 times a week.
Weed removal from beds
Weeds harbor disease and pest as well as compete for soil nutrients robbing your soil of its fertility. We recommend applying a pre-emergent granule like Preen to prevent future weed seeds from germinating. Until the granules release into your soil pulling your weeds is a must!
Mulch your flowerbeds and pots
Mulch holds moisture extremely well, regulates soil temperature and reduces weeds. Again we recommend the Preen brand mulch and you can pick that up at Lowes, Ace and MooreThanFeed.
Applying appropriate fertilization
Soil losses fertility over time giving plants inadequate nutrients thus damaging and stunting growth. Proper fertilization is important but also tricky. Primarily because too much fertilizer can burn up your plants and not enough and they can die. For best results give us a call or consult with a nursery, grower and your local Texas AgriLife center on proper nutrient levels. If you do fertilize yourself we recommend liquid fertilization.
Monitor and control pest
Keeping your flowerbeds weed free helps but your plants are still open for attack. If push comes to shove removing your affected plants is a good option. Cutter ants are usually easy to spot and ant killer is pretty common. A few of the other more common pest are Whiteflies, Aphids, Gnats and Mites. Some simple home remedies like Dawn soap and water can wipe out a few of those annoying pest but you might end up having to purchase pesticide, be careful and thorough doing this.
Monitor and control disease
Just like those annoying pest, disease can be very harmful to your plants. Fungi, Virus and Bacteria are the most common causes of disease. Limiting excessive watering can help prevent fungi. Using clean gardening tools including your gloves can help prevent bacteria and viruses. Using the right chemical you can kill the causing microorganisms but this part can be tricky. Google images helps especially for example if you know you watered a lot then you most likely have a fungi. Just be careful when selecting a virucide, bactericide and fungicide.
Replace soil
Soil can not only lose nutrients but also its physical properties over time. In South Texas we mostly have sand so your initial soil and replacement soil years down the road can really make a difference. Be sure to use a different soil for initial install. We recommend sandy loam or compost soil that has been fumigated so there are no pest or disease.
Animal prevention
One of the biggest plant killers we have notice in our local country club believe it or not is deer! Herbivores feeding on your foliage can be tricky. For deer we recommend a motion sensor water sprinkler because it will scare them off. For other animals we have used traps, barriers and low frequency tickers to do the trick.
Deadhead plants
Deadheading a plant is removing the dead or old flower heads of your plant to encourage more blooming. It can also prolong the blooming period.
Cull and thin out plants
Culling is removing any undesired plant due to them being weak, infested, diseased and or inferior. Thinning out your plants is removing excess plants and helps give room for growth for your remaining desired plants. It also helps when your beds are lacking nutrients to thin them out. Both will help your plants grow better.
Prune and pinch plants
Pruning is used to control the growth of a plant by trimming overgrowth. Pruning is good for shaping and creating a uniform height. Pinching is the practice of removing the stem tips to promote a good shape and encourage lateral growth.
Stake for support
Staking your plant is primarily used for supporting the stem and directing the growth of your plant. Bamboo works the best as a stake if shaven but be careful not to use something that can have harmful chemicals we recommend wood. Strips of cloth, garden tape and twisty ties are the best options for connecting to your stake of choice.
Plant placement for correct sunlight
Sunlight is the source for all life on this beautiful planet. Some plants need hour long days of direct sunlight while others only a few hours a day or they can burn up. Making sure your plants have the correct sunlight means life or death.
Winter prep
Adding compost in late autumn to your beds gives the soil time to soak up those nutrients over winter. Do not prune trees or shrubs before winter. Keep up with the temperature and if its going to freeze try to cover your plants with covering cloths, sheets, or blankets. We usually use moving blankets from Lowes which are cheap, durable and large.
Be sure to check out our Learning Center page and Blog page for tips and tricks and much more.
