WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.120 --> 00:00:04.080 Kat r H Garden Line does not necessarily endorse any of the products or services 2 00:00:04.080 --> 00:00:10.640 advertised on this program. Welcome to kat r H Garden Line with Scip Richter. 3 00:00:10.800 --> 00:00:36.439 It's chow Trim, just watching as world thanks to Septa A Sor. 4 00:00:37.759 --> 00:00:42.000 Good morning and welcome to Garden Line. I'm Beverly Wells from the Arbor Gate 5 00:00:42.119 --> 00:00:47.399 and have the privilege to share the microphone today with my dear friend Angela Chandler 6 00:00:47.439 --> 00:00:50.000 with the Garden Academy. How are you this one. I'm doing great, 7 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:52.159 Beverly, and glad to be here with you. Oh, it's going to 8 00:00:52.200 --> 00:00:55.079 be a great day. Kind of chilly though, like Nikki said, a 9 00:00:55.159 --> 00:00:59.640 little bit chilly. Thankfully they've kind of moderated the forecast a little bit, 10 00:00:59.719 --> 00:01:03.079 so it may not be quite as bad as we all feared that it could 11 00:01:03.079 --> 00:01:04.480 be last week. But it's still gonna have a little nip in the air. 12 00:01:04.599 --> 00:01:10.359 Yeah, it's definitely seasonal reds. Yeah, and that's beautiful autumn foliage 13 00:01:10.359 --> 00:01:12.079 that we were enjoying so much. Maybe on the ground by the end of 14 00:01:12.079 --> 00:01:15.400 the day, I think a lot of it might be. You know, 15 00:01:15.719 --> 00:01:19.040 we did the same pattern this year that we did last year, where we 16 00:01:19.120 --> 00:01:23.400 had that early little coal spell that gave us this beautiful fall color. But 17 00:01:23.439 --> 00:01:27.000 we have to understand that in the Houston area it's short lived and we need 18 00:01:27.040 --> 00:01:30.879 to appreciate it while we've got And it was very beautiful this fall. It 19 00:01:30.920 --> 00:01:34.319 really was. You know, I think one of the things that I love 20 00:01:34.439 --> 00:01:38.599 is the gold because we always think of the reds, and unfortunately tallow trees 21 00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:42.000 and not so great tree give us that those red and amber colors. But 22 00:01:42.200 --> 00:01:46.920 the last couple of years, we've had these beautiful golds, you know, 23 00:01:47.319 --> 00:01:51.000 in our fall color, and I've really appreciated. You know, people overlook 24 00:01:51.040 --> 00:01:53.959 Cravey myrtles, they always think of them for sun more color, but they've 25 00:01:53.000 --> 00:01:57.000 been spectacular, they have been. And you have a range of color with 26 00:01:57.079 --> 00:02:00.560 crape myrtles because you have golds and you have ambers, and you've got you 27 00:02:00.599 --> 00:02:02.680 know, the orange and then the deep reds. Even some of them that 28 00:02:02.760 --> 00:02:07.000 I've seen turn almost a ruby color. So it's it's been lovely to have 29 00:02:07.080 --> 00:02:12.479 that. And then you know, I've gotten very fond of papause and they 30 00:02:12.520 --> 00:02:17.039 if they get enough cool weather early, they just turn into this gorgeous gold 31 00:02:17.039 --> 00:02:21.280 pyramid, right doesn't like I say, it doesn't last long, but I 32 00:02:21.319 --> 00:02:23.639 really appreciate it well. And you know, the Trident Maple's had put on 33 00:02:23.759 --> 00:02:28.439 quite a show and they typically again are not one that you can count on 34 00:02:28.479 --> 00:02:31.120 every year, right, But it's just we've gotten lucky. We need that 35 00:02:31.280 --> 00:02:35.919 little early cool to trigger our fall color, and we've gotten it the last 36 00:02:35.919 --> 00:02:38.560 two years. So you know this morning, obviously Skiff is not with us, 37 00:02:38.680 --> 00:02:44.159 but and we are most honored to be standing in for him. They 38 00:02:44.199 --> 00:02:47.479 can call in yeah, seven one, three, two and two five eight 39 00:02:47.719 --> 00:02:53.240 seven four or two and two k t R H. And Josh is on 40 00:02:53.360 --> 00:02:57.159 board to answer the call and pass the question along to us. So we're 41 00:02:57.439 --> 00:03:00.159 more than happy to answer any question. Yeah, we're ready, bring them 42 00:03:00.159 --> 00:03:02.639 on. Yeah, and you know, this is the time of year we 43 00:03:02.680 --> 00:03:07.759 should be gardening. It really is a fabulous time of year to garden. 44 00:03:07.240 --> 00:03:14.680 We have the benefit of cooler temperatures for a longer period of time. We're 45 00:03:14.680 --> 00:03:15.960 going to have some cycles, like right now, we're going to have that 46 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:21.159 little cold dip. Then it's going to have a slightly warming cycle, but 47 00:03:21.240 --> 00:03:24.479 it's still not punishing like our summers are. And so we have that long 48 00:03:24.599 --> 00:03:30.520 cool period with a little bit of additional moisture. What moisture we add to 49 00:03:30.560 --> 00:03:34.599 the soil doesn't evaporate as quickly. So it's you know, when you think 50 00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:38.439 about things like all of your woody plants, and so here we're talking about 51 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:46.000 trees and shrubs and fruits, roses, so many of our perennials, herbs. 52 00:03:46.120 --> 00:03:49.599 We're looking at. All these plants are ready to be established. And 53 00:03:49.639 --> 00:03:54.639 so some you know, the deciduous things that lose their leaves, they don't 54 00:03:54.680 --> 00:04:00.680 stop growing just because we don't see top growth. They're going to put on 55 00:04:00.680 --> 00:04:05.319 an awful lot of root growth during the fall and throughout winter. And then 56 00:04:05.599 --> 00:04:11.000 the things that stay green, like say you're Rosemary's or you know, some 57 00:04:11.080 --> 00:04:15.319 of your citrus and things like that, they still go through a semi dormancy, 58 00:04:15.439 --> 00:04:19.079 so they're not concentrating on top growth, but they are concentrating on root 59 00:04:19.120 --> 00:04:23.920 growth. So this is a perfect time of year for us to get those 60 00:04:23.959 --> 00:04:29.000 plants in the ground, let them get established. Then they will take if 61 00:04:29.040 --> 00:04:32.079 we have another summer anything like last summer, they'll be able to take it 62 00:04:32.199 --> 00:04:35.519 much better if we can get them established now. Right, And we're always 63 00:04:35.519 --> 00:04:42.199 so focused on the air temperature and people don't realize how warm our soil stays, 64 00:04:42.439 --> 00:04:46.920 especially our transplants that have come down from parts north of Dallas. Right, 65 00:04:46.160 --> 00:04:49.800 Yes, you know we just have warm soil basically year round, right, 66 00:04:49.839 --> 00:04:55.839 we really do. And then with proper mulching we can keep that moderated 67 00:04:55.879 --> 00:05:00.519 even more where we don't have big swings in our soil temperature. We know, 68 00:05:00.639 --> 00:05:03.360 all these things you keep talking about sound like great subjects for the next 69 00:05:03.360 --> 00:05:06.600 few hours. They do. In fact, we'll probably revisit that one again. 70 00:05:06.759 --> 00:05:11.920 Yeah. Absolutely, so I guess this is why December the tenth, 71 00:05:12.079 --> 00:05:15.560 you we're on the final countdown? Are you ready? Were you ready? 72 00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:18.399 We are ready for Christmas? Well, I can't to truly say that I'm 73 00:05:18.439 --> 00:05:23.759 completely ready for Christmas, but I'm definitely in the Christmas spirit. Yeah, 74 00:05:23.800 --> 00:05:28.160 And you know, I think that right now it's a time for everybody to 75 00:05:28.199 --> 00:05:31.439 sort of start reflecting on that, getting more in tune with family, thinking 76 00:05:31.480 --> 00:05:35.680 about what they plan on for Christmas dinner, finishing their final decorating. Right, 77 00:05:35.720 --> 00:05:39.279 all of those things are in place, so that ties into the garden 78 00:05:39.319 --> 00:05:42.600 too. Oh. Absolutely, it's like you know, how many and what 79 00:05:42.680 --> 00:05:45.120 colors of point set is? Are you going to have in your house, 80 00:05:45.279 --> 00:05:49.399 you know. And you know my favorite it actually is cycleman for the Christmas 81 00:05:49.399 --> 00:05:54.199 flower or the Christmas cactus. I mean, how can you not have Christmas 82 00:05:54.279 --> 00:05:57.759 You really can't beat those. You talk about a showy plant. Yeah, 83 00:05:57.839 --> 00:06:00.560 that's a showy plant, right right, easy to grow, good patio plan 84 00:06:00.680 --> 00:06:05.000 for the summer. But points at is are a little bit finnicky, but 85 00:06:05.079 --> 00:06:10.120 they're great here they are, and they're just such add such beautiful color to 86 00:06:10.240 --> 00:06:14.439 your tables, you know, just tonfor you know. Fortunately we can have 87 00:06:14.480 --> 00:06:16.720 them as a porch display here, so uh, you know, they're a 88 00:06:16.759 --> 00:06:19.759 little tropical, but they'll they'll take most of our days and we can bring 89 00:06:19.800 --> 00:06:24.680 them in on the knights that are really too cool for right right. You 90 00:06:24.720 --> 00:06:28.199 know, I don't know that we ever really get ready for Christmas. It 91 00:06:28.399 --> 00:06:32.079 just comes like it or not, it does no matter how early I start. 92 00:06:32.839 --> 00:06:35.360 I could keep going, yeah, you really could. And I think 93 00:06:35.600 --> 00:06:40.000 maybe a lot of us actually get into Christmas feeling like we're kind of skidding 94 00:06:40.040 --> 00:06:44.199 in the same right, But it is a good time to start reflecting on 95 00:06:44.240 --> 00:06:48.079 it and above all keeping the really true meaning of the season and the joy 96 00:06:48.079 --> 00:06:51.199 that we have spending time with friends and family. That's one of the most 97 00:06:51.360 --> 00:06:59.480 it is that is the pure joy of Christmas. Absolutely absolutely so. I 98 00:06:59.480 --> 00:07:01.959 I know in the garden we can also gather so much. And we talked 99 00:07:01.959 --> 00:07:05.680 about the points that is in the cycleman and good good color for But you 100 00:07:05.759 --> 00:07:13.120 know, just going out into the garden and picking holly branches and and some 101 00:07:13.199 --> 00:07:16.800 of the cedars and junipers, you can make beautiful displays just from your own 102 00:07:16.839 --> 00:07:19.879 garden. You really can. And you know, even things that are bare 103 00:07:20.000 --> 00:07:24.720 branches. One of the prettiest Christmas decorations my mother ever did was a bare 104 00:07:24.759 --> 00:07:28.279 branch that she wrapped in the little white Christmas lights and it hung above our 105 00:07:28.319 --> 00:07:30.959 fireplace and it was almost magical looking, you know, like something that came 106 00:07:31.040 --> 00:07:34.920 from the forest. Well, my mother spray painted every sweet down ball that 107 00:07:35.000 --> 00:07:40.720 hit the ground or glittered it. So there's there are the pine cones make 108 00:07:40.800 --> 00:07:43.639 beautiful wheeds and garlands, Yeah, they really do. You know. You 109 00:07:43.680 --> 00:07:46.879 get them wet, let them, let them close, and then you can 110 00:07:46.920 --> 00:07:49.800 push them through the wire forms and then as they dry and open, it 111 00:07:49.879 --> 00:07:55.360 secures them in place. How wonderful. Well, I'm looking forward to the 112 00:07:55.399 --> 00:07:59.199 morning again. Remember the number to call is seven one, three, two 113 00:07:59.240 --> 00:08:05.439 and two five eight seven four, and you're listening to the garden Line. 114 00:08:05.199 --> 00:08:09.839 Good Sunday morning. Welcome to garden Line. I'm Beverly good everyone, and 115 00:08:09.839 --> 00:08:13.720 I'm Angela Chandler, and we're here today to talk all things gardening. We 116 00:08:13.800 --> 00:08:18.199 certainly are. We have Josh available to answer your phone call seven to one 117 00:08:18.319 --> 00:08:24.120 three two one two five eight seven four. That's seven one three two one 118 00:08:24.160 --> 00:08:28.800 two five eight seven four or kat rh we'd love to hear from you this 119 00:08:28.879 --> 00:08:33.879 morning. We're getting ready for Christmas. Angela, we are what is your 120 00:08:33.960 --> 00:08:39.039 favorite Christmas tradition? Well this might surprise you, but you know, I'm 121 00:08:39.039 --> 00:08:43.120 a new Mexico girl, right, and so for us getting ready for this 122 00:08:43.240 --> 00:08:48.120 season and followed our chili season almost immediately. And so for us, it 123 00:08:48.320 --> 00:08:52.360 was making Tamali's and pasole. Okay, you know there we'd have family that 124 00:08:52.480 --> 00:08:56.080 likes green pasoli and family that likes red pisole, and we had a mix 125 00:08:56.120 --> 00:09:01.519 of different Tomali's. So those were always found traditions for us. That was 126 00:09:01.639 --> 00:09:07.159 always part of our table throughout the Christmas season, especially on Christmas Eve. 127 00:09:07.639 --> 00:09:11.519 So these were just part of our tradition. And then believe it or not. 128 00:09:11.559 --> 00:09:16.440 When I started having my children, my children always the way I reminded 129 00:09:16.480 --> 00:09:20.039 them the meaning of the season was that we baked a birthday cake for the 130 00:09:20.080 --> 00:09:24.600 baby Jesus every year, and so that was something they participated in and helped 131 00:09:24.600 --> 00:09:28.039 to decorate. So those were full traditions that we had. Yeah, that's 132 00:09:28.159 --> 00:09:33.759 nice. You know, I never really thought about it, but my daughter 133 00:09:33.759 --> 00:09:37.600 tell me one time, the thing that she always remembers growing up is that 134 00:09:37.600 --> 00:09:41.600 I would hang bells on the door. I think that's lovely. So sleigh 135 00:09:41.639 --> 00:09:45.360 bells every time the door would open and she'd say Christmas, she'd lay in 136 00:09:45.399 --> 00:09:50.039 bed and wait to hear the bells that Santa came. So it's little things 137 00:09:50.080 --> 00:09:56.679 we really don't think about that impact our children and grandchildren that they remember and 138 00:09:56.759 --> 00:10:00.440 carry with them through years. It's just really nice. Yeah, I do 139 00:10:00.519 --> 00:10:03.279 think that that means a lot. And so many families have traditions that either 140 00:10:03.320 --> 00:10:07.200 tied to their culture or just things that have been handed down in their family 141 00:10:07.240 --> 00:10:11.720 for years and years. I know so many families for whom setting up a 142 00:10:11.759 --> 00:10:16.720 crush is particularly important, or getting out that box of handmade ornaments. You 143 00:10:16.759 --> 00:10:20.720 know that they've been collected through the years and just looking at you know, 144 00:10:20.759 --> 00:10:24.559 how your children's very first little scribbles of their name on the back of an 145 00:10:24.639 --> 00:10:28.559 ornament that was made at school and has special those things and those yellowing old 146 00:10:28.720 --> 00:10:31.519 ornaments, they're the most precious for sure. You know. It's funny. 147 00:10:31.600 --> 00:10:37.720 My grandmother was very creative and she was a master gardener and you know, 148 00:10:37.000 --> 00:10:41.639 just a fabulous gardener. And she would recycle just about anything she could get 149 00:10:41.639 --> 00:10:46.759 her hands on. And she made ornaments out of ten cans and ten slips, 150 00:10:48.120 --> 00:10:50.720 so if you have to wear heavy gloves to do that because they're very 151 00:10:50.759 --> 00:10:54.679 sharp, but she would cut into them and create little stars. And then 152 00:10:54.720 --> 00:10:58.440 you mentioned the glitter. They would have felt pieces and glitter and you know, 153 00:10:58.600 --> 00:11:03.480 the just all different kinds of little decorations on them. And I kept 154 00:11:03.480 --> 00:11:07.240 them for many years, you know, knowing that I had to open that 155 00:11:07.279 --> 00:11:11.600 box carefully every year for the sharp edges. Right. Yeah, And you 156 00:11:11.639 --> 00:11:16.639 know, ornaments are one of my favorite gifts to receive and give because every 157 00:11:16.679 --> 00:11:20.440 year when you do decorate the tree, you remember exactly you gave it to 158 00:11:20.519 --> 00:11:24.639 you and it has such a special meaning. Yeah, it really does. 159 00:11:24.120 --> 00:11:28.720 And then my name, being Angela, people often gave me angels, as 160 00:11:28.799 --> 00:11:31.720 you know, although I am no angel, how come on, but you're 161 00:11:31.759 --> 00:11:35.600 a gardening angel, that's for sure. They would give me angels because of 162 00:11:35.639 --> 00:11:39.399 that is, you know, just different things. And so for many years 163 00:11:39.440 --> 00:11:43.639 I have two fabric panels that we hang up and then I'll hang all those 164 00:11:43.960 --> 00:11:46.919 and they come from all over the world. I have angels from Haiti and 165 00:11:46.960 --> 00:11:50.480 angels from Africa, and angels from China, and just you know, they're 166 00:11:50.559 --> 00:11:54.120 very colorful and very happy. Of course they don't match, they're very eclectic, 167 00:11:54.600 --> 00:11:56.519 but it's a lot of fun. Well, I know, I think 168 00:11:56.559 --> 00:12:00.399 I probably maybe know the answer to this. You do have a fresh tree? 169 00:12:00.480 --> 00:12:03.360 Right? Well, this year we do not, Oh yeah, terribly, 170 00:12:03.519 --> 00:12:07.159 although that is my favorite thing to do. There's nothing like that smell 171 00:12:07.200 --> 00:12:11.519 in the house. There's just so many wonderful things about it. But we 172 00:12:11.639 --> 00:12:13.879 are actually in the process of redoing our living room this year, so we 173 00:12:13.919 --> 00:12:18.440 are going at Christmas without a living tree this year. So we're going to 174 00:12:18.519 --> 00:12:24.960 substitute it with a very sweet little tabletop rosemary tree and get vibe with You 175 00:12:24.000 --> 00:12:28.039 do have a fresh tree, then, well, that's true, yeah, 176 00:12:28.200 --> 00:12:31.120 just not thinking of you know, a gorgeous fraser fur or something you know. 177 00:12:31.679 --> 00:12:35.240 Well, you know, the having a fresh cut tree is really the 178 00:12:37.080 --> 00:12:41.759 greenest thing that you can do. That's something that you can reuse, you 179 00:12:41.840 --> 00:12:45.720 can make in tumulch. A lot of people will pick them up from the 180 00:12:45.799 --> 00:12:48.919 nursery if we have any leftovers, throw them in their ponds for the fish. 181 00:12:50.200 --> 00:12:54.679 So it is very environmentally friendly. They grow. You know, we 182 00:12:54.759 --> 00:13:01.840 carry the fraser furs which are stunning and the furser the very least allergenic type 183 00:13:01.879 --> 00:13:05.919 of truth that you can have. But they grow on on parts of the 184 00:13:05.000 --> 00:13:09.559 mountains, the blue rich mountains where nothing else we can grow in that intes. 185 00:13:09.679 --> 00:13:15.720 So that is a crop that is sustainable there and it is providing shelter 186 00:13:15.840 --> 00:13:20.080 for wildlife as it grows too. Yeah, they really do. And you 187 00:13:20.080 --> 00:13:22.879 know, as for a lot of homesteaders, one of the things that we 188 00:13:22.919 --> 00:13:24.960 look at them is when they are stripped of all their ornaments every year. 189 00:13:26.159 --> 00:13:28.799 The goats absolutely love them. Oh, they just love them. To them. 190 00:13:28.879 --> 00:13:33.000 That's a that's an annual that's a Christmas tree. Yes, yep, 191 00:13:33.039 --> 00:13:39.039 pumpkins at Halloween and and then the Christmas trees. Yeah, they're great and 192 00:13:39.360 --> 00:13:41.919 you know, not to be afraid to you if as long as you put 193 00:13:41.919 --> 00:13:46.639 a fresh cut on the tree, get it back into water within an hour 194 00:13:46.080 --> 00:13:52.519 so it doesn't seal off. They continuously drink through the season, so they 195 00:13:52.559 --> 00:13:56.559 really do stay nice and fresh. And as long as you're mindful with your 196 00:13:56.639 --> 00:14:01.720 lighting and leave it on all night, you know, they're really not a 197 00:14:01.759 --> 00:14:03.159 problem. And like you said, that fragrance, Oh, it's just that 198 00:14:03.240 --> 00:14:07.840 it pays into the house. Is just part of Christmas, it really is. 199 00:14:07.879 --> 00:14:11.080 There is something very special about that fragrance. Yes, it is, 200 00:14:11.399 --> 00:14:15.440 and they're great to decorate with, even to bows. Yeah, if you 201 00:14:15.519 --> 00:14:18.919 do don't have a situation where you can have a fresh tree, go get 202 00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:24.879 you some fresh cuttings. Yeah, add those into your artificial wreaths and mantle 203 00:14:24.960 --> 00:14:28.399 garlands, and then you still have that fragrance and that feel. Yeah, 204 00:14:28.480 --> 00:14:31.240 the feel of them, I think. Yeah, it's one of the things 205 00:14:31.279 --> 00:14:33.919 that I like to brush. You know, when you walk by certain things, 206 00:14:35.200 --> 00:14:37.080 you want to reach out and brush them because you know you're going to 207 00:14:37.120 --> 00:14:41.600 get that return of the fragrance. And the Christmas trees are very much like 208 00:14:41.639 --> 00:14:43.080 that for me, you know, just like Rosemary and some of the other 209 00:14:43.159 --> 00:14:46.159 wonderful things that we can do well in Rosemary is a great, great one 210 00:14:46.200 --> 00:14:50.200 to have it it is, you know, for tabletops, for shut ins, 211 00:14:50.240 --> 00:14:54.679 you know, for somebody in an apartment. It's a nice substitute, 212 00:14:54.799 --> 00:14:56.200 has a beautiful shape to it, and then of course it can go out 213 00:14:56.200 --> 00:15:00.080 and live in the garden the rest of the year, right right, and 214 00:15:00.240 --> 00:15:03.080 use it on the kitchen table, that's for sure. Also lavender, you 215 00:15:03.120 --> 00:15:07.960 can pick those up right now too. We have got some beautiful lavender Christmas 216 00:15:07.960 --> 00:15:13.679 trees or pyramid shape pruned and lavender is such a great herb for us to 217 00:15:13.720 --> 00:15:16.559 grow. And this again is a great season for these guys as well. 218 00:15:16.559 --> 00:15:20.759 We were talking about this is the time to plant. And there are a 219 00:15:20.840 --> 00:15:26.679 lot of herbs that just absolutely love this weather. This is English England weather. 220 00:15:26.840 --> 00:15:30.360 It is you know from herbs, Oh my gosh, you know pretty 221 00:15:30.399 --> 00:15:33.720 much everything but basil. Right, it can go in this time of year, 222 00:15:33.080 --> 00:15:37.200 and there are certain herbs that this is the perfect time of year for 223 00:15:37.240 --> 00:15:39.799 them, you know, things like cilantro. I was going to say with 224 00:15:39.840 --> 00:15:43.480 your with your menu, you got to have cilantro in the ground. Parsley 225 00:15:43.799 --> 00:15:48.879 right as another one, right, the fennel yeah, and the deal all 226 00:15:48.919 --> 00:15:54.000 of them appreciate that cool weather. And even if you're not planning for the 227 00:15:54.240 --> 00:15:58.039 for the kitchen plant, those for the butterfly. You know, a lot 228 00:15:58.039 --> 00:16:00.559 of them are host plants, and that is something that I think a lot 229 00:16:00.559 --> 00:16:06.080 of people have been focused on recently. It's a very important thing to be 230 00:16:06.120 --> 00:16:10.480 focused on. Uh. There are certain herbs that you know, we we 231 00:16:10.600 --> 00:16:15.639 know that herbs are beneficial to all of our beneficial beneficial insects, pollinators. 232 00:16:15.960 --> 00:16:22.639 Uh, the the small little wasps that are predatory wasps that help us manage 233 00:16:22.639 --> 00:16:26.320 our you know, pests in our garden. Uh, they're so valuable to 234 00:16:26.440 --> 00:16:30.799 us. The the aromatic oils from them are things that you can use, 235 00:16:30.840 --> 00:16:33.799 you know, when you disturb those oils when you're in the garden. It 236 00:16:33.840 --> 00:16:37.600 does help with your own personal pest control. You can certain plants that you 237 00:16:37.639 --> 00:16:40.919 can use that will you know, deter insects, you know, mosquitos and 238 00:16:40.960 --> 00:16:45.480 things like that flies from bothering you. So it's just it's just lovely to 239 00:16:45.519 --> 00:16:48.200 have them in the garden. And they have all kinds of leaf textures just 240 00:16:48.799 --> 00:16:53.120 you know, tiny beautiful, small but beautiful little blooms. Uh. It 241 00:16:53.200 --> 00:16:56.440 just adds a lot of interest. And so if you have one of those 242 00:16:56.480 --> 00:17:00.960 gardens that is you know a lot of well we call foundational plants, trees 243 00:17:02.039 --> 00:17:06.440 and shrubs of all different kinds. It's wonderful to work these in between those 244 00:17:06.799 --> 00:17:11.319 for both color and texture, right, and I do often. I love 245 00:17:11.359 --> 00:17:15.640 to use a Dylan fennel in the winter color garden. And parsley is beautiful 246 00:17:15.640 --> 00:17:22.279 with pansies. Or that deep green curled parsley with that stark white alyssum is 247 00:17:22.400 --> 00:17:26.480 just a stunning container. And you know, there are several different parsleys we 248 00:17:26.519 --> 00:17:30.319 can use, because Jackie mentioned the very deep, dark curled parsley, which 249 00:17:30.359 --> 00:17:36.359 loves this time of year, looks very full, makes a wonderful border bedding 250 00:17:36.359 --> 00:17:41.839 plant actually, and then the taller, sort of leafy er, the flat 251 00:17:41.920 --> 00:17:45.039 lit atalian parsley. I'm particularly fond of that one. And that one is 252 00:17:45.079 --> 00:17:51.039 one that you definitely want a plant planning on letting it bolt in the landscape 253 00:17:51.039 --> 00:17:55.279 because it's really very attractive to beneficials. And you know, people forget that 254 00:17:55.720 --> 00:17:59.279 a lot of their herbs were landscape plants long before they were in the kitchens. 255 00:17:59.279 --> 00:18:03.680 They were gardens, you know, apothecary gardens. These are the gardens 256 00:18:03.720 --> 00:18:06.759 of our history, gardens of our past. I mean even in the gardens 257 00:18:06.759 --> 00:18:10.680 of kings and queens, right right, Kings and queens. It's pretty nice. 258 00:18:10.799 --> 00:18:14.799 They were they knew they were of good use, right right. Well. 259 00:18:15.039 --> 00:18:18.880 The number to call seven one three two one two five eight seven four. 260 00:18:19.359 --> 00:18:23.920 And I'm Beverly Welch, joined by my dear friend Angela Chandler, and 261 00:18:25.039 --> 00:18:33.200 you are listening to the garden line. Good morning, beautiful day, windy 262 00:18:33.279 --> 00:18:37.319 day, breezy day. Yeah, and I'm Beverly Welch with Arbor Gate. 263 00:18:37.559 --> 00:18:41.240 I have a privilege to be here with Angela Chandler with the Garden Academy, 264 00:18:41.359 --> 00:18:45.079 and we are on the garden Line. If you have any questions, please 265 00:18:45.119 --> 00:18:51.039 give us a call at seven one three two one two five five eight seven 266 00:18:51.160 --> 00:18:56.720 four. That's seven one three two one two five eight seven four. So 267 00:18:57.160 --> 00:19:04.799 gardening weather question from in southwest Houston, great good morning, asks how cold 268 00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:14.599 hardy are both Barbados cherries and seed them? Okay, Barbados cherry is a 269 00:19:14.759 --> 00:19:19.599 tropical cherry, and so it's not terribly cold hardy now in this first little 270 00:19:19.599 --> 00:19:22.799 cold spell that we're going to have here, which depending on what part of 271 00:19:22.839 --> 00:19:26.559 town you're in, Like in my end of town, which is the southeast 272 00:19:26.559 --> 00:19:30.559 side, is going to be about forty tonight. If you're up in the 273 00:19:30.599 --> 00:19:33.960 Cypress area or the northwest part of town, you'll need to look and see 274 00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:40.400 what your expected cold temperature is. But generally they're okay in that forty degree 275 00:19:40.519 --> 00:19:42.400 range. You wouldn't have to worry about them until we got down to true 276 00:19:42.480 --> 00:19:48.039 freezing temperatures, right, And I looked this morning. Of course, I'm 277 00:19:48.039 --> 00:19:49.759 sure it's going to change throughout the day, but I know in the Tamball 278 00:19:49.799 --> 00:19:55.599 area they're predicting around thirty four. Yeah, so that to me is going 279 00:19:55.680 --> 00:20:00.160 to be a frost, especially if you're right and frost yeah right, it's 280 00:20:00.200 --> 00:20:02.720 going to clear off and the wind is going to die down. So I 281 00:20:02.880 --> 00:20:07.680 always but the seedums, it just depends on the variety because some of them 282 00:20:07.680 --> 00:20:11.839 are extremely cold hardy and others are not so much. Green Acres is a 283 00:20:11.880 --> 00:20:15.799 real good one that seems to be very cold hardy. One little one called 284 00:20:15.799 --> 00:20:21.240 mouse Ears we had, you know, it did damage even in the single 285 00:20:21.279 --> 00:20:26.039 digits, but came right back. So a lot of them can be the 286 00:20:26.119 --> 00:20:30.680 old fashioned hen and chicks, very very tough, and in fact, in 287 00:20:30.720 --> 00:20:34.440 this kind of cooler weather, it's got that beautiful rosy glow to it right 288 00:20:34.480 --> 00:20:38.400 now. That's one of the things I love about growing succulents is so many 289 00:20:38.440 --> 00:20:42.519 of them have a little tinge of either orange or pink in the wintertime, 290 00:20:42.559 --> 00:20:48.599 and they're just beautiful. But the true seedums, it does very muchly depend 291 00:20:48.680 --> 00:20:51.440 on the variety, and some of them, like I say, they will 292 00:20:51.480 --> 00:20:55.759 take into that single digits without even looking back, So you kind of have 293 00:20:55.839 --> 00:20:59.480 to gauge it by that. Exactly what seedom do you have? Exactly? 294 00:20:59.839 --> 00:21:03.400 If it's any doubt, you know, lay some frost cloth over it tonight, 295 00:21:03.759 --> 00:21:07.200 throw a layer of leaves over the top of it. A cardboard box 296 00:21:07.599 --> 00:21:10.759 is a great way to protect things. Sure, give it a little protection. 297 00:21:10.839 --> 00:21:12.720 But I love the seedoms, Yes I do too. They are very 298 00:21:12.759 --> 00:21:17.640 good plants. You know, you have the large, large leaved seedoms, 299 00:21:18.160 --> 00:21:21.400 then you have the ones that have the very you know, almost needily look 300 00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:26.720 to them. So it's a big family of plants and they fit very very 301 00:21:26.759 --> 00:21:30.640 well into many parts of our landscape. Absolutely, But that's a great question. 302 00:21:30.720 --> 00:21:32.680 Yeah, it is a good question. Thanks for the call. We 303 00:21:33.200 --> 00:21:36.799 know people are a little concerned about what's going to happen. And then remember 304 00:21:36.839 --> 00:21:40.680 too that according to the longer range, the ten and twelve day prediction, 305 00:21:41.039 --> 00:21:42.279 that we're going to have this little bit of a cool dip, but then 306 00:21:42.319 --> 00:21:45.799 it's going to go right back to our moderate winter temperatures again. So we 307 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:51.359 don't need to get too excited about this and overprotect things now. For sure, 308 00:21:51.920 --> 00:21:55.480 anything that you do decide to protect, take that protection off when we 309 00:21:55.559 --> 00:22:00.200 have our warmer temperatures off between freezes. Good advice, very good, you 310 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:03.640 know, just it's a good time to get prepared for the future freeze to 311 00:22:03.200 --> 00:22:07.880 you know, make sure you have a good stock of your frost cloth. 312 00:22:07.359 --> 00:22:12.519 And we were fortunate enough to get in some four and six ounce so some 313 00:22:12.640 --> 00:22:18.079 really heavyweight, heavy duty frost cloth they have available for our customers, as 314 00:22:18.119 --> 00:22:22.599 I'm sure many of the independent garden centers have done, you know. And 315 00:22:22.680 --> 00:22:27.319 the thing too about working with frost cloth and staying away from things like tarps 316 00:22:27.400 --> 00:22:33.240 or plastic material is that you can double it up so when you have the 317 00:22:33.519 --> 00:22:37.880 you know, you're part of your strategy for protection should be to have multiple 318 00:22:37.960 --> 00:22:41.880 layers of the frost cloth. Available. So in a light freeze you can 319 00:22:41.960 --> 00:22:45.599 drop maybe the four ounce over in a heavier freeze, two layers of frostcloth 320 00:22:45.680 --> 00:22:49.519 or a layer of each. Uh. These are good insulators for our plants 321 00:22:49.559 --> 00:22:53.720 and it will get them through the majority of anything that you know Texas has 322 00:22:53.759 --> 00:22:57.200 to dish out well in these light frost too. Share your tip about the 323 00:22:57.240 --> 00:23:03.759 seaweed extract, well, it does make a difference. Basically we call it 324 00:23:03.880 --> 00:23:07.319 gardener's anti freeze, and so folier feeding with that, you know, twenty 325 00:23:07.359 --> 00:23:12.000 four hours ahead or so of a frost is a good strategy. And then 326 00:23:12.079 --> 00:23:17.839 to help plants recover between freezes if they've had light tip damage, getting them 327 00:23:17.839 --> 00:23:21.480 again, because what that does is raises the mineral content, which that gives 328 00:23:21.519 --> 00:23:25.680 them the strength if you want to call it that to be able to get 329 00:23:25.680 --> 00:23:30.319 through and repair themselves somewhat repair that tissue damage. Well, and that leads 330 00:23:30.359 --> 00:23:34.519 to another question. So if we didn't cover, say, and it did 331 00:23:34.559 --> 00:23:38.160 dip down a little co cooler tonight than was expected, and we did see 332 00:23:38.160 --> 00:23:41.839 a little bit of damage, little tip damage on some of our savvias and 333 00:23:42.440 --> 00:23:48.920 woody perennials, we shouldn't remove that. No, don't do anything, because 334 00:23:48.960 --> 00:23:53.400 that damage tissue is going to protect for the next freeze. One it's cover, 335 00:23:53.519 --> 00:23:57.240 but two when you print something back, what happens is that stem acts 336 00:23:57.279 --> 00:24:00.640 like a straw it basically, so that next little bit of cold in. 337 00:24:02.200 --> 00:24:04.440 And so if you'll leave that, and I know it's always hard for people 338 00:24:04.519 --> 00:24:08.240 because we want our yards to look lovely. We don't really want those burnt 339 00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:12.400 brown looking tips, but for the sake of our garden, we need to, 340 00:24:12.680 --> 00:24:17.480 you know, understand that that's better for the garden. Just leave them 341 00:24:17.759 --> 00:24:21.599 and don't don't take any action because you know it's going to happen again in 342 00:24:21.640 --> 00:24:25.599 another ten days or two weeks, right right, which will lead us into 343 00:24:25.680 --> 00:24:29.400 some things we can get into a little bit later in the pogram. Is 344 00:24:29.720 --> 00:24:34.480 that's what the opportunity to plant some of the cold, hardy color around these 345 00:24:34.519 --> 00:24:38.920 guys to kind of camouflage them or hide them if you will. The hot 346 00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:42.640 you know, the fox club, they get some size, the del finium, 347 00:24:42.720 --> 00:24:47.920 the larksburg, the taller snaps, so they can work that in. 348 00:24:48.279 --> 00:24:52.599 Now let's you know, just kind of soften the look, but still leave 349 00:24:52.640 --> 00:24:56.160 that leave that foliage as you should. So let's get into that after the 350 00:24:56.200 --> 00:25:00.160 break, let's talk a little bit more about winter color and the life that 351 00:25:00.160 --> 00:25:02.880 we can bring to our garden in Les Texas. Oh my gosh, there's 352 00:25:02.960 --> 00:25:04.240 so much. I don't know if we have time for it all. I 353 00:25:04.279 --> 00:25:07.519 will try to squeeze into what we can. Yeah, but there's a lot 354 00:25:07.559 --> 00:25:10.960 to do, and there's you know, it's time to look forward to the 355 00:25:11.000 --> 00:25:14.200 next season. I know that sounds crazy, but there's quite a few things 356 00:25:14.200 --> 00:25:18.799 that you need to plant now if you want that beautiful, full bloom garden, 357 00:25:18.839 --> 00:25:22.000 cottage garden for Easter. You know, when you live in a place 358 00:25:22.039 --> 00:25:26.680 that has three hundred and sixty five day a year gardening, you always should 359 00:25:26.680 --> 00:25:30.519 be planning a season ahead. We always thinking about where are we going for 360 00:25:30.640 --> 00:25:33.440 next season? Well, I can't wait till the next segment. I can't 361 00:25:33.480 --> 00:25:41.319 either. Good morning, and welcome to garden Line. I'm Beverly Welch from 362 00:25:41.319 --> 00:25:45.960 the Arborgate and I am Angela chandler with the Garden Academy, and we'll love 363 00:25:47.000 --> 00:25:49.640 to have your questions this morning. Please give us a call at seven one 364 00:25:49.720 --> 00:25:56.759 three two one two five eight seven four. That's seven one three two one 365 00:25:56.880 --> 00:26:02.680 two five eight seven four. So this is as we you know, we 366 00:26:03.039 --> 00:26:07.279 try to hammer this home as often as we can. Gardeners, this is 367 00:26:07.319 --> 00:26:11.799 your season, this is this is truly our spring more than spring. Yeah, 368 00:26:11.839 --> 00:26:15.359 it is time to get in the garden, get away from that hustle 369 00:26:15.400 --> 00:26:22.079 bustle of the season, and go outside and just dig. Yeah. You 370 00:26:22.119 --> 00:26:26.799 know, really I always told people we could should get that mindset that our 371 00:26:26.880 --> 00:26:30.160 gardening season, our spring starts October first, that's so true, goes through 372 00:26:30.200 --> 00:26:33.759 now. And if we were going to choose a season to leave anything fallow, 373 00:26:33.839 --> 00:26:37.240 it would be those hot couple of months of July and August. You 374 00:26:37.279 --> 00:26:41.799 know, we're for our northern neighbors. It's it's this time of year that 375 00:26:41.839 --> 00:26:44.920 their gardens are fallow. So we you know, and Ann Wheeler teaches the 376 00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:48.960 classes. That's that's her big subject is October first is New Year's Day for 377 00:26:49.039 --> 00:26:52.799 earths. That's exactly true, and it's true for a great many of our 378 00:26:52.799 --> 00:26:56.880 plants, right, and so people are always wondering too this time of year, 379 00:26:57.519 --> 00:27:00.759 you know, as the lantanas and a lot of the perennials are going 380 00:27:00.799 --> 00:27:07.079 dormant and kind of taking a break, taking a rest. There is so 381 00:27:07.279 --> 00:27:11.720 much to plant right now, and we were talking about earlier before we left 382 00:27:11.720 --> 00:27:14.680 for the break. You know, you need to plant a certain amount of 383 00:27:14.720 --> 00:27:18.960 plants now for your spring blue. If you don't get them in the ground 384 00:27:18.000 --> 00:27:22.279 now, they don't have enough time before we hit our heat, right, 385 00:27:22.640 --> 00:27:26.440 and that is one of the that is a worrisome thing. So we have 386 00:27:26.559 --> 00:27:33.039 some really great plants that we see in national magazines in spring. They if 387 00:27:33.079 --> 00:27:34.960 we planted them in spring here, we would get nothing out of them because 388 00:27:36.720 --> 00:27:38.319 by the time they're ready to bloom, our summer heat is upon them. 389 00:27:38.480 --> 00:27:42.799 Right. So those plants are winter color plants for us. Right, we 390 00:27:42.839 --> 00:27:48.000 can get them in They tolerate everything that winter has to dish out here. 391 00:27:48.319 --> 00:27:52.319 They bloom beautifully. And then about the time our gardens are starting to resurge 392 00:27:52.359 --> 00:27:56.680 and our perennials are coming into their finest in late spring, these plants are 393 00:27:56.680 --> 00:28:00.079 fading out. And I'll tell you did that more tutor thing, not exactly, 394 00:28:00.079 --> 00:28:04.240 it's how you pull it off. Yeah. So one one is fox 395 00:28:04.359 --> 00:28:07.839 life, so you can plant them by seed. We have them at the 396 00:28:07.920 --> 00:28:15.079 nursery and transplant or you know, plants beautiful and it's it's so nice. 397 00:28:15.160 --> 00:28:19.759 It's a good space taker. If you have really large gardens. It's a 398 00:28:19.799 --> 00:28:23.480 great one. Yeah. Or if you have borders and you need something that's 399 00:28:23.519 --> 00:28:27.160 at the back of the border showstopper. Oh right, you know that's what 400 00:28:27.200 --> 00:28:30.480 these plants are, right, And don't have to worry about the temperatures of 401 00:28:30.640 --> 00:28:36.480 them. In fact, we if we have a very warm winter, sometimes 402 00:28:36.559 --> 00:28:40.400 they don't bloom wealth rice in this point and then by nature a biennials, 403 00:28:40.559 --> 00:28:44.000 they're going to kind of act like that anyway, right. Another one is 404 00:28:44.039 --> 00:28:48.519 delphinium, so gorgeous. You know, I've always loved delphiniums, and we 405 00:28:48.599 --> 00:28:51.279 see these gorgeous pictures of them, and like I say, in all the 406 00:28:51.359 --> 00:28:55.039 national magazines, and so we have to plant them this time of year to 407 00:28:55.079 --> 00:28:57.680 be able to enjoy them. But we do have their native cousins, the 408 00:28:57.759 --> 00:29:02.039 larkspurs, that we can plan as well, right, And you know the 409 00:29:02.160 --> 00:29:07.279 larkspurs, I've had fairly decent success in them reseating themselves. Yes, they 410 00:29:07.279 --> 00:29:11.839 do, our little native does. And they're a very sweet flower and they 411 00:29:11.839 --> 00:29:15.200 come in you know, shades of blues and even some pinks. And one 412 00:29:15.240 --> 00:29:18.720 that I always have to plant in the fall are sweet peas. My mama 413 00:29:18.720 --> 00:29:25.440 always had sweet peas growing on our fence right outside the garage of the back 414 00:29:25.480 --> 00:29:30.279 door, and pig big bouquets of them to have on the table at Easter. 415 00:29:30.880 --> 00:29:33.240 Sweet peas there are to me a must. They really are. They're 416 00:29:33.279 --> 00:29:37.000 a cottage garden plant. They're kind of one of the grandmother plants that we 417 00:29:37.079 --> 00:29:41.240 all we all know known love so much. And they smell so wonderful, 418 00:29:41.359 --> 00:29:45.279 they're such so fair, amazing. And poppies, yeah, especially the big 419 00:29:45.319 --> 00:29:49.400 bread poppies. You know, just cast just rake those seeds in, you 420 00:29:49.440 --> 00:29:55.000 know, and they the nice thing about them is that they will establish themselves 421 00:29:55.039 --> 00:29:59.000 in the garden, so they'll bloom for us in the winter and maybe even 422 00:29:59.039 --> 00:30:03.440 into the early They'll have those seed heads, which are a lot of fun, 423 00:30:03.359 --> 00:30:07.559 all kinds of crafts that you can do with the little seed heads, 424 00:30:07.920 --> 00:30:11.400 and then just let them go and they will the seed will lay there all 425 00:30:11.440 --> 00:30:14.440 summer long, and they'll be back again as soon as the weather is good 426 00:30:14.440 --> 00:30:17.440 for them in the fall. You know. One thing I'd love to plant 427 00:30:17.480 --> 00:30:22.599 in the fall, and it actually has been a very reliable perennial for me, 428 00:30:22.960 --> 00:30:29.359 is cardoon or artichoke. They are showstoppers as the foliage are through the 429 00:30:29.440 --> 00:30:32.480 winter, yep, and then in the spring when you get your choke. 430 00:30:32.559 --> 00:30:36.000 I never pick them, I never eat them. But the flowers are so 431 00:30:36.319 --> 00:30:41.039 flowers amazing they are. They're just beautiful, and it's so much fun to 432 00:30:41.079 --> 00:30:45.319 go out there and watch the bumblebees just buried in those blooms covered in pollen. 433 00:30:47.119 --> 00:30:49.440 I mean, they just love to burrow down in those blooms. So 434 00:30:49.799 --> 00:30:56.519 I agree with you that silvery, velvety foliage and deeply toothed, you know, 435 00:30:56.680 --> 00:30:59.839 very one of the plants that we call architectural. They're just beautiful. 436 00:31:00.000 --> 00:31:03.079 But the blooms are just gorgeous. You know, buy your autochokees at the 437 00:31:03.119 --> 00:31:06.880 grocery store past for the love of the plant. And you know, and 438 00:31:06.960 --> 00:31:10.640 when the heat hits in the summer, don't pull it up, just cut 439 00:31:10.680 --> 00:31:15.599 it back. I and as long as it's in a well drained bad it 440 00:31:15.720 --> 00:31:18.880 will come back for you time October November. You'll start seeing a little life 441 00:31:18.920 --> 00:31:22.880 in that crown and then you'll start getting multiple crowns. Yeah, and they 442 00:31:22.960 --> 00:31:26.839 do look a little mangy in the summertime, but you know that just come 443 00:31:26.960 --> 00:31:29.240 down. That's why I feel about it too. And you know, we 444 00:31:29.400 --> 00:31:33.680 can't forget about using foliages for color in the winter garden, just like we 445 00:31:33.799 --> 00:31:37.039 do in spring and summer. Another one of my favorites is maszuna mustard, 446 00:31:37.519 --> 00:31:44.839 yep, mazuma mustard, the ornamental KALs and cabbages, and then Asian greens. 447 00:31:44.920 --> 00:31:48.200 That's your double duty plant right there. So many of them are so 448 00:31:48.559 --> 00:31:53.039 beautiful, Oh gosh, they have gorgeous foliage color, or they have these 449 00:31:53.200 --> 00:31:59.839 absolutely gorgeous like carved out rosettes like they were just you know, you look 450 00:32:00.039 --> 00:32:02.279 them and they just almost don't seem real. They're so perfect in their in 451 00:32:02.359 --> 00:32:07.279 their leaf form, just beautiful, beautiful plants. And then a lot of 452 00:32:07.319 --> 00:32:09.720 those are edible, So this is something that that you have a true double 453 00:32:09.759 --> 00:32:14.839 duty plant. They're beautiful and then they taste delicious at the table. Right. 454 00:32:15.240 --> 00:32:17.119 Well, I hear the music, so I guess it's time to go 455 00:32:17.200 --> 00:32:21.400 to a break. But we didn't even get halfway through our list here. 456 00:32:21.599 --> 00:33:05.880 No, but we've got another segment. That's right. Katie r h. 457 00:33:05.960 --> 00:33:08.799 Garden Line does not necessarily endorse any of the products or services advertised on this 458 00:33:08.880 --> 00:33:15.000 program. Welcome to Katie r h. Garden Line with skip rictor. It's 459 00:33:15.079 --> 00:33:40.079 shoes, crazy shrimp, just watching as many birthings to suppy, not a 460 00:33:40.319 --> 00:33:53.160 sun, the sun bemons of good morning. Welcome to garden Line. I'm 461 00:33:53.200 --> 00:33:58.079 Beverly Welch of the Arbor Gate, Angela Channer with the Garden Academy, here 462 00:33:58.119 --> 00:34:00.640 to take your calls. We'd love to hear for me this morning. Seven 463 00:34:00.640 --> 00:34:06.680 to one, three, two and two five eight seven four. That's seven 464 00:34:06.720 --> 00:34:10.599 one, three, two and two five eight seven four, and the sun's 465 00:34:10.639 --> 00:34:15.599 coming up. Sun is peking up. Still a little chilly out there, 466 00:34:15.880 --> 00:34:17.519 but I think it's going to be a good day. It's always a good 467 00:34:17.599 --> 00:34:21.440 day. It's a bit nippy, bit, it's a beautiful day. It's 468 00:34:21.440 --> 00:34:25.079 a beautiful day. We were talking about last segment, things to plant now, 469 00:34:25.239 --> 00:34:30.000 and of course, as we keep saying over and over again, this 470 00:34:30.239 --> 00:34:32.599 is our season to plant. It really is get those things in the ground, 471 00:34:32.719 --> 00:34:37.719 let them get established, but for annual winter color that we don't have 472 00:34:37.840 --> 00:34:40.960 to worry about on nippy nights like the one we have ahead of us. 473 00:34:43.079 --> 00:34:45.960 There's so much to choose from that really is we touched on the things that 474 00:34:46.079 --> 00:34:51.559 we need to plant now to get that beautiful color, that beautiful garden for 475 00:34:51.679 --> 00:34:55.920 Easter and spring. The fox club, the delphinium, the larkspur, the 476 00:34:57.000 --> 00:35:00.360 sweet peas, the poppies. Can you think of any else English days? 477 00:35:00.639 --> 00:35:04.840 Oh my gosh, yes, a plant. We cannot get through our summers 478 00:35:04.880 --> 00:35:07.760 here, but they're so sweet and so traditional and so pretty and they can 479 00:35:07.840 --> 00:35:13.039 go in right now for sure, absolutely. And of course the pansies. 480 00:35:13.400 --> 00:35:17.440 Everyone has pansies, you know. Colendula, that is a summer I mean, 481 00:35:17.480 --> 00:35:22.639 that is a winter standard, right, beautiful colors. It's actually an 482 00:35:22.800 --> 00:35:27.320 edible plant. Well, it was actually herb of the Year just a few 483 00:35:27.400 --> 00:35:30.679 years ago. That's awesome. Yeah, yeah. And in the old gardening 484 00:35:30.719 --> 00:35:34.760 books when you read about the pot miracle gold, yep, that's colendula. 485 00:35:35.639 --> 00:35:38.119 Like I say, it is an edible plant. The leaves are considered a 486 00:35:38.239 --> 00:35:44.360 pot herb. But you know, it's just something about those little splashes of 487 00:35:44.599 --> 00:35:46.440 gold. It's a happy color. You know. It's the reason we love 488 00:35:46.599 --> 00:35:52.360 sunflowers in the summertime. It's that just something about that little bit of glow. 489 00:35:52.639 --> 00:35:54.840 It's just a happy color that kind of wakes you up on a dreary 490 00:35:54.960 --> 00:35:59.400 day. Exactly. That's what I was gonna say. It's your sunshine on 491 00:35:59.480 --> 00:36:04.719 a cloudy day. And you know, they have the Dwarf series that is 492 00:36:04.840 --> 00:36:07.440 great if you want to stay see something complex inches or so. But then 493 00:36:07.480 --> 00:36:13.800 you have your pacifics that get large, big, bold. They make wonderful, 494 00:36:14.400 --> 00:36:16.800 wonderful cut flowers. Yes they do. And there's there was a new 495 00:36:16.840 --> 00:36:21.519 one out I guess another year or two, a year or two ago called 496 00:36:21.599 --> 00:36:27.880 Collexis That is that vibrant orange and it is a stunning bloom. Yeah. 497 00:36:28.119 --> 00:36:30.119 Like I say, it's just something about that color, just a little pop 498 00:36:30.159 --> 00:36:32.840 of something that just makes you happy. Well, and you know, having 499 00:36:32.920 --> 00:36:37.920 those popsy yellows and oranges, even if you prefer the purples and the deeper 500 00:36:37.000 --> 00:36:40.960 tones, it wakes them up. Yeah, those are complementary colors on the 501 00:36:42.000 --> 00:36:44.679 color wheel, guys, artists know. And that's one of the things that 502 00:36:44.800 --> 00:36:49.559 gardeners don't realize that we are artists, that that's part of what we're doing 503 00:36:49.639 --> 00:36:52.559 in our garden is we're creating art with a palette of plants. We also 504 00:36:52.719 --> 00:36:58.599 touched on the fact that we've got some edibles that definitely should be worked into 505 00:36:58.719 --> 00:37:02.760 your color scheme, like the deep green leaves of the curled parsley, the 506 00:37:02.960 --> 00:37:07.719 salad burnett. And for those of you that don't know are familiar with salad 507 00:37:07.719 --> 00:37:14.039 burnette, it's one of the most are one of the few underused herbs. 508 00:37:14.079 --> 00:37:17.239 I think people just don't really realize what it is. Your it's your winter 509 00:37:17.400 --> 00:37:21.920 cucumber. Yeah, it's delicious, and that is one of the things that 510 00:37:22.039 --> 00:37:24.320 gardeners often nibble on while we're working in the gardens. Yeah, yeah, 511 00:37:24.440 --> 00:37:30.840 it's a great it's a great one. And lettuces, yeah, great border 512 00:37:30.079 --> 00:37:34.400 you know, the freckle lettuces, the oak leaf lettuces, the ones that 513 00:37:34.559 --> 00:37:37.800 have a little touch of color, you know, the the all of the 514 00:37:37.880 --> 00:37:42.119 different opal colors. Uh, those are those are wonderful in the garden. 515 00:37:42.199 --> 00:37:45.480 And they're so quick, you know, you're talking about a six week crop. 516 00:37:45.599 --> 00:37:47.800 This is something that you can rotate throughout your garden in the wintertime and 517 00:37:47.880 --> 00:37:52.239 bring all that fresh wonderfulness to the table. You know. And a lot 518 00:37:52.320 --> 00:37:58.320 of our pollinators are active year round. So Dianthus is a very important one 519 00:37:58.360 --> 00:38:01.000 to have in the garden for the sky. Okay, it's great to have 520 00:38:01.320 --> 00:38:07.480 that dianthus and then that is something that will bloom from now until we start 521 00:38:07.559 --> 00:38:10.920 transitioning into early spring, and so it does give some of that forage to 522 00:38:12.400 --> 00:38:15.639 our pollinators until they have something more dependable, and I think Josh has a 523 00:38:15.719 --> 00:38:20.159 question for it, right let's hear it. We do have a question from 524 00:38:20.320 --> 00:38:29.519 Frank in Seabrook. He's asking what would be soil prep for planting medicinal herbs 525 00:38:29.760 --> 00:38:34.760 and where could he purchase them? Okay, soil prep. If you want 526 00:38:34.800 --> 00:38:38.639 to grow medicinal herbs where you need high oil content, high mineral content, 527 00:38:38.800 --> 00:38:44.280 all the things that you're looking for from those herbs, then you need to 528 00:38:44.360 --> 00:38:49.280 get your soil organic matter up. So the best thing to do is to 529 00:38:49.400 --> 00:38:57.960 work with a compost based potting soil or you know, supplementary soil is the 530 00:38:58.039 --> 00:39:01.400 best thing to do. You want to get up to at least five percent, 531 00:39:01.719 --> 00:39:06.320 hopefully over you know, one or two seasons, up to ten percent 532 00:39:06.480 --> 00:39:12.679 of soil organic matter in your soil. Many of our good quality, locally 533 00:39:12.719 --> 00:39:15.760 available blends are going to have expanded shale in them, which helps increase two 534 00:39:15.920 --> 00:39:22.880 things, both the poor space in your soil so that we have better drainage 535 00:39:22.920 --> 00:39:27.039 and better aeration. Those are things that you want to do, and those 536 00:39:27.079 --> 00:39:30.960 are things that are great to do right now as far as bedprep is concerned 537 00:39:30.039 --> 00:39:34.360 well, and pick a very sunny spot, yes, with good airflow, 538 00:39:34.679 --> 00:39:37.559 right, that's very important. And then think about that when you're planting your 539 00:39:37.639 --> 00:39:43.239 herbs out as well. You know they're spacing so that they have good sun 540 00:39:43.360 --> 00:39:49.480 exposure, good airflow throughout them, maintain good drainage throughout the season. Doesn't 541 00:39:49.559 --> 00:39:52.559 hurt at all to do what I call planting them with their shoulders up out 542 00:39:52.599 --> 00:39:55.639 of the ground where they dig a slightly shallow hole, and then build up 543 00:39:55.920 --> 00:40:01.639 around them with your supplementary soil and then also with your your mulch afterwards. 544 00:40:04.159 --> 00:40:08.519 Right, and as far as availability, herb starts are available at all independent 545 00:40:08.559 --> 00:40:15.320 garden centers at the Arbrigade at Plants for as seasons RCW, buchanans Wabash, 546 00:40:16.039 --> 00:40:22.480 the list goes on. So just check with your local independent garden center for 547 00:40:22.639 --> 00:40:27.079 the good starts and advice on what to plant. Yeah, that helps as 548 00:40:27.119 --> 00:40:30.400 well, exactly exactly. But it's a great thing to do, it really 549 00:40:30.559 --> 00:40:34.800 is, and it's and it was a good question to ask too, because 550 00:40:34.800 --> 00:40:37.760 that is exactly what you need to do, is prepare your soil ahead of 551 00:40:37.840 --> 00:40:40.360 time, allow it to rest a bit before planting. So that it has 552 00:40:40.400 --> 00:40:45.239 a chance to equalize. Soil biology has a chance to start working, and 553 00:40:45.400 --> 00:40:50.119 then you're you're ready to go when your plant's going right right exactly, And 554 00:40:50.199 --> 00:40:52.880 as we were talking earlier, even go ahead and add that organic time release 555 00:40:53.159 --> 00:40:58.199 food when you're building and prepping that bag, yes, and starting that in 556 00:40:58.280 --> 00:41:01.280 early even even up to two weeks or more before planting again for that same 557 00:41:01.360 --> 00:41:06.480 purpose of you know, soil biology is what makes our organics work, and 558 00:41:06.559 --> 00:41:09.159 we know we want to be using organics when we're growing herbs of any kind. 559 00:41:09.960 --> 00:41:13.320 That's you know, that's part of the whole culture and part of the 560 00:41:13.360 --> 00:41:16.840 whole point of it. Right. Well, that's great information, great question. 561 00:41:17.519 --> 00:41:22.599 You're listening to the Garden Line with Beverly Welch and Angela Chandler, and 562 00:41:22.760 --> 00:41:29.639 we'll look forward to seeing you in just a few minutes. Good morning, 563 00:41:29.719 --> 00:41:34.360 Welcome to Garden Line. I'm Beverly Welch and i am Angela Chandler. We're 564 00:41:34.440 --> 00:41:37.719 here to take your calls. The number to call is seven one three two 565 00:41:37.800 --> 00:41:45.159 one two five eight seven four. That's seven one three two one two five 566 00:41:45.320 --> 00:41:49.320 eight seven four. You know, last segment we were talking about color of 567 00:41:49.360 --> 00:41:52.559 the plant. Now and I think we got maybe halfway through our list. 568 00:41:52.719 --> 00:41:54.840 I think. So there's a lot that we can have in our gardens. 569 00:41:54.880 --> 00:41:59.840 There so much, and you know in the shady garden you do have a 570 00:42:00.039 --> 00:42:04.159 little bit more of a challenge, especially in the winter time with your color 571 00:42:04.280 --> 00:42:07.920 selection. I think my go to is cyclemen. Yeah, cyclemen, so 572 00:42:08.000 --> 00:42:12.800 many colors, such a pretty shape. You know, just everything about it 573 00:42:13.000 --> 00:42:15.599 is good. Yeah. And you know they have that new one now called 574 00:42:15.679 --> 00:42:19.039 Absolute. Have you seen it yet? No? I haven't. It's one 575 00:42:19.079 --> 00:42:22.719 of the dwarf This so has the tiny bloome. It's white with a bit 576 00:42:22.800 --> 00:42:28.880 of a magenta purple edging to it. It is so fragrant. Oh is 577 00:42:28.960 --> 00:42:34.320 that right? It's not perfume. And when the sun is warm during the 578 00:42:34.440 --> 00:42:37.719 day, I mean feet away, people will stop walking down the aisle and 579 00:42:37.800 --> 00:42:40.480 say, okay, what is that I smell? Oh that's really I mean 580 00:42:40.559 --> 00:42:45.039 it is frank wow. Yeah. So it's a great one. And you 581 00:42:45.119 --> 00:42:49.599 know you were mentioning the greens too, using them as but that they're fairly 582 00:42:49.719 --> 00:42:51.800 shade tolerant. A lot of them, yeah, a lot of them are. 583 00:42:51.960 --> 00:42:55.360 A lot of them will take even that three to four hours of the 584 00:42:55.480 --> 00:43:01.000 sunlight, so they do quite well well. Another one that we didn't mention 585 00:43:01.679 --> 00:43:06.719 was now's the time also to plant shoot bulbs. Yes, bulbs for sure. 586 00:43:07.039 --> 00:43:10.039 So I think automatically we think about amarillis at Christmas time because it's so 587 00:43:10.239 --> 00:43:15.159 often a gift that's given. It's a great gift for an officemate or you 588 00:43:15.239 --> 00:43:19.000 know, a girlfriend, or you know, it's just you know, people 589 00:43:19.079 --> 00:43:22.719 that help you. It's just a great gift for that. They're pretty when 590 00:43:22.719 --> 00:43:24.440 they're blooming this time of year. They give us that little extra color, 591 00:43:24.800 --> 00:43:28.880 but they do well in the ground here. They will naturalize for us. 592 00:43:29.079 --> 00:43:31.800 So these can transition from a Christmas gift to a garden plant. You can 593 00:43:31.880 --> 00:43:36.679 have them for years, right right. And another thing right now, we 594 00:43:36.800 --> 00:43:39.639 have so much that's in blooming the landscape. And one thing we don't often 595 00:43:39.719 --> 00:43:44.400 think about planting, but it's so beautiful right now. And again, great 596 00:43:44.480 --> 00:43:46.760 for the pollinators are roses. Yeah, roses for sure. You know, 597 00:43:46.960 --> 00:43:52.119 as soon as it cooled off this year from that horrible summer we went through, 598 00:43:52.599 --> 00:43:55.840 they just burst into bloom. I think they were just waiting because they 599 00:43:57.079 --> 00:43:59.920 just it seemed like as soon as it started turning cool and we got a 600 00:44:00.079 --> 00:44:04.360 couple of rains. They just were in their heyday and they're still just absolutely 601 00:44:04.440 --> 00:44:07.519 gorgeous right now. Oh yeah, this cool weather, the flowers are larger, 602 00:44:08.000 --> 00:44:13.000 the colors more intense, and the fragrances are just deep and rich. 603 00:44:13.159 --> 00:44:16.000 Yeah, they're just really lovely. And that is a definite standard of the 604 00:44:16.119 --> 00:44:20.840 garden. And you know, with so many of the old garden roses now 605 00:44:20.920 --> 00:44:24.760 and then using the old garden roses and they're good genetics in rose breeding, 606 00:44:25.320 --> 00:44:30.360 we're getting some truly really outstanding Texas varieties, you know, and a great 607 00:44:30.559 --> 00:44:36.639 again overlooked landscape plant. Yeah, definitely for sure. Yeah when people come 608 00:44:36.719 --> 00:44:40.079 in wanting a blooming shrub, you know they want that evergreen blooms all year 609 00:44:40.360 --> 00:44:45.880 shrub, Well why don't you get a rose? A rose? You know, 610 00:44:45.079 --> 00:44:47.360 Like I say, they'll back off a little bit in the very very 611 00:44:47.639 --> 00:44:52.800 you know, dog days of summer, as they say, but you know 612 00:44:52.960 --> 00:44:55.199 they'll they'll tolerate the freezes. That's a plant. We don't have to worry 613 00:44:55.239 --> 00:44:59.760 about it all. And I think people sometimes they steer away from them because 614 00:44:59.760 --> 00:45:04.920 they think they're fussy and maybe they remember either grandmother having a spraying cycle on 615 00:45:05.039 --> 00:45:07.360 her roses, you know, or just the fact of thinking about dead heading 616 00:45:07.400 --> 00:45:13.119 and pruning and again using the old garden roses. In rose breeding, which 617 00:45:13.119 --> 00:45:16.079 has been going on now for thirty years, we're really coming with some varieties 618 00:45:16.119 --> 00:45:20.679 that don't need any kind of attention. Some of the prettiest roses in my 619 00:45:20.800 --> 00:45:25.559 garden they barely get any attention at all, maybe a light pruning in February. 620 00:45:27.360 --> 00:45:30.239 I don't do a lot of heavy pruning. I grow them as large 621 00:45:30.280 --> 00:45:35.400 shrubs because I love that look, and so they're not the fussy plant that 622 00:45:35.519 --> 00:45:37.920 your grandmother fussed with all the time, you know. And a good example 623 00:45:37.960 --> 00:45:43.599 of some of these newer varieties is the drift. Yes, drift roses are 624 00:45:43.840 --> 00:45:47.960 extraordinary, a true landscape rose. Yeah, absolutely absolutely. The other thing 625 00:45:49.079 --> 00:45:53.880 right now that's so gorgeous is the Mexican giant red turks. Yeah. You 626 00:45:53.960 --> 00:45:58.360 know, as we were discussing during the break, we used to call that 627 00:45:58.480 --> 00:46:02.159 the Christmas plant because it's got all those gorgeous turks cap bells hanging down. 628 00:46:02.239 --> 00:46:07.880 They look like ornaments. They're that beautiful tomato red of this gorgeous green plant. 629 00:46:08.079 --> 00:46:14.320 So it's just it's just it's dependable. Christmas bloomer. So you know, 630 00:46:14.360 --> 00:46:16.079 I don't know what more you could ask. It's just it's just become 631 00:46:16.159 --> 00:46:20.199 a Christmas plant in the garden. You know. In that selection too. 632 00:46:21.199 --> 00:46:23.440 Those of you that are familiar with turks cap but may not be familiar with 633 00:46:23.559 --> 00:46:28.480 this particular one. That bloom is enormous. Oh that's huge. Yep. 634 00:46:29.239 --> 00:46:32.480 And the plant as well. Yeah, yeah, it gets it would you 635 00:46:32.559 --> 00:46:37.840 know. We cut it back every spring in March, back to probably twelve 636 00:46:37.920 --> 00:46:43.800 inches or so. Right now it is at least seven eight feet tall, 637 00:46:43.960 --> 00:46:46.840 yeah, and seven to eight feet wide. So if you need something again 638 00:46:47.000 --> 00:46:52.320 to take up some space, give you great color, maintenance free and how 639 00:46:52.360 --> 00:46:57.320 many variety of locations too, very tolerant of soils, you know, doesn't 640 00:46:57.360 --> 00:47:00.159 require a lot of water. It's not a demanding plant. It naturalizes very 641 00:47:00.280 --> 00:47:04.559 very well because it's got native bones, you know, creative heritage, right, 642 00:47:05.480 --> 00:47:08.119 and so it just it's just a plant that doesn't it's no mustno fuss 643 00:47:08.199 --> 00:47:13.199 planted and then just enjoy it. And you know, we plant it under 644 00:47:13.280 --> 00:47:17.079 the edges of pecan trees and it's very very happy there. Yeah, full 645 00:47:17.159 --> 00:47:22.000 sun departche We've got it planted at the nursery on the north side. Yeah, 646 00:47:22.239 --> 00:47:28.199 wide open, no protection, we don't cover anything. It's gone through 647 00:47:28.400 --> 00:47:32.159 i It's gone through Harvey, it's gone through the event two years ago. 648 00:47:32.400 --> 00:47:37.880 I mean it's taken it all throughout this summer twenty eleven, that's how long 649 00:47:37.920 --> 00:47:39.719 it's been in the ground. Yeah, so it's it's a must have. 650 00:47:40.000 --> 00:47:44.639 It really jeans there. They count for us every time. So many beautiful 651 00:47:44.719 --> 00:47:47.760 native plants. And we can't forget about the camelias right now. Camellias for 652 00:47:47.880 --> 00:47:52.320 sure. And you know the lovely thing about camellias is we can draw from 653 00:47:52.360 --> 00:47:57.039 both the Sanquas and the Japonicas and we can get that very months and months 654 00:47:57.079 --> 00:48:01.519 of bloom starting in October all the way through slate late winter. They're they're 655 00:48:02.000 --> 00:48:06.679 so you know, we have singles and doubles. You know, it's kind 656 00:48:06.719 --> 00:48:08.199 of I call it the Winter Rose, you know, for that reason, 657 00:48:08.559 --> 00:48:14.480 right, you know, just beautiful shades, so many different colors available, 658 00:48:14.719 --> 00:48:19.519 you know, the beautiful glossy foliage. Just it's just everything's wonderful about them. 659 00:48:19.679 --> 00:48:22.679 Well, and you know they must have right now and this season is 660 00:48:22.760 --> 00:48:24.840 yule Tide, and you talk about a great gift for a gardener, you'll 661 00:48:24.920 --> 00:48:30.199 tie camella with that open it's one of the single open blooms. Like you 662 00:48:30.280 --> 00:48:35.440 spoke of. The Sanquas often don't have the big they don't have the big 663 00:48:35.519 --> 00:48:38.599 formal flower like you see on the Japonicas, but they have twice as many. 664 00:48:38.880 --> 00:48:45.760 Yes, they're so colorful and the bees love those camerias. Yeah, 665 00:48:45.800 --> 00:48:49.119 it's just really good to be able to know that you're providing something to keep 666 00:48:49.199 --> 00:48:52.599 them going through the right, right, because we need their partnership so much 667 00:48:52.639 --> 00:48:55.400 in our garden right. And that the Sanquez you know, are your early 668 00:48:55.480 --> 00:49:01.199 bloomers. They're like November through January then you and they're more sun tolerant yea, 669 00:49:01.280 --> 00:49:05.079 the horse sun tolerant. In fact, they actually bloom better with a 670 00:49:05.119 --> 00:49:07.840 little bit of sun exposure. They do. And you can get a lot 671 00:49:07.880 --> 00:49:12.880 of the dwarf varieties like the Shishi and the Bonanza and the hot flash that'll 672 00:49:12.920 --> 00:49:16.519 stay lower so they'll fit into any landscape as far as size. And then 673 00:49:16.599 --> 00:49:22.480 you have the Japonicas. The Japonicas are gonna definitely require a little bit more 674 00:49:22.519 --> 00:49:27.159 afternoon shade, but again don't put them in too deep a shade. I 675 00:49:27.239 --> 00:49:30.360 think that's a mistake people. Well, when you think about them in their 676 00:49:30.440 --> 00:49:35.400 natural they like that high shade, so they do get a lot of filtered 677 00:49:35.480 --> 00:49:37.920 sun through them. You know, they're not something that's a that needs dense 678 00:49:38.039 --> 00:49:43.360 shades, So under the canopy of trees that have been limbed up quite high, 679 00:49:43.440 --> 00:49:46.760 they do better, right, right, And that's that big formal traditional 680 00:49:46.920 --> 00:49:52.880 camellia bloom we think of, and so that's in bloom February March April. 681 00:49:52.880 --> 00:49:58.960 So between the two you're looking at six months of long season of color. 682 00:49:59.119 --> 00:50:01.440 Yeah, long season of color. And you know it's a way of getting 683 00:50:01.599 --> 00:50:06.639 color into even the semi formal garden, that's true. You know, it's 684 00:50:06.679 --> 00:50:08.760 a way of getting good color into that that sort of style. Well, 685 00:50:08.800 --> 00:50:15.960 they'll fit in a cottage garden absolutely, but in a formal garden and you 686 00:50:15.079 --> 00:50:20.920 can also hedge them and it's as stunning hedge when in bloom. Yeah, 687 00:50:21.920 --> 00:50:25.079 very very pretty. So what's your favorite? Oh my gosh, you know, 688 00:50:25.239 --> 00:50:29.159 I have one that I wish I knew the name of it, and 689 00:50:29.280 --> 00:50:31.440 I think we all have that, right. Sure, this is kind of 690 00:50:31.519 --> 00:50:37.000 a bridle pink single, but it's a sussanqua. It blooms very early because 691 00:50:37.000 --> 00:50:43.159 it blooms mid October and it is just literally covered with these bridle pink blooms 692 00:50:43.199 --> 00:50:45.840 that are about I don't know, maybe two inches or so two and a 693 00:50:45.880 --> 00:50:47.480 half inches and pinks, I don't know. You know, I picked it 694 00:50:47.599 --> 00:50:51.639 up years and years ago. I picked up five of them. I have 695 00:50:51.800 --> 00:50:53.719 four left. I did lose one number of years. It's been in my 696 00:50:53.800 --> 00:50:58.760 garden for years, and I've just always thought, I just really wish I 697 00:50:58.840 --> 00:51:00.039 knew, you know, which one it was, because I just they were 698 00:51:00.039 --> 00:51:04.960 irresistible when I picked them up, which is why I wanted that cluster of 699 00:51:05.039 --> 00:51:08.760 them. But that actually is my favorite over time. And then I love 700 00:51:08.840 --> 00:51:12.760 the new fragrant ones too. You know, those are lovely as well. 701 00:51:12.880 --> 00:51:15.920 They are very very pretty. Quintessence is another one, says Sanka. That's 702 00:51:15.960 --> 00:51:22.559 a dwarf draping fragrant. They're great. Yeah, anything weeping I think has 703 00:51:22.599 --> 00:51:24.760 a little bit of extra interest in the garden, right. I think my 704 00:51:24.880 --> 00:51:29.519 favorite's got to be yule Tide. Yeah, it's hard to miss that color. 705 00:51:29.599 --> 00:51:32.400 It's been so popular since its introduction, and there's a reason, yeah, 706 00:51:32.519 --> 00:51:37.280 you know, but it's really it's kind of like picking your favorite child 707 00:51:37.400 --> 00:51:39.519 you know, when you when you're around them and you have a decent collection 708 00:51:39.639 --> 00:51:43.519 of them in your garden, it'd be pretty hard to choose. It's pretty 709 00:51:43.599 --> 00:51:47.320 much what you ever when you're looking at whichever one's in bloom exactly exactly. 710 00:51:47.719 --> 00:51:52.320 I have that when they had people ask me what's your favorite, it's impossible 711 00:51:52.360 --> 00:51:55.840 to say it is. I think that's true with lots of plants. You 712 00:51:55.920 --> 00:52:01.000 know, we collect plants along the way because we love them. We love 713 00:52:01.079 --> 00:52:05.079 either something that they're doing for us or just the way they make us feel 714 00:52:05.119 --> 00:52:07.000 when we're in are the memory that it comes with them, Yeah, very 715 00:52:07.079 --> 00:52:10.679 muchly so, especially if it's from a treasured friend. Yeah, And plants 716 00:52:10.760 --> 00:52:15.519 make wonderful Christmas gifts to hint, hint, they really really do. Well. 717 00:52:15.519 --> 00:52:19.320 You're listening to the Garden Line with Beverly Welch and Angeler Chandler, and 718 00:52:19.480 --> 00:52:24.280 we'll be right back after this short break. Good morning, and welcome to 719 00:52:24.360 --> 00:52:28.840 Garden Line. I'm Beverly Welch of the Arbor Gate, Angela Chandler with a 720 00:52:28.880 --> 00:52:32.719 Garden Academy, and we are waiting for your call. Certainly are seven one 721 00:52:32.840 --> 00:52:38.440 three two one two five eight seven four seven one three two, one, 722 00:52:38.519 --> 00:52:44.519 two, five, eight seven four And the sun is up. The sun 723 00:52:44.679 --> 00:52:46.400 is up. Now, it's a pretty morning. It is a little a 724 00:52:46.400 --> 00:52:51.679 little windy, yeah, little chili, but that's okay. It is winter, 725 00:52:51.920 --> 00:52:54.199 it's supposed to be. It's supposed to be. And actually it's been 726 00:52:54.199 --> 00:52:58.920 a really nice winter and fall so far. So far we've had you know, 727 00:52:59.039 --> 00:53:01.639 cool spells and then warm spells in between, so it hasn't been anything, 728 00:53:01.719 --> 00:53:05.400 you know, drudgery. We haven't had to worry about panicking to take 729 00:53:05.440 --> 00:53:07.159 in plants or do anything yet. So, you know, so far, 730 00:53:07.280 --> 00:53:12.039 so good. And it looks like it looks like December, I knockwood, 731 00:53:13.000 --> 00:53:15.719 it looks like December is going to finish out that way. So that's a 732 00:53:15.760 --> 00:53:19.079 good thing. It's all good. It's all good. And anytime we can 733 00:53:19.119 --> 00:53:21.599 get out in the garden, it's a it's a beautiful day. Yeah. 734 00:53:21.760 --> 00:53:24.000 And this is such much better weather for this than it was this summer. 735 00:53:24.400 --> 00:53:28.719 Right, it was just punishing. And I know we keep beating the drum, 736 00:53:28.840 --> 00:53:30.800 but this is time. This is time dies to get out in the 737 00:53:30.880 --> 00:53:35.800 garden for so many reasons for you and for your garden exactly, much more 738 00:53:35.840 --> 00:53:38.000 comfortable time to work now's the time to get mulchous down. I mean, 739 00:53:38.159 --> 00:53:43.280 just all all those chores that become drudgery in the in the hot time of 740 00:53:43.400 --> 00:53:45.159 year, those can be done now. And as we touched on earlier, 741 00:53:45.400 --> 00:53:50.000 I know we're expecting in outlying areas a bit of a frost and eye, 742 00:53:50.039 --> 00:53:53.440 but just remember our soil temps stay warm, and now is the time you 743 00:53:53.519 --> 00:53:58.000 want to get those plants in the ground, even the perennials that will go 744 00:53:58.159 --> 00:54:01.760 dormant later in the in the sea. But when they're going to rest, 745 00:54:01.840 --> 00:54:06.320 it's a good time they can focus on root growth. Right, That's exactly 746 00:54:06.400 --> 00:54:08.440 what they do. You know, during this time period when they're not focusing 747 00:54:08.480 --> 00:54:12.960 on top growth, this is when they're developing that root system. And that 748 00:54:13.119 --> 00:54:16.840 good root system, in combination with good bed preparation, is what's going to 749 00:54:16.920 --> 00:54:21.559 get you through the next hot, hot, dry spell. Right. The 750 00:54:21.719 --> 00:54:25.679 number to call to seven one three, two and two five eight seven four. 751 00:54:27.159 --> 00:54:30.559 That's seven one, three, two and two five eight seven four. 752 00:54:31.159 --> 00:54:37.039 Well, we've been going through color list all morning, yeah, because it's 753 00:54:37.039 --> 00:54:40.760 important to gardners, you know, right exactly, So we've talked about a 754 00:54:40.800 --> 00:54:47.320 lot of the annual color we haven't talked much about bulbs, but we touched 755 00:54:47.400 --> 00:54:52.239 on it a bit. But you know the especially those Southern Airline bulbs, 756 00:54:52.480 --> 00:54:58.280 Yes, Southern Bulbs Company, Yes, this has done a remarkable job. 757 00:54:58.559 --> 00:55:02.440 Yeah. And you know, bulbs have a different characteristic to them than a 758 00:55:02.480 --> 00:55:07.000 lot of the bulbs that we see, both timing wise and the types of 759 00:55:07.039 --> 00:55:09.920 bulbs we plant. We have some fabulous things that can be planted here that 760 00:55:10.000 --> 00:55:13.800 are true queens of the South, things like our crime. Them are so 761 00:55:14.000 --> 00:55:20.320 beautiful, you know, Narcissus, you know this time of year, Yeah, 762 00:55:20.400 --> 00:55:23.119 Lukojum's just you know, we're we are you know, those things are 763 00:55:23.199 --> 00:55:27.480 now coming up right, you know, and so they're poking their little heads 764 00:55:27.519 --> 00:55:30.519 up and just getting ready. That's that promise of you know, the bloom 765 00:55:30.559 --> 00:55:32.840 that's going to come for spring and spring and summer. You've got your rein 766 00:55:32.920 --> 00:55:36.639 lily. Yes, I love them so much. Oh my gosh, they're 767 00:55:36.639 --> 00:55:38.079 so pretty. And you forget, you know, I've got these bulbs planted 768 00:55:38.119 --> 00:55:43.480 all over the nursery and I forget what I have where it is. And 769 00:55:43.639 --> 00:55:46.039 like you said, right now, we've got we've got a lot peeking out, 770 00:55:46.280 --> 00:55:49.519 a lot of things are peking up and you know, that's one of 771 00:55:49.559 --> 00:55:52.119 the things I love about planting bulbs, right, is the idea that you 772 00:55:52.280 --> 00:55:58.360 plant them. They do definitely have a cycle of seasons, and then when 773 00:55:58.400 --> 00:56:00.480 you least expect it kind of thing, here they come popping up and you 774 00:56:00.599 --> 00:56:05.360 know, oh that's you know, that's my beautiful iris that's gonna bloom soon. 775 00:56:06.559 --> 00:56:10.440 It's it's just nice. And some of them have truly pretty foliage long 776 00:56:10.599 --> 00:56:15.159 before or after they're bloom. We have others that come up and of course 777 00:56:15.159 --> 00:56:16.840 they're going to go through the die back on the foliage, which is why 778 00:56:16.920 --> 00:56:21.400 we camouflage them and plant them in among other things. And we allow them 779 00:56:21.440 --> 00:56:23.199 to come up and we enjoy them while while they're up, and then we 780 00:56:23.320 --> 00:56:27.920 allow them to go back down. And don't forget those southern bulbs. There 781 00:56:28.000 --> 00:56:34.440 is truly one that blooms every season of the year. My favorite one is 782 00:56:34.519 --> 00:56:38.360 the Gladiola natal lensus. Yeah, that one's the Byzantine. Oh my gosh, 783 00:56:39.440 --> 00:56:43.480 And talk about it's so funny. These are bulbs, and so they 784 00:56:43.559 --> 00:56:45.840 are part of what we would consider in the temperate plant groups, right, 785 00:56:45.960 --> 00:56:52.199 and yet here you have the Byzantine and the and the which is the parrot 786 00:56:52.239 --> 00:56:57.320 glad that are true hot, fiery tropical colors out they're just so cool. 787 00:56:57.880 --> 00:57:00.519 And then there are varieties of iris we can grow quite well. The Louisiana 788 00:57:00.599 --> 00:57:05.360 iris do beautifully, the spury of iris, Japanese iris do well. We 789 00:57:05.440 --> 00:57:09.039 have our little native blue iris. So it's just there is there's something that 790 00:57:09.119 --> 00:57:14.119 you can plant that gives you color all the time. And I like the 791 00:57:14.199 --> 00:57:15.800 fact that they sort of, you know, go down and rest for a 792 00:57:15.880 --> 00:57:19.519 little while and then hear they come popping back up again. And you know, 793 00:57:19.800 --> 00:57:24.119 everybody's sees in the magazines those big beautiful dark purple and blue alliums, 794 00:57:24.280 --> 00:57:27.719 yes, that you see up north. But we do have a little native 795 00:57:27.719 --> 00:57:30.840 one. We do have a native one. And you know, aliums are 796 00:57:30.920 --> 00:57:35.559 something that with the with choosing the right ones and putting them in the right 797 00:57:35.679 --> 00:57:37.519 spots right, we can really enjoy them. Have a lot of them in 798 00:57:37.559 --> 00:57:40.599 the herb garden, bet I have. You know, they've they've spread themselves 799 00:57:40.639 --> 00:57:45.000 throughout the gardens. But you talk about activity when they're in bloom. Yes, 800 00:57:45.760 --> 00:57:50.559 again back to our pollinators and our beneficials. You know, it's we 801 00:57:50.960 --> 00:57:53.519 we do need them so much in our garden. It is what I call 802 00:57:53.599 --> 00:58:00.159 the essential partnership, and so providing for them is part of our responsibility if 803 00:58:00.199 --> 00:58:02.840 we want them to return the favor and colonized plants that we want to go 804 00:58:02.920 --> 00:58:06.840 to seed or produce a fruit for us, right right. I'm glad you 805 00:58:06.880 --> 00:58:12.599 brought that up to When people think about pollinators, they always think about fruits 806 00:58:12.599 --> 00:58:15.559 and vegetables, but you need that for seed production too. Yes, you 807 00:58:15.639 --> 00:58:19.400 got to have them for seed production. And there's also you know the ideas 808 00:58:19.440 --> 00:58:23.360 of beneficials as well as the pollinators, the little our little army that we 809 00:58:23.440 --> 00:58:27.480 want to be working in our garden, you know, right well. Our 810 00:58:27.559 --> 00:58:31.079 number to call is seven one, three, two and two five eight seven 811 00:58:31.239 --> 00:58:39.760 four. Good morning, Welcome to garden Line. Now, I'm Beverly Well 812 00:58:39.840 --> 00:58:44.440 to the arbor gate. I'm Angela Jenner with the Garden Academy, and we 813 00:58:44.559 --> 00:58:46.800 are so happy to have you with us this morning. Our number to call 814 00:58:47.119 --> 00:58:52.119 is seven one, three two and two five eight seven four. That's seven 815 00:58:52.199 --> 00:58:57.920 one, three two and two five eight seven four. And I think Josh 816 00:58:58.000 --> 00:59:00.719 has a couple of questions for us, I do, ladies. The first 817 00:59:00.800 --> 00:59:07.599 question comes from Dorothy in Orange, Texas. She has some potting mix that 818 00:59:07.840 --> 00:59:15.320 has a six month suggested wait time, and she wants to know whether or 819 00:59:15.360 --> 00:59:22.599 not it's okay to add fertilizer before or after that time. Okay, So 820 00:59:23.320 --> 00:59:29.079 I'm an understanding this as you have a potting mix that has a six month 821 00:59:29.159 --> 00:59:34.360 fertilizer in it, and it would depend on how long that's been, how 822 00:59:34.400 --> 00:59:36.719 long you've had it, how long was it, how long has it been 823 00:59:37.000 --> 00:59:43.599 in storage with you, if it's something that you recently bought. I'm going 824 00:59:43.679 --> 00:59:46.400 to just suggest to you that quite often that by the time you purchase these, 825 00:59:46.480 --> 00:59:51.840 they don't have a lot left. So I would plant, I would 826 00:59:51.960 --> 00:59:53.280 watch, you know, if you're going to use this as a potting media, 827 00:59:53.599 --> 00:59:57.840 I would keep an eye on that plant. I would probably water it 828 00:59:57.960 --> 01:00:00.440 in with something that gives you the root stemu later basis to kind of get 829 01:00:00.480 --> 01:00:05.519 everything started, and then I would observe to see if you see any signs 830 01:00:05.679 --> 01:00:12.559 of nutritional deficiency, meaning any yellowing, not a lot of active growth, 831 01:00:12.639 --> 01:00:15.840 that the plant's not really thriving. And I think at that point I would 832 01:00:15.880 --> 01:00:21.920 probably start adding in a slow release organic fertilizer in the soil and then follow 833 01:00:22.039 --> 01:00:29.119 that up with a liquid fertilizer like a fishy mulsion based maybe activating, and 834 01:00:29.159 --> 01:00:32.679 the right to get it started just in case you see a sign. But 835 01:00:32.760 --> 01:00:37.800 I think anytime you use something that has a fertilizer in it but you don't 836 01:00:37.840 --> 01:00:40.880 know what its storage time has been, if you're going to use it, 837 01:00:42.000 --> 01:00:45.360 you need to watch for nutritional deficiencies and use it sooner rather than later. 838 01:00:45.480 --> 01:00:50.280 Yeah, Yeah, don't don't wait. Don't count on it being a full 839 01:00:50.400 --> 01:00:52.400 six months. Yeah, because as you said, you don't know how long 840 01:00:52.440 --> 01:00:59.639 it's been in the store. Transportation issues so forth right. Would there be 841 01:00:59.840 --> 01:01:04.800 a any Mom and Pops stores around the Orange, Texas area that she could 842 01:01:04.840 --> 01:01:07.880 go to for a little bit further advice, maybe some help. Well, 843 01:01:07.920 --> 01:01:10.280 I think she should look up any of the independent nurseries in her area, 844 01:01:10.519 --> 01:01:16.840 because generally they're going to have a wider selection of nutritional support for her and 845 01:01:17.000 --> 01:01:21.280 someone on staff who will know how to guide her towards it. And I 846 01:01:21.400 --> 01:01:22.679 bet you there would be an Ace Hardware. Oh, I'm sure they'd be 847 01:01:22.840 --> 01:01:28.920 Chace Hardware right in the Orange area. Sounds good, all right. Our 848 01:01:29.039 --> 01:01:36.679 next question comes from Donna in Copperfield. She has a potted cyclomen and their 849 01:01:36.840 --> 01:01:43.480 leafs are the leaves are turning colors, so and once one leaf turns a 850 01:01:43.559 --> 01:01:47.480 color, it starts browning. Then the others kind of follow in suit. 851 01:01:47.719 --> 01:01:52.280 And she has questions on any kind of advice to maybe remedy that issue. 852 01:01:52.599 --> 01:01:57.519 Well, especially if it's the lower foliage. A traditionally that's a sign of 853 01:01:57.639 --> 01:02:02.719 overwatering. So they do not have a high water requirement at all, and 854 01:02:02.960 --> 01:02:08.920 especially if they're indoors, so give them good light, try to keep them 855 01:02:08.960 --> 01:02:14.679 in a container without a saucer. If it has a saucer, remove the 856 01:02:14.800 --> 01:02:19.199 pot from the saucer, water it in your sink or on the patio, 857 01:02:19.719 --> 01:02:22.880 let the water drain through, and let it sit there for a while and 858 01:02:22.960 --> 01:02:25.519 make sure all the moisture is out, and then then replace it back in 859 01:02:27.079 --> 01:02:30.159 the saucer. But it sounds to me like she may be overwatering it a 860 01:02:30.239 --> 01:02:34.519 bit. And also be sure to water the soil. You know that plant 861 01:02:34.760 --> 01:02:37.679 is really thick at the crown, and if you water it from the top, 862 01:02:38.239 --> 01:02:43.280 you oftentimes will cause a little bit of rot. So try to water 863 01:02:43.519 --> 01:02:46.960 up under the foliage and water the soil directly. Yeah, and especially if 864 01:02:46.960 --> 01:02:51.079 it's in a plastic pot. Because that retains moisture longer. And make sure 865 01:02:51.119 --> 01:02:54.000 the pot has drainholes. Yeah, sometimes they're insufficient, especially the ones that 866 01:02:54.039 --> 01:02:58.400 are given is gifts, right, if it has any foil wrapping or anything 867 01:02:58.440 --> 01:03:00.400 around, and remove that. For sure, it's pretty, but it's not 868 01:03:00.480 --> 01:03:02.519 good for the plant. No, And a lot of those, even those 869 01:03:02.679 --> 01:03:07.440 baskets that they come in our plastic line. Yeah, so they need to 870 01:03:07.519 --> 01:03:09.840 breathe. Yeah, gotta breathe. That one needs good aeration. That's it 871 01:03:10.000 --> 01:03:13.880 for me, all right, Thank well, thank you, and our number 872 01:03:13.920 --> 01:03:19.320 to call seven one three two one two five eight seven four. That's seven 873 01:03:19.400 --> 01:03:22.960 one three two one two five eight seven four. Great questions. Yeah, 874 01:03:23.159 --> 01:03:27.960 really good. When we've been talking about color, we talked about Cyclement earlier, 875 01:03:28.559 --> 01:03:31.719 and we talked about what to plant now to get ready for spring. 876 01:03:32.599 --> 01:03:37.920 So I thought maybe we should tackle maybe some spring flowering trees, because now 877 01:03:38.079 --> 01:03:42.760 is the perfect time. This is the time to get them planted, especially 878 01:03:42.760 --> 01:03:45.960 if you're counting on them for bloom this following spring, right right. And 879 01:03:46.360 --> 01:03:51.199 you know, with a lot of the smaller landscapes these days too, you 880 01:03:51.360 --> 01:03:54.559 need to be mindful of the growth habit of what you're planning. You don't 881 01:03:54.559 --> 01:04:00.159 want a plant a giant tree, yeah, and a small lot you know 882 01:04:00.239 --> 01:04:03.239 you'll shade yourself out in just a few years. That causes issues with concrete 883 01:04:03.360 --> 01:04:05.519 value. Do you need to check that it's always you know, if you 884 01:04:05.599 --> 01:04:11.400 have a vision for your landscape, then when you purchase plants, especially if 885 01:04:11.400 --> 01:04:14.920 you're purchasing plants that are a little younger and smaller containers, right, then 886 01:04:15.079 --> 01:04:17.760 you need to have an idea what is it's mature height, them width going 887 01:04:17.800 --> 01:04:21.320 to be and does that fit within the vision that you have for your garden 888 01:04:21.480 --> 01:04:26.159 exactly, so that you don't put something in a space that it ends up 889 01:04:26.239 --> 01:04:30.000 being so much larger than you expected that it throws your entire vision off balance, 890 01:04:30.519 --> 01:04:34.159 or that it's much smaller than you expected and doesn't give you the impact 891 01:04:34.239 --> 01:04:38.400 that you're looking for in your landscape. So you kind of have to make 892 01:04:38.480 --> 01:04:42.079 sure that you know exactly what that is before you get it planted. Well, 893 01:04:42.119 --> 01:04:45.559 there's so many examples or so many trees that we can plant in our 894 01:04:45.639 --> 01:04:51.079 area. We're so fortunate. One of my favorites is Saucer magnolia. They're 895 01:04:51.159 --> 01:04:56.840 so pretty, Oh my gosh, they really are beautiful and over the to 896 01:04:56.960 --> 01:04:59.880 me. Over the years as they age, they get prettier and prettier, 897 01:05:00.039 --> 01:05:02.880 they really do. You can get them single trunk form. You can get 898 01:05:02.920 --> 01:05:08.480 them that get as big as like the black tula, a yellow bird, 899 01:05:08.800 --> 01:05:13.480 as tall as forty to fifty feet, or you can stay closer, you 900 01:05:13.559 --> 01:05:16.599 know, to around a ten to fifteen foot multi trunk, so they can 901 01:05:16.639 --> 01:05:21.159 be a specimen and a large flower beds. Just beautiful and just remember that 902 01:05:21.239 --> 01:05:26.639 it's a deciduous magnolium. Yes, and so when that bloom, people call 903 01:05:26.679 --> 01:05:30.000 them tulip trees. When they bloom in the spring, and they bloom very 904 01:05:30.079 --> 01:05:34.400 early, Yes, they do bloom very early before there's foliage. And one 905 01:05:34.440 --> 01:05:38.679 of the lovely things about them is they give us something that we don't always 906 01:05:38.800 --> 01:05:42.239 have with a lot of our blooming trees, and that is the carpet of 907 01:05:42.639 --> 01:05:46.800 color when the petals fall. See that place is you know like Washington, 908 01:05:47.199 --> 01:05:51.079 you know Washington State and you know Asian gardens, but we don't have a 909 01:05:51.119 --> 01:05:55.159 lot of that here. But I'd love when the petals fall and we have 910 01:05:55.280 --> 01:05:59.679 that beautiful carpet of color underneath the magnolias. When you talk about those gardens 911 01:06:00.119 --> 01:06:03.559 that the cherry blossoms. We can we can grow the okami cherry. Yes, 912 01:06:04.079 --> 01:06:11.800 and so that's a little small, small understory type tree that blooms Pink's 913 01:06:11.880 --> 01:06:15.920 the soft cherry blossom. Pink. The Okami is a gorgeous little tree. 914 01:06:15.039 --> 01:06:19.519 Yeah, you know, they're entire kind of a little handful of the beautiful 915 01:06:19.599 --> 01:06:25.599 prunus that we can plant here that do that, the flowering plums, flowering 916 01:06:25.639 --> 01:06:29.440 apricots, things like that that we can plant here. They're not a traditional 917 01:06:29.519 --> 01:06:33.400 fruit tree, so don't expect fruit afterwards, but they have a gorgeous period 918 01:06:33.440 --> 01:06:38.519 of bloom in our landscape. Well, it sounds like we need to take 919 01:06:38.559 --> 01:06:42.079 a break. We did well, continue this after this short break sounds good 920 01:06:42.119 --> 01:07:31.400 to me. We'll see you then. Kat r H Garden Line does not 921 01:07:31.559 --> 01:07:38.320 necessarily endorse any of the products or services advertised on this program. Welcome to 922 01:07:38.599 --> 01:07:47.519 kat r H Garden Line with Skip Richter's Shoes Crazy. Can you watch a 923 01:07:47.639 --> 01:08:02.280 trip? Just watch him as thanks to sept Crazy, it's again your day, 924 01:08:05.119 --> 01:08:10.039 Good morning, Welcome to the Garden Line. I'm Beverly Welch of the 925 01:08:10.159 --> 01:08:13.800 Arbor Gate and i am Angela Chandler with the Garden Academy. We have the 926 01:08:13.880 --> 01:08:16.439 privilege of sitting in this morning for our dear, good good friends, Skip 927 01:08:16.520 --> 01:08:20.880 rickor Absolutely, it is an honor, it is and it's a beautiful day. 928 01:08:21.720 --> 01:08:25.560 Count down to Christmas, yes, count down to Christmas. And some 929 01:08:25.680 --> 01:08:28.439 lovely weather ahead of us, a little bit of a cool dip, but 930 01:08:28.600 --> 01:08:31.439 not say anything scary, So that's nice, very seasonal, very good. 931 01:08:31.560 --> 01:08:34.800 Don't have to panic, yep. And our number to call this morning is 932 01:08:34.840 --> 01:08:41.720 seven one three two one two five eight seven four. That's seven one three 933 01:08:42.199 --> 01:08:45.079 two one two five eight seven four. We'd love to hear from you. 934 01:08:45.600 --> 01:08:49.880 And it is a great gardening day. We closed out the last segment talking 935 01:08:49.960 --> 01:08:55.319 about the smaller flowering trees that you might want to get it well, not 936 01:08:55.520 --> 01:08:59.119 might want to. You need to get into the ground now if you want 937 01:08:59.159 --> 01:09:03.439 to enjoy their bloom spring. Absolutely, they need that time to start establishing 938 01:09:03.479 --> 01:09:09.319 a good root system, both for structural reasons and for their nutrition reasons, 939 01:09:09.359 --> 01:09:11.800 so that they'll be off to a good start for next year. And no 940 01:09:11.920 --> 01:09:15.000 concern about col weather not absolutely not. In fact, many of these trees 941 01:09:15.039 --> 01:09:18.520 will benefit from the cool weather we're going to have exactly that's why makes them 942 01:09:18.560 --> 01:09:21.840 bloom so well. Yeah, we need it. They need the chill, 943 01:09:23.239 --> 01:09:27.720 and they need those those cooler temperatures in which to get established well, and 944 01:09:27.920 --> 01:09:30.479 so that you don't you can plant them when be worry free. You know, 945 01:09:30.760 --> 01:09:35.960 immediately after planting, things can lose a little bit of their cold tolerance. 946 01:09:36.039 --> 01:09:41.239 So I always look at the long range schedule and if the next week 947 01:09:41.319 --> 01:09:45.159 or ten days is you know, nothing scary is predicted, then even young, 948 01:09:45.560 --> 01:09:49.800 containerized, unestablished trees are going to be fine. Exactly. The only 949 01:09:49.880 --> 01:09:54.640 thing that you might worry about is if you had a really deep freeze coming, 950 01:09:54.720 --> 01:09:57.840 then I might leave it in its container until that passes and then plant 951 01:09:57.880 --> 01:10:01.039 it then. But other than that little window in which they, you know, 952 01:10:01.159 --> 01:10:04.640 are a little bit more susceptible, there's no reason to worry. Now. 953 01:10:04.680 --> 01:10:08.319 It's a perfect time to plant. It's easier on them, and you 954 01:10:08.600 --> 01:10:13.479 definitely that part definitely much nicer to dig a hole now. Exactly. So 955 01:10:13.600 --> 01:10:19.119 we we've touched on the saucer magnolius and how gorgeous they were. We talked 956 01:10:19.239 --> 01:10:27.119 on the prunas family, the flowering flowering plums, flowering apronc because and then 957 01:10:27.319 --> 01:10:30.880 you have your native Mexican plum. Yes, and no other than the fact 958 01:10:30.880 --> 01:10:35.359 that it's a cloud of white in the spring, and we keep mentioning plants 959 01:10:35.399 --> 01:10:39.399 that are good for pollinators because it's going to be a buzz with them. 960 01:10:40.039 --> 01:10:45.239 You have that very dark bark that offsets that white bloom, and that's one 961 01:10:45.319 --> 01:10:48.720 of the lovely things about that. It's not a huge tree, right, 962 01:10:49.239 --> 01:10:54.319 It kind of has a tendency to make a nice wider canopy, so it 963 01:10:54.439 --> 01:10:59.479 fits very well in the garden. It just it develops a nice shape on 964 01:10:59.600 --> 01:11:03.000 its own without a lot of heavy pruning and training. There's a lot of 965 01:11:03.159 --> 01:11:05.880 pluses to the mow, and it does produce a fruit. It does. 966 01:11:06.279 --> 01:11:13.680 It's not it's not your grocery store plum, No, definitely jam and jelly 967 01:11:14.039 --> 01:11:16.119 yeah, material, yeah, definitely. In fact, it makes absolutely beautiful 968 01:11:16.199 --> 01:11:19.000 jelly, right and the birds love it. They do love it. And 969 01:11:19.119 --> 01:11:24.680 some of these flowering trees that we're mentioning do produce a small fruit that is 970 01:11:24.800 --> 01:11:28.119 good for the birds. So that's that's something that we have to concentrate on 971 01:11:28.199 --> 01:11:31.800 as well. Another one is red bud, and red buds are so plentiful 972 01:11:31.880 --> 01:11:38.880 through our area and so beautiful and there are so many new introductions. One 973 01:11:39.119 --> 01:11:41.920 the one that is so stop you in your tracks. Oh my god, 974 01:11:42.159 --> 01:11:46.840 they're a flamethrower. I know that's what you're talking about. Yeah, so 975 01:11:47.800 --> 01:11:54.720 you not only get that beautiful bloom with no foliage, but the foliage is 976 01:11:54.960 --> 01:11:59.199 like people will stop on stop and knock at your door and ask you what 977 01:11:59.359 --> 01:12:02.279 this tree is. So it is. It's got lime green, it's got 978 01:12:02.399 --> 01:12:05.359 gold, it's got burgundy, it's got orange, and it's got green. 979 01:12:06.680 --> 01:12:12.159 Stop you in your tracks, right. And the lovely thing about these red 980 01:12:12.199 --> 01:12:15.479 buds is that they're the perfect tree for the small front yard, right. 981 01:12:15.319 --> 01:12:19.880 You know, they're they're not a yard eater. And so when your hoa 982 01:12:20.159 --> 01:12:23.680 wants you to you know, they want to plant a live oak in your 983 01:12:23.840 --> 01:12:29.079 in your front yard that's very small. It's just not appropriate, and you 984 01:12:29.159 --> 01:12:31.439 want to replace that. They are not going to object about this. It's 985 01:12:31.479 --> 01:12:33.640 going to knock on your door and ask you what it is, right. 986 01:12:33.840 --> 01:12:39.279 Right. And another one too, that was the precursor to the flank throw 987 01:12:39.439 --> 01:12:45.000 was the rising sun just and again drop dead beautiful, drop dead beautiful, 988 01:12:45.319 --> 01:12:48.840 not only spring but all summer yep. And you know, then you have 989 01:12:48.960 --> 01:12:53.920 your standard Oklahoma, which is tried and true. I mean, that's that's 990 01:12:53.960 --> 01:12:59.720 a beautiful but that's more your traditional red bud foliage. It does, it 991 01:13:00.319 --> 01:13:02.920 does a hazard very and then you know, again we talked about weeping. 992 01:13:05.079 --> 01:13:11.840 I love the weeping red button twist. And don't forget about the white blooming 993 01:13:12.119 --> 01:13:14.680 right, and it has a lot of character to it. I mean, 994 01:13:14.800 --> 01:13:18.000 that is a statement plant. It does. And then let's move to the 995 01:13:18.159 --> 01:13:24.239 fringe tree, both of our favorites. The Chinese French tree is again a 996 01:13:24.439 --> 01:13:28.439 perfect tree for a smaller landscape. The shape of the tree a little bit 997 01:13:28.479 --> 01:13:34.520 more umbrella shaped. The Chinese fringe is more sun tolerant than your native fringe, 998 01:13:35.399 --> 01:13:40.359 which definitely has to be an understory tree or a shade loving tree. 999 01:13:41.239 --> 01:13:45.760 And the bloom on the Chinese fringe, the petal is just slightly wider than 1000 01:13:45.840 --> 01:13:48.119 on the native but again, a cloud. A cloud, that's what they 1001 01:13:48.199 --> 01:13:53.000 look like when they're in bloom. They are a cloud. One of my 1002 01:13:53.159 --> 01:13:57.720 personal favorites that you don't often see, but we had in our backyard when 1003 01:13:57.720 --> 01:14:01.720 I was growing up in spring branch is peppermint peach. Ah. Yeah, 1004 01:14:01.880 --> 01:14:05.439 and I love your good color. Oh my gosh. Every bloom is different, 1005 01:14:05.800 --> 01:14:10.800 every branch is different. You may have a branch of this solid well 1006 01:14:10.840 --> 01:14:14.239 they're all double blooms. You'll have this solid red, then you might have 1007 01:14:14.319 --> 01:14:17.560 a solid white, then you've got this striped. And yeah, every year 1008 01:14:17.680 --> 01:14:21.399 people would my mom one year just put a sign under this is what this 1009 01:14:21.640 --> 01:14:25.760 is because so many people would stop and ask, oh, what is that 1010 01:14:25.920 --> 01:14:30.640 tree? But it's it's it's one you definitely want to plant if you've got 1011 01:14:30.159 --> 01:14:34.600 got space for a small ornamental tree. And you know the crab apples, 1012 01:14:35.640 --> 01:14:40.079 Yeah, the flowering crabs, and there's more than one reason to plant that. 1013 01:14:40.560 --> 01:14:44.399 Yeah, it's a pollinator for your other apples. It definitely is. 1014 01:14:45.199 --> 01:14:47.439 In fact, a lot of the crab apples are a universal pollinator. So 1015 01:14:47.560 --> 01:14:50.960 if you're in that, you know, in that quandary about what you're going 1016 01:14:51.000 --> 01:14:54.960 to do about growing apples, and you know a lot of people don't think 1017 01:14:55.000 --> 01:14:57.560 we can grow apples here on the Gulf Coast, and we can. There 1018 01:14:57.600 --> 01:15:00.520 are several apples that we can grow that do quite well for us. But 1019 01:15:00.720 --> 01:15:04.000 pollination is always the key, especially if you only have room for one tree, 1020 01:15:04.479 --> 01:15:08.039 what are you going to do about that? So it doesn't have apple's 1021 01:15:08.039 --> 01:15:10.359 good, Yeah, it doesn't have to be right next to it either, 1022 01:15:12.880 --> 01:15:16.000 So talking about the crab apple and then into the apple. I think we 1023 01:15:16.079 --> 01:15:18.880 should start discussing some fruit trees right now. It sounds good to me. 1024 01:15:18.960 --> 01:15:28.640 We'll do that right after this break. Good morning, and welcome to Garden 1025 01:15:28.720 --> 01:15:31.720 Line. I'm Beverly Welch of the Arborgate. I'm Angela chandler with the Garden 1026 01:15:31.760 --> 01:15:35.720 Academy, and we are here to answer your calls. Our number is seven 1027 01:15:35.760 --> 01:15:43.039 one three two one two five eight seven four. That's seven one three two 1028 01:15:43.119 --> 01:15:46.600 one two five eight seven four, And I believe Josh has a couple of 1029 01:15:46.720 --> 01:15:53.640 questions for us I do. First question comes from Bob in New Waverly. 1030 01:15:54.720 --> 01:16:00.000 He recently got some second hand pulverized azamite from a friend and he wanted to 1031 01:16:00.800 --> 01:16:09.840 ask for some advice on spreading, maybe with sprayers or something a little easier 1032 01:16:09.920 --> 01:16:16.439 on his body while spreading. Would you like to go with this one well 1033 01:16:16.479 --> 01:16:20.159 pulverized. I would like to know what exactly that the powdered. I believe 1034 01:16:20.479 --> 01:16:28.000 it said that it was kind of like a powder. Yes, consistency. 1035 01:16:29.439 --> 01:16:31.399 Yes. In my own landscape, I have used the pelletize, but I 1036 01:16:31.520 --> 01:16:35.319 am aware that it comes in a powdered form as well, and so my 1037 01:16:35.520 --> 01:16:41.880 recommendation to you would be to go to the Azamite website and they have an 1038 01:16:42.039 --> 01:16:47.720 FAQ section that will give you the proper mixing and application for that. It 1039 01:16:47.880 --> 01:16:54.000 can be applied by hand as a rock dust, just as we do any 1040 01:16:54.079 --> 01:16:59.439 other form of rock dust which comes in a very powdered form, and in 1041 01:16:59.560 --> 01:17:02.880 that case she would just you know, pour a portion that you can handle 1042 01:17:02.960 --> 01:17:05.800 in a bucket, because you know, carrying a big sack round is not 1043 01:17:05.920 --> 01:17:12.159 comfortable for any of us, and just broadcasting that lightly in the landscape. 1044 01:17:13.439 --> 01:17:17.119 But I definitely know that there are an educational resources on the as of my 1045 01:17:17.279 --> 01:17:23.279 website that would give you a more specific application, especially if you did want 1046 01:17:23.319 --> 01:17:26.199 to try to, you know, make a wettable powder out of it. 1047 01:17:28.760 --> 01:17:33.399 Sounds good. The next question is from Jim in Montgomery. He needs help 1048 01:17:33.600 --> 01:17:41.239 identifying a type of irish. He says that this type does not have a 1049 01:17:41.439 --> 01:17:47.560 bulb and it come and it's got a purple and yellow color with spiky leaves. 1050 01:17:48.960 --> 01:17:55.520 Sounds like a Louisiana iris. Yeah, and unless he's got the butterfly 1051 01:17:55.640 --> 01:17:59.119 irish of the Katrina, he could have ad deities of some sort. My 1052 01:17:59.279 --> 01:18:03.560 question to him would be, is the foliage evergreen? Is it up year 1053 01:18:03.680 --> 01:18:11.119 round? That would help identify it. He also can email a photo to 1054 01:18:11.560 --> 01:18:15.479 info at Arburgate dot com and I'll be happy to look at it, and 1055 01:18:15.560 --> 01:18:19.039 I'm sure Angela would take Yeah, just at the Garden Academy dot com. 1056 01:18:19.159 --> 01:18:21.399 Yeah, if you can email a photo of either, you know, to 1057 01:18:21.520 --> 01:18:25.720 either one of us, and you know, assuming this time of year, 1058 01:18:25.760 --> 01:18:29.600 that what you have is just the spiky foliage. But there are several iris 1059 01:18:29.720 --> 01:18:32.880 that don't have a large bulb at the bottom of the Spurriya iris or another 1060 01:18:33.000 --> 01:18:38.279 one that don't have that large bulb and come in a huge variety of colors. 1061 01:18:38.720 --> 01:18:42.720 But and when you say spiky foliage, that's kind of where I'm I'm 1062 01:18:42.840 --> 01:18:46.319 thinking, because the Spurys have a very spiky foliage to them. So I 1063 01:18:46.399 --> 01:18:49.439 think a photograph would help a lot. And we glad to help with that. 1064 01:18:51.439 --> 01:18:58.600 Awesome, awesome, Okay. The next question comes from Stephen and Galveston. 1065 01:18:58.800 --> 01:19:06.159 He has a question about heat heat treating in the coming possible freeze because 1066 01:19:06.640 --> 01:19:12.880 he can't he can't obtain incandescent light bulb, so he has he's asking for 1067 01:19:13.000 --> 01:19:18.319 recommendations on that. Well, depending on what he is covering, you know, 1068 01:19:18.520 --> 01:19:24.079 frost cloth is always a good option if these are things in the ground 1069 01:19:24.319 --> 01:19:28.680 and he has access, he has any deciduous trees, you know, pulling 1070 01:19:28.760 --> 01:19:31.840 his leaf litter into the garden to help cover the roots. And mainly, 1071 01:19:32.720 --> 01:19:36.760 again depending on what he's covering. I'm assuming in Galveston it's a lot it's 1072 01:19:36.840 --> 01:19:43.520 more of a tropical landscape. The main thing is that you keep that root 1073 01:19:44.239 --> 01:19:49.079 strong and healthy. If it's if it's things like gingers and bananas that are 1074 01:19:49.119 --> 01:19:54.800 going to have a more fluid or liquid in the stalk. If he wants 1075 01:19:54.880 --> 01:19:58.960 to protect a banana, he actually could even use a cardboard box and fill 1076 01:19:59.039 --> 01:20:03.720 the box the cordboard around the trunk and then fill the box with leaves. 1077 01:20:04.159 --> 01:20:08.600 That works. It's a good insulation. It's a good insulator and a lot 1078 01:20:08.640 --> 01:20:11.840 of things. As long as you're keeping the crown, the trunk, the 1079 01:20:12.000 --> 01:20:16.760 roots healthy, it really doesn't harm the plant terribly to lose foliage, right, 1080 01:20:17.359 --> 01:20:20.600 And if we do have a frieze, that's hard enough that he does 1081 01:20:20.720 --> 01:20:24.239 want to do something. And like you said, he mentioned that he couldn't 1082 01:20:24.239 --> 01:20:28.720 get the incandescent lights and is looking for a heat source. They do make 1083 01:20:29.000 --> 01:20:33.520 a tape that is used on piping on your plumbing. The heat tape, 1084 01:20:33.600 --> 01:20:39.039 yes, it's a heat tape, comes in different links. It's a low 1085 01:20:39.159 --> 01:20:41.920 heat source. And so if we have something, you know, if we 1086 01:20:42.000 --> 01:20:45.000 do have a frieze it's coming up, that's going to be that bad Stephen, 1087 01:20:45.640 --> 01:20:48.720 and you are concerned about that, I would look into the plumbing tape, 1088 01:20:49.039 --> 01:20:53.960 heating tape that you can wrap easily around the lower part of your trunk 1089 01:20:54.039 --> 01:20:56.600 so that you don't you know, you always want to protect that graft, 1090 01:20:56.960 --> 01:21:01.520 but you won't need that unless we get one of those harsh Arctic blasts coming 1091 01:21:01.600 --> 01:21:05.359 down through here. So we want to protect our plants, but there is 1092 01:21:05.439 --> 01:21:10.239 the danger of over protecting some as well, so we kind of have to 1093 01:21:10.319 --> 01:21:16.840 make sure that we match our protection protocols to the degree of the pending freeze 1094 01:21:16.920 --> 01:21:21.840 that's coming. And you know you mentioned a grafted plant right. Another way 1095 01:21:21.920 --> 01:21:27.479 to do that that's so easy to do is with your bagged soils, your 1096 01:21:27.520 --> 01:21:30.720 bagged even probably your bagged umulch as well, if it's a big enough bag, 1097 01:21:30.840 --> 01:21:33.199 as long as it's a deep enough grind, you know. That's the 1098 01:21:33.319 --> 01:21:36.680 key, is that you want something that has some substance to it, which 1099 01:21:36.720 --> 01:21:42.000 is why we favor doing it with potting soil. Those bags, you know, 1100 01:21:42.079 --> 01:21:45.359 when you bring them up around the trunk of a tree, either two 1101 01:21:45.520 --> 01:21:47.359 or three depending on the size of the tree, that you can bring around 1102 01:21:47.439 --> 01:21:51.319 there and either lean against the trunk or if you have any concerns, tying 1103 01:21:51.399 --> 01:21:57.520 them to the trunk. That is a good six or eight inches of dense 1104 01:21:57.720 --> 01:22:01.479 insulation right around that graft and really good way to protect trees, especially if 1105 01:22:01.520 --> 01:22:04.840 you're concerned about losing the top. But you just want to make sure that 1106 01:22:04.920 --> 01:22:09.560 we don't lose that graph and again before freeze, it's always a good idea 1107 01:22:09.600 --> 01:22:13.159 to make sure your soil is moist. Yes, absolutely soil is moist, 1108 01:22:13.239 --> 01:22:16.079 and then get that folier seaweed out there so that you get that little bit 1109 01:22:16.159 --> 01:22:20.680 of you know, a degree or two of protection from that a degree several 1110 01:22:20.720 --> 01:22:24.880 degrees of protection from frostcloth, a little bit of protection. You know, 1111 01:22:25.239 --> 01:22:29.079 what we're doing is we're adding layers, just the way we add layers when 1112 01:22:29.119 --> 01:22:31.520 we're trying to stay warm. It's, you know, not one solution, 1113 01:22:31.720 --> 01:22:38.439 it's all these layers of protection that are going to help our plants. Awesome, 1114 01:22:38.560 --> 01:22:40.960 that's all I have. All right, thank you so much, thank 1115 01:22:41.039 --> 01:22:44.880 you. And then number to call is seven one three, two one two 1116 01:22:45.600 --> 01:22:50.279 five eight seven four. That's seven one three, two, one two five 1117 01:22:50.439 --> 01:22:56.159 eight seven four. Great question all of them. Yeah, have been really 1118 01:22:56.199 --> 01:23:01.920 good this morning. Absolutely well. We ended the last talking about flowering crab 1119 01:23:02.000 --> 01:23:09.279 apple trees, talking about smaller trees for the smaller landscapes that are now in 1120 01:23:09.520 --> 01:23:14.399 spring blooming. Get them into the ground. Now. Crab apple not only 1121 01:23:14.560 --> 01:23:19.920 is a beautiful ornamental tree, but it offers pollination for any other apple. 1122 01:23:20.680 --> 01:23:25.560 Another tree that can do a double duty, so to say, is flowering 1123 01:23:25.640 --> 01:23:28.880 pair. Yes, you know, if you want to grow pears in your 1124 01:23:28.960 --> 01:23:33.279 landscape and you're concerned about pollination and you only have room for one fruiting pair, 1125 01:23:33.960 --> 01:23:39.520 if your neighborhood has Bradford pairs in it flowering pears, which most of 1126 01:23:39.600 --> 01:23:44.159 our neighborhoods do, then you don't have to worry about that. Bees forage 1127 01:23:44.359 --> 01:23:47.720 one type of flower per trip out of the hive, So they're going to 1128 01:23:47.800 --> 01:23:53.520 visit pears on this trip, and if they visit the Bradford or other flowering 1129 01:23:53.600 --> 01:23:57.479 pears in your area and then visit your pears. You're going to get successful 1130 01:23:57.520 --> 01:24:02.520 pollination, so you can It's what they Japanese call the borrowed landscape. So 1131 01:24:02.640 --> 01:24:06.399 look around your neighborhood. What do your neighbors have? You know, do 1132 01:24:06.520 --> 01:24:11.039 you have a neighbor a block or two away that has an apple tree that's 1133 01:24:11.119 --> 01:24:14.199 doing well, or a plum tree that's doing well, or some tree where 1134 01:24:14.560 --> 01:24:17.520 it allows you to plant that the fewer trees in your landscape, if that's 1135 01:24:17.600 --> 01:24:21.920 your what you have space for, but not give up the idea of fruiting 1136 01:24:23.079 --> 01:24:26.840 because you're concerned about the space you have for trees. And people are often 1137 01:24:27.000 --> 01:24:30.680 surprised to learn that a bee will travel three miles. They do, you 1138 01:24:30.760 --> 01:24:32.920 know, they can travel up to five, but that wears a bee out. 1139 01:24:33.159 --> 01:24:38.760 She only has a certain number of miles in her and so they generally 1140 01:24:39.000 --> 01:24:42.039 travel in that two to three miles. But when you really do drive around 1141 01:24:42.079 --> 01:24:45.039 your neighborhood and see what's there, there's going to be a lot of trees 1142 01:24:45.560 --> 01:24:50.920 in a neighborhood that you can draw from and count on pollination for your trees. 1143 01:24:51.479 --> 01:24:56.680 So if you have room for a crape myrtle, you have room for 1144 01:24:56.760 --> 01:25:00.520 a fruit tree, you do, absolutely, And you know, the one 1145 01:25:00.800 --> 01:25:05.640 good thing about putting fruit in your landscape is that largely you are the one 1146 01:25:05.720 --> 01:25:10.720 that's in control as to how large your tree is going to be. Just 1147 01:25:10.840 --> 01:25:15.079 because a catalog says twelve to fifteen feet high and wide doesn't mean you have 1148 01:25:15.239 --> 01:25:17.720 to allow that tree to get twelve to fifteen feet. So if you only 1149 01:25:17.840 --> 01:25:21.600 have room for an eight or ten foot tall tree, you can maintain that 1150 01:25:21.800 --> 01:25:27.640 tree at that height. It doesn't require any additional pruning. You know, 1151 01:25:27.840 --> 01:25:30.520 we're going to prune our fruit trees annually anyway, and this doesn't require any 1152 01:25:30.560 --> 01:25:34.960 additional pruning. It just requires the idea that you decide how tall you want 1153 01:25:35.000 --> 01:25:40.159 your tree to be and that you keep it at that heighth. So it 1154 01:25:40.239 --> 01:25:45.640 does allow people a lot of flexibility to fill certain spaces in their yard. 1155 01:25:45.000 --> 01:25:47.720 By the same token, if you have a tall, narrow space, like 1156 01:25:47.840 --> 01:25:51.119 say in your side yard, you can allow that tree. You can prune 1157 01:25:51.119 --> 01:25:54.880 it to be a little narrower and allow it to get a little taller. 1158 01:25:55.039 --> 01:25:59.119 So fruit trees give us a lot of flexibility. Now they really are in 1159 01:25:59.279 --> 01:26:03.119 control, So don't give one up just because you're concerned about things like mature 1160 01:26:03.199 --> 01:26:08.560 heights or the pollenizers that you need to plant with it. You can do 1161 01:26:08.640 --> 01:26:13.000 a little bit of research and address both concerns. And that's an excellent point. 1162 01:26:13.239 --> 01:26:15.359 Because you do put them every year, you really are in control. 1163 01:26:15.960 --> 01:26:21.720 And oftentimes these dwarf varieties that you read about in the weekly or the Sunday 1164 01:26:21.760 --> 01:26:28.079 newspaper or the magazines really aren't optimal varieties for our climate. A lot of 1165 01:26:28.159 --> 01:26:33.119 times they're not. And the other thing is dwarfs can outperform their catalog stated 1166 01:26:33.239 --> 01:26:39.039 size, and they also tend to grow slower, so you have some tradeoffs 1167 01:26:39.079 --> 01:26:42.319 and you have to decide which of those trade offs is important to you. 1168 01:26:43.319 --> 01:26:45.119 Good job, Well, thank you so much, and we'll be back right 1169 01:26:45.159 --> 01:26:53.239 after this break. Good morning, and welcome to garden Line. I'm Beverly 1170 01:26:53.279 --> 01:26:57.880 Well to the Arborgate and Angela Chandler with a Garden Academy. Our number to 1171 01:26:57.960 --> 01:27:02.600 call this morning is seven one three two one two five eight seven four. 1172 01:27:02.840 --> 01:27:09.119 That's seven one three, two one two five eight seven four. And I 1173 01:27:09.199 --> 01:27:13.319 think Josh has a question for us, Angela, I do. This question 1174 01:27:13.479 --> 01:27:17.399 comes to us from Diana in the Woodlands. She is looking for advice on 1175 01:27:17.520 --> 01:27:25.800 how to control or preferably kill the new yopon growth that is coming up underneath 1176 01:27:25.880 --> 01:27:32.159 and right next to the existing yopon growth. Well, there is a stump 1177 01:27:32.199 --> 01:27:38.439 and buying killer that is pretty effective. I would be a little concern though, 1178 01:27:38.560 --> 01:27:43.000 if it is associated with an existing yopon that she wants to keep. 1179 01:27:43.840 --> 01:27:47.000 Yeah, because a concern there is. Most of these herbicides translocate right into 1180 01:27:47.039 --> 01:27:51.119 the root system, So if they have independent root systems, you might be 1181 01:27:51.199 --> 01:27:55.880 okay. But if they have a shared root system, that's not going to 1182 01:27:55.880 --> 01:28:00.279 be possible. I won't. There is also a product called sucker stop that 1183 01:28:00.680 --> 01:28:06.600 is very effective on stopping those suckers. You can spray them when they first 1184 01:28:06.680 --> 01:28:12.239 emerge. I know we have it in stock as I'm sure all the local 1185 01:28:12.319 --> 01:28:16.800 garden centers do as well. So she might give that a try. That'll 1186 01:28:16.880 --> 01:28:20.920 keep her without having to clip so often. Yeah, because that does get 1187 01:28:20.960 --> 01:28:25.920 frustrating. I mean, I do understand what the problem is, but you 1188 01:28:26.159 --> 01:28:30.479 just it's just without knowing what's going on with the roots or how adjacent they 1189 01:28:30.560 --> 01:28:34.039 are to each other. My concern would be translocation of that herbicide into the 1190 01:28:34.439 --> 01:28:39.359 root system, right, So try that sucker. It's called sucker literally as 1191 01:28:39.439 --> 01:28:44.159 U see kee er sucker stopper. And I've gotten good feedback on it, 1192 01:28:44.760 --> 01:28:47.520 so that might be worth a try. That's good. Great, that's all 1193 01:28:47.560 --> 01:28:51.319 I have, Thank you very much. Our number is seven to one three 1194 01:28:51.920 --> 01:28:58.760 two one two five eight seven four. That's seven one three two one two 1195 01:28:59.520 --> 01:29:02.039 five eight eight seven four. And please give us a call. We'd love 1196 01:29:02.079 --> 01:29:08.960 to hear from you. Now we close last segment talking about some flowering smaller 1197 01:29:09.239 --> 01:29:14.880 trees like the crab apple flowering crab apple. And you mentioned the flowering pear 1198 01:29:15.399 --> 01:29:23.199 as being pollinators for our fruiting trees. Yes, and if there is limited 1199 01:29:23.279 --> 01:29:30.279 space that you know, not necessarily depend on getting a dwarf quote unquote dwarf 1200 01:29:30.399 --> 01:29:33.279 variety, as oftentimes they grow slower. Yes, there's a trade off, 1201 01:29:33.560 --> 01:29:39.119 right, And many times they're not really adequate with chill hours for this area, 1202 01:29:39.279 --> 01:29:43.000 right, and they're not as productive either. So that does become you 1203 01:29:43.079 --> 01:29:45.399 know, problem because when you grow fruit, you're generally growing fruit looking for 1204 01:29:45.560 --> 01:29:51.000 production, right, and so you're quite often better off buying a what we 1205 01:29:51.119 --> 01:29:57.079 call standard sized tree. And keep in mind that you know things certain the 1206 01:29:57.159 --> 01:30:00.760 rootstocks that work well for us, are not always hu huge trees. For 1207 01:30:00.920 --> 01:30:03.600 example, when the apples that we bring in here, these are not trees 1208 01:30:03.680 --> 01:30:08.199 that become forty forty five foot trees in the first place. These are a 1209 01:30:08.239 --> 01:30:14.439 twelve to fifteen foot tree without any major attention. So you know, you 1210 01:30:14.560 --> 01:30:16.720 have to kind of know that ahead of time and what works in your space. 1211 01:30:17.239 --> 01:30:21.119 And then, as we said, make up your mind is to you 1212 01:30:21.199 --> 01:30:25.439 know what size is going to fit the space, the vision that you have 1213 01:30:25.600 --> 01:30:29.439 for your landscape, and then plan to train the tree to fit into that 1214 01:30:29.560 --> 01:30:32.640 space. Right, and if you are limited on space, and even if 1215 01:30:32.720 --> 01:30:42.199 you are not limited on space, to reduce work, maintenance and multiply your 1216 01:30:43.159 --> 01:30:47.800 reward your harvest, there is a technique called high density, right, and 1217 01:30:47.960 --> 01:30:54.319 generally this means planting your fruit trees and closer proximity to each other. So 1218 01:30:54.479 --> 01:30:59.800 one of the most popular high density methods is to plant trees and what we 1219 01:30:59.840 --> 01:31:05.159 can call a cluster. So take, for instance, a plum. We 1220 01:31:05.319 --> 01:31:10.479 know that most plums require a pollenizer. So if you only have space for 1221 01:31:10.600 --> 01:31:14.199 one tree, what do you do Well, in this case, you can 1222 01:31:14.279 --> 01:31:18.319 plant up to four trees in one tree space where the trunks are about eighteen 1223 01:31:18.359 --> 01:31:26.840 inches apart, sort of in a square of different varieties that will pollenize each 1224 01:31:27.000 --> 01:31:30.359 other that may give you a longer harvest. So you can plant in early 1225 01:31:30.560 --> 01:31:36.079 a mid season and late in your selections, and then in that one tree 1226 01:31:36.159 --> 01:31:44.359 space you can have the solution of having both your pollinators and your different flavors 1227 01:31:44.760 --> 01:31:48.000 you know, and longer harvest all in one same space. And the key 1228 01:31:48.119 --> 01:31:54.680 there is that you'll start training this cluster of trees in the shape as if 1229 01:31:54.720 --> 01:31:59.600 they were one tree. And it's a relatively simple you know, it may 1230 01:31:59.720 --> 01:32:02.840 sound a little complicated, you know, describing it in words, but it's 1231 01:32:02.920 --> 01:32:06.319 a relatively simple way to do this. We do have some information on this 1232 01:32:06.479 --> 01:32:15.439 at the arbor Gate website. But you know, it's just a simple strategy 1233 01:32:15.640 --> 01:32:18.520 where it's just a matter of when you do do your annual pruning. Is 1234 01:32:18.880 --> 01:32:25.520 shaping that cluster of trees as using an imaginary single trunk. That's the best 1235 01:32:25.560 --> 01:32:28.840 way to describe it, and then you kind of get the you know, 1236 01:32:28.960 --> 01:32:30.520 much much more bang for your buck. You know, I have a half 1237 01:32:30.600 --> 01:32:34.960 acre lot and at one time I had eighty six fruit trees planted on that 1238 01:32:35.039 --> 01:32:40.479 one acre lot. Yes, most of ours were in this cluster planting strategy, 1239 01:32:41.399 --> 01:32:45.560 and then we had a fairly large citrus planting. Now I don't have 1240 01:32:45.680 --> 01:32:48.600 eighty six trees now because like everyone else, I have lost some citrus trees 1241 01:32:48.640 --> 01:32:53.640 over the last couple of years. But we are replacing those trees because we 1242 01:32:53.840 --> 01:32:58.239 know that not every Texas winter is going to be like the really scary winters 1243 01:32:58.279 --> 01:33:01.479 that come through, and it's worth it to us to have these have these 1244 01:33:01.560 --> 01:33:06.359 trees that we're so spoiled having that wonderful, lovely fruit in our landscape. 1245 01:33:08.000 --> 01:33:12.279 So uh, it's just it's just a simple strategy that you can plan on 1246 01:33:12.439 --> 01:33:15.119 to add a lot of fruit to your landscape. And when you start growing 1247 01:33:15.199 --> 01:33:20.000 fruit, it becomes a hobby all of itself, especially when you have children 1248 01:33:20.079 --> 01:33:25.199 or grandchildren and they get used to harvesting their own fruit out of the landscape. 1249 01:33:25.239 --> 01:33:28.520 It's wonderful. Well, we're going to have to explore this more. 1250 01:33:28.760 --> 01:33:36.000 Well, can I take a quick break and we'll be right back. Good 1251 01:33:36.119 --> 01:33:40.399 morning, and welcome to garden Line. I'm Beverly Welch at the arbor Gate 1252 01:33:40.640 --> 01:33:44.840 and Angela Chandler with the Garden Academy. And there is some great sunlight coming 1253 01:33:44.920 --> 01:33:47.000 in this window right now in the face. Yeah, I have to get 1254 01:33:47.039 --> 01:33:51.159 my to get my shades on. But it is a beautiful day and we 1255 01:33:51.199 --> 01:33:56.039 would love to hear from you. Seven to one, three two and two 1256 01:33:57.399 --> 01:34:01.840 by eight seven four. That's seven one three, two one two five eight 1257 01:34:02.279 --> 01:34:08.680 seven four. So we close the last segment talking about fruit trees, which 1258 01:34:08.760 --> 01:34:14.039 is a very important subject right now. Everybody is interested in as they should 1259 01:34:14.119 --> 01:34:18.119 be and growing a lot of their own food, and everyone has room for 1260 01:34:18.239 --> 01:34:23.600 that, yes, and that's what we were talking about as opposed to buying 1261 01:34:23.720 --> 01:34:28.119 dwarf varieties that may not be suited for our area. You know, we 1262 01:34:28.319 --> 01:34:30.640 do have control over the size of these plants, correct. We do with 1263 01:34:31.159 --> 01:34:36.840 our pruning and our planting methods. You talked about high density, and high 1264 01:34:36.880 --> 01:34:43.199 density is great if you have limited space, but I don't care if you 1265 01:34:43.319 --> 01:34:48.560 have twenty acres. It is a great method to use. It is it 1266 01:34:48.680 --> 01:34:57.039 increases production and it reduces labor, and it reduces your watering one space, 1267 01:34:57.279 --> 01:35:01.159 you're pruning one space, you're feeding one space, and you have a month's 1268 01:35:01.479 --> 01:35:09.239 long harvest. You know, even commercial growers are going to high density methods 1269 01:35:09.359 --> 01:35:14.359 now because of those same reasons. That it's increasing production and reducing labor. 1270 01:35:14.920 --> 01:35:18.359 So we know that it's important for commercial operators, but it's very important for 1271 01:35:18.439 --> 01:35:24.319 a busy family too. You know, the concept that fruit trees are high 1272 01:35:24.359 --> 01:35:28.439 maintenance, just like we talked about the roses earlier, that's an old fashioned 1273 01:35:28.560 --> 01:35:33.399 concept because we're going to grow these much more like a large shrub in our 1274 01:35:33.479 --> 01:35:38.399 landscape than we are, you know, a thirty or forty foot fruit tree 1275 01:35:38.439 --> 01:35:42.279 that we have to climb a ladder every time we want to prune or do 1276 01:35:42.399 --> 01:35:45.119 any maintenance or harvest the fruit. We're not going to put ourselves in that 1277 01:35:45.199 --> 01:35:48.960 position. It's going to be something that everybody in the family can participate in. 1278 01:35:50.560 --> 01:35:55.119 You talked about planting in the high density method, this kind of a 1279 01:35:55.159 --> 01:35:57.680 grid, kind of a square grid, or you could do a circle. 1280 01:35:57.920 --> 01:36:02.560 Right, I'm eighteen inches apart. If my only sunny location is maybe against 1281 01:36:03.479 --> 01:36:09.359 a wall of a house or against the fence line, why can't I grow 1282 01:36:09.399 --> 01:36:13.239 a fruit tree there instead of a vine? Can't they be trained onto trellis? 1283 01:36:13.399 --> 01:36:15.840 They sure can, and it's a form called espalier, And there is 1284 01:36:15.960 --> 01:36:20.279 a very ancient way of growing fruit exactly for that reason. It kind of 1285 01:36:20.439 --> 01:36:27.000 captured both the light and the heat coming off the wall, and so espalier 1286 01:36:27.159 --> 01:36:31.439 is basically growing into what we would consider two dimensions rather than one where trees 1287 01:36:31.479 --> 01:36:36.000 are are trained to a trellis or trained to a set of support wires. 1288 01:36:38.239 --> 01:36:42.600 It's not suitable to every fruit, but it's suitable to an awful lot of 1289 01:36:42.680 --> 01:36:45.079 them. You know, most of the major ones that we want to grow. 1290 01:36:45.560 --> 01:36:49.880 There are formal espalier forms and informal espalier, and so that allows us 1291 01:36:49.960 --> 01:36:56.319 to grow things like peaches and citrus in that informal style, where we would 1292 01:36:56.359 --> 01:37:00.880 grow things like apples and pears in the more formal styles espalier. So like 1293 01:37:01.000 --> 01:37:04.239 say the narrow side yards, the little things that we have to deal with 1294 01:37:04.560 --> 01:37:10.600 in the urban landscape, that's very suited to growing espelier, and it doesn't 1295 01:37:10.680 --> 01:37:15.560 require a professional landscaper or gardener to train. This is something that every homeowner 1296 01:37:15.640 --> 01:37:19.359 can learn to do. You know, there are really seven forms of what 1297 01:37:19.479 --> 01:37:24.399 we would consider high density, and so the most common ones are things like 1298 01:37:25.079 --> 01:37:30.840 growing in the clusters, growing with espalier. Container growing is also considered a 1299 01:37:30.920 --> 01:37:33.640 high density form, and there are many many fruit trees that can be grown 1300 01:37:33.680 --> 01:37:39.279 in containers. Some are more suited towards short term in containers, others can 1301 01:37:39.359 --> 01:37:45.520 live their entire lives and containers. We also have you know, other forms 1302 01:37:45.560 --> 01:37:48.119 that we can grow, you know, trees in that would you know, 1303 01:37:48.479 --> 01:37:54.520 allow us to include an awful lot of fruit in the suburban landscape. Things 1304 01:37:54.640 --> 01:37:59.439 like you think about citrus in normal winters, Citrus isn't evergreen for us. 1305 01:37:59.600 --> 01:38:02.359 So if you have a place where you need a hedge for some reason, 1306 01:38:02.479 --> 01:38:06.840 you know there's an eye sore, or if it's a privacy issue, Uh, 1307 01:38:06.920 --> 01:38:12.720 there's no reason that citrus can't be your hedge, right, and so 1308 01:38:13.199 --> 01:38:17.520 it's here you go where you have that privacy addressed. You may have an 1309 01:38:17.920 --> 01:38:26.720 eye sore addressed, but you've got fruit production and the absolute magnificent fragrance of 1310 01:38:26.760 --> 01:38:30.640 the blooms during the bluemin season. Right, So just being it's being a 1311 01:38:30.720 --> 01:38:33.399 little bit more creative about how we fit fruit into the landscape. Well, 1312 01:38:33.520 --> 01:38:40.319 and speaking on the create creative side, we built that arbor back in the 1313 01:38:40.399 --> 01:38:45.560 garden area and we're trying to grow to pear trees up the arbor, up 1314 01:38:45.640 --> 01:38:50.840 and over, and then you plan to graft them at their tips when they 1315 01:38:51.079 --> 01:38:55.680 when they reach the peak. Yeah, that's often done with spelier as well. 1316 01:38:55.840 --> 01:38:58.760 When when the two trees meet each other, if they're grown in a 1317 01:38:58.880 --> 01:39:01.600 row, that they're grafted together at the tips. And so this will probably 1318 01:39:01.680 --> 01:39:05.119 be the year in which we select the branches that will go over that arbor, 1319 01:39:05.199 --> 01:39:10.119 and it's almost time to start doing a little bit of pruning for them 1320 01:39:10.359 --> 01:39:13.760 for this coming year. It's getting closed. But it's just the idea of 1321 01:39:13.960 --> 01:39:16.760 being very creative with your fruit trees that it's not you know, this is 1322 01:39:16.840 --> 01:39:20.159 not your grandfather's fruit tree, as you know, the ad used to say, 1323 01:39:20.520 --> 01:39:24.840 this is something that we can be very creative with using in the landscape. 1324 01:39:24.880 --> 01:39:30.680 And there's just something so special about picking tree ripened fruit, oh oh 1325 01:39:30.720 --> 01:39:34.520 my gosh, cheek of its perfection, grown cleanly and organically in your own 1326 01:39:34.600 --> 01:39:40.800 landscape, where you know absolutely every input that went into that tree, and 1327 01:39:40.880 --> 01:39:44.399 then bringing that fruit to the table. It's a very special thing to do. 1328 01:39:45.119 --> 01:39:47.359 Well. You know, we often get tired get asked what do our 1329 01:39:47.439 --> 01:39:53.159 plant? You plant what you like to eat? Yes, that's the number 1330 01:39:53.239 --> 01:39:57.000 one question when people ask that is what does your family like to eat? 1331 01:39:57.119 --> 01:40:01.199 What fruit do you consistently buy at the g grocery store, and in generally 1332 01:40:01.319 --> 01:40:05.920 those answers are going to be things like citrus and apples and oranges and pears. 1333 01:40:06.399 --> 01:40:10.520 All of those things can be grown in the Gulf Coast garden. Well, 1334 01:40:10.560 --> 01:40:14.720 we're going to have to continue on this subject the next next segment, 1335 01:40:14.880 --> 01:40:16.800 and we're going to take a quick break and be right back with you. 1336 01:40:17.000 --> 01:41:02.760 Thank you. Katie r H. Garden Line does not necessarily endorse any of 1337 01:41:02.800 --> 01:41:09.720 the products or services advertised on this program. Welcome to kat r H Garden 1338 01:41:09.760 --> 01:41:29.039 Line with Skip Rictor It's Crazy Trim. Just watch him as many sup crazy 1339 01:41:33.600 --> 01:41:45.399 double a sor. Good morning, Welcome to the Garden Line. I'm Beverly 1340 01:41:45.479 --> 01:41:48.439 Welch from the Arbor Gate and Angela Channer from the Garden Academy. We would 1341 01:41:48.560 --> 01:41:54.199 love to hear from you this beautiful morning. Our number is seven one three 1342 01:41:54.720 --> 01:42:00.520 two one two five eight seven four. That's seven one three, two one 1343 01:42:00.600 --> 01:42:05.840 two five eight seven four. You know, we talked about last segment, 1344 01:42:05.920 --> 01:42:10.760 almost last hour, about a subject that I think that a lot of people 1345 01:42:10.800 --> 01:42:14.880 are very interested in and wanting to try, and that's growing their own fruit 1346 01:42:15.000 --> 01:42:20.640 and food. We talked about the different techniques if you're limited or not on 1347 01:42:20.880 --> 01:42:28.520 space. The high density home orchard management, growing fruits s by a along 1348 01:42:28.600 --> 01:42:32.399 a wall or a fence line, and even being as creative as growing pear 1349 01:42:32.479 --> 01:42:36.640 trees over at arbor. Yes, absolutely so, there's so many ways to 1350 01:42:36.760 --> 01:42:42.239 do it. We often get asked, so, now I want to grow 1351 01:42:42.359 --> 01:42:45.640 some fruit? What do I plant? And my first response is always what 1352 01:42:45.840 --> 01:42:49.920 do you like to eat? What does your family buy? What fruits do 1353 01:42:50.039 --> 01:42:55.079 you like to bring to the table on a regular basis? And like I 1354 01:42:55.159 --> 01:42:59.359 said, fortunately, you know usually the answers are going to be things like 1355 01:42:59.479 --> 01:43:02.000 citrus or apples and peaches and pears, and all of those things can be 1356 01:43:02.039 --> 01:43:09.199 grown here. The next question in selection is to pick something with a proper 1357 01:43:09.680 --> 01:43:16.039 chill hour. People often assume that a chill hour means freezing temperatures. They 1358 01:43:16.159 --> 01:43:21.039 do, and it's not. So first of all, let's get some generalizations 1359 01:43:21.119 --> 01:43:28.039 in one, chill hours only applies to temperate fruit trees and some things like 1360 01:43:28.159 --> 01:43:31.119 berries and grapes, so it's not going to apply to citrus, which is 1361 01:43:31.159 --> 01:43:33.920 a semi tropical, so we can kind of take that out of the mix. 1362 01:43:34.000 --> 01:43:39.319 You don't have to worry about it there. But with things like your 1363 01:43:39.479 --> 01:43:44.159 apples and peaches and plums and pears, things in that category. The deciduous 1364 01:43:44.159 --> 01:43:47.560 trees that lose their leaves in the fall and have a complete dormancy, they 1365 01:43:47.720 --> 01:43:54.840 require a certain number of hours between thirty two and forty five, so it's 1366 01:43:54.960 --> 01:44:00.319 not at freezing or below freezing that we're looking for. In fact, hours 1367 01:44:00.359 --> 01:44:05.279 below freezing don't count, so they don't accumulate in our chill in hours over 1368 01:44:05.800 --> 01:44:11.520 depending on who you talk to, sixty five or seventy those hours actually subtract 1369 01:44:11.680 --> 01:44:15.960 from our chill. So when we have those periods of very warm weather, 1370 01:44:15.159 --> 01:44:19.199 we can lose some of our accumulated chill hours. But the lovely thing about 1371 01:44:19.239 --> 01:44:25.279 it is when we look at our general average temperatures throughout the winter, we 1372 01:44:25.439 --> 01:44:29.800 have an awful lot of hours between thirty two and forty five because we have 1373 01:44:29.960 --> 01:44:34.000 those days that hang around forty two forty three degrees, the sort of overcast 1374 01:44:34.199 --> 01:44:41.399 days, and so we do accumulate chill. Now, it varies across you 1375 01:44:41.439 --> 01:44:45.920 know, Houston's big so it varies muchly from the northwest side down to the 1376 01:44:45.039 --> 01:44:49.119 southeast side, and then definitely at the island where we're in the lowest chill 1377 01:44:49.159 --> 01:44:56.199 hours good, So you know, you kind of have to know where do 1378 01:44:56.279 --> 01:45:00.880 you live and some good sources for this information. I have a generalized article 1379 01:45:01.640 --> 01:45:06.159 about chill hours on my website at the Gardenacademy dot com. By the way, 1380 01:45:06.239 --> 01:45:09.960 I don't sell anything, so you can go there free and you're not 1381 01:45:10.039 --> 01:45:15.840 going to get spammed with a bunch of emails afterwards. And then doctor Bob 1382 01:45:15.880 --> 01:45:20.359 Brandle with the Urban Harvest has a website called year Round Gardening dot net and 1383 01:45:20.560 --> 01:45:27.000 he has collected chill information by neighborhood around Houston. So if you know what 1384 01:45:27.159 --> 01:45:30.760 your subdivision or neighborhood is, you can go to his website and look specifically 1385 01:45:30.880 --> 01:45:34.920 and get you know, at least decades worth of chill information there to kind 1386 01:45:34.960 --> 01:45:41.359 of match it. And the great thing to know is that our local and 1387 01:45:41.520 --> 01:45:47.800 dependent nurseries all carry fruit trees that are suitable for the Gulf Coast area where 1388 01:45:47.880 --> 01:45:54.920 we can't count on that necessarily in the national stores. So we want to 1389 01:45:55.000 --> 01:45:59.640 make sure that we're buying fruit matched to the chill hours that are suitable for 1390 01:45:59.760 --> 01:46:03.359 your part of town. Perfect. I think Josh has a question, great, 1391 01:46:03.479 --> 01:46:09.479 let's take it. I do. This one comes from Cordelia the Hobby 1392 01:46:09.600 --> 01:46:15.000 Airport area. She has two trees, both about three to four foot tall 1393 01:46:15.199 --> 01:46:20.439 as of right now, one a meer lemon and one a satsuma, and 1394 01:46:20.560 --> 01:46:26.840 she is asking when is the right time to move them to a larger pot. 1395 01:46:29.159 --> 01:46:32.960 What size container are they? Well, she's not there. They are 1396 01:46:33.000 --> 01:46:35.760 still in the containers that they came in. Okay, so probably about a 1397 01:46:35.800 --> 01:46:40.239 three to five gallon container. If they're that young, I would say they 1398 01:46:40.279 --> 01:46:44.760 could stand there at least another year before she would think about moving up. 1399 01:46:45.119 --> 01:46:48.319 And when she does move up to a larger container, do not go from 1400 01:46:48.359 --> 01:46:54.119 a three or five gallon to a ten or fifteen gallon. That's so important. 1401 01:46:54.279 --> 01:46:58.439 You have a smaller root ball that's not going to be able to absorb 1402 01:46:58.520 --> 01:47:04.960 the excess moisture and a larger container and drainage is so essential, especially on 1403 01:47:05.039 --> 01:47:09.640 a citrus. Yeah, so you might want to step up to a seven. 1404 01:47:10.279 --> 01:47:13.079 And then the other thing too is keep an eye on the root ball 1405 01:47:13.399 --> 01:47:16.359 because you don't necessarily know how long that tree was in the container before you 1406 01:47:16.479 --> 01:47:21.239 purchased it. So there's solid enough by this time that you can kind of 1407 01:47:21.439 --> 01:47:26.279 gently knock the container off the sides and take a look at the rootball. 1408 01:47:26.760 --> 01:47:30.560 If you still see a good mix of soil content with the roots in it, 1409 01:47:30.680 --> 01:47:34.920 the fleshy white roots, you're generally, like Beverly said, good for 1410 01:47:35.079 --> 01:47:41.199 another time period. If that has starting to become crowding and your roots are 1411 01:47:41.239 --> 01:47:44.720 starting to circulate, then you might want to go ahead and think about stepping 1412 01:47:44.800 --> 01:47:47.319 it up. But as far as time of year is concerned, you can 1413 01:47:47.399 --> 01:47:51.640 pretty much bump them up. Anytime. Active growing season is the best. 1414 01:47:53.199 --> 01:47:57.520 But assuming that you're going to keep it in its sort of nursery conditions and 1415 01:47:57.600 --> 01:48:01.079 in protected space, you could even do that now. Apps. Yeah, 1416 01:48:01.159 --> 01:48:04.840 that's great, and you know we I think you touched on this last segment. 1417 01:48:05.880 --> 01:48:11.640 That's another way to grow any fruit really is in containers. If you're 1418 01:48:11.760 --> 01:48:15.159 with the limited space, I think you included containers with the high density program. 1419 01:48:15.319 --> 01:48:18.199 They are. They're very much the part of high density because we can 1420 01:48:18.319 --> 01:48:24.000 move those containers into all different kinds of logistics in our landscape and things like 1421 01:48:24.079 --> 01:48:27.399 the Meyer lemon, that is a tree that's quite happy in a container. 1422 01:48:27.560 --> 01:48:31.199 Really for its life, you'll want to step up into containers, you know, 1423 01:48:31.880 --> 01:48:36.560 as the tree gains its size and maturity. But lemons grow quite happily 1424 01:48:36.600 --> 01:48:42.720 in a container and are very productive in a container for a very long period 1425 01:48:42.800 --> 01:48:45.119 of time. And it's a good way to follow the sun. It really 1426 01:48:45.279 --> 01:48:48.279 is a very good way to follow the sun. It's also a good way 1427 01:48:48.319 --> 01:48:53.279 to find out where in your landscape are these fruit trees the happiest. It's 1428 01:48:53.319 --> 01:48:55.840 a good point when they're in a container. You can move them until you 1429 01:48:55.960 --> 01:48:59.000 find just the right microclimate for that tree, and then you can make a 1430 01:48:59.079 --> 01:49:01.199 decision do you want to keep it in the container or do I want to 1431 01:49:01.239 --> 01:49:04.560 go ahead and you know, put it in the ground and ease of maintenance 1432 01:49:04.760 --> 01:49:10.399 you you can't be just make sure that you get excellent drainage. Excellent drainage 1433 01:49:10.479 --> 01:49:14.560 and mind you're nutrition. Yeah, because fruit tree is in a container, 1434 01:49:15.079 --> 01:49:18.039 they don't have the same access to the natural nutrition in the landscape, so 1435 01:49:18.319 --> 01:49:21.720 we have to fertilize more often. Thank you so much, and we're going 1436 01:49:21.800 --> 01:49:30.279 to take a quick break. We'll be back shortly. Boy, that was 1437 01:49:30.359 --> 01:49:35.760 a blast from the past. Sure was. Good morning. Welcome to garden 1438 01:49:35.840 --> 01:49:40.279 Line. I'm Beverly Well to the Arborgate. I'm Angela Chandler with the Garden 1439 01:49:40.319 --> 01:49:45.359 Academy and welcome, thank you for joining us. Our number to call is 1440 01:49:45.479 --> 01:49:49.880 seven one three two one two five eight seven four. That's seven one three 1441 01:49:50.439 --> 01:49:57.159 two one two five eight seven four. In the past gosh hour, I 1442 01:49:57.279 --> 01:50:02.680 guess we've been focusing on fruit tree, how to plant them, yep, 1443 01:50:02.720 --> 01:50:06.760 what to plant to plant yep, a little bit about chill hours, chill 1444 01:50:06.800 --> 01:50:14.399 hours, and I think Josh has a question for us I do. This 1445 01:50:14.560 --> 01:50:19.560 one comes from Lewis and Brian, Texas. He has a Alice Stobb anemonee 1446 01:50:19.680 --> 01:50:25.119 and he is wondering about on how to take care of it. Okay, 1447 01:50:25.439 --> 01:50:30.199 Alice Stubb, you're lucky because that's one of the only anemonies that will grow 1448 01:50:30.439 --> 01:50:34.640 for us. And it's a very beautiful little plant. So she's happy in 1449 01:50:34.840 --> 01:50:40.039 both sun and shade. But she has a slightly different growth habit in sun 1450 01:50:40.199 --> 01:50:43.079 than she does in shade. So in the sun it's going to be a 1451 01:50:43.159 --> 01:50:47.279 more compact plant, and in the shade she may send out some daughter plants 1452 01:50:47.319 --> 01:50:53.319 around it. They like to be very well drained. That's one of the 1453 01:50:53.800 --> 01:50:57.720 keys to keeping that one happy. I haven't seen that one in a while, 1454 01:50:57.920 --> 01:51:00.560 haven't seen It's a Lynn Lowry introduction is it is, and it's I 1455 01:51:00.600 --> 01:51:04.439 would consider really an heirloom plant. It certainly acts like one. If it's 1456 01:51:04.520 --> 01:51:09.800 not, it's definitely an air loom plant. Doctor Creech has written some absolutely 1457 01:51:09.880 --> 01:51:15.279 lovely articles about alicetoub and it's kind of a Houston heirloom, right, consider 1458 01:51:15.359 --> 01:51:18.600 it that way, right, great question, Thank you for the all and 1459 01:51:18.720 --> 01:51:23.039 lovely plant, and I wish you very good luck with it. Absolutely. 1460 01:51:23.439 --> 01:51:27.159 The number to call this morning is seven one three, two, one two 1461 01:51:27.880 --> 01:51:33.960 five eight seven four seven one three two one two five eight seven four. 1462 01:51:34.600 --> 01:51:38.479 So I'm going to jump back over to our trees again, our fruit trees 1463 01:51:38.520 --> 01:51:44.399 again. Talked about the chill hours. That seems to be confusing to a 1464 01:51:44.479 --> 01:51:47.319 lot of people. So you explain that it is thirty two to forty five 1465 01:51:47.439 --> 01:51:54.800 degrees and just check your local right Bob Randall, you said, has said 1466 01:51:54.880 --> 01:51:58.800 yeah he does. Because it's oriented by by neighborhood, by subdivision. So 1467 01:51:58.920 --> 01:52:02.000 that's against you really wired in. And the article on my website is more 1468 01:52:02.119 --> 01:52:05.239 general, you know, just based on your general location around town, so 1469 01:52:05.319 --> 01:52:09.720 that won't really get you zeroed in. But the main thing is trust that 1470 01:52:09.840 --> 01:52:13.840 your local independent nursery is bringing in the right fruit trees for you. Now, 1471 01:52:13.880 --> 01:52:16.640 why is it chill hour important? Well, that's you know, scientists 1472 01:52:16.680 --> 01:52:19.760 are still trying to figure out the whole mechanism of chill by the way, 1473 01:52:20.279 --> 01:52:26.880 but it's what the tree requires during its resting period to be able to trigger 1474 01:52:27.520 --> 01:52:32.079 bloom and fruiting the following year. So when you don't get sufficient chill hours, 1475 01:52:32.159 --> 01:52:40.680 you'll see things like delayed flowering, delayed foliage set, delayed fruiting because 1476 01:52:40.680 --> 01:52:45.000 it's just hasn't hit that happy space. And so in the Houston area we 1477 01:52:45.119 --> 01:52:47.079 have a wide variety of chill Like I say, on the island we may 1478 01:52:47.159 --> 01:52:50.359 have one hundred and fifty hours, where in the Cypress area we may have 1479 01:52:50.560 --> 01:52:55.680 up to four fifty hours. So that's one of the reasons it's a big 1480 01:52:55.840 --> 01:52:59.680 challenge for our great local nurserymen to be able to carry trees that are going 1481 01:52:59.720 --> 01:53:02.399 to make everybody happen. And that way, that is what dictates what varieties 1482 01:53:02.479 --> 01:53:05.880 we do care. Yes, it is absolutely so. If you get if 1483 01:53:05.920 --> 01:53:10.880 you live in say our area, the Tombail area, I usually as to 1484 01:53:10.960 --> 01:53:14.880 make three fifty to five hundred trill. If you get one lower, say 1485 01:53:14.920 --> 01:53:17.439 two fifty, like I love tropics, now everybody does. That is the 1486 01:53:17.680 --> 01:53:23.439 best peach I know. But it blooms early, it has a low chill, 1487 01:53:24.119 --> 01:53:27.000 so you're rolling the dice. You are rolling the dice. You have 1488 01:53:27.159 --> 01:53:30.720 a risk with something like that where you may it may be in full bloom 1489 01:53:30.760 --> 01:53:34.039 when we get a late freeze. Right. And so the best thing to 1490 01:53:34.119 --> 01:53:38.680 do there is understand we're dealing with nature. Sometimes you kind of have to 1491 01:53:38.760 --> 01:53:43.760 roll with the punches, enjoy her in the years that you get good fruit, 1492 01:53:44.199 --> 01:53:47.560 and then just understand that occasionally you're gonna you're gonna lose a set of 1493 01:53:47.840 --> 01:53:51.119 blooms to a heavy freeze. Right. So when you do the high density 1494 01:53:51.239 --> 01:53:55.239 method, then you plant say four peach trees in the area. That might 1495 01:53:55.279 --> 01:53:57.560 be when you can sneak in. It might be one you can put in 1496 01:53:57.640 --> 01:54:00.439 there, and that way you still will have production. And the other thing 1497 01:54:00.520 --> 01:54:02.920 too is when nestling these trees together, they do protect each other, that's 1498 01:54:02.960 --> 01:54:08.159 true. And the other good thing about keeping fruit trees lower and not allowing 1499 01:54:08.239 --> 01:54:11.600 them to gain some huge size is it's much easier to get you know, 1500 01:54:11.720 --> 01:54:15.439 especially like a fourteen by fourteen foot of frost cloth over it, because sometimes 1501 01:54:15.520 --> 01:54:19.000 it's not the ambient air temperature that's going to get the blossoms. It's the 1502 01:54:19.119 --> 01:54:24.600 frost crystals falling into the open blossoms. So if you can keep that you 1503 01:54:24.640 --> 01:54:28.560 know, radiant frost from settling in them, you may save a fruit load. 1504 01:54:28.600 --> 01:54:32.000 It's worth a try. Oh always, everything's worth trying once at least. 1505 01:54:33.680 --> 01:54:36.319 So fruit is definitely one that we need to plant. We can do 1506 01:54:36.439 --> 01:54:42.000 it easily. We've got a lot of varieties to choose from and a lot 1507 01:54:42.079 --> 01:54:46.680 of different methods. You introduce me to one and you called it the Fruit 1508 01:54:46.920 --> 01:54:50.640 Tree Guild. I have to admit I thought we were joining a club. 1509 01:54:51.960 --> 01:54:56.960 It wasn't quite sure. And then doing more research on it, it's so 1510 01:54:57.439 --> 01:55:05.039 intriguing. It combines so many companion planting, permaculture, building your soil, 1511 01:55:05.359 --> 01:55:10.359 a soil building, just replicating almost nature if you will. Yes, we 1512 01:55:10.479 --> 01:55:13.920 really are playing Mother Nature with the Fruit Tree Guild. So the Fruit tree 1513 01:55:13.960 --> 01:55:18.079 Guild, instead of being you know, like lollipops and quilting, is gathering 1514 01:55:18.199 --> 01:55:23.039 a group of plants around the base of the tree, within the root zone 1515 01:55:23.079 --> 01:55:28.399 of that tree that are beneficial to the tree itself while it's growing. And 1516 01:55:28.560 --> 01:55:32.920 so it's very much le similar to companion planting and this idea of permaculture. 1517 01:55:33.760 --> 01:55:38.840 It can be a wide variety of things can be planted under these trees. 1518 01:55:38.880 --> 01:55:42.760 So you look at things like what will it contribute to the tree. Is 1519 01:55:42.840 --> 01:55:46.640 it a nitrogen fixer? You know, and that could be everything from black 1520 01:55:46.720 --> 01:55:51.319 eyed peas to blue bonnets, you know, is it a nitrogen fixer? 1521 01:55:51.720 --> 01:55:57.920 Does it attract beneficials? Is it a chop and drop where I get a 1522 01:55:57.960 --> 01:56:01.520 lot of good organic matter can be cut back on a regular basis and dropped 1523 01:56:01.600 --> 01:56:05.960 to allow to decay naturally on the ground to continually feed my soil, you 1524 01:56:06.000 --> 01:56:12.479 know. Is it something that like a dikon radish or turnips that will dig 1525 01:56:12.560 --> 01:56:15.920 a deep you know, root down into the soil and open up that soil 1526 01:56:16.000 --> 01:56:19.920 and improve aeration and drainage. So it's always you know, what does this 1527 01:56:20.039 --> 01:56:25.960 plant do that's going to contribute to the fruit tree. So studies are showing 1528 01:56:26.039 --> 01:56:30.680 now that these fruit tree gilds, which is a combination of things like other 1529 01:56:30.760 --> 01:56:38.119 fruiting plants, flowering plants, you know, leaf mass plants. You know 1530 01:56:38.359 --> 01:56:42.720 that studies are showing that the fruit trees are they have more longevity, meaning 1531 01:56:42.760 --> 01:56:46.399 they're living longer, they're more productive. These are all things that we're looking 1532 01:56:46.479 --> 01:56:49.640 for with fruit trees. And then as a gardener, we're always looking for 1533 01:56:49.720 --> 01:56:55.199 additional places to garden. So you know, rather than just being that malterring 1534 01:56:55.279 --> 01:56:57.960 around my fruit tree, I can have the malts in a little bit of 1535 01:56:58.039 --> 01:57:02.039 compost and then in addition to that, work in some herbs and some legumes 1536 01:57:02.079 --> 01:57:05.720 and some other things around the base of my plant. Or even with taller 1537 01:57:05.800 --> 01:57:10.479 trees, you can do things like plant other berry plants underneath it, so 1538 01:57:10.600 --> 01:57:15.000 that you get layers of fruiting, you know, happening in that one same 1539 01:57:15.119 --> 01:57:19.039 root zone area. So it's it's pretty interesting. It works very well. 1540 01:57:19.359 --> 01:57:23.960 It's a very productive way to garden, and a kind of a creative way 1541 01:57:24.000 --> 01:57:27.359 to garden. And yes, and gives you a lot of room to experiment 1542 01:57:27.520 --> 01:57:30.319 too, right, right, so they and they need to remember too, 1543 01:57:30.399 --> 01:57:36.720 these trees are deciduous, right, so they offer sunlight in the winter months, 1544 01:57:36.800 --> 01:57:41.680 the cooler months where they would be shadier areas in the summer. So 1545 01:57:41.800 --> 01:57:44.680 that would afford us, say, for instance, your bulbs. You can 1546 01:57:44.800 --> 01:57:47.640 plant bulbs under the tree or even in a ring around the tree, because 1547 01:57:47.720 --> 01:57:53.720 there are some bulbs like the daffodil family, the tazetta and narcissus that repel 1548 01:57:54.039 --> 01:57:57.840 things like rabbits and deer. So if you have trouble with that around your 1549 01:57:57.880 --> 01:58:02.119 fruit trees, you can always make that combination. Right, So these plants 1550 01:58:02.199 --> 01:58:09.760 offer suppression, their suppressor plants like your red clover, right, just to 1551 01:58:09.800 --> 01:58:14.600 get people an idea of what we're talking about, squash, strawberries and one 1552 01:58:14.680 --> 01:58:20.079 of our favorites nestershams. Yes, then there are attractor plants. So you 1553 01:58:20.239 --> 01:58:28.279 have your dill, your fennel, lavender flowers, like your salvias. Even 1554 01:58:28.640 --> 01:58:30.880 you could do the nemerosis, you can do the greggy eyes, any of 1555 01:58:30.960 --> 01:58:35.720 them. Combining native plants in your fruit tree guild is always a plus because 1556 01:58:35.760 --> 01:58:43.000 this is remember that our beneficial insects, they evolved with our indigenous plants, 1557 01:58:43.359 --> 01:58:46.319 so their natural partners. Right. And then another one it would be au 1558 01:58:47.199 --> 01:58:51.279 You're just such an easy one to grow. Then you have your pest repellers 1559 01:58:51.680 --> 01:58:59.319 and like you already mentioned the daffodils that tizeta's for the critter y repelliums aliums 1560 01:58:59.359 --> 01:59:03.319 are great gau a regano chive. I mean, the list just goes on 1561 01:59:03.479 --> 01:59:09.319 and on. Yeah, it's it's a beautiful small space to experiment in and 1562 01:59:09.439 --> 01:59:14.520 you're going to combine annuals and perennials, native plants within this maybe, like 1563 01:59:14.600 --> 01:59:16.800 I say, even other things like berries and other fruiting plants. So it's 1564 01:59:16.840 --> 01:59:20.720 a it's kind of a gardening laboratory. But it's all with the idea of 1565 01:59:21.279 --> 01:59:25.960 what does this plant do for my fruit tree and thinking in that basis, 1566 01:59:26.359 --> 01:59:29.000 you know, on a regular basis. Well, I moved as some of 1567 01:59:29.079 --> 01:59:31.600 the gingers over to our fruit tree guild the other day and did the chopping 1568 01:59:31.680 --> 01:59:38.119 drop X with the foliage, and we planted comfrey that day we knew were 1569 01:59:38.159 --> 01:59:42.560 there and it has just taken off. Yeah, we did get that balking 1570 01:59:42.720 --> 01:59:47.319 fourteen variety in, but again I haven't really noticed it com for you being 1571 01:59:47.600 --> 01:59:53.640 an issue. Yeah, it's it's kind of climate limited, right, I 1572 01:59:53.760 --> 01:59:57.640 think so. I think so. But the foliage is great. It's also 1573 01:59:57.880 --> 02:00:00.560 you know, it's a weed suppressor. It's a great one to have. 1574 02:00:00.880 --> 02:00:04.079 Yep, well, this is great. We will have to continue on after 1575 02:00:04.159 --> 02:00:11.000 the break. Thank you for listening. When we return, our number to 1576 02:00:11.079 --> 02:00:15.279 call is seven one three two one two five eight seven four. That's seven 1577 02:00:15.359 --> 02:00:30.199 one three two one two five eight seven four. Good morning, and welcome 1578 02:00:30.279 --> 02:00:34.359 to garden Line. I'm Beverly Welch of the Arborgate and I'm here today with 1579 02:00:34.479 --> 02:00:40.399 Angela Chandler of the Garden Academy. We're sitting in very privileged to sit in 1580 02:00:40.560 --> 02:00:45.720 for Skip Richter this morning. Our number to call is seven one three two 1581 02:00:45.800 --> 02:00:50.399 one two five eight seven four. That's seven one three, two one two 1582 02:00:51.119 --> 02:00:55.600 five eight seven four. We got so much to cover, Angelaine, so 1583 02:00:55.760 --> 02:00:58.920 little time, I know, but it's so much fun talking about gardening, 1584 02:00:59.319 --> 02:01:02.520 well talking at gardeners. So, Josh, I think you have a question 1585 02:01:02.680 --> 02:01:09.439 for us iss I do. This question comes from Marshall in the Dayton area. 1586 02:01:10.119 --> 02:01:14.720 He asks what types of stone fruit are good to plant in that area 1587 02:01:15.000 --> 02:01:19.640 and he also would like you to repeat the websites you used to log the 1588 02:01:19.760 --> 02:01:26.479 chill hours, all right, So in your case, you're in that three 1589 02:01:26.600 --> 02:01:31.279 hundred and fifty plus zone. So with the stone fruits, you can select 1590 02:01:31.319 --> 02:01:36.920 from a lot of peaches. You have the May Pride, the mid Pride, 1591 02:01:38.000 --> 02:01:43.840 the Florida series texts, Yeah, text Pride. Just you have tons 1592 02:01:43.880 --> 02:01:45.880 that you can grow in that area up there, and then if you like 1593 02:01:45.960 --> 02:01:51.079 plums. Pretty much all of the plums will be covered in your chill zone 1594 02:01:51.279 --> 02:01:55.840 in that area. And I will tell you that a very good source for 1595 02:01:55.960 --> 02:02:00.560 you to read up on the different variety so that you can choose flavor profiles 1596 02:02:00.600 --> 02:02:04.600 that you like and also get chill our information is the Urbanharvest website. It's 1597 02:02:04.760 --> 02:02:12.039 urbanharvest dot org. Urban Harvest is around to help the Upper Gulf Coast community 1598 02:02:12.239 --> 02:02:17.000 learn how to grow food and they have some education pages that doctor Bob Randall 1599 02:02:17.000 --> 02:02:21.600 and I wrote and I edited a number of years ago, so they're they're 1600 02:02:21.800 --> 02:02:26.920 just If you'll go to the gardening knowledge section of the website, you'll see 1601 02:02:27.159 --> 02:02:31.960 information on fruit trees and you'll see a list of common varieties that you're gonna 1602 02:02:32.000 --> 02:02:35.439 find in this area and which ones would be more suitable in your chill zone, 1603 02:02:35.760 --> 02:02:39.720 and a little bit of idea about you know, yellow peaches versus white 1604 02:02:39.760 --> 02:02:43.880 peaches, and you know clean stone clingstone versus freestone. So you can get 1605 02:02:43.880 --> 02:02:46.640 a pretty good, pretty good set of information. Doctor Randall has a great 1606 02:02:46.720 --> 02:02:50.079 book that is published as well. Yes he does. I know we hear 1607 02:02:50.199 --> 02:02:55.000 it, but I'm sure most all the all the independent nurseries carry it. 1608 02:02:55.119 --> 02:02:58.119 Yes, he did. It's a very good book and it's it's sort of 1609 02:02:58.279 --> 02:03:01.000 been known for a very long time. I'm as the Houston area, you 1610 02:03:01.079 --> 02:03:04.960 know, gardening. Go to a nectarine. He can do a few nectrines. 1611 02:03:05.000 --> 02:03:10.840 Yeah, he can do nectarines for sure, nectarnes of apricots or you 1612 02:03:10.960 --> 02:03:14.279 know that's kind of a in the iffy. Yeah, they I think what 1613 02:03:14.600 --> 02:03:17.239 once it may be a three four years you can get dallas before it head 1614 02:03:17.239 --> 02:03:19.960 there. You know, I've tried apricots, even though what the low chill 1615 02:03:19.960 --> 02:03:24.359 apricots, they bloom, but they don't produce fruit. So I think you're 1616 02:03:24.560 --> 02:03:28.479 in the you know, zone eight and above for that one. But he's 1617 02:03:28.600 --> 02:03:31.239 he can grow lots of lots of peaches, lots of plums. That's a 1618 02:03:31.319 --> 02:03:36.239 great question, and that leads me into another subject. It is fertilization. 1619 02:03:39.359 --> 02:03:46.239 Oftentimes people are hesitant to feed this time of year, and that all depends 1620 02:03:46.279 --> 02:03:53.159 on a what you're feeding as far as the plant material, but also is 1621 02:03:53.600 --> 02:03:58.239 what are you feeding with. Are you feeding with a synthetic is it water 1622 02:03:58.399 --> 02:04:02.520 soluble or time rely? Are you feeding with an organic? Is it water 1623 02:04:02.640 --> 02:04:06.600 soluble or is it time released? Right? You know, as we were 1624 02:04:06.680 --> 02:04:11.560 talking earlier. Nature never stops feeding. No, she doesn't, don't stop 1625 02:04:11.640 --> 02:04:15.600 eating right right, So again, based upon what you're feeding and what you 1626 02:04:15.800 --> 02:04:20.439 feed with, Yeah, determines on your schedule. It's a big difference, 1627 02:04:20.600 --> 02:04:25.079 right. I know, Skip has a great fertilization schedule out that's on the 1628 02:04:25.159 --> 02:04:29.760 website. It's Gardening with Skip dot com and so you can get his fertilization 1629 02:04:29.960 --> 02:04:34.920 schedules. There list a number of product that are available that are good for 1630 02:04:35.039 --> 02:04:40.479 our area. But the other thing is just remember, like I say, 1631 02:04:40.600 --> 02:04:44.800 nature doesn't remove nutrients, but she also doesn't you know, force a lot 1632 02:04:44.840 --> 02:04:49.399 of growth cycles either. So when you're using slow release fertilizers, especially slow 1633 02:04:49.439 --> 02:04:55.800 release organics, you can get on a consistent, basically a year round fertilization 1634 02:04:56.000 --> 02:05:00.199 schedule. You know, I practice myself a philosophy of half as much wwis 1635 02:05:00.399 --> 02:05:03.359 is often, so I basically fertilize about once a month. And definitely when 1636 02:05:03.359 --> 02:05:06.880 I'm in the garden about and changing out plants, something's going to get a 1637 02:05:06.960 --> 02:05:11.920 toss of fertilizer around it. Sure, But if I'm going to use a 1638 02:05:12.039 --> 02:05:15.520 liquid on something that I'm freshly planting, or I'm actually wanting to stimulate I 1639 02:05:15.560 --> 02:05:18.279 wouldn't do that this time of year. You know, that's where we say 1640 02:05:18.399 --> 02:05:24.079 with your water solubles, especially your water soluble synthetics, we want to back 1641 02:05:24.159 --> 02:05:29.199 off there in October and hold off in weight until we are preparing for active 1642 02:05:29.279 --> 02:05:31.640 growth in the spring. So it really does you know, it's not just 1643 02:05:31.840 --> 02:05:35.159 one size fits all. You have to know what product are you using, 1644 02:05:35.800 --> 02:05:40.920 how does it work in your soil, because you don't want to push that 1645 02:05:41.039 --> 02:05:45.920 excess growth that could could be winter killed. But you also want to make 1646 02:05:45.000 --> 02:05:49.399 sure that everything has enough nutrition to build that good root growth and good sustained 1647 02:05:49.439 --> 02:05:54.880 growth throughout the wintertime. So it really is a balance. Well. And 1648 02:05:54.960 --> 02:05:59.479 many synthetics are affected by temperature, right they are extreme cold, extreme heat, 1649 02:05:59.600 --> 02:06:03.439 and the organics are unaffected, right. And you know, all fertilizers 1650 02:06:03.920 --> 02:06:09.159 are based on their movement a lot on the soil moisture as well, so 1651 02:06:09.359 --> 02:06:14.000 we know that they will lock up in dry, warmer soils and they'll be 1652 02:06:14.199 --> 02:06:17.800 more plentiful in the cooler moisture soil. So it, like I say, 1653 02:06:17.880 --> 02:06:21.000 it's it's really not one size fits all, and you kind of have to 1654 02:06:21.399 --> 02:06:26.640 get a good knowledge of your own personal garden and then the products that you're 1655 02:06:26.760 --> 02:06:30.239 using and good, you know, use it wherever possible, use a local 1656 02:06:30.640 --> 02:06:34.600 products. Definitely, great products available in the Houston area. And then you 1657 02:06:34.680 --> 02:06:42.079 know, always get that information from your local garden centers. Yeah, so 1658 02:06:42.399 --> 02:06:45.680 again, I thank you for listening. Our number to call is seven one 1659 02:06:45.800 --> 02:06:50.479 three two one two five eight seven four. That's seven one three two one 1660 02:06:50.560 --> 02:07:00.720 two five eight seven four and we'll be back after this quick break. Good 1661 02:07:00.800 --> 02:07:03.119 morning. You're listening to the Garden Line. Sitting in for Skip Richter. 1662 02:07:03.640 --> 02:07:08.840 I'm Beverly Welch at the Arbor Gate and I'm Angela Chandler with the Garden Academy 1663 02:07:09.520 --> 02:07:15.760 and welcome in Josh. Understanding of a question for us I do? This 1664 02:07:15.960 --> 02:07:21.159 question comes from Janice in fullsher she has a fruit tree. She didn't specify 1665 02:07:21.279 --> 02:07:29.039 what kind of fruit fruit tree that started blooming in September after the harsh summer, 1666 02:07:29.520 --> 02:07:32.000 and she's wondering if it is going to bloom again in the spring. 1667 02:07:33.399 --> 02:07:36.640 Okay, it's kind of common, and I'll bet you it was a pear 1668 02:07:36.720 --> 02:07:40.800 tree, but it could have been an apple, because pears do this almost 1669 02:07:40.840 --> 02:07:44.800 every year now and apples have started doing it as well. But that often 1670 02:07:44.880 --> 02:07:48.560 happens after kind of a false dormancy of the drought serious that we had, 1671 02:07:48.680 --> 02:07:54.800 so our excess heat and drought in the summer kind of triggers a false dormancy, 1672 02:07:54.880 --> 02:07:57.680 and so we'll see a little bit of bloom. Like I say, 1673 02:07:57.800 --> 02:08:01.920 for many years now, pairs have been doing this on a consistent basis. 1674 02:08:01.960 --> 02:08:03.600 In the last couple of years, apples have been doing it as well. 1675 02:08:03.760 --> 02:08:07.680 So you know, when we finally did get some rain in a little bit 1676 02:08:07.720 --> 02:08:11.159 of a cool off, it was like a rebirth. Yes, everything bursts 1677 02:08:11.159 --> 02:08:18.199 back in right. Everything looked new and fresh and happy and energetic. And 1678 02:08:18.880 --> 02:08:22.039 yeah, but not to worry. You will have your regular bloom again in 1679 02:08:22.119 --> 02:08:26.880 the spring. They just get fooled by it a little bit and it's just 1680 02:08:26.960 --> 02:08:31.279 a reaction to that. But you'll still have your regular bloom. Right. 1681 02:08:31.000 --> 02:08:35.439 That's a great question. It is because it happens commonly, and I'm glad 1682 02:08:35.479 --> 02:08:39.319 she gave us the opportunity to explain it. Right, And we sort of 1683 02:08:39.399 --> 02:08:43.159 ended the last segment talking about fertilization, how important it is. They need 1684 02:08:43.239 --> 02:08:48.520 to go and check out Skip's schedule on guarding with Skip dot Com. But 1685 02:08:48.840 --> 02:08:54.800 again, base your judgment on what type of product that you use, whether 1686 02:08:54.840 --> 02:09:01.199 it's synthetic, organic liquid or granular time released. You know, don't stop 1687 02:09:01.319 --> 02:09:05.600 feeding, Yeah, don't stop feeding. Just pay attention to nutrition because a 1688 02:09:05.680 --> 02:09:09.319 lot of times that's one of the major issues we see when somebody asks a 1689 02:09:09.399 --> 02:09:13.359 question about why something's not performing and you ask them, well, you know, 1690 02:09:13.479 --> 02:09:16.840 what have you fertilized with and when did you last fertilized on long time, 1691 02:09:16.880 --> 02:09:20.920 Well, I haven't fertilized, and so we don't want to get over 1692 02:09:20.560 --> 02:09:26.039 you know, fertilized things, but we want to provide consistent, regular nutrition. 1693 02:09:26.439 --> 02:09:30.760 The feast and famine is not the way nature works, so it's really 1694 02:09:30.840 --> 02:09:33.479 not what we want to do for our plants. And you know, one 1695 02:09:33.680 --> 02:09:37.199 great thing about it, Beverly, is that, like so many of our 1696 02:09:37.239 --> 02:09:41.880 show sponsors have websites where people can get this information on a regular basis. 1697 02:09:43.000 --> 02:09:48.079 So you know, Nelson Plant Food and the Asamide and micro Life where they 1698 02:09:48.199 --> 02:09:54.039 have educational information on their site about each individual product, what the application rates 1699 02:09:54.079 --> 02:09:58.960 are, what the recommended application frequency is. So this is something that I 1700 02:09:58.039 --> 02:10:03.239 think listeners should get more accustomed to doing, is visiting the websites of show 1701 02:10:03.279 --> 02:10:09.039 sponsors on a regular basis taking advantage of the fact that they've provided an awful 1702 02:10:09.079 --> 02:10:13.640 lot of good educational material there that's available twenty four to seven, you know, 1703 02:10:15.560 --> 02:10:22.880 And then of course Skips website and the Yes Exact and Wabash and RCW 1704 02:10:24.159 --> 02:10:28.479 and My's Nursery. I mean, we are very blessed in this area. 1705 02:10:28.560 --> 02:10:35.359 Oh my God, to have such a Southwest fertilizer, such a huge selection, 1706 02:10:35.640 --> 02:10:39.239 if you will, and even as independence, we all have different specialties, 1707 02:10:39.279 --> 02:10:41.600 we all have different products. It's worth, it's worth to drive to 1708 02:10:43.159 --> 02:10:46.640 visit us all, you know. I tell people that a regular basis in 1709 02:10:46.720 --> 02:10:52.439 my classes is the fact of how lucky Houston is to have so many great 1710 02:10:52.720 --> 02:10:56.479 soil yards, you know, who are blending soils that are not just you 1711 02:10:56.520 --> 02:11:01.960 know, in a bag suiting a national average, that they are geared towards 1712 02:11:01.039 --> 02:11:05.880 the Upper Gulf Coast, that they're perfect for everything that we need to do 1713 02:11:05.039 --> 02:11:11.439 here, that they're customized blends, whether you're you know, growing plumerias or 1714 02:11:11.479 --> 02:11:15.560 whether you're growing vegetables, you know, whether you're growing in a container or 1715 02:11:15.600 --> 02:11:18.880 whether you're building raised beds. We're so fortunate. And then you know, 1716 02:11:20.079 --> 02:11:24.920 I don't really know of any place that has the selection of fertilizers that we 1717 02:11:24.079 --> 02:11:30.600 have in this area, again custom blended to meet the needs of the Gulf 1718 02:11:30.680 --> 02:11:35.960 Coast, which is really a very challenging environment in which to garden. And 1719 02:11:35.119 --> 02:11:41.000 then all of our independent nurseries, the Ace Hardware stores where they have knowledgeable 1720 02:11:41.079 --> 02:11:45.199 people who can answer your questions on a regular basis, where it's not just 1721 02:11:46.000 --> 02:11:50.279 a publication or a handout, that you have somebody there who has personal knowledge 1722 02:11:50.840 --> 02:11:54.880 of both the plants and all of the nutrients that we need, maybe even 1723 02:11:56.039 --> 02:12:00.520 you know, fertil you know, pest control when you need it. It's 1724 02:12:00.720 --> 02:12:05.039 just truly we are we are truly blessed. And then we have the Garden 1725 02:12:05.079 --> 02:12:09.039 Academy. Well, thank you very much, and you know you definitely should 1726 02:12:09.079 --> 02:12:13.520 watch for Angela's classes. I can't. Well, I do appreciate that, 1727 02:12:13.760 --> 02:12:16.520 you know, it's all about the education. For me, I'm a gardener. 1728 02:12:16.720 --> 02:12:20.359 I love to talk to other gardeners. That's what you know, doing 1729 02:12:22.000 --> 02:12:24.239 the show is all about. And that's really what garden Line is all about, 1730 02:12:24.439 --> 02:12:30.079 is just this community of gardeners that we have here in this challenging but 1731 02:12:30.279 --> 02:12:35.920 fascinating, you know, very interesting climate. We have a lot of opportunity. 1732 02:12:35.680 --> 02:12:41.319 It's a paradise for gardeners because there other than pouring rain, there is 1733 02:12:41.439 --> 02:12:45.399 truly not a day and I don't think there is a day that that I 1734 02:12:45.560 --> 02:12:48.840 don't go do something. Yeah, in the in the garden. Yeah, 1735 02:12:48.840 --> 02:12:50.840 you know, And I tell you we have this vast palette of plants to 1736 02:12:50.960 --> 02:12:54.159 draw from it because we live in a bridge between the temperate zone and the 1737 02:12:54.239 --> 02:12:58.720 semi semi tropical zone and we can draw from both of those palettes instead of 1738 02:12:58.840 --> 02:13:03.920 just being so limited. So it truly is a gardener's paradise. Well, 1739 02:13:03.920 --> 02:13:07.399 you know, Angela, it's been a pure joy to be with you today 1740 02:13:07.560 --> 02:13:11.960 as always, and I again I love sharing. We have so much more 1741 02:13:13.039 --> 02:13:13.960 to talk about it we do. We could do this again, and I 1742 02:13:15.039 --> 02:13:18.279 want the listeners to know Skip we'll be back next weekend, so look forward 1743 02:13:18.319 --> 02:13:22.960 to that. The podcast of today's show will be available at the end of 1744 02:13:24.039 --> 02:13:26.880 the day. But make sure and go visit Gardening with Skip dot com. 1745 02:13:28.399 --> 02:13:31.319 Yeah, definitely, and Skip's adding content on a regular basis, so that's 1746 02:13:31.439 --> 02:13:35.800 definitely a go to. Absolutely. But it's been a joy, a pleasure. 1747 02:13:37.359 --> 02:13:39.279 I can't wait to get back outside. It's a beautiful day. It 1748 02:13:39.479 --> 02:13:43.159 is. We have a lot of good gardening days left in the year, 1749 02:13:43.319 --> 02:13:46.439 so we should be doing all of them. As we said. This is 1750 02:13:46.960 --> 02:13:50.119 as Anne says, New Year's Day for herbs on October first, but this 1751 02:13:50.319 --> 02:14:24.920 is our season, so plant planned away. Thank you so much for listening. He didn't