WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:04.240 Kat r H Garden Line does not necessarily endorse any of the products or services 2 00:00:04.240 --> 00:00:10.679 advertised on this program. Welcome to kt r H Garden Line with Skip rictor 3 00:00:10.800 --> 00:00:36.039 It's Crazy Trim. Just watch him as takes the suptzy gas, not a 4 00:00:36.320 --> 00:00:46.920 sid gas. Well, good morning, good morning on a Saturday morning. 5 00:00:47.159 --> 00:00:50.960 It's a little cool outside today. I hope you had a chance to cover 6 00:00:51.039 --> 00:00:55.359 up your plants last night, because this was round two, not as bad 7 00:00:55.359 --> 00:00:58.840 as round one, but it stills here. For those of you that are 8 00:00:59.039 --> 00:01:04.040 south of Interstate ten, now Interstate ten, let's just put this with the 9 00:01:04.319 --> 00:01:10.159 interstate Highway system and the weather don't always align perfectly. But if we're to 10 00:01:10.159 --> 00:01:12.439 give a rough estimate, as I was looking at forecasts and things, if 11 00:01:12.439 --> 00:01:15.719 you're south of ten, you kind of had one night a freezing. If 12 00:01:15.760 --> 00:01:19.840 you're north of ten, you kind of had two nights. And I must 13 00:01:19.920 --> 00:01:23.879 say there are some exceptions in there, because again it doesn't line up perfectly. 14 00:01:23.959 --> 00:01:29.640 But those of you listening up in Conroe or Tomball, places like that, 15 00:01:29.840 --> 00:01:33.079 you got another one coming tonight. For those of you down south, 16 00:01:33.840 --> 00:01:38.719 down in Sugarland and places like that, down to Seabrook, all those areas. 17 00:01:38.480 --> 00:01:42.760 I think tonight's not gonna be as bad, for sure, not as 18 00:01:42.799 --> 00:01:46.400 big of a concern. I've been talking about freezing all week, Oh my 19 00:01:46.480 --> 00:01:51.959 gosh, emails and just dealing with a lot of different kinds of questions that 20 00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:55.120 have come in. And that's what I suspect we'll be doing today. You 21 00:01:55.200 --> 00:01:57.599 are listening to Guardline. I am your host, Skip Richter, and our 22 00:01:57.680 --> 00:02:04.159 phone number is seven one three two one two five eight seven four seven to 23 00:02:04.200 --> 00:02:09.639 one three two one two fifty eight seventy four. We're going to talk all 24 00:02:09.719 --> 00:02:14.719 kinds of things about freeze, freeze protection, freeze recovery, and I hope 25 00:02:14.719 --> 00:02:19.960 today we can actually just start talking about spring and what's next and what we 26 00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:23.039 do now, and you know, just not everything freeze, but whatever you're 27 00:02:23.080 --> 00:02:27.080 interested in, that's the topic. That's how it works here on guarden Line. 28 00:02:27.400 --> 00:02:30.479 I'll do my little monologues in the meantime and when you want to, 29 00:02:30.840 --> 00:02:35.520 when you want to change the subject, let's go ahead and let's let's do 30 00:02:35.639 --> 00:02:39.719 that as well. Talking about freezes, we spend a lot of time talking 31 00:02:39.719 --> 00:02:44.599 about how to protect plants, and hopefully some of you took heed to that 32 00:02:44.879 --> 00:02:49.080 and did the things that are most helpful for protecting your plants. That freeze 33 00:02:49.120 --> 00:02:53.080 we just came through a little bit ago that was a pretty good doozy for 34 00:02:53.240 --> 00:02:57.800 us here. It's not like it never happens, no, it those freezes 35 00:02:57.840 --> 00:03:02.360 happen quite often. We February twenty twenty one, we were even worse than 36 00:03:02.439 --> 00:03:07.280 this. So every few years we get down to one that's a little lower 37 00:03:07.360 --> 00:03:10.520 than we expect it to be, but that's just how it works. What 38 00:03:10.520 --> 00:03:14.240 do they say on the average? On average, if you put one foot 39 00:03:14.280 --> 00:03:17.400 in boiling water and one foot in freezing water, you're comfortable. That's about 40 00:03:17.400 --> 00:03:23.759 what an average is worth. And we do have that fluctuation, but that's 41 00:03:23.800 --> 00:03:25.680 part of what makes gardening fun. And I just want to talk about that 42 00:03:25.759 --> 00:03:31.080 a little bit. Whenever we have a drought and heat summer like we did 43 00:03:31.159 --> 00:03:38.039 last summer, Whenever we have a very very unusually hard freeze and plants just 44 00:03:38.120 --> 00:03:43.360 flat dye, especially those that were not protected, people kind of tend to 45 00:03:43.400 --> 00:03:46.639 overreact in terms of, oh my gosh, we need to turn the whole 46 00:03:46.719 --> 00:03:51.840 landscape into a gaby Texas mountain laurel and cactus because it's going to get hot 47 00:03:51.879 --> 00:03:54.919 and dry again. Well, I don't think so, that's not my opinion. 48 00:03:55.759 --> 00:04:00.000 Now, if you want absolute as close as you can get to, 49 00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:03.680 I'm not going to ever lose a plan. Again. Yes, you can 50 00:04:03.759 --> 00:04:08.879 do some things that will help achieve that, or at least get close to 51 00:04:08.919 --> 00:04:13.599 it, But is that what you want your landscape to look like? You 52 00:04:13.599 --> 00:04:15.279 know, landscapes have First of all, let me just back up with the 53 00:04:15.279 --> 00:04:19.160 big picture. Landscapes have a lifespan. People don't think about that. They 54 00:04:19.240 --> 00:04:25.079 think you plant a beautiful landscape and it's there forever. It evolves continuously. 55 00:04:25.879 --> 00:04:30.560 So I remember growing up, I went back, I don't know thirty years 56 00:04:30.639 --> 00:04:34.040 after I grew up, took some pictures of the home we grew up in, 57 00:04:34.079 --> 00:04:39.800 and one of the first things I noticed was the shrubs were huge. 58 00:04:39.959 --> 00:04:43.480 They had been you know, chopped back a little bit here and there, 59 00:04:43.560 --> 00:04:46.079 but they were pushing the eaves of the house. It just looked like an 60 00:04:46.079 --> 00:04:50.720 abandoned place. It wasn't abandoned, but the shrubs got huge. Well, 61 00:04:50.800 --> 00:04:56.439 shrubs do that. Over the years, we've come up with things called dwarf 62 00:04:56.560 --> 00:05:00.279 varieties, right, and so now instead of something having to be giant, 63 00:05:00.399 --> 00:05:04.800 we often have varieties that stay a little smaller, but they grow up. 64 00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:09.920 You can hack them back. You can really do a major butcher job and 65 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:15.800 almost start over from near the ground up. But shrubs have life spans. 66 00:05:15.959 --> 00:05:20.399 In terms of esthetic life spans, maybe they'll live thirty years, but after 67 00:05:20.480 --> 00:05:27.040 about fifteen they probably have overgrown their space despite your best efforts. In many 68 00:05:27.079 --> 00:05:30.600 cases, then there are things that kill them, freezes and droughts and whatnot. 69 00:05:31.360 --> 00:05:35.639 And so we're constantly changing our landscape. That little tree that was a 70 00:05:35.639 --> 00:05:41.399 broomstick way out in the middle of the yard now has covered the whole property, 71 00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:46.040 shaded everything. You can't grow a lawn underneath it. And that's okay. 72 00:05:46.759 --> 00:05:49.120 A beautiful tree like that is wonderful. So when life gives you lemons, 73 00:05:49.160 --> 00:05:54.800 you make lemonade shade loving plants. We have so many wonderful shade loving 74 00:05:54.800 --> 00:05:59.040 plants that'll do well here. And that's what I'm talking about. Now, 75 00:05:59.240 --> 00:06:01.759 you get to choose how you want to do your landscape. I mean, 76 00:06:01.759 --> 00:06:04.680 if you want to remove major parts of a tree and replant it, you 77 00:06:04.720 --> 00:06:09.079 can't. I wouldn't recommend that, But you could do that at your house, 78 00:06:09.160 --> 00:06:13.959 at your yard between you and the hoa. I guess it is the 79 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:18.839 big thing. But the point of all this is just to say, because 80 00:06:18.839 --> 00:06:23.439 we have a frieze that kills some things, doesn't mean me suddenly have to 81 00:06:23.560 --> 00:06:30.600 change and start looking like a landscape from Dallas or Oklahoma City because those plants 82 00:06:30.600 --> 00:06:33.879 are a little hardier. Right. It doesn't mean when we have a summer 83 00:06:33.959 --> 00:06:39.519 drought and heat that suddenly we now want to have a landscape that looks like 84 00:06:39.600 --> 00:06:45.240 San Angelo or Opaso. It's not the case, and so we're tolerant of 85 00:06:45.279 --> 00:06:48.199 that, and I would encourage you to be. One cool thing about gardening 86 00:06:49.600 --> 00:06:55.160 is that every year is different, Every year's new, and you're not going 87 00:06:55.240 --> 00:06:59.120 to fail. You can only give up. So if you plant it a 88 00:06:59.240 --> 00:07:02.240 vegetable garden and it was a flop, what do you do. You pull 89 00:07:02.279 --> 00:07:06.120 out the plants, fix the soil, make raise beds if that was the 90 00:07:06.160 --> 00:07:10.879 problem, Whatever is the problem, and you replan again. I have years 91 00:07:10.959 --> 00:07:14.480 every year I have some crop that doesn't do like I want it to. 92 00:07:15.480 --> 00:07:17.879 That's part of gardening. Can we can live with that? I like to 93 00:07:17.920 --> 00:07:21.360 compare it to an etch A sketch. Remember the years of Etcha sketches. 94 00:07:21.439 --> 00:07:25.920 Those of you who are old enough, you tried to draw with two knobs. 95 00:07:25.959 --> 00:07:28.759 One went up and down, one went left and right, and invariably 96 00:07:28.839 --> 00:07:30.720 you'd mess it up. And what do you do? Turn it upside down 97 00:07:30.720 --> 00:07:33.519 and shake it and suddenly you have a blank slate and you start over. 98 00:07:34.160 --> 00:07:38.480 That's what it means to bring in a rototiller, a spading fork, or 99 00:07:38.519 --> 00:07:42.480 just pull plants up. We can start over. We can always do that. 100 00:07:42.680 --> 00:07:45.680 Unfortunately, with our landscapes, we don't have to plant everything again, 101 00:07:46.079 --> 00:07:47.800 but we always get to change. Do you ever get tired of the clothes 102 00:07:47.839 --> 00:07:50.720 you wear? Of course you do. You want something new, something different. 103 00:07:50.800 --> 00:07:54.439 Well, same is true with our landscape. So we want to take 104 00:07:54.439 --> 00:07:56.759 a little break here. When we come back, we're we get back to 105 00:07:56.800 --> 00:08:00.439 the calls. Our phone number is seven to one three two one two fifty 106 00:08:00.480 --> 00:08:03.439 eight seventy four. When we come back, Carol, you'll be the first 107 00:08:03.519 --> 00:08:07.639 up. Welcome back to garden Line. I'm your host, Skip Richter. 108 00:08:07.959 --> 00:08:13.120 Our phone number is seven one three two one two five eight seven four. 109 00:08:13.160 --> 00:08:18.560 We're going to go out to Carol now in League City. Good morning Carol, 110 00:08:18.560 --> 00:08:24.399 Good morning, Skip. How can we help I have I have about 111 00:08:24.439 --> 00:08:30.160 a dozen white beach spider lilies that for the last three years have frozen to 112 00:08:30.199 --> 00:08:37.399 the ground, and before that, all summer long they get a fungus on 113 00:08:37.480 --> 00:08:41.039 them Mad's nursery. I took a sample to Ma's nursery and she said spray 114 00:08:41.039 --> 00:08:46.840 it with meml and I do that every few weeks. So they look terrible 115 00:08:46.879 --> 00:08:50.879 most of the summer because they look okay at rest, brand then it comes 116 00:08:50.919 --> 00:08:56.559 back and they've totally outgrown their space. And my question is, how do 117 00:08:56.639 --> 00:09:01.519 I get rid of them? Oh? Well, I thought we were going 118 00:09:01.600 --> 00:09:03.840 to try to fix the fungus and keep them. But well, if you 119 00:09:03.879 --> 00:09:07.799 want to get rid of them, well, there are people that love spider 120 00:09:07.799 --> 00:09:11.440 lily, So I don't know. If you are part of a garden club 121 00:09:11.519 --> 00:09:13.840 or a group or anywhere you can post something, they'll if you say free 122 00:09:13.840 --> 00:09:18.159 for spider lilies, I'll probably go out and dig them for you and save 123 00:09:18.240 --> 00:09:22.720 you the trouble. That's one option. I mean, you could always spray 124 00:09:22.759 --> 00:09:24.519 and kill them, but that's going to take a little while because there's a 125 00:09:24.519 --> 00:09:31.320 lot of storage inside that plant at the base, and so digging, although 126 00:09:31.360 --> 00:09:35.960 it's work, is one option. I tell you, there are ways to 127 00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:39.919 deal with the fungus, and it's you know, it's always going to come 128 00:09:39.960 --> 00:09:45.639 back occasionally, but getting all the dead foliage out of there, cleaning every 129 00:09:45.720 --> 00:09:48.200 bit of it out and just getting it completely out of the area, that 130 00:09:48.360 --> 00:09:54.720 helps because all those disease spores are there to reinfect and reinfect, so that's 131 00:09:54.720 --> 00:10:00.759 step one. You can use products that are more persistent than an em oil 132 00:10:01.159 --> 00:10:03.840 that move into the plant, and so that would be a step too, 133 00:10:05.480 --> 00:10:09.159 And without knowing the exact fungus you have on them, it's hard to say 134 00:10:09.240 --> 00:10:13.960 for sure the exact ingredient that you need. But there are a couple of 135 00:10:13.000 --> 00:10:18.440 good ingredients that soak into the tissue and protect over a longer period of time, 136 00:10:18.960 --> 00:10:22.080 so that would be another option. So I don't know which direction you 137 00:10:22.120 --> 00:10:24.960 want to go on all that, but those are a few things to think 138 00:10:24.960 --> 00:10:31.120 about. Can you tell me some of those products to look for, because 139 00:10:31.320 --> 00:10:35.799 if I could get rid of the fungus where that they would look, okay, 140 00:10:35.000 --> 00:10:39.879 I could keep them in check for the limited space I've got. Okay, 141 00:10:39.919 --> 00:10:43.039 So what you're going to want to do, I'm going to give you 142 00:10:43.080 --> 00:10:46.720 more than one, and you may need to do a rotation where you spray 143 00:10:46.759 --> 00:10:50.320 one and then maybe ten days later or so you spread a different one just 144 00:10:50.480 --> 00:10:54.480 to alternate, and you're not going to have to spray. Ever, if 145 00:10:54.519 --> 00:10:56.960 you're having to spray every ten days, then that what we're recommending isn't working. 146 00:10:58.679 --> 00:11:05.240 But one of them is an ingredient that uh you got a panhandy. 147 00:11:05.080 --> 00:11:09.440 Yes, sure, there are more than one brand on market, so I 148 00:11:09.919 --> 00:11:13.600 prefer to give you the ingredient rather than brand names. But on these but 149 00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:20.120 t r I A try a try uh. And then d I m E 150 00:11:20.360 --> 00:11:28.159 like the coin dime. I think it's p h o N or f o 151 00:11:28.279 --> 00:11:33.320 N try a dim A fon is one that's that's a systemic. Another one 152 00:11:33.799 --> 00:11:39.639 is m y c l O my cloe. And then b U t a 153 00:11:41.000 --> 00:11:46.919 N but ten I l buttinil mike cloe, buttenil. Those two, I'll 154 00:11:46.960 --> 00:11:50.360 give those a try. You may want to get you when you go to 155 00:11:50.440 --> 00:11:54.440 the AMAS, ask them for a kind of a spreader, sticker or something 156 00:11:54.440 --> 00:11:56.960 to help it hold on. Spider lilies have a little bit of a slick 157 00:11:56.039 --> 00:12:00.759 leaf, uh, and so you're gonna wanna you're gonna want to spray it 158 00:12:00.799 --> 00:12:05.480 over and not just have the spray roll off the leaf. Okay, okay, 159 00:12:05.799 --> 00:12:11.399 Well, I appreciate it because they're beautiful when they're when they don't have 160 00:12:11.440 --> 00:12:15.000 the fungus. But that fungus look So this year, what I want you 161 00:12:15.039 --> 00:12:18.039 to do is the growth comes out, it's about six inches long, I'd 162 00:12:18.039 --> 00:12:20.279 go ahead and spray them and then let it go a little more and spram 163 00:12:20.279 --> 00:12:22.879 again. You want to get ahead of the fungus. You don't want to 164 00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:28.879 wait until the spots appear. So those those fungus spores are infecting and you 165 00:12:28.879 --> 00:12:31.679 don't see the spots yet. It takes a while for the spot to develop. 166 00:12:31.159 --> 00:12:35.480 So that's why we're preventively spraying with them and just follow the label and 167 00:12:35.519 --> 00:12:39.960 see see how that works. One of those two should work. But again, 168 00:12:39.039 --> 00:12:43.840 since I don't know the exact fungus you're dealing with, uh, it's 169 00:12:43.080 --> 00:12:48.120 it's the I'm giving you the most likely options. Well, I appreciate it. 170 00:12:48.200 --> 00:12:52.559 That would be a whole lot easier than trying to dig them up because 171 00:12:52.639 --> 00:12:56.320 they are persistent. They are persistent. They are beautiful though, I tell 172 00:12:56.360 --> 00:13:00.159 you. And for folks that have areas where maybe it's a drain, need 173 00:13:00.240 --> 00:13:05.440 to ditch or something that doesn't drain, well, a lot of plants don't 174 00:13:05.519 --> 00:13:11.399 like that. But spider lilies do. Okay, I appreciate the information. 175 00:13:11.559 --> 00:13:13.960 I'll certainly give that a try. All right, Carol, thank you. 176 00:13:13.080 --> 00:13:18.759 I appreciate, appreciate you call very much. I was talking about freeze protection 177 00:13:20.120 --> 00:13:22.080 before, and I'm talking about now Today. We'll talk a little bit about 178 00:13:22.120 --> 00:13:26.679 freeze recovery and things, and I know that there are a number of things 179 00:13:26.720 --> 00:13:30.720 that we can do to help our plants come back. Now, when you've 180 00:13:30.720 --> 00:13:33.399 got a plant that's completely frozen to the ground, you don't have to wait 181 00:13:33.440 --> 00:13:37.360 for it to regrow. The question is when do you step in and do 182 00:13:37.519 --> 00:13:41.519 something you know, like do you prone now? Well, what I would 183 00:13:41.559 --> 00:13:46.559 recommend is take your thumbnail or take a knife and scrape the bark back on 184 00:13:46.639 --> 00:13:52.840 a branch underneath. It'll either be green and creamy white that's healthy, or 185 00:13:52.879 --> 00:13:56.960 it'll be paper sack brown that's dead, or a grayish color too. Sometimes 186 00:13:58.039 --> 00:14:01.639 they take on a brownish gray color. It's even uglier. That's dead. 187 00:14:01.960 --> 00:14:07.960 And you can work your way down toward the ground until you find healthy and 188 00:14:07.000 --> 00:14:11.320 that will give you a place to prune. I try to talk people into 189 00:14:11.720 --> 00:14:16.960 learning to like ugly for a little while, because when the plant starts to 190 00:14:16.960 --> 00:14:20.039 regrow. It will tell you exactly where to prune. And if you go 191 00:14:20.159 --> 00:14:24.720 back on a plant and let's say it didn't completely get it back, and 192 00:14:24.799 --> 00:14:30.240 you prune into healthy tissues. Prunting is a stimulating process. So when we 193 00:14:30.279 --> 00:14:33.519 go into a period where we have some seventy degree days, that plant's going 194 00:14:33.600 --> 00:14:37.759 to go. It's time for spring, and that pruning will force even faster 195 00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:43.039 some new shoots coming out, and those tender new shoots are very susceptible to 196 00:14:43.080 --> 00:14:50.399 a cold snap, and so I try to avoid pruning and especially into healthy 197 00:14:50.639 --> 00:14:54.159 Pruning off dead doesn't change any of it. That's fine. If it's dead, 198 00:14:54.200 --> 00:14:56.879 prune it. It's not going to change a plant. But another thing 199 00:14:56.960 --> 00:14:58.759 is the top growth protects the base. Maybe you have a little perennial, 200 00:14:58.759 --> 00:15:05.879 this melt in the ground into a mulsh a mush, and that dead material 201 00:15:05.519 --> 00:15:09.360 is like a mulch insulator over the top of the plant. So pruning it 202 00:15:09.399 --> 00:15:13.200 out exposes the crown the base of that plant. And if we do have 203 00:15:13.240 --> 00:15:18.320 another coal snap, which you never know it could come, then it could 204 00:15:18.480 --> 00:15:20.919 suffer that damage again. Now, if you can't stand ugly and you have 205 00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:26.159 to deal with it, then mound some mulch over the base of the plant 206 00:15:26.399 --> 00:15:28.799 to protect it. Should another coal snap come, you can pull that back 207 00:15:28.840 --> 00:15:31.399 out of the way if it doesn't, but at least you have a little 208 00:15:31.399 --> 00:15:35.080 bit of an insulator. When growth starts again, you want to spray those 209 00:15:35.120 --> 00:15:41.440 plants with a product that is going to help stimulate that growth, to help 210 00:15:41.519 --> 00:15:46.320 support that growth and rejuvenate that growth. And that would be things like for 211 00:15:46.360 --> 00:15:50.399 example, Microlife has an ocean harvest product that works really well, Microlife Ocean 212 00:15:50.440 --> 00:15:54.639 Harvest. You could do it when you get some new growth coming on it. 213 00:15:54.720 --> 00:16:00.519 Do it then as a folier. Drench the plant though also and drench 214 00:16:00.639 --> 00:16:03.679 the base of it so the roots are getting that, and then about maybe 215 00:16:03.720 --> 00:16:07.399 a week or so later you could do that again. You always want to 216 00:16:10.080 --> 00:16:15.399 include a granular fertilizer in that, and so for example, Microlife has the 217 00:16:15.440 --> 00:16:21.960 sixty four. Sixty four is a normal green bag. We use it for 218 00:16:22.080 --> 00:16:25.320 everything. It's thought of as a lawn fertilizer. It's good for everything. 219 00:16:26.159 --> 00:16:30.080 Just put that down and help that plant as it begins to grow, to 220 00:16:30.200 --> 00:16:33.960 have the nutrient reserve and the soil that it needs to support that growth. 221 00:16:33.960 --> 00:16:37.080 That's it and Warren's and Kingwa Garden Center. They carry that. They've got 222 00:16:37.720 --> 00:16:41.399 the whole Microlife three step recovery program ready to go there. The products are 223 00:16:41.399 --> 00:16:45.200 there, they're available. If you need more frost cloth, they've restocked, 224 00:16:45.240 --> 00:16:48.879 they're ready to go on that. And they've also restocked all their seeds in 225 00:16:48.919 --> 00:16:52.039 preparation for spring gardens. Go in and buy them now. Even something you're 226 00:16:52.080 --> 00:16:56.279 not going to buy a plant until later, buy it now while you have 227 00:16:56.320 --> 00:17:02.080 a selection and you'll be ready to go. And Kingwood Garden Center both we'll 228 00:17:02.080 --> 00:17:04.720 be able to get you set up for those. It's it's really as simple 229 00:17:04.880 --> 00:17:08.759 as that. And finally, while you're out there, check out their houseplants. 230 00:17:10.079 --> 00:17:14.400 I love houseplants, and right now they've got their houseplants and a toasty 231 00:17:14.440 --> 00:17:18.720 greenhouse and they look great. It's you gotta at least go home with a 232 00:17:18.759 --> 00:17:22.559 houseplant too when you do, because inside our home, bringing life in the 233 00:17:22.599 --> 00:17:29.039 home, it changes the whole feeling of a room to have something that's alive 234 00:17:29.079 --> 00:17:33.839 in there. It's that that sort of that warm jungle feeling as opposed to 235 00:17:33.920 --> 00:17:37.559 the coal sterile you know, just tables and chairs and floors and walls and 236 00:17:37.559 --> 00:17:41.119 stuff. Anyway, Warrens and Kingwood gardens, so they can get you fixed 237 00:17:41.200 --> 00:17:45.759 up with all that stuff and more. You're listening to garden Line. Our 238 00:17:45.799 --> 00:17:49.279 phone number is seven to one three two one two fifty eight seventy four. 239 00:17:49.440 --> 00:17:55.119 Seven one three two one two fifty eight seventy four. I was mentioning that 240 00:17:56.000 --> 00:17:59.000 Warrens and Kingwood had. Now, if you live on the opposite into town, 241 00:17:59.119 --> 00:18:03.880 maybe down south towards Roast Sharon well Siena multch you know you've probably been 242 00:18:03.880 --> 00:18:06.240 there. If you haven't, you've got to go buy it's it's north of 243 00:18:06.319 --> 00:18:10.039 Rose Sharon on FM five twenty one. Now we think of Sienna as a 244 00:18:10.039 --> 00:18:14.039 place to get molts and soils, which they are, but they also keep 245 00:18:14.079 --> 00:18:18.480 a stock of all the microlife and medina liquids that people use for this plant 246 00:18:18.559 --> 00:18:25.680 rejuvenation when they come back. So while you're there bagging your purchasing a bag 247 00:18:25.759 --> 00:18:29.839 of airloom soils, landscapers pride. They carry a wide variety of things. 248 00:18:30.240 --> 00:18:33.839 They also have the fertilizers I talk about here on Garden Line, So go 249 00:18:33.880 --> 00:18:37.279 ahead and get your lawn fertilizer now while you're there. It'll be fine. 250 00:18:37.319 --> 00:18:40.519 Set it and don't put it out yet, but have it ready to go. 251 00:18:40.599 --> 00:18:41.920 So when you're ready to go, you've already got it. You can 252 00:18:41.920 --> 00:18:47.920 go to their website. It's Cienamultch dot com Sienna multch dot com. They're 253 00:18:47.960 --> 00:18:52.640 open Monday through Friday from seven thirty in the morning till five pm on Saturdays, 254 00:18:52.680 --> 00:18:56.400 two day seven thirty to two pm, closed on Sunday at Siena Maltz. 255 00:18:56.480 --> 00:19:00.599 They always they'll surprise you when you go buy at all the different things 256 00:19:00.640 --> 00:19:06.240 they have. If you've heard me once, at least you've heard me say, 257 00:19:06.519 --> 00:19:08.799 take care of the brown stuff and then take care of the green stuff. 258 00:19:08.799 --> 00:19:12.839 What does that mean? Soil first, then plants. That's how that 259 00:19:12.960 --> 00:19:18.960 works. When you get the soil right, the plants thrive. And whether 260 00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:23.960 it's fertilizers or compost or multi Sienna they can take care of all that. 261 00:19:25.160 --> 00:19:27.759 They get the brown stuff ready, so when spring fever comes, you're going 262 00:19:27.799 --> 00:19:30.960 to want to be out there planting. So take care of the brown stuff 263 00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:34.079 first and Sienna can help you do just that. Well, we're going to 264 00:19:34.119 --> 00:19:37.720 take a little break. I think Nicky may have some news today. She 265 00:19:37.799 --> 00:19:41.079 occasionally has a little bit here and there. Right, I do indeed. 266 00:19:41.119 --> 00:19:42.799 All right, well, I'm gonna turn it over you for those of you'd 267 00:19:42.799 --> 00:19:47.720 like to get on the board with Josh seven one three two one two fifty 268 00:19:47.759 --> 00:19:52.039 eight seventy four. Welcome back to garden Line. Glad you're listening this morning. 269 00:19:53.279 --> 00:19:56.319 I'm your host, Skip Richter, and we're here to answer gardening questions. 270 00:19:56.359 --> 00:20:00.759 If you'd like to ask a gardening question. Seven one three two one 271 00:20:00.839 --> 00:20:07.279 two five eight seven four seven one three two one two fifty eight seventy four. 272 00:20:07.279 --> 00:20:14.240 I mentioned earlier about the end. They also have the Medina products here, 273 00:20:14.640 --> 00:20:18.960 and if you want to learn more about the Medina products for recovering from 274 00:20:19.039 --> 00:20:26.039 freeze and damage to plants, as well as just generally fertilizing and supplying your 275 00:20:26.039 --> 00:20:30.279 plants with the nutrients and everything else that they need for successful growth. Andy 276 00:20:30.359 --> 00:20:36.200 chidester. She is with Medina, our local girl here with Medina, and 277 00:20:36.200 --> 00:20:41.160 Andy's going to be out at an Chenna Gardens out in Richmond today. So 278 00:20:41.279 --> 00:20:45.519 the minute I end this radio show at ten am, she will be there 279 00:20:45.799 --> 00:20:48.680 starting to talk. Isn't that nice word to wait until I finished the show? 280 00:20:48.240 --> 00:20:52.000 I don't think it worked out that way, but anyway, seriously, 281 00:20:52.039 --> 00:20:53.839 she'll be there from ten to twelve, and she wasn't going to talk about 282 00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:56.640 all kinds of things with soul prep. And you can pick her brain for 283 00:20:56.680 --> 00:21:02.160 that because she is a wealth of information on soul prep. I knew Andy 284 00:21:02.720 --> 00:21:07.079 for I met Andy first years ago at a garden center in Austin, Texas 285 00:21:07.119 --> 00:21:11.559 she worked at and we've known each other off and on through the years, 286 00:21:11.640 --> 00:21:15.200 and she just a wealth of knowledge. She's really going to be focusing today 287 00:21:15.359 --> 00:21:21.279 on all the post freeze issues with our plants, things that we can do, 288 00:21:21.359 --> 00:21:25.279 and the products that Medina has. They've got the has to Grow plus 289 00:21:25.480 --> 00:21:29.400 that they use. They've got the seaweed product too that they recommend. When 290 00:21:29.440 --> 00:21:32.759 you start seeing new growth on the plants, you can give a good drench 291 00:21:32.920 --> 00:21:36.680 to the foliage or a spray a folier feed. It will not burn the 292 00:21:36.720 --> 00:21:38.599 plants, and then you can also drench it on the soil. And she's 293 00:21:38.599 --> 00:21:41.640 going to be talking about all that outed in Channa Gardens. And while you're 294 00:21:41.640 --> 00:21:45.920 at Enchanted, you got to get around and check out all the stuff that's 295 00:21:47.000 --> 00:21:49.440 going on there. If you've never been before, it is a wonderful place. 296 00:21:49.480 --> 00:21:52.319 Now we're going early in the season, you know, early in the 297 00:21:52.319 --> 00:21:57.799 season. Spring fever has not hit the populace just quite yet, but I 298 00:21:57.839 --> 00:22:02.519 hope it does soon because there's a lot to be doing now and they got 299 00:22:02.519 --> 00:22:07.160 a wide selection of plants out there. At Enchanted Gardens, it's always fun 300 00:22:07.200 --> 00:22:10.759 to go. There's knowledgeable staff. It's it's really really worth it. So 301 00:22:10.759 --> 00:22:12.880 it's really a twofer to get out c andy, learn about the products, 302 00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:18.200 learn about freezing frost recovery, learn about soil prep. And also while you're 303 00:22:18.200 --> 00:22:22.359 there, I hope take home some of the wonderful selection that they have and 304 00:22:22.440 --> 00:22:26.319 boy do they ever always have a good selection and Enchanted Gardens in Richmond if 305 00:22:26.359 --> 00:22:30.200 you've not been there before, it's on FM three point fifty nine, that's 306 00:22:30.240 --> 00:22:33.640 on the Katie Foolscher side of Richmond. If you want to go to their 307 00:22:33.680 --> 00:22:41.839 website just to learn more. Enchanted Gardens Richmond dot com. Simple as that, 308 00:22:41.079 --> 00:22:45.759 not hard to do. They're open Saturdays to day from eight am to 309 00:22:45.799 --> 00:22:48.160 five pm, Sundays from ten am to four pm. By the way, 310 00:22:48.160 --> 00:22:52.599 they're open all week eight to five as well, so it's always a good 311 00:22:52.599 --> 00:22:56.880 time to go out and visit at Enchantegardens. Get inspired. That's what we 312 00:22:56.960 --> 00:23:00.880 need right now, is we need some inspiration. You know, we just 313 00:23:00.960 --> 00:23:03.319 went through a couple of rounds of cold. Some of you got one more 314 00:23:03.400 --> 00:23:08.200 night tonight to deal with it, and we just kind of need some that 315 00:23:08.319 --> 00:23:12.680 spring fever to trickle in a little bit. It's a it's a great time 316 00:23:12.720 --> 00:23:15.640 to be gardening, I can tell you that. Do not if you have 317 00:23:15.720 --> 00:23:19.880 gotten discouraged with heat and drought in the summer, if you've gotten discouraged with 318 00:23:21.440 --> 00:23:23.920 the cold, you know, getting having to get out and cover up things. 319 00:23:25.200 --> 00:23:29.559 It's part of nature, and it's okay, it's it's really you know, 320 00:23:29.839 --> 00:23:33.559 those who throw up the throw in the trough, throw up their hands 321 00:23:33.599 --> 00:23:40.119 whatever. You're missing out on not only having a beautiful landscape and a bountiful 322 00:23:40.119 --> 00:23:45.200 garden, but also on all the fun and joy that comes with getting out 323 00:23:45.240 --> 00:23:48.920 and planting and interacting with nature. Listen, we were made to interact with 324 00:23:49.000 --> 00:23:53.279 plants. That's why they call it a garden of Eden, where we are 325 00:23:53.319 --> 00:23:59.519 supposed to be messing with plants and nature. From the forest bathing concept they 326 00:23:59.519 --> 00:24:04.759 talk about Japan and now here, just getting out and experiencing nature to just 327 00:24:06.039 --> 00:24:10.640 like getting in the garden and digging. We know that even microbes involved in 328 00:24:10.759 --> 00:24:15.519 nature are part of our human health in many ways also. And so to 329 00:24:15.559 --> 00:24:18.440 get out to try some new things, to plant some new things, Oh 330 00:24:18.440 --> 00:24:23.119 my goodness, take any children or grandchildren or neighbor kids along for the ride 331 00:24:23.200 --> 00:24:30.079 when you're going out and planting seeds and letting them experience that the rebirth of 332 00:24:30.160 --> 00:24:33.480 new life that comes in a garden, the bounty and the beauty and everything 333 00:24:33.519 --> 00:24:37.440 else. And our garden centers here can get you so set up with that, 334 00:24:37.240 --> 00:24:41.680 just so many plants, so many options. And that's also why we're 335 00:24:41.720 --> 00:24:44.960 here on guarden Line answer your gardening questions. You know, what do you 336 00:24:45.079 --> 00:24:48.039 want to know? What are you struggling with? What would you like to 337 00:24:48.079 --> 00:24:51.240 try growing? What have you never tried before? Will that grow here? 338 00:24:51.319 --> 00:24:52.839 Will it not? If so, how do I do it? That's what 339 00:24:52.880 --> 00:24:56.200 I do on garden Line is answer those kind of gardening questions. I've been 340 00:24:56.200 --> 00:25:00.279 doing this for over thirty five years. That's the thirty five is a length 341 00:25:00.319 --> 00:25:04.359 of my career here in Texas with Agger Life Extension. I grew up in 342 00:25:04.400 --> 00:25:07.880 Texas. I went off to Missouri for three years and worked as a fruit 343 00:25:07.880 --> 00:25:12.279 grower advisor in Missouri so if you got some high bush blueberry and raspberry questions, 344 00:25:12.359 --> 00:25:15.200 as long as you're not trying to grow them down here, I can 345 00:25:15.319 --> 00:25:19.240 help you with that as well. But I love plants. Obviously I'm biased, 346 00:25:19.319 --> 00:25:26.440 but that doesn't mean I'm wrong. Absolutely not for sure. Thanks for 347 00:25:26.480 --> 00:25:27.720 being a listener to garden Line. By the way, let's get back to 348 00:25:27.880 --> 00:25:30.559 some of the things we do for our plants. I mentioned that when you're 349 00:25:30.559 --> 00:25:34.839 pruning them back, taking off dead is fine. You're not going to stimulate 350 00:25:36.039 --> 00:25:40.200 growth by cutting off dead. When you cut into living it is a growth. 351 00:25:40.559 --> 00:25:45.599 Pruning is a growth stimulating process. Pruning into living plant tissues. So 352 00:25:45.720 --> 00:25:48.960 we try to wait. If you cannot stand to wait, use your scratch 353 00:25:49.039 --> 00:25:52.720 the bark technique to figure out how far back to prune. I would suggest 354 00:25:52.759 --> 00:25:56.119 at least be a little on the conservative side, you know, just maybe 355 00:25:56.160 --> 00:26:00.480 a few inches of dead if you can leave that just to be sure, 356 00:26:00.960 --> 00:26:03.400 and then come in and finish the job later. If you want, the 357 00:26:03.440 --> 00:26:07.079 plant will tell you where to prine. That's the bottom line. The plant 358 00:26:07.119 --> 00:26:11.440 will tell you where to print. When we are wanting our plants to have 359 00:26:11.240 --> 00:26:17.640 some help and some success. Basically, freeze damage is pruning the plant. 360 00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:21.960 That's what it is. It is basically killing the tissues, just as if 361 00:26:22.000 --> 00:26:25.480 you cut them off, they're essentially not there. It's like you know when 362 00:26:25.480 --> 00:26:29.200 you clip your fingernails. You got this dead fingernail that's growing out and you 363 00:26:29.240 --> 00:26:32.519 clip them off. Well, that doesn't hurt your fingers to do that. 364 00:26:32.559 --> 00:26:37.000 You're cutting off material that's not alive. And when you prune back a plant, 365 00:26:37.079 --> 00:26:38.559 it doesn't know whether you prune dead or not. It knows when you 366 00:26:38.640 --> 00:26:45.119 prune into the living, because that affects the hormone balances in the stem and 367 00:26:45.240 --> 00:26:47.680 affects the growth. I know, don't worry, I'm not going to go 368 00:26:47.759 --> 00:26:52.440 nerdy on you there any past that. But when we are wanting to support 369 00:26:52.480 --> 00:26:55.960 the new growth, that's where some fertilizer can help. That is where a 370 00:26:56.039 --> 00:27:00.440 lot of the products that I'm talking about today and will be continue to talk 371 00:27:00.480 --> 00:27:04.079 about can be helpful in getting that new growth. And we talk about products 372 00:27:04.400 --> 00:27:07.599 that have some nutrient in them that won't burn the plant, that can be 373 00:27:07.759 --> 00:27:11.079 used. We talk about products and be drenched on the soil, products that 374 00:27:11.119 --> 00:27:15.000 have hormone and all kinds of different substances. You know, the seaweed and 375 00:27:15.000 --> 00:27:18.240 whatnot, and those can all be helpful. We're going to take a little 376 00:27:18.240 --> 00:27:22.640 break right now if you'd like to be on the air with me to answer 377 00:27:22.920 --> 00:27:27.119 ask a gardening question seven one three two one two five eight seven four. 378 00:27:27.160 --> 00:27:30.200 And I got some activities I want to tell you about when I come back 379 00:27:30.200 --> 00:27:37.079 that you will not want to miss. Welcome back to garden Line. I'm 380 00:27:37.119 --> 00:27:40.599 your host, Skip Richter. We're here to answer your gardening questions. Our 381 00:27:40.759 --> 00:27:45.400 phone number. Write this down you'll want to call sometime seven one three two 382 00:27:45.480 --> 00:27:49.359 one two fifty eight seventy four. And while you're at it, look out 383 00:27:49.359 --> 00:27:52.680 the window. If your neighbor's lights aren't on, they're not getting to hear 384 00:27:52.720 --> 00:27:55.880 garden light, and to go bang on the door and tell them what they're 385 00:27:55.880 --> 00:27:59.599 missing. They'll wake up and someday they'll say thank you. This morning, 386 00:27:59.640 --> 00:28:02.720 they may say something else to you when you bang on the door and we'll 387 00:28:02.759 --> 00:28:04.839 come up. But hey, think of it as a favor, you know. 388 00:28:04.960 --> 00:28:08.680 It's it's tough love, it's I'm doing this for your own good. 389 00:28:10.039 --> 00:28:15.599 How many times have we heard that sort of thing? Seldom appreciated at the 390 00:28:15.599 --> 00:28:21.759 moment, right, I think that is absolutely the case. Listen, if 391 00:28:21.799 --> 00:28:25.039 you've been through the freeze we just went through, which of course you have. 392 00:28:25.519 --> 00:28:30.839 Some of you have dealt with some damage to things like pipes, and 393 00:28:30.279 --> 00:28:33.839 certainly with our plants and whatnot. Well, ACE Hardware has got you covered 394 00:28:33.839 --> 00:28:37.079 on that. You know, we keep saying ACE is the police. Ace 395 00:28:37.160 --> 00:28:38.480 is a place for this. ACE is a place for that. That's because 396 00:28:38.519 --> 00:28:42.920 ACE is a place for everything. If you have any kind of frieze repair 397 00:28:44.000 --> 00:28:48.000 to do, ACE is the place for that. They are stocked up on 398 00:28:48.079 --> 00:28:51.400 all kinds of plumbing parts. You know, anything you need to repair a 399 00:28:51.440 --> 00:28:56.599 sprinkler system, for example, they've got that. They absolutely are ready to 400 00:28:56.640 --> 00:29:00.559 go. And you know with ACE you're always going to find the parts and 401 00:29:00.599 --> 00:29:04.039 supplies you need, from lactical to plumbing to you name it. We talk 402 00:29:04.079 --> 00:29:08.079 about it from the standpoint of gardening because they carry all the fertilizers that I 403 00:29:08.160 --> 00:29:12.000 talk about on gardener. They carry all the products for pest control, disease 404 00:29:12.079 --> 00:29:15.839 control, for weed control. Do you need tools, They've got them. 405 00:29:17.160 --> 00:29:22.519 ACE Hardware is your place for supplies on all things gardening. But certainly coming 406 00:29:22.519 --> 00:29:25.759 out of this phrase, whether it's for your plants or your pipes, or 407 00:29:25.799 --> 00:29:29.400 whatever else. ACE is going to be able to cover you. There there's 408 00:29:29.519 --> 00:29:33.160 ACE Hardware's what forty of them in the greater Houston area now that are part 409 00:29:33.200 --> 00:29:37.400 of our group. That absolutely makes it so easy no matter where you live. 410 00:29:37.559 --> 00:29:41.519 Just go to acehardware dot com, look for the store locator and find 411 00:29:41.519 --> 00:29:45.799 the ones near you and go check them out. Go check them out. 412 00:29:45.839 --> 00:29:48.880 You will be surprised at what all ACE has. I mean even down to 413 00:29:49.839 --> 00:29:53.160 I've been gift shopping in there before. I mean, there's some really cool 414 00:29:53.160 --> 00:29:57.160 so I know I didn't buy someone some PVC pipe for their birthday. I'm 415 00:29:57.160 --> 00:30:02.559 talking about all kinds are really good, cool stuff for the home. Just 416 00:30:02.680 --> 00:30:07.240 go, just go look You'll see what I'm talking about, really really fun 417 00:30:07.440 --> 00:30:11.599 and cool. Not that hardware store you grew up with, but it is 418 00:30:11.720 --> 00:30:15.680 the service of a hardware store that probably you grew up with back in the 419 00:30:15.759 --> 00:30:18.960 day. I remember that knowledgeable staff that know what they're talking about, that 420 00:30:18.119 --> 00:30:22.000 greet you, they help you, They make sure you go home with what 421 00:30:22.079 --> 00:30:26.160 you need and information on how to do it. That day's hardware that's well. 422 00:30:26.200 --> 00:30:30.400 I love to go into those places that always always fun, always stick 423 00:30:30.440 --> 00:30:32.519 from up by the way I need to keep exploring. I haven't been to 424 00:30:32.599 --> 00:30:37.559 all forty yet, but I'm working on it, working on it. Well, 425 00:30:37.599 --> 00:30:41.279 you're listening to guard Line and it's I guess I should say post freeze. 426 00:30:41.440 --> 00:30:45.319 For those of you south of I ten, you may be done maybe 427 00:30:45.400 --> 00:30:48.279 tonight. I need to check the weather again. It changes every five minutes. 428 00:30:48.799 --> 00:30:51.799 I need to check the weather and see what we're going to do tonight 429 00:30:51.880 --> 00:30:53.039 down there. I don't. I think you've kind of done most of you. 430 00:30:55.039 --> 00:30:57.359 Further north, we got another one still coming. And on what part 431 00:30:57.400 --> 00:31:00.759 of the listening area you're in, And I realize here on Guardline, we 432 00:31:00.880 --> 00:31:06.240 got folks listening in Louisiana and way all the way over to New Bronfils and 433 00:31:06.880 --> 00:31:10.119 north south east west, a lot of areas. So it's kind of hard 434 00:31:10.160 --> 00:31:11.920 to say whether it's going to freeze tonight in your area. But I think 435 00:31:12.000 --> 00:31:15.920 I tend seems to be a pretty good line tonight or for where it is 436 00:31:15.960 --> 00:31:18.480 and isn't going to freeze, or at least it's a let's say, a 437 00:31:18.559 --> 00:31:25.559 gray line, a rough gray line for those plants that were damage about freeze. 438 00:31:25.559 --> 00:31:29.839 I've already tried to encourage you if you can just learn to love ugly 439 00:31:29.920 --> 00:31:33.519 for a little while. That would be best. If you can't, then 440 00:31:33.599 --> 00:31:37.519 prune back only cutting the dead. If you have to go further than that, 441 00:31:38.160 --> 00:31:45.359 make sure with the plants that have the base. We call it the 442 00:31:45.400 --> 00:31:48.920 crown of one of the more than one things that it's called a crown on 443 00:31:48.000 --> 00:31:51.799 a plant, but the base of the plant is the crown of the plant. 444 00:31:51.839 --> 00:31:55.039 So that take Mexican heather for example. I love that plant. It's 445 00:31:55.079 --> 00:31:59.000 a great border plant, makes a little mound of foliage. And listen, 446 00:31:59.039 --> 00:32:04.680 if you want to support pollinators like honeybees, Mexican heather is like cracked for 447 00:32:04.759 --> 00:32:08.119 honeybees. They love that plant and it blooms all through the summer. It's 448 00:32:08.119 --> 00:32:13.119 a really pretty plant. So on that plant, if you were to cut 449 00:32:13.119 --> 00:32:16.519 it all off at the ground, it is not an extremely hardy plant, 450 00:32:16.880 --> 00:32:22.519 but the dead top growth protects the base. It does, and so if 451 00:32:22.559 --> 00:32:24.599 you did cut it back, which I'd suggest you wait, but if you 452 00:32:24.680 --> 00:32:30.240 did, then put a layer of mulch covering over it, just to protect 453 00:32:30.319 --> 00:32:35.200 and insulate it. Should we have another very hard freeze, and then you 454 00:32:35.240 --> 00:32:37.599 can pull that back. That's the nice thing about that. For those of 455 00:32:37.640 --> 00:32:45.119 you who mounded up compost around the base of the stem of plants that are 456 00:32:45.559 --> 00:32:49.480 cold tender, like a citrus tree, for example. You've got the rootstock 457 00:32:49.640 --> 00:32:52.160 and then near the ground you've got a graft or a bud. That is 458 00:32:52.279 --> 00:32:57.160 the variety you're growing. By the way, did you know that whether it's 459 00:32:57.200 --> 00:33:01.920 a lemon or a satsuma orange or a lime or whatever, it's probably on 460 00:33:01.920 --> 00:33:07.880 only one of maybe two root stocks primarily that we have here in this area. 461 00:33:07.279 --> 00:33:10.279 So you can graft a lot of different things to these root stocks, 462 00:33:10.319 --> 00:33:15.599 but you got to keep the buds above the graft the live and that's why 463 00:33:15.640 --> 00:33:19.160 we make this giant cone of soil. You know, I spend a lot 464 00:33:19.160 --> 00:33:23.119 of time griping about landscapers that create mult volcanoes around trees and shrubs. You 465 00:33:23.160 --> 00:33:29.400 shouldn't do that, but for coal protection in those unique situations, you do 466 00:33:29.519 --> 00:33:32.200 mound it up like that for the night, or if we've got a couple 467 00:33:32.240 --> 00:33:35.839 of freezers, it can stay on for a few days. But then pull 468 00:33:35.839 --> 00:33:37.359 all that back. Now, pull it back. You want to see the 469 00:33:37.400 --> 00:33:43.400 topmost root of the plant, pretty close to the ground level, pretty close 470 00:33:43.440 --> 00:33:46.200 to that. Don't leave mulch piled up against the stem. But all that 471 00:33:46.240 --> 00:33:51.240 compost you filed up will just spread it out. That's great mulch, and 472 00:33:51.279 --> 00:33:57.440 it'll release those nutrients to the plants. Works really really well, easy to 473 00:33:57.480 --> 00:34:04.119 do, not difficult at all if you are dealing with another freeze tonight, 474 00:34:04.240 --> 00:34:07.599 or if you want to get stocked up for future freezes that are coming. 475 00:34:07.440 --> 00:34:13.079 RCW Nurseries has got a good stock of the frostcloth still in at least the 476 00:34:13.119 --> 00:34:15.599 last I checked. They may have had a run on it by now, 477 00:34:15.599 --> 00:34:19.199 but I'm pretty sure they have a good stock. They've got humates for example. 478 00:34:19.239 --> 00:34:22.280 We talk about the importance of that. They have the ocean harvest by 479 00:34:22.360 --> 00:34:27.880 microlife that we talk about in post freeze recovery, and boy are they ever 480 00:34:28.000 --> 00:34:31.719 loaded up on roses. They are stocked up big, big time on roses. 481 00:34:34.000 --> 00:34:37.320 Just pages full of roses from weeks and star They're ready to go. 482 00:34:37.519 --> 00:34:42.519 It's still the best planting season end of the year for roses. O their 483 00:34:42.599 --> 00:34:45.800 shrubs and trees, and they have one of the best selections of trees you're 484 00:34:45.800 --> 00:34:50.400 going to find anywhere at RCW Nursery. That's the nursery, the garden center. 485 00:34:50.519 --> 00:34:53.000 It's on Tomball Parkway, where it comes into Beltway eight. Here's the 486 00:34:53.000 --> 00:35:00.800 website Rcwnurseries dot com, RCW nurseres dot com. So check them out, 487 00:35:00.079 --> 00:35:05.679 go see what they've got. Don't delay much because that best of the year 488 00:35:05.760 --> 00:35:08.679 window is going to pass in time as we get closer and closer to summer. 489 00:35:08.960 --> 00:35:15.239 So get those things planted. Now. We're putting another hour here in 490 00:35:15.280 --> 00:35:20.920 the books here on Guarden Line. Glad to have you listening. We'll be 491 00:35:21.039 --> 00:35:23.119 back as soon as we get through the news at the top of the hour. 492 00:35:23.519 --> 00:35:27.239 If you got any kind of questions you would like to give Joshua call 493 00:35:27.320 --> 00:35:30.239 and get on the boards. Seven to one three two one two five eight 494 00:35:30.320 --> 00:35:36.960 seven four seven one three two one two kt r H. I mentioned that 495 00:35:37.039 --> 00:35:39.159 there's some things that we're going to be talking about today. I want to 496 00:35:39.159 --> 00:35:45.320 tell you about. First of all, Oba Organic Corticulture Benefits Alliance is having 497 00:35:45.360 --> 00:35:50.800 their Organic Science Day event. Now they're going to have some great speakers there. 498 00:35:50.880 --> 00:35:54.239 It's Friday, January twenty sixth, from eight thirty in the morning till 499 00:35:54.320 --> 00:35:57.880 three thirty pm. I'm going to be there by the way, it's at 500 00:35:57.920 --> 00:36:02.360 the United Way of Greateron. You have to go online to Oba Online dot 501 00:36:02.480 --> 00:36:07.519 org slash registrant. I'll tell you more about that later. Just keep listening. 502 00:36:09.519 --> 00:36:13.920 Katie r h. Garden Line does not necessarily endorse any of the products 503 00:36:14.000 --> 00:36:20.039 or services advertised on this program. Welcome to kat r H. Garden Line 504 00:36:20.159 --> 00:36:37.519 with skip rictor it's crazy. Just watch him as wor Google may give me 505 00:36:37.599 --> 00:36:45.519 things to sept Welcome back to garden Line. I see a glow in the 506 00:36:45.559 --> 00:36:49.159 eastern sky. I always love that. I love sitting here looking out the 507 00:36:49.199 --> 00:36:52.800 window and you start to see the beginning of a new day, and it's 508 00:36:52.880 --> 00:36:54.320 gonna be a good day. It's always going to be a good day. 509 00:36:54.320 --> 00:37:00.199 Listen, what do we call life throws us curves? Right? I bet 510 00:37:00.239 --> 00:37:04.519 if you're listening to this, you've had a curve or two thrown at you. 511 00:37:05.199 --> 00:37:07.880 We have things called the vicissitudes of nature. I love that big word, 512 00:37:08.239 --> 00:37:12.119 the vicissitudes of nature. And we have just been through a couple of 513 00:37:12.239 --> 00:37:15.159 rounds of vicissitude, if you will, when it comes to our landscapes due 514 00:37:15.159 --> 00:37:20.280 to the freeze. But it is always a good day. We always have 515 00:37:20.400 --> 00:37:22.719 something new. There's always hope. When that sun's on the horizon, I 516 00:37:22.800 --> 00:37:25.880 know it is going to be a good day. That's just the fact. 517 00:37:27.000 --> 00:37:30.239 That's the way it is when it comes to gardening, that is the way 518 00:37:30.280 --> 00:37:35.360 it is. I have got some plants that were cold damaged. Actually, 519 00:37:36.159 --> 00:37:38.719 I had a thing that I covered up, and then I left and went 520 00:37:38.760 --> 00:37:44.119 out of town. And last night I was not in town and I realized 521 00:37:44.159 --> 00:37:46.719 I forgot to cover something and I'm probably going to get back and see some 522 00:37:46.880 --> 00:37:50.480 mush when I get back. That's okay. I can do that. I 523 00:37:50.519 --> 00:37:52.480 can live with that. It's a good day because I know what to do 524 00:37:52.559 --> 00:37:57.719 in that space. Plant something else, prune them back, watch some new 525 00:37:57.719 --> 00:38:01.599 growth begin again. Just to have that kind of optimism when it comes to 526 00:38:01.679 --> 00:38:07.679 plants, and that's one of the things that horticulture growing plants, gardening, 527 00:38:07.760 --> 00:38:15.400 if you will Hortus Latin for gardening a garden. When we have that in 528 00:38:15.440 --> 00:38:19.960 our lives, we always have that hope of renewal because that's what nature does. 529 00:38:20.239 --> 00:38:22.559 Look at a forest in the winter, if it's a deciduous for us, 530 00:38:22.639 --> 00:38:28.960 it's leafless. I mean it looks like dead trees everywhere, and the 531 00:38:29.039 --> 00:38:32.960 dead leaves have fallen on the ground. But what's really happening is those plants 532 00:38:32.960 --> 00:38:40.440 are waiting for spring. And the soil just got a whole new layer of 533 00:38:42.400 --> 00:38:46.480 root, feeding, root protecting, rejuvenation. Those leaves decay, they get 534 00:38:46.480 --> 00:38:50.679 covered by other leaves, they stay wet, they decay. That duff on 535 00:38:50.719 --> 00:38:54.719 the forest floor where there was one hundred percent death is teeming with life and 536 00:38:54.760 --> 00:38:59.880 it's feeding those plants. That's the principle that's in nature, and we get 537 00:38:59.880 --> 00:39:02.199 to be part of that when we garden. When I go out and I'm 538 00:39:02.199 --> 00:39:06.599 going to pull up, I've still got some pepper plants that I finally picked 539 00:39:06.599 --> 00:39:08.760 everything off of before the freeze, and I'm gonna go home pull those out 540 00:39:08.760 --> 00:39:13.960 of the ground. And when I do, I actually cut the roots off 541 00:39:14.000 --> 00:39:16.320 right at the base and leave all the root system in the ground and just 542 00:39:16.360 --> 00:39:21.440 remove the top growth because that root is opening up chambers through the soil. 543 00:39:21.599 --> 00:39:24.960 It'll decay, it'll feed the plants as well and help with the movement of 544 00:39:25.000 --> 00:39:30.440 oxygen and water down into the soil. But what's going to go in its 545 00:39:30.480 --> 00:39:34.519 place. Well, I can already tell you we've got some cool season peas 546 00:39:34.599 --> 00:39:37.880 that are ready to go in. They just started sprouting yesterday. And I 547 00:39:37.000 --> 00:39:42.440 normally would direct seed cool season peas, but these I'm doing from transplants, 548 00:39:42.440 --> 00:39:45.199 just for fun, just to try it out. I love to experiment with 549 00:39:45.280 --> 00:39:49.880 things. I have some tomato plants and pepper plants, an egg plant that's 550 00:39:50.000 --> 00:39:52.519 ready, not ready to go in, it's already up. They're growing, 551 00:39:52.559 --> 00:39:55.960 they've got leaves, they're looking good under the lights in the house, and 552 00:39:57.079 --> 00:40:00.079 they're going to go in. Every time I turn around. It's rejuvenation, 553 00:40:00.280 --> 00:40:05.559 it's renewal, it's new. Hope, it's new, exciting things in the 554 00:40:05.559 --> 00:40:10.239 garden. I hope you catch that fever because it is the case. You 555 00:40:10.239 --> 00:40:14.039 know, if you're looking out and you've got a lot of damage to the 556 00:40:14.119 --> 00:40:17.119 landscape, or maybe you just drive up to the house and just look. 557 00:40:17.360 --> 00:40:21.639 Do you see the beauty that you want or do you see a little bit 558 00:40:21.679 --> 00:40:25.320 of blaw Well, we talk about how to fix your blaw here all the 559 00:40:25.360 --> 00:40:29.280 time on garden Line, things to do to spruce up to make it more 560 00:40:29.280 --> 00:40:35.639 beautiful. But that's what Piercescapes specializes in. They can take whatever situation you've 561 00:40:35.639 --> 00:40:39.039 got in your landscape and turn it into something very special. Now they do 562 00:40:39.159 --> 00:40:44.239 irrigation inspections and they do irrigation tune ups, but you need to get those 563 00:40:44.280 --> 00:40:46.280 schedules soon. I know you're thinking, I'm not going to water my grass 564 00:40:46.480 --> 00:40:51.880 not for a while. Yeah, that's right, but you want that system 565 00:40:51.960 --> 00:40:54.320 to be efficient and you ought to be ready to go when summer comes. 566 00:40:54.559 --> 00:40:59.239 And you can't wait until that day because everybody else is saying, hey, 567 00:40:59.320 --> 00:41:02.280 come fix my own irrigation system. Schedule it now. With birscapes, have 568 00:41:02.320 --> 00:41:07.880 them come out and take care of that. What about the things that are 569 00:41:07.119 --> 00:41:09.679 that have gone on in your landscape with the freeze? The things need to 570 00:41:09.719 --> 00:41:13.800 be replanted. Do you want to do landscape lighting? Listen? If you 571 00:41:13.840 --> 00:41:17.119 will go to their website and I hope, I hope you will piercescapes dot 572 00:41:17.159 --> 00:41:22.079 com. You will see the work that they do and it is stunning and 573 00:41:22.119 --> 00:41:23.360 you may look at something and go, oh my gosh, that's an eight 574 00:41:23.440 --> 00:41:27.320 hundred million dollar home. I don't have one of those. Well they do 575 00:41:27.400 --> 00:41:31.840 that for eight thousand dollars homes or something. They do it for everybody. 576 00:41:31.880 --> 00:41:36.199 They can do hardescapes, they can do irrigation, they can do landscape lighting. 577 00:41:36.599 --> 00:41:39.199 Oh and one of my favorite things that they do are is patios. 578 00:41:39.480 --> 00:41:46.320 If you would love a beautiful stone or manufactured stone patio with a maybe a 579 00:41:46.360 --> 00:41:51.440 fireplace or rock fireplace. They can build all of that in for you and 580 00:41:51.519 --> 00:41:54.800 you will enjoy that all through the season. Maybe a pergola over the top 581 00:41:54.840 --> 00:42:00.239 of it. Would you like some water in the landscape, That is a 582 00:42:00.280 --> 00:42:04.840 wonderful feature. A little disappearing fountain, a little disappearing creek or river going 583 00:42:04.840 --> 00:42:08.079 along on flat stones or others. They can create all of that and the 584 00:42:08.119 --> 00:42:15.880 sound of that is so just rejuvenating in the summertime. Piercecapes dot com. 585 00:42:15.920 --> 00:42:20.559 Just go to that Piercescapes dot com and take a look at what they can 586 00:42:20.639 --> 00:42:23.000 do for you. But remember, the sooner you get them in for the 587 00:42:23.039 --> 00:42:29.119 consultation, the sooner the work can be scheduled, so that when the work 588 00:42:29.159 --> 00:42:31.840 begins and when you're really you know, March and April you got the fever, 589 00:42:31.920 --> 00:42:36.480 you're ready to go. You've already scheduled and you're on the bucks and 590 00:42:36.519 --> 00:42:38.719 you're ready to go. So don't delay on that. Take a look around, 591 00:42:38.840 --> 00:42:42.480 see what might be nice, and they can fix you up on that 592 00:42:43.320 --> 00:42:49.920 easy to do. I've been talking about recovering from the cold and rejuvenating and 593 00:42:49.960 --> 00:42:53.000 things like that. Just remember that all those leaves, those bags of leaves. 594 00:42:53.079 --> 00:42:55.800 You see a curb side, they put them there for you. I 595 00:42:55.840 --> 00:42:59.880 know, I know you don't even know those people, but they put them 596 00:43:00.000 --> 00:43:02.960 there for you. If you are a gardener, you always have a use 597 00:43:02.960 --> 00:43:08.039 for leaves. Don't ever let a leaf leave your landscape. When a tree 598 00:43:08.159 --> 00:43:14.360 takes up nutrients, the majority of the things we think of as fertilizer go 599 00:43:14.440 --> 00:43:17.000 to the leaves. There are a little bit of nutrient in wood, there's 600 00:43:17.039 --> 00:43:22.159 no question about that. The interior would but most of the nutrients the leaves 601 00:43:22.320 --> 00:43:24.880 take the tree takes up, or in the leaves, they fall on the 602 00:43:24.920 --> 00:43:30.800 ground and they lay there. Nature's free organic fertilizer. I just talked about 603 00:43:30.800 --> 00:43:32.079 the forest. So are you gonna pay somebody to holl them away? You're 604 00:43:32.079 --> 00:43:37.119 gonna put them out in the garbage like your neighbors do. Are you going 605 00:43:37.199 --> 00:43:39.239 to take those leaves back, grind them up, run over with the lawnmower, 606 00:43:39.280 --> 00:43:43.039 put them in as mulch in the beds, make composts out of them. 607 00:43:43.280 --> 00:43:46.519 I use them in my vegetable garden and the walkways as an all weather 608 00:43:46.639 --> 00:43:50.639 pathway. You just pile them in there, put them in there a foot 609 00:43:50.679 --> 00:43:52.920 deep, and they sink down and put more and they sink down. I 610 00:43:52.960 --> 00:43:57.639 mean, I don't know. I probably have three feet deep of leaves and 611 00:43:57.719 --> 00:44:01.280 my garden walkways, but they've all packed down and they're decomposing, and in 612 00:44:01.400 --> 00:44:07.119 time I'll harvest those. Just a little tip. But remember leaves and grass 613 00:44:07.159 --> 00:44:13.760 clippings are nature's on free slow release fertilizer and mulch as well, so take 614 00:44:13.800 --> 00:44:17.480 advantage of that. I always I need to send my neighbors thank you cards 615 00:44:17.519 --> 00:44:21.760 for their leaves, I think, because that's a good idea. Well, 616 00:44:21.840 --> 00:44:24.559 let's take a break our phone number seven one three two one two fifty eight 617 00:44:24.679 --> 00:44:31.480 seventy four. I'll be right back. Well, good morning, you're listening 618 00:44:31.519 --> 00:44:36.360 to garden Line and the day has dawned. We are here to answer your 619 00:44:36.400 --> 00:44:39.400 gardening questions if you'd like to give us a call seven one three two one 620 00:44:39.519 --> 00:44:45.199 two k t r H. Seven one three two one two k t r 621 00:44:45.639 --> 00:44:49.960 H. Simple as that. Look forward to talking to you and helping you 622 00:44:49.960 --> 00:44:53.239 have a more beautiful on a more bountiful garden as well. We're going to 623 00:44:53.320 --> 00:44:58.519 start off by going straight out to the phones and to Steve in East Houston. 624 00:44:58.679 --> 00:45:04.280 Hello, Steve, Hey, good morning, Spanish moss on crape myrtles 625 00:45:04.440 --> 00:45:08.800 and bagworms in a possum haw Holly, how can I prevent those? Or 626 00:45:08.880 --> 00:45:19.800 is it possible? So Spanish moss, h and ball moss and oh gosh, 627 00:45:19.880 --> 00:45:24.199 its lichens, the little frilly things that are gray, and different versions 628 00:45:24.239 --> 00:45:28.760 of that that occur. All of those are along for the ride. They're 629 00:45:28.760 --> 00:45:31.639 not a parasite taking energy out of the plant. They're just along for the 630 00:45:31.719 --> 00:45:38.400 ride. And most of those are effectively managed with copper sprays. You want 631 00:45:38.440 --> 00:45:44.840 to do it before the foliage comes on the plant, So okay, now's 632 00:45:44.880 --> 00:45:46.159 a good time. Now, it would be a good time. It'd be 633 00:45:46.199 --> 00:45:50.960 good if you could wait a little longer to just prior to the foliage appearing, 634 00:45:51.599 --> 00:45:58.480 that's the best time. Different species vary in their response to copper. 635 00:45:58.559 --> 00:46:01.599 I know with like livo trees and bal moss, we wait until spring and 636 00:46:01.599 --> 00:46:06.400 they have foliage on them. But we catch them when the old leaves have 637 00:46:06.480 --> 00:46:08.679 fallen off and the new leaves haven't quite come all in yet yet. That's 638 00:46:08.719 --> 00:46:13.280 a good time to get in there so you can actually have contact copper. 639 00:46:13.480 --> 00:46:15.199 You just got to get in on the plants and that will do it. 640 00:46:15.280 --> 00:46:20.599 Now, most crape myrtles are not such a large size that you can physically 641 00:46:20.679 --> 00:46:24.440 remove the Spanish moss, or at least most of it. But yeah, 642 00:46:24.679 --> 00:46:29.320 you can do that. But here's the thing on spraying all of those. 643 00:46:29.719 --> 00:46:34.119 When you spray them, it may kill the plant. But dead bal moss 644 00:46:34.119 --> 00:46:37.360 and Spanish moss looks a lot like living bal mass and Spanish moss, so 645 00:46:37.400 --> 00:46:39.119 it sort of has to rot and fall out of the plant. Uh. 646 00:46:39.199 --> 00:46:44.000 And and a spray is not going to keep it away forever. You know, 647 00:46:44.079 --> 00:46:47.519 it'll be back the same way it got in the plant in the first 648 00:46:47.559 --> 00:46:52.719 place. It can get into the plant again. And so it's just something 649 00:46:52.760 --> 00:46:54.400 you have to be aware of. But copper is the primary one that we 650 00:46:54.519 --> 00:47:00.239 use for that, other than other than physical removal. Yeah, I found 651 00:47:00.280 --> 00:47:04.199 that, you know, because I did. I picked off that and it's 652 00:47:04.400 --> 00:47:07.960 and it is a ball moss, and I would I go up into the 653 00:47:07.440 --> 00:47:14.039 branches and pick it off and and that's it becomes very tedious. And so 654 00:47:14.199 --> 00:47:16.719 I thought, well, for after I, after I've done all this work, 655 00:47:16.800 --> 00:47:21.559 I can perhaps there's a spray, and so I will I'll try this 656 00:47:21.760 --> 00:47:25.320 prior to uh, prior to the foliage coming out in the in the great 657 00:47:25.400 --> 00:47:34.039 middle and then the bagworms they kind of coincide or the spring and and I 658 00:47:34.400 --> 00:47:39.039 I would have to cut my my possum haw holly, and then I'm marring 659 00:47:39.519 --> 00:47:45.599 the shape. Yeah, so the worms create that that. When you say 660 00:47:45.719 --> 00:47:50.800 bag, are we talking about a web like you see in pecan trees or 661 00:47:50.880 --> 00:47:53.880 are we talking about a little tiny bag like a little missile that's only about 662 00:47:53.920 --> 00:47:59.800 two inches long? H Well, it can get I've seen it. It 663 00:47:59.800 --> 00:48:06.480 can probably two hands. I had one that was a that was probably the 664 00:48:06.519 --> 00:48:09.360 side size of two of your hands. Okay, And so that would that 665 00:48:09.400 --> 00:48:15.320 would technically be called a webworm. And those are low caterpillars that create a 666 00:48:15.320 --> 00:48:21.639 web to protect themselves against wasps, which is their main natural enemy. And 667 00:48:21.719 --> 00:48:24.039 so you can go and just break the webs up once it's the weather's warm 668 00:48:24.159 --> 00:48:27.840 enough and wasps are out and about, and they'll go in there and haul 669 00:48:27.840 --> 00:48:30.599 those caterpillars out of there. You can blast them with water. That that's 670 00:48:30.679 --> 00:48:34.880 one way, a strong stream of water. You can use just a little 671 00:48:34.880 --> 00:48:37.079 stick, a little brush, you know, I mean brush meaning like a 672 00:48:37.079 --> 00:48:40.519 broom or whatever you can reach it with. Just break those webs up. 673 00:48:40.920 --> 00:48:46.760 Spray's a b T. That's the ingredient, b T. Bacillistheringensis is an 674 00:48:46.880 --> 00:48:52.199 organic caterpillar disease. And if you can get the spray to the foliage, 675 00:48:52.760 --> 00:48:55.679 they eat it and they die. So you may have to watch and when 676 00:48:55.679 --> 00:49:00.639 you first start to see signs of them, spray that legic couple times a 677 00:49:00.719 --> 00:49:06.599 week for about three sprays, and you should knock them out that way too, 678 00:49:07.119 --> 00:49:10.360 And that way you don't have secondary damage to the environment with that kind 679 00:49:10.360 --> 00:49:16.119 of spray. Okay, and you said it was bud. Yeah, it's 680 00:49:16.239 --> 00:49:21.400 b as in boy, t is in tom and uh, it's a It's 681 00:49:21.440 --> 00:49:24.880 a bacteria that's in the Basillis group B A, C I, L l 682 00:49:25.119 --> 00:49:30.639 U S. That's why we say B and T is as thuringiensis. Germany 683 00:49:30.639 --> 00:49:36.159 has a region called the Thryingya region. That's where they discovered it. But 684 00:49:36.320 --> 00:49:39.159 BT is what gardeners say. If you go to any good garden center and 685 00:49:39.199 --> 00:49:42.199 you say, hey, I need some BT, they don't know what you're 686 00:49:42.199 --> 00:49:45.480 talking about. The and if they don't, go to a different garden center. 687 00:49:46.440 --> 00:49:51.119 Okay, so yeah, I go to Southwest Fertilizer. Oh my gosh. 688 00:49:51.920 --> 00:49:54.639 Yeah, they yes, they absolutely will know, and they'll probably have 689 00:49:54.679 --> 00:49:58.920 three different four different kinds of BT you can choose from, and it doesn't 690 00:49:58.960 --> 00:50:01.880 matter. They're all the same. Okay, all right, so BT in 691 00:50:02.119 --> 00:50:06.880 and it's sounding like, okay, BT, Well, I guess I'm not 692 00:50:07.079 --> 00:50:09.639 getting the connection, but I know you have other collar. It's sounding like 693 00:50:09.719 --> 00:50:15.039 it's not an insecticide, but it is an insecticide, but it's a natural 694 00:50:15.239 --> 00:50:21.159 insecticide. Uh okay. So here's how that. I don't mind taking a 695 00:50:21.199 --> 00:50:24.360 moment here because other people will want to know this. When you spray the 696 00:50:24.440 --> 00:50:29.679 foliage, caterpillars eat it, and because of the pH of their intestine, 697 00:50:30.199 --> 00:50:35.719 it creates toxic crystals that let's just say cause a terminal case of constipation. 698 00:50:36.480 --> 00:50:40.519 Isn't that a happy thought? And if a grass operate that foliage, it 699 00:50:40.559 --> 00:50:45.199 wouldn't do it. If a beetle ate that foliage, standard type of BT 700 00:50:45.400 --> 00:50:49.280 would not do it. And so it's a it's very specific, which we 701 00:50:49.519 --> 00:50:52.760 like that I call that an arrow rather than a grenade. Grenades kill all 702 00:50:52.800 --> 00:50:57.199 the insects around it. You spray them on. Arrows go in and they 703 00:50:57.599 --> 00:51:01.960 surgically remove one species without causing a disruption in the balance. Of nature out 704 00:51:01.960 --> 00:51:07.320 there. So that's why I like BT. Okay very good. Well, 705 00:51:07.320 --> 00:51:12.000 that's very helpful. I do appreciate it, and and Southwest fertilizers. My 706 00:51:12.000 --> 00:51:15.239 my spot will go well. I can't think of a better spot in town 707 00:51:15.320 --> 00:51:19.519 to get any kind of a pesticide. But you when when you just one 708 00:51:19.559 --> 00:51:22.599 thing to remember is BT breaks down fast in the environment, so when you 709 00:51:22.639 --> 00:51:27.159 spray it two days later, it's probably not working. So that's why you 710 00:51:27.239 --> 00:51:29.760 want to get out there. You want to get it where the caterpillars will 711 00:51:29.760 --> 00:51:34.159 eat it, which is why I usually break the webs up first. Break 712 00:51:34.159 --> 00:51:38.039 the webs up first, and then spray. Okay, then a regiment of 713 00:51:38.079 --> 00:51:42.719 a couple of days a week for you you mentioned a half a dozen, 714 00:51:43.199 --> 00:51:45.039 no, three sprays would be enough. If you get it where they eat 715 00:51:45.079 --> 00:51:49.360 it, it'll shut them down. But it may take you know, you 716 00:51:49.400 --> 00:51:52.480 may not get them all, and then you know half a week, even 717 00:51:52.480 --> 00:51:53.880 a week later, wait a week if you want and spray it. I 718 00:51:54.000 --> 00:51:58.719 just it's not a poison in the sense of you get it on the caterpillar 719 00:51:58.760 --> 00:52:01.159 and the caterpillar dies. It's you get it on the foliage. The caterpillar 720 00:52:01.199 --> 00:52:06.480 eats the foliage. Okay, I'm understood. Okay, well, very good. 721 00:52:06.519 --> 00:52:09.920 And obviously if it rains, I should go back and reapply. Well, 722 00:52:10.000 --> 00:52:13.079 yeah, but it's only going to last a day or so, Like 723 00:52:13.079 --> 00:52:16.840 if it's going to rain tomorrow, I don't think i'd strolled today. I'd 724 00:52:16.840 --> 00:52:21.280 wait until after the rain to spray it. Yeah, got it. Okay, 725 00:52:21.880 --> 00:52:23.079 Well, thank you very much. You've been very helpful. I appreciate 726 00:52:23.079 --> 00:52:27.559 it. Thanks to call Steve. I appreciate that very much as well. 727 00:52:27.679 --> 00:52:31.239 I was telling y'all or earlier about the OBA event, which is the Organic 728 00:52:31.400 --> 00:52:35.280 Science Day event. Now I've been to these before. In fact, I'm 729 00:52:35.280 --> 00:52:39.719 going to be there this year. It's on Friday, January twenty sixth, 730 00:52:39.960 --> 00:52:45.440 so next Friday, from eight A under three thirty. You can register and 731 00:52:45.480 --> 00:52:50.719 you need it's a cost for this that you get a lunch and breaks included, 732 00:52:50.760 --> 00:52:54.480 and it's a day full of speakers that are just outstanding that you just 733 00:52:54.519 --> 00:53:00.599 don't have a chance to get to elsewhere in most cases. So there is 734 00:53:00.639 --> 00:53:07.440 a cost. But go to OBA online, HbA online dot org, slash 735 00:53:07.480 --> 00:53:10.079 register. It's at WAD Drive. It's the United Way downtown here in the 736 00:53:10.119 --> 00:53:15.519 Houston area. Jeff Lowenfels. If you've ever read the books Teaming with Bacteria, 737 00:53:15.559 --> 00:53:20.519 Teaming with Microbes, Teaming with Fungi, Teaming with Nutrients, really fun 738 00:53:20.599 --> 00:53:22.840 reads. I enjoyed reading those. Jeff Loenfells will be a speaker there. 739 00:53:23.480 --> 00:53:29.000 Doctor Lisa Morno from the University of Houston Downtown is going to be talking about 740 00:53:29.079 --> 00:53:32.400 shifting microbial communities from antagonistic to friendly. And I'm not going to read you 741 00:53:32.519 --> 00:53:37.280 every talk for the day, but it is a day full of really cool 742 00:53:37.320 --> 00:53:42.559 stuff. I always enjoy going to OBA Science Today's events, and here's your 743 00:53:42.639 --> 00:53:49.679 chance to do that again. OBA online dot org, slash register. We 744 00:53:49.920 --> 00:53:52.400 are now going to head out to pair Land and talk to Don. Hello 745 00:53:52.519 --> 00:53:57.400 Don, Good morning sir. How are you today? I'm well thanks. 746 00:53:58.840 --> 00:54:05.519 My question was about roses and my creekmurtles. Okay, should I trim them 747 00:54:05.559 --> 00:54:09.039 back? Tod? Did part of it back now? Or should I wait 748 00:54:09.079 --> 00:54:15.880 and see if we have another freeze? I would wait until spring, uh 749 00:54:15.920 --> 00:54:21.760 and and I mean until new growth begins. And here here's why. Sometimes 750 00:54:21.880 --> 00:54:25.000 you may you know, a dormant crape myrtle kind of looks dead. So 751 00:54:25.519 --> 00:54:30.320 if you if you are pruning based on visual it's kind of hard to tell. 752 00:54:30.400 --> 00:54:32.559 You can scratch the branch to find out, but I would just wait. 753 00:54:32.599 --> 00:54:37.000 There is nothing wrong with after new growth begins. You see where the 754 00:54:37.000 --> 00:54:39.119 shoots are coming out, that's where you pumm back to. And that's the 755 00:54:39.199 --> 00:54:44.559 easiest, most accurate way to go about it. So other than scratching a 756 00:54:44.599 --> 00:54:46.920 branch to look for life, I would I would wait on both of those. 757 00:54:47.639 --> 00:54:52.719 What about my roses? I covered them up and they are they're still 758 00:54:52.760 --> 00:54:58.199 alive, Yeah, of course. Yeah. Should I wait before I try 759 00:54:58.199 --> 00:55:00.960 to trim the dead branch is back? Now, I'll wait until we get 760 00:55:01.039 --> 00:55:05.119 new drops thought popping up? Yeah, I'd wait. I mean you could. 761 00:55:05.239 --> 00:55:07.199 You can prune now just by checking them back roses. We tend to 762 00:55:07.239 --> 00:55:12.000 prune back a lot anyway. But remember when you cut into living wood, 763 00:55:12.039 --> 00:55:15.519 it's rejuvenate, it's in. It stimulates the regrowth, and we don't want 764 00:55:15.559 --> 00:55:20.119 to get a bunch of real tender shoots. And then maybe two three weeks 765 00:55:20.119 --> 00:55:23.079 from now, whenever here comes this other freeze. That's that's a real hard 766 00:55:23.079 --> 00:55:27.639 one, and now you've got even more damage. So just I would wait. 767 00:55:28.159 --> 00:55:31.760 That's that's my suggestion. And I was thinking, thank you, man, 768 00:55:31.760 --> 00:55:36.679 I'm sorry. I was thinking about waiting, but I just wanted to 769 00:55:36.760 --> 00:55:38.280 check what you and make sure. Well. I'm glad you did. Thanks 770 00:55:38.320 --> 00:55:42.639 for that called, don I appreciate that. Good luck with those plants. 771 00:55:42.719 --> 00:55:45.440 Thank you for calling. We are about to take another break. I think 772 00:55:45.519 --> 00:55:50.280 Nicky has news and as a result, I'm going to shut up and let 773 00:55:50.320 --> 00:55:52.880 her have the microphone and take it from here. If you'd like to give 774 00:55:52.920 --> 00:55:59.440 me a call seven one three two one two five eight seven four seven one 775 00:55:59.519 --> 00:56:05.639 three two want to k t R H and I'll be right back. Welcome 776 00:56:05.639 --> 00:56:09.239 back to garden Line. We are glad you are listening today. Got some 777 00:56:09.360 --> 00:56:13.360 calls on the line. If you would like to call in, it's seven 778 00:56:13.400 --> 00:56:16.559 one three two one two five eight seven four. Let's talk about what's you're 779 00:56:16.679 --> 00:56:22.280 interested in. I think everybody has different interests. That's one thing I have 780 00:56:22.440 --> 00:56:27.159 learned for sure, that is that two things. Number one, that everybody 781 00:56:27.159 --> 00:56:30.320 when it comes to gardening has got different questions and interest But number two, 782 00:56:30.199 --> 00:56:32.599 if you have a question or interest, there are a lot of people out 783 00:56:32.639 --> 00:56:37.480 there that are just too shy to call that also have the same question. 784 00:56:37.599 --> 00:56:40.920 So don't be afraid give us a call. We are gentle, we will 785 00:56:42.039 --> 00:56:45.320 not. I like to say this, and that's there's no such thing as 786 00:56:45.320 --> 00:56:49.719 a stupid question. There's stupid answers, though, and I'll have to worry 787 00:56:49.719 --> 00:56:52.719 about that end of it. So call away. Someone else will have the 788 00:56:52.760 --> 00:56:55.199 same kind of question. We want you to have success, whether an experienced 789 00:56:55.239 --> 00:57:00.679 gardener or a brand new gardener. While ago I was talking to Don and 790 00:57:00.079 --> 00:57:04.719 no, yeah, Don out in Pairland and we were talking about he heads 791 00:57:04.760 --> 00:57:07.199 over to a Southwest Fertilizer to get his supplies. And so you know, 792 00:57:07.280 --> 00:57:12.800 here we got a guy heading from Pearland all the way over Southwest Houston for 793 00:57:12.880 --> 00:57:15.639 Southwest Fertilizer. What's the reason for that, Well, the reason for that 794 00:57:15.840 --> 00:57:20.639 is that Southwest Fertilizer has everything you need. You know when you go there. 795 00:57:20.840 --> 00:57:23.079 If it's a fertilizer, if it's a soil a bag soil product, 796 00:57:23.360 --> 00:57:27.840 if it's an insecticide, a funge, a side, whatever you need. 797 00:57:28.119 --> 00:57:34.840 We've talked about the medina and microlife products for recovering from a freeze. Southwest 798 00:57:34.880 --> 00:57:37.679 has them. Southwest has everything, and if they don't have it, you 799 00:57:37.719 --> 00:57:40.360 don't need it. That's just how it works. They also have copper fungicides, 800 00:57:40.519 --> 00:57:45.199 and we were discussing earlier. I think Steve had a question about moss 801 00:57:45.239 --> 00:57:51.519 prevention. Yes, in fact, Bob at Southwest has more than one type 802 00:57:51.559 --> 00:57:55.519 of copper fungicide and they can drone on with you about the advantages and how 803 00:57:55.559 --> 00:57:59.559 you use it and all that kind of stuff. But copper is one of 804 00:57:59.599 --> 00:58:02.519 the product we use for things like ball moss or Spanish moss or liken for 805 00:58:02.599 --> 00:58:07.760 example. Those all are helpful. They don't eradicate everything, but they knock 806 00:58:07.840 --> 00:58:12.239 down what's there. And Bob has that do you have a fertilizer you need? 807 00:58:12.360 --> 00:58:15.159 He's got everything I talk about on guarden Line. And then some do 808 00:58:15.199 --> 00:58:19.320 you need a tool? Do you just need advice or an identification? Put 809 00:58:19.360 --> 00:58:22.239 it in a bag. Bring your pictures, make sure they're in good sharp 810 00:58:22.280 --> 00:58:25.199 focus, take them to Southwest and somebody there on the team is gonna be 811 00:58:25.199 --> 00:58:29.199 able to look at them and tell you what you need. That's just how 812 00:58:29.199 --> 00:58:34.599 it works there. Always, always you're gonna have exactly a supply. In 813 00:58:34.599 --> 00:58:37.920 fact, you're gonna have choices as to what you purchase when you go to 814 00:58:38.000 --> 00:58:42.079 Southwest because they carry it all. If they don't have it, you don't 815 00:58:42.119 --> 00:58:45.679 need it. I'm going to head out now to Montgomery and we're gonna talk 816 00:58:45.719 --> 00:58:50.159 to another Don. Hello, Don, Hey, good mornings, Good morning, 817 00:58:52.920 --> 00:58:58.440 love your show. Thank you, first time caller. So my scenario 818 00:58:58.800 --> 00:59:02.639 is I have a crapy myrtle who's suffering between two trees, two other trees. 819 00:59:04.559 --> 00:59:07.679 Unfortunately, I'm not entirely sure what the other two trees are. But 820 00:59:07.880 --> 00:59:14.480 my question is can I transplant? And when should I? As soon as 821 00:59:14.519 --> 00:59:19.760 possible? Yes, you can. How tall is the crape that you have? 822 00:59:21.679 --> 00:59:28.519 Oh Jesus's probably eight or ten feet tall? Okay, well, yeah, 823 00:59:29.039 --> 00:59:32.280 around that crape, there's going to be those other two tree roots everywhere. 824 00:59:32.480 --> 00:59:37.519 So digging it is going to be a process. It's gonna be some 825 00:59:37.599 --> 00:59:39.639 work. But the more of the root system you can get, the better. 826 00:59:40.000 --> 00:59:44.039 And I realize that you're gonna have a hard time getting much of the 827 00:59:44.079 --> 00:59:46.360 root system. But if you can go ahead and do it as soon as 828 00:59:46.360 --> 00:59:49.920 possible, normally we would do something like that in the fall, to give 829 00:59:49.960 --> 00:59:53.639 it all winter to start to rejuvenate roots and whatnot. The chance of its 830 00:59:53.679 --> 00:59:58.199 surviving is I would say, let me put it this way, the chance 831 00:59:58.239 --> 01:00:04.079 of its surviving and being ac duptible in its survival is probably about fifty to 832 01:00:04.119 --> 01:00:07.000 fifty. But you can because you're just not going to be able to get 833 01:00:07.039 --> 01:00:09.039 many of the roots. But if you get it in there, move it, 834 01:00:09.280 --> 01:00:13.800 don't let what's there dry out, and put it in the ground at 835 01:00:13.840 --> 01:00:17.039 the same level that it grew before. Put something in there to stake it, 836 01:00:17.400 --> 01:00:22.079 something to support it. And there are a couple of products out there 837 01:00:22.199 --> 01:00:25.199 that can do that. There's you know, steaks and wires and things like 838 01:00:25.199 --> 01:00:29.119 that. I'm gonna be talking about a product you're coming up. In fact, 839 01:00:29.280 --> 01:00:35.559 I need to do that three sixty stabilizers that will actually hold it very 840 01:00:35.599 --> 01:00:40.320 well, and then put a berm around it. Done a berm of soil, 841 01:00:40.400 --> 01:00:45.719 a doughnut, let's say a foot wider than whatever root system you were 842 01:00:45.760 --> 01:00:49.599 able to pull out, and you can fill that with water and it soaks 843 01:00:49.639 --> 01:00:52.039 in and when we get it's going to be okay for now. But when 844 01:00:52.039 --> 01:00:55.440 we start getting warm, which happens in May here and then June July, 845 01:00:57.079 --> 01:01:00.840 the demands are huge and that's where the touching go where you're probably going to 846 01:01:00.920 --> 01:01:05.039 lose it. If you lose it, So that burn helps make sure the 847 01:01:05.079 --> 01:01:09.639 soil has plenty of moisture. Okay, good. Any suggestions for the soil 848 01:01:09.679 --> 01:01:14.679 that I put it in, any boosters or nutrients or anything you suggest. 849 01:01:15.199 --> 01:01:16.480 If you have it in a bed, if you're going to create a raised 850 01:01:16.480 --> 01:01:20.559 bed, yes, a good quality bed makes like a rose soil or something 851 01:01:20.639 --> 01:01:22.639 like that. If you're just going to go out and plant it in the 852 01:01:22.679 --> 01:01:27.039 ground, don't amend the soil in that hole. You can amend a large 853 01:01:27.119 --> 01:01:30.639 area and then dig a hole, but don't dig a hole, especially in 854 01:01:30.679 --> 01:01:34.599 a clay soil or something, and then drop a bunch of composts in it. 855 01:01:34.679 --> 01:01:37.280 That just is an underground bathtub. That is not going to help at 856 01:01:37.320 --> 01:01:43.639 all. Wonderful, all right, you can find me much. You may 857 01:01:43.679 --> 01:01:46.719 want to do some cutting back on it, some printing back, and that 858 01:01:47.039 --> 01:01:52.159 just because I suspect that its form is not that impressive having grown in among 859 01:01:52.199 --> 01:01:57.679 those trees, and so cut it back. And then you get to choose. 860 01:01:58.239 --> 01:02:00.920 In fact, you cut it back a lot and let the regrowth come 861 01:02:00.960 --> 01:02:05.079 out of the base. You get to choose do you want three trunks? 862 01:02:05.239 --> 01:02:07.679 You can pick which three you want, because you're gonna get a bunch of 863 01:02:07.719 --> 01:02:10.360 sprouts, and then you can take it from there. Don't feel like you 864 01:02:10.400 --> 01:02:14.880 need to keep that big thing so that That's what I would do if it 865 01:02:14.880 --> 01:02:17.480 were mine, I'd cut it almost the ground and then just let it re 866 01:02:17.559 --> 01:02:22.840 sprout and it will. Okay, okay, we loaded. Thank you. 867 01:02:22.719 --> 01:02:28.280 You appreciate it. Thank you. I appreciate appreciate your call. A lot. 868 01:02:28.880 --> 01:02:31.679 By the way, that Don is out there in the Montgomery area, 869 01:02:31.719 --> 01:02:36.280 and I tell you he is fortunate. Any of you out there are fortunate 870 01:02:36.360 --> 01:02:38.320 to have A and A Plants and produce in your area. You know that 871 01:02:38.800 --> 01:02:42.840 AIGHTA Plants have ben around for thirty years, but it's changed a lot over 872 01:02:42.840 --> 01:02:45.199 the last thirty years. It's on the east side of Montgomery, on the 873 01:02:45.320 --> 01:02:50.559 right hand side if you will heading toward Conroe. It's on the well left 874 01:02:50.559 --> 01:02:52.360 hand side of the road if you're going toward Conroe, but right on the 875 01:02:52.480 --> 01:02:57.199 edge of town. They've got all the fertilizers. I recommend they're open seven 876 01:02:57.280 --> 01:03:00.880 days a week, nine to five. I mean knowledgeable. So it's anytimes 877 01:03:00.920 --> 01:03:05.880 goodbye to swing by A and A Plants and Produce. They've got everything that 878 01:03:05.960 --> 01:03:07.639 you need. They have a good selection of a lot of different products. 879 01:03:07.679 --> 01:03:10.519 I know, I was just looking the other day. They have the Landscaper's 880 01:03:10.519 --> 01:03:15.400 Pride products out there. Landscaper's Pride has you know they they've been around a 881 01:03:15.400 --> 01:03:21.400 while. I mean the actual products that they have or excellent. They work 882 01:03:21.519 --> 01:03:28.920 very well when you're looking at a option from composts to multz Do you do 883 01:03:28.920 --> 01:03:30.880 you want a cypress moultch, Do you want a cedar mult Do you see 884 01:03:30.880 --> 01:03:37.079 what I'm saying. They've got all kinds of different things twenty something different products 885 01:03:37.360 --> 01:03:42.920 that are available there from Landscapers Pride's real easy to have success when you use 886 01:03:42.920 --> 01:03:45.280 a quality product, and that is exactly what they do. Right now, 887 01:03:45.440 --> 01:03:49.679 it's time to be making beds, it's time to be getting out there and 888 01:03:49.719 --> 01:03:53.079 making sure that you have a quality soil before you plant in the bed. 889 01:03:53.440 --> 01:03:58.920 And they carry a variety of bed products like the roast soil that they have 890 01:03:59.360 --> 01:04:03.480 for doing just exactly that, making sure that when you're looking for something that 891 01:04:03.599 --> 01:04:08.760 is going to give your plants success, well, think about Landscapers Pride. 892 01:04:08.760 --> 01:04:11.719 They're going to have it. That is what they do. They specialize in 893 01:04:11.800 --> 01:04:15.159 things that are going to have success for your plants. Landscapers Pride you can 894 01:04:15.199 --> 01:04:19.119 go onto the website Landscaper's Pride, and they are going to point you to 895 01:04:19.360 --> 01:04:26.039 a store near you. It's Landscaperspride dot com. Landscaperspride dot com. Find 896 01:04:26.039 --> 01:04:29.840 the store locator and you can find where you can get those quality products a 897 01:04:29.920 --> 01:04:32.119 very reasonable price. We're going to take a break right now again. Our 898 01:04:32.119 --> 01:04:40.639 phone number is seven one three two one two fifty eight seventy four. Welcome 899 01:04:40.639 --> 01:04:43.480 back to garden Line. We're glad you're listening. I'm your host, Skip 900 01:04:43.559 --> 01:04:47.280 Richter. We're here to answer gardening questions and our phone number seven one three 901 01:04:47.480 --> 01:04:54.159 two one two five eight seven four. Just listening to that. That add 902 01:04:54.159 --> 01:04:58.400 for the Brass County Home and Brasos Home and Garden Show, not brads County 903 01:04:58.599 --> 01:05:01.119 Bras's Home and Garden Show. Rosenberg. I'm going to be there next Saturday. 904 01:05:01.440 --> 01:05:05.039 Next Saturday, I'll be there after the show, I'll head down there 905 01:05:05.119 --> 01:05:09.480 be there for a couple hours. I'm gonna be talking about some spring gardening 906 01:05:09.559 --> 01:05:12.679 tips, dealing recovering from the freeze, and all kinds of things, answering 907 01:05:12.679 --> 01:05:15.559 your gardening questions. I'll be there at a table to answer gardening questions, 908 01:05:15.599 --> 01:05:18.920 and I hope you'll come out and see me that is the Brasses Home and 909 01:05:18.960 --> 01:05:24.559 Garden Show. It is going to be at the Fort Bend Epicenter right there 910 01:05:24.559 --> 01:05:30.440 on Southwest Freeway and just south Rose in South Rosenberg, Texas. If you 911 01:05:30.480 --> 01:05:33.519 know where the Kenny Extension Office is, well you're getting really close. It's 912 01:05:33.639 --> 01:05:39.880 just up toward Highway fifty nine from there, real close by. So come 913 01:05:39.920 --> 01:05:43.840 on by Brasis Home and Garden Show next Saturday. I hope you come out. 914 01:05:43.960 --> 01:05:47.360 And I always love to meet folks that listen to Garden Line. Let's 915 01:05:47.360 --> 01:05:51.079 see, we are now going to head out to Dickinson, Texas and talk 916 01:05:51.119 --> 01:05:57.000 to less. Hello. Les, Hey, how you doing. I'm well, 917 01:05:57.039 --> 01:06:02.519 thank you? How can we help? I was going to start a 918 01:06:02.559 --> 01:06:08.679 garden with some raised beds. I heard you talking earlier about the importance of 919 01:06:08.719 --> 01:06:18.239 the soil yes oil mixture that I should try and get together and put in 920 01:06:18.280 --> 01:06:23.559 there. Well, there's a number of quality mixes a lot of people will 921 01:06:23.679 --> 01:06:28.920 use, you know, just for beds that are all shrubs and general ornamentals 922 01:06:28.920 --> 01:06:31.559 and things that will use a thing called rose soil. Even though it says 923 01:06:31.719 --> 01:06:36.280 rose, it's good for more than just roses. When you're getting into vegetables 924 01:06:36.280 --> 01:06:40.880 and things. I like veggie and herb type mix. I know, Heirloom 925 01:06:40.960 --> 01:06:45.320 Soils has a quality veggie and herb mix that works really well. It's pretty 926 01:06:45.320 --> 01:06:48.039 widely available, you know, down in your area. Let's see, you 927 01:06:48.079 --> 01:06:51.280 were in Dickinson, You're going to be able to find it a number of 928 01:06:51.280 --> 01:06:55.760 places. All these hardware stores carry it. And you're not too far away 929 01:06:55.760 --> 01:06:59.280 from Moss Nursery downe there and they have a number of soil blends that they 930 01:06:59.360 --> 01:07:02.599 carry as well as options. So, uh, it's going to be easy 931 01:07:02.599 --> 01:07:04.760 to come back. If you're gonna do a lot of beds, though, 932 01:07:04.920 --> 01:07:12.000 you probably want to call Heirloom and have them deliver a bulk to your area. 933 01:07:12.239 --> 01:07:15.920 You know, if individual gags, I'm gonna do quite a bit and 934 01:07:15.960 --> 01:07:19.239 that's going to be vegetables. Yeah, So what you ought to do is 935 01:07:19.280 --> 01:07:21.960 just go ahead and get get a hold of Heirloom the folks at Airlom show 936 01:07:23.079 --> 01:07:30.079 and ask them for their specifically their veggie and herb mix. And if if 937 01:07:30.119 --> 01:07:32.960 you want to do ROAs, that'll work too, works just fine. But 938 01:07:33.559 --> 01:07:40.679 I was about fourteen inches high sixteen inches high that that's plenty of Is it 939 01:07:40.800 --> 01:07:44.000 going to be sitting on ground or is it gonna be sitting like on concrete 940 01:07:44.079 --> 01:07:46.360 or asphalt. It's going to be sitting on ground, So there's going to 941 01:07:46.400 --> 01:07:51.039 be you know, gumbo underneath it. Yeah, even even eleven inches is 942 01:07:51.400 --> 01:07:56.480 enough for going. So if you wanted to go up to fourteen or sixteen, 943 01:07:56.559 --> 01:08:00.320 that's even better. Yeah, and let me give you a website just 944 01:08:00.320 --> 01:08:02.519 because I can't describe every soil and where it is and how to get it. 945 01:08:03.360 --> 01:08:11.400 Heirloom Soil of Soils plural of Texas, Heirloom Soils of Texas dot com. 946 01:08:11.519 --> 01:08:15.159 And they they have that, They've got lead more compost. You know, 947 01:08:15.239 --> 01:08:17.840 it's real. It's really, uh, kind of a one stop where 948 01:08:17.840 --> 01:08:21.760 about it. They're importer. You can drive up there if you've got a 949 01:08:21.760 --> 01:08:26.000 flatbed and get it. You can have them deliver it. Uh. They 950 01:08:26.039 --> 01:08:30.840 also have a thing called a supersack that's one cubic yard and you're gonna probably 951 01:08:30.000 --> 01:08:34.399 need more than that, but a supersack is handy because they just bring it 952 01:08:34.439 --> 01:08:38.079 and drop it on the driveway. And just think of one of those big 953 01:08:38.119 --> 01:08:46.640 old cloth grocery you mentioned somebody in my area there's someone closer than border well, 954 01:08:46.760 --> 01:08:49.439 well yeah, yeah, and I was talking about I was thinking in 955 01:08:49.560 --> 01:08:51.359 terms of bags, and I was saying, you know, you're not far 956 01:08:51.439 --> 01:08:55.920 from Moss Nursery. You're not far from a number of Ace hardware stores that 957 01:08:55.960 --> 01:08:59.880 are going to carry and I know the Ace carries the Heirloom Heirloom brand. 958 01:09:00.319 --> 01:09:02.439 But there you're buying it in you know, one or two cubic foot bag, 959 01:09:03.560 --> 01:09:09.600 right right, So you're gonna need a whole lot of those. All 960 01:09:09.680 --> 01:09:15.960 right, Well, thank you much. I'll call back when I got another 961 01:09:16.039 --> 01:09:18.800 question. Yeah. All I ask is that you bring you know, about 962 01:09:18.840 --> 01:09:23.199 a third of the produce, drop it off at the station so we can 963 01:09:23.239 --> 01:09:28.600 both enjoy the fruit of your labor. Gotcha, that's reasonable, right right? 964 01:09:29.479 --> 01:09:33.079 Ah less, thanks for the call. I love people getting into a 965 01:09:33.119 --> 01:09:38.319 new garden. It is just it is so much fun. And anytime you're 966 01:09:38.319 --> 01:09:42.439 trying a new garden, just be patient. Call in. Let's get you 967 01:09:42.560 --> 01:09:45.720 some good information and let's let's help you have success. I think now we're 968 01:09:45.720 --> 01:09:49.840 going to run out to League City and talk to Judy. Hello, Judy, 969 01:09:50.920 --> 01:09:55.000 good morning, how are you. I'm well? Thank you. I 970 01:09:55.119 --> 01:09:59.239 wonder if you could tell me do you think it's supposed to warm up this 971 01:09:59.439 --> 01:10:02.039 morning into the forties? Yes? Here in League City. Do you think 972 01:10:02.079 --> 01:10:05.079 it's all right to take the covers off the plant? I think it is, 973 01:10:05.239 --> 01:10:09.520 But check the weather. I haven't checked this morning for down in your 974 01:10:09.640 --> 01:10:13.720 area in the forties on up well, but I mean tonight. How cold 975 01:10:13.760 --> 01:10:15.640 is it supposed to go? I don't think it's dropping below freezing. No, 976 01:10:15.840 --> 01:10:18.199 it's not. It's not supposed to freeze. Yeah, I think you 977 01:10:18.319 --> 01:10:23.479 go take those off. Take them off. We have them on there for 978 01:10:23.560 --> 01:10:28.319 a reason. But it's also important that they get sunlight, and so the 979 01:10:28.399 --> 01:10:31.920 more days them on the rain would probably help them too. Well, you're 980 01:10:31.920 --> 01:10:34.439 gonna get plenty of that too, yeah, I know, if it doesn't 981 01:10:34.479 --> 01:10:38.960 drown them. And I heard you say to wait to cut back on the 982 01:10:39.079 --> 01:10:43.520 roses till mid say, mid February or so if you got cold damage. 983 01:10:43.640 --> 01:10:46.119 Yes, mid February is when we do our pruning. You know. We 984 01:10:46.560 --> 01:10:49.760 we like to make it easy, so we say things like plants your roses, 985 01:10:49.840 --> 01:10:55.560 and plant your potatoes, and plant and prune your roses on Valentine's Day 986 01:10:55.680 --> 01:10:59.520 just because people remember. Let me ask you something. We have some of 987 01:10:59.600 --> 01:11:02.720 these into p I N t A pliants and I couldn't cover them all because 988 01:11:02.720 --> 01:11:05.680 they ran out of step. But if you cut those back, will they 989 01:11:06.520 --> 01:11:11.319 come back or do you think it's just a lost cause. Pentas are borderline 990 01:11:11.880 --> 01:11:15.319 and if if you had enough protection around the base, maybe some multipled up 991 01:11:15.359 --> 01:11:18.560 around them, I would say they will come back from the base. In 992 01:11:18.760 --> 01:11:23.079 general, though we think of them as annuals. But you're far in the 993 01:11:23.239 --> 01:11:26.479 south, you know. I realize I'm talking to people in Huntsville and people 994 01:11:26.560 --> 01:11:30.279 in Galveston listening to this, so it's kind of hard to Pentas are not 995 01:11:30.359 --> 01:11:34.199 a perennial in Huntsville normally, right, But if they have some protection, 996 01:11:34.399 --> 01:11:38.640 they might and that top growth may have helped a little bit too. So 997 01:11:38.840 --> 01:11:41.880 don't give up on them. But don't expect them to pop up in the 998 01:11:41.960 --> 01:11:45.039 next few weeks. They're going to be sweepy helps until it warms up. 999 01:11:45.920 --> 01:11:48.319 Yeah, there you go. Okay, thank you so much. I appreciate 1000 01:11:48.399 --> 01:11:50.960 your help. All right, thank you for the call. I appreciate that 1001 01:11:51.760 --> 01:11:55.840 very much. Well, here we go. Put another hour in the books 1002 01:11:55.880 --> 01:11:58.840 this morning. If you would like to be on guarden Line, have a 1003 01:11:58.920 --> 01:12:03.720 gardening question, give Josh a call at seven one three two one two fifty 1004 01:12:03.800 --> 01:12:08.359 eight seventy four. He can get you on the boards. When we come 1005 01:12:08.399 --> 01:12:11.399 back from the top of the hour news, we'll talk to you about what 1006 01:12:11.800 --> 01:12:15.520 is of interest to you. I will mention this again later, but you 1007 01:12:15.680 --> 01:12:19.520 need to write this down if you are at all interested in vegetables. Fort 1008 01:12:19.560 --> 01:12:27.680 Ben County Agrlife Extension Offices has hosting their thirty ninth annual Fort Ben Regional Vegetable 1009 01:12:27.760 --> 01:12:31.279 Conference. You know that's going to be the Fort Ben Fairgrounds, the Fort 1010 01:12:31.319 --> 01:12:36.000 Ben County Fairgrounds in Rosenberg, Texas. It starts at eight am, it 1011 01:12:36.079 --> 01:12:41.439 goes all the way to three thirty pm. Lunch is included if you register 1012 01:12:41.640 --> 01:12:45.359 before January twenty sixth. Hear that thirty dollars. After that, forty bucks. 1013 01:12:45.960 --> 01:12:49.000 Lots of great speakers. I've spoken there myself in the past. I'll 1014 01:12:49.039 --> 01:12:54.720 tell you more about it a little bit later. Katrh Garden Line does not 1015 01:12:54.840 --> 01:13:00.960 necessarily endorse any of the products or services advertised on this programme. To Katie 1016 01:13:00.119 --> 01:13:14.239 r H. Garden Line with Skip Richard, it's trim just watching as well 1017 01:13:17.680 --> 01:13:30.479 as so many good things to septasyas Gat. There not a sad welcome to 1018 01:13:30.560 --> 01:13:34.159 garden Line. We're glad you're listening today. Looking forward to talking to you 1019 01:13:34.239 --> 01:13:39.520 about the things that are of interest to you. Give us a call seven 1020 01:13:39.600 --> 01:13:43.760 one three two one two fifty eight seventy four if you would like to be 1021 01:13:44.039 --> 01:13:47.199 on the air and discuss some things that are of interest to you. We're 1022 01:13:47.239 --> 01:13:53.239 here to do just exactly that. I enjoy visiting with gardeners. It's always 1023 01:13:53.520 --> 01:13:57.560 educational, too, do you know that. I don't think there there are 1024 01:13:57.800 --> 01:14:01.720 very few days that I don't learn something and about gardening. After how many 1025 01:14:01.800 --> 01:14:05.960 years doing this, many many decades of doing this morning, I care to 1026 01:14:06.039 --> 01:14:12.039 remember, I still learn stuff I learned from callers. Occasionally people will call 1027 01:14:12.119 --> 01:14:14.479 in and say something. It's like, well, I have not heard that 1028 01:14:14.600 --> 01:14:17.479 one yet, And I certainly learned when I go to garden centers and some 1029 01:14:17.600 --> 01:14:20.680 of our other suppliers and see what's on the shelf, see what kinds of 1030 01:14:20.720 --> 01:14:25.520 plants are coming in. That's always That is always kind of cool, because 1031 01:14:25.720 --> 01:14:29.520 I just think that one of the fun things in life is learning more, 1032 01:14:29.640 --> 01:14:34.520 being able to expand your knowledge, learn about new plants, try new things. 1033 01:14:34.560 --> 01:14:39.279 There's always something new. I think that the earth would stop rotating on 1034 01:14:39.399 --> 01:14:44.479 its axis if there wasn't a dozen new tomato varieties that we can't live without 1035 01:14:44.560 --> 01:14:48.159 every year. I mean, there's always something new. There's probably a thousand 1036 01:14:48.199 --> 01:14:51.079 tomato varieties out there. I don't know what the actual number is, but 1037 01:14:51.199 --> 01:14:56.479 that ain't far off. If it is off, there's just so many, 1038 01:14:56.720 --> 01:14:59.640 and so really, I mean, do we need one thousand and one the 1039 01:14:59.800 --> 01:15:04.439 entry, Yes, we absolutely do. There's something new every time that a 1040 01:15:04.560 --> 01:15:10.399 new year comes. The plant breeders always surprise me. I remember when tomatoes 1041 01:15:10.439 --> 01:15:15.800 were red primarily, and they were either slicers or cherries, and then we 1042 01:15:15.960 --> 01:15:20.479 discovered something called grape tomatoes. They're kind of oblong shaped and those are cool. 1043 01:15:20.479 --> 01:15:24.920 I love grape tomatoes, but that red, you know, I know, 1044 01:15:25.039 --> 01:15:28.239 we have yellow tomatoes, and we have green and green striped tomatoes, 1045 01:15:28.279 --> 01:15:31.840 even some older ones that are green striped that are kind of cool. Green 1046 01:15:32.000 --> 01:15:35.920 Zebra is a good one. That's an older variety, got good disease resistance 1047 01:15:36.000 --> 01:15:40.000 and very unusual. You might have to turn the lights off where you eat 1048 01:15:40.039 --> 01:15:44.319 it because it is unusual looking. But some people think it's beautiful and that's 1049 01:15:44.359 --> 01:15:48.399 okay too. But then we had some breeders decide they were going to get 1050 01:15:48.439 --> 01:15:55.399 all weird with tomatoes and come up with some unbelievably splotchy, streaky, all 1051 01:15:55.520 --> 01:15:58.840 kinds of things like that. There's a there's a company out in California called 1052 01:15:58.880 --> 01:16:04.239 bores Head Farm Boar like the male hog Boor's Head Farm, and they have 1053 01:16:04.720 --> 01:16:09.399 all kinds of crazy tomatoes. Now a lot of theirs. The days to 1054 01:16:09.479 --> 01:16:13.560 harvest is a little long for them to do well here. But anyway, 1055 01:16:14.479 --> 01:16:19.359 go online sometime and look at a what's the Berkeley Tide. That's a good 1056 01:16:19.439 --> 01:16:24.840 name in it for a California tomato, Berkeley Tide, And when you look 1057 01:16:24.880 --> 01:16:28.920 at a sliced version of that, it's like, WHOA, that's a lot 1058 01:16:29.039 --> 01:16:31.760 going on there. Colorwise, kind of cool. Now, I'm not recommending 1059 01:16:31.840 --> 01:16:35.720 that particular variety. Don't go to a garden center and say skip said by 1060 01:16:35.880 --> 01:16:40.600 Berkeley ty die. I'm not saying that. I'm just saying tomato breeders are 1061 01:16:40.760 --> 01:16:44.600 always coming up with some new things, and so our pepper breeders, and 1062 01:16:44.720 --> 01:16:48.319 we got a cross stuff. And this last year I grew two different types 1063 01:16:48.359 --> 01:16:56.359 of habanero that were almost heatless. That just seems like an oxymoron to say 1064 01:16:56.800 --> 01:17:00.600 heatless habanero. Hobanaro is normally so hot you have to water the mulch to 1065 01:17:00.680 --> 01:17:04.720 keep it from catching on fire underneath the plant. They are. They are 1066 01:17:04.880 --> 01:17:11.840 very very hot peppers. But I ran into one. One was a breeding 1067 01:17:11.960 --> 01:17:16.159 line I wasn't very impressed with. The other one was called Habanada. That's 1068 01:17:16.199 --> 01:17:23.600 a good name for a heatless habonnaro nada nothing habannaro with nothing and comes to 1069 01:17:23.680 --> 01:17:26.720 heat well. It has a little bit of but not much habanada. That 1070 01:17:26.880 --> 01:17:29.800 was cool, real pretty too. I just picked the last ones before the 1071 01:17:29.880 --> 01:17:33.039 freeze the other day, which reminds me and I know we're ahead of game 1072 01:17:33.119 --> 01:17:36.560 here on plant and peppers. But when you plant peppers in the spring, 1073 01:17:38.640 --> 01:17:43.520 you'll get a decent crop in early summer as they begin to come into harvest. 1074 01:17:44.000 --> 01:17:49.119 But hang on to those plants. My habanada plants were probably about four 1075 01:17:49.159 --> 01:17:54.840 and a half feet high, and when fall came, that's a lot of 1076 01:17:54.920 --> 01:17:59.479 branches to hang ornaments on, ornaments being the peppers. So the bigger your 1077 01:17:59.520 --> 01:18:03.159 pepper book gets, the more potential for pepper production that you have. So 1078 01:18:03.399 --> 01:18:08.319 always hold onto your peppers, hold onto your eggplant. As we get into 1079 01:18:08.399 --> 01:18:13.359 fall. Usually our tomatoes are getting looking really bad from spring. Sometimes people 1080 01:18:13.439 --> 01:18:16.199 can keep them fairly healthy for fall. But when it comes to eggplants and 1081 01:18:16.359 --> 01:18:20.760 when it comes to peppers, hang onto those plants. They may not do 1082 01:18:20.920 --> 01:18:24.680 much in the summer, but boy do they ever look good when we get 1083 01:18:24.760 --> 01:18:30.600 into the fall season. I've talked to you about ACE hardware before, but 1084 01:18:30.760 --> 01:18:34.319 ACE is the place for anything. ACE is a place for plumbing and light, 1085 01:18:34.560 --> 01:18:39.760 electrical and all the stuff you'd expect a hardware to have. But ACE 1086 01:18:39.840 --> 01:18:42.920 is a place for your gardening supplies. Do you need a fertilizer that you 1087 01:18:43.039 --> 01:18:45.920 hear on garden line, They got it. Do you need a soil blend, 1088 01:18:45.039 --> 01:18:48.920 a mix, a maltz, or a compost, They've got it. 1089 01:18:49.199 --> 01:18:53.520 They've got those as well. Do you need things to control pest, weeds 1090 01:18:53.560 --> 01:18:56.800 and diseases, They've got it. Did you just go through a freeze and 1091 01:18:56.960 --> 01:19:00.760 you need some of these products for your plants, or maybe you lost you 1092 01:19:00.960 --> 01:19:05.840 had some damage to pipes in the freeze. ACE has all the plumbing repair 1093 01:19:05.920 --> 01:19:11.800 parts you could possibly need anything to repair sprinklers too. By the way, 1094 01:19:12.039 --> 01:19:15.399 if you have issues with a sprinkler system, maybe somebody came to visit during 1095 01:19:15.439 --> 01:19:19.239 the holidays and they ran over a sprinkler head when they cut a corner there 1096 01:19:19.279 --> 01:19:21.920 on your yard. You don't know it yet, but boy, when you 1097 01:19:23.000 --> 01:19:27.000 turn the system on, that old faithful guyser pops up and it's time. 1098 01:19:27.479 --> 01:19:30.840 ACE can get you fixed up on that. They are the place for that 1099 01:19:30.960 --> 01:19:33.479 as well. You can go to Acehardware dot Com find their store locator. 1100 01:19:33.640 --> 01:19:38.239 There are ACE stores near you. I don't care where you are in the 1101 01:19:38.279 --> 01:19:41.760 Greater Houston area, it is not far to get to an ACE to get 1102 01:19:42.079 --> 01:19:45.199 what you need for that. If you would like to give us a call 1103 01:19:45.359 --> 01:19:50.520 and talk about things related to your garden seven one three two one two five 1104 01:19:50.720 --> 01:19:55.960 eight seven four seven one three two one two fifty eight seventy four. I 1105 01:19:56.000 --> 01:20:00.800 wanted to go back. I was talking about the Fort Bend Regional Vegetable Conference 1106 01:20:00.880 --> 01:20:03.800 before we went to break and this is a thirty ninth. They've been doing 1107 01:20:03.880 --> 01:20:08.199 this for many years. Mooon Holiday, the horticulture agent done there in Fort 1108 01:20:08.239 --> 01:20:12.000 Benk County, has done a great job of this for a number of years. 1109 01:20:12.079 --> 01:20:15.359 Personal friend of mine. And if you want to go to this conference 1110 01:20:15.439 --> 01:20:18.840 now, it's if you're a commercial grower or you want to be a commercial 1111 01:20:18.880 --> 01:20:23.319 grower. It is for you. If you are a backyard gardener or a 1112 01:20:23.439 --> 01:20:28.119 master gardener. It is also for you lots of good information. They're going 1113 01:20:28.159 --> 01:20:31.479 to have talks on bees and honey production, on marketing your produce, on 1114 01:20:32.119 --> 01:20:39.399 climate and drought and irrigation, on backyard gardening and alternative techniques for backyard gardening, 1115 01:20:39.800 --> 01:20:43.079 on building your soil, On growing mushrooms. Hey, you ever thought 1116 01:20:43.079 --> 01:20:45.800 about that? That is something I'm going to start doing this year. I've 1117 01:20:45.840 --> 01:20:49.960 never done it before, but we gave away as a Christmas gift to some 1118 01:20:50.600 --> 01:20:57.000 kids in our family. Kids okay, there were kids once We gave them 1119 01:20:57.000 --> 01:21:00.640 a mushroom starter kit. You can do shataki mushrooms and oyster mushrooms and lions 1120 01:21:00.800 --> 01:21:04.239 main mushrooms and stuff you never heard of mushrooms. Well, anyway, you 1121 01:21:04.279 --> 01:21:08.680 can learn how to do mushroom gardening there as well. There's going to be 1122 01:21:08.800 --> 01:21:14.680 a lot on integrated pest management, how to manage pest with minimum dependence on 1123 01:21:15.520 --> 01:21:20.119 sprays or with using safer sprays, and all of it is Thursday, February 1124 01:21:20.279 --> 01:21:27.359 the eighth at the Fort Bend Regional Vegetable Conference. That's at the Fort ben 1125 01:21:27.439 --> 01:21:31.680 County Fairgrounds just south of Highway sixty nine Highway thirty six South eight am to 1126 01:21:31.760 --> 01:21:36.479 three thirty pm. If you want to register, you can just call the 1127 01:21:36.600 --> 01:21:42.880 Fort Ben County Extension Office talk to Lorraine there. It's two eight one sixty 1128 01:21:42.920 --> 01:21:48.000 three three seven zero three three two eight one sixty three three seven zero sixty 1129 01:21:48.039 --> 01:21:53.439 three, or do a web search for the Fort Ben Regional Vegetable Conference. 1130 01:21:53.520 --> 01:21:56.600 This is the thirty ninth time they've done it. I've been a number of 1131 01:21:56.680 --> 01:22:00.760 times I've spoke before and it's never a disappointing thing, always always impressive. 1132 01:22:01.119 --> 01:22:04.119 We're going to take a break right now. Seven one three two one two 1133 01:22:04.520 --> 01:22:08.199 fifty eight seventy four is a number. When we come back, Larry, 1134 01:22:08.279 --> 01:22:13.279 you'll be the first up. Welcome back to guard Line. We're glad you're 1135 01:22:13.319 --> 01:22:15.800 listening in today. We're here to answer your gardening questions. That's what we 1136 01:22:15.960 --> 01:22:19.039 like to do here. We'll always like to visit with gardeners and find out 1137 01:22:19.119 --> 01:22:24.840 what's going on in your garden that we can be help with. For example, 1138 01:22:24.920 --> 01:22:27.439 let's go straight out to the heights and we're going to talk to Larry 1139 01:22:27.520 --> 01:22:30.720 this morning. Hello Larry, Yes, I usually plant a little tomato garden 1140 01:22:30.840 --> 01:22:35.920 in the spring. What would you kind would you recommend that that there's so 1141 01:22:36.039 --> 01:22:41.000 many different kinds, but for this area here, which one would you be? 1142 01:22:41.119 --> 01:22:44.760 The top of the thing tis for you? Well, there's a bunch 1143 01:22:44.840 --> 01:22:48.840 of them that do well. Celebrity is one that I recommend if your soil 1144 01:22:48.960 --> 01:22:54.000 is at all sandy. He does good in any soil. But Celebrity is 1145 01:22:54.000 --> 01:22:58.399 one of the few varieties is Nema toad resistant, and so Nemo toads can 1146 01:22:58.479 --> 01:23:00.199 spoil the show, and they are a space actually bad and sandy soil, 1147 01:23:00.279 --> 01:23:05.000 So Celebrity is always at my list. It's a semi determinate tomato. I 1148 01:23:05.439 --> 01:23:10.119 enjoy the grape tomatoes and the cherry tomatoes. Now they tend to sprawl, 1149 01:23:10.239 --> 01:23:14.119 so you gotta trollisome and take care of them. But they're the old variety. 1150 01:23:14.239 --> 01:23:17.479 Sweet one hundred is still a good one to do. The Juliette is 1151 01:23:17.520 --> 01:23:20.640 a very large grape tomato. It's been around a while. It's an All 1152 01:23:20.680 --> 01:23:25.119 America selection. It's I would call it. When I say large, I 1153 01:23:25.199 --> 01:23:28.840 mean a large for a grape. A grape tomato is not much bigger than 1154 01:23:28.840 --> 01:23:31.319 a grape, but Juliette is about two bytes, so it's it's a little 1155 01:23:31.359 --> 01:23:35.159 bigger than a grape size. That's a good one too. And then yes, 1156 01:23:35.199 --> 01:23:39.720 sir, celebrity, you can't go wrong. You're not gonna go wrong 1157 01:23:39.760 --> 01:23:43.159 with celebrity. You know. I do tomato trials. I do them every 1158 01:23:43.239 --> 01:23:46.279 year. I try new tomatoes, and I always plant Celebrity as a standard, 1159 01:23:46.640 --> 01:23:50.159 and that allows me to compare. Now, there's often in any given 1160 01:23:50.239 --> 01:23:55.399 trial year there's gonna be something a little better than Celebrity, but it always 1161 01:23:55.640 --> 01:23:59.079 is up in the top tier. And so it's one that I like a 1162 01:23:59.119 --> 01:24:02.039 lot. But there are I got to tell you, literally, there's probably 1163 01:24:02.840 --> 01:24:08.640 thirty tomatoes out there that would be worth recommending for you. Yeah, now 1164 01:24:08.760 --> 01:24:11.880 you're there in the Heights. If you go over to Buchanans, they've got 1165 01:24:11.920 --> 01:24:15.720 a lot of good, good tomato selection. When it's time for that's all 1166 01:24:15.800 --> 01:24:18.199 right. When it is a good time to start there, we usually plant 1167 01:24:18.279 --> 01:24:23.800 tomatoes. What we tell just in general, our average recommendation is do it 1168 01:24:23.880 --> 01:24:28.800 after the last average frost day. But that said, I never wait that 1169 01:24:28.960 --> 01:24:30.800 long. I plan them a little earlier, and I'm just ready to cover 1170 01:24:30.880 --> 01:24:35.680 them up if I need to. Because you could do in the Heights, 1171 01:24:35.760 --> 01:24:40.439 Yeah, you could do that in mid February but I wouldn't say you're necessarily 1172 01:24:40.520 --> 01:24:45.159 done with frosts necessarily, but you get them early and you just get ready 1173 01:24:45.199 --> 01:24:46.479 to cover them up. And I mean, if you got an acre of 1174 01:24:46.560 --> 01:24:49.359 tomatoes, that's one thing. But for a backyard garden, just a few 1175 01:24:49.439 --> 01:24:54.840 plants, it's not hard to cover them up. Alrighty, good luck with 1176 01:24:54.880 --> 01:24:57.479 that, Larry, have fun. Why hey, while you're there, more 1177 01:24:57.520 --> 01:25:00.880 important even than the variety, is the soil. So pick up some bags 1178 01:25:00.920 --> 01:25:06.760 of a quality soil mix to mix into the soil and before you plant, 1179 01:25:08.079 --> 01:25:11.720 and that'll get you on your way to success too. Okay, thank you, 1180 01:25:12.000 --> 01:25:15.239 Yes, sir, appreciate that call. It all begins in the soil. 1181 01:25:15.840 --> 01:25:19.920 Say it. Let's say it together, brown stuff before green stuff. 1182 01:25:20.560 --> 01:25:23.680 Yes, you can do them both at the same time. You buy your 1183 01:25:23.720 --> 01:25:26.079 tomato plant, you buy a bag of soil, but when you get home, 1184 01:25:26.800 --> 01:25:30.279 set the tomato aside, fix the soil, and then plant the plant. 1185 01:25:31.079 --> 01:25:38.199 It's like imagine building a house and instead of putting out a concrete foundation 1186 01:25:38.359 --> 01:25:41.800 out there, a good one that's not going to crack so easily because it's 1187 01:25:41.880 --> 01:25:46.479 made well and whatnot. But imagine just taking the two by fours and laying 1188 01:25:46.520 --> 01:25:49.399 them on the ground and starting to build, how is that going to end 1189 01:25:49.479 --> 01:25:56.840 up? Not? Well? Right, foundations are critical and the soil is 1190 01:25:56.920 --> 01:26:01.359 where the plant. Essentially, the plant live in the soil. That's where 1191 01:26:01.399 --> 01:26:04.960 the water comes from, and that's where the nutrients come from that they need. 1192 01:26:05.520 --> 01:26:09.479 Now, sunlight is critical. You got to give to meate of sunlight. 1193 01:26:09.560 --> 01:26:14.039 Of course, absolutely, the fertilizing and watering and things you do after 1194 01:26:14.199 --> 01:26:18.319 planting or important, and the pest control is important. But that soil is 1195 01:26:18.439 --> 01:26:23.800 the bank account and when you build it with a good organic mix, a 1196 01:26:23.960 --> 01:26:27.359 quality soil mix. We talk about them all the time on Guardline. When 1197 01:26:27.399 --> 01:26:32.199 you put a good nutritionent load nutrition load into the soil into that bank account, 1198 01:26:32.600 --> 01:26:38.920 and then when you maintain moderate moisture so there's always moisture that those roots 1199 01:26:38.960 --> 01:26:43.000 reaching out all over the place are going to find and take up. That's 1200 01:26:43.039 --> 01:26:47.119 the foundation for success. And essentially that is where plants live is in the 1201 01:26:47.199 --> 01:26:50.920 soil. I know they stick above ground and all that, but think about 1202 01:26:50.960 --> 01:26:56.239 the soil is the most important part of your plant, that root system and 1203 01:26:56.399 --> 01:27:01.720 what it's growing in that I can't over state that that is so so very 1204 01:27:01.760 --> 01:27:05.760 important. And you know We were just tom with Larry about tomato varieties, 1205 01:27:05.760 --> 01:27:10.359 and that's a common question. And I can recommend a good variety, but 1206 01:27:10.479 --> 01:27:14.840 I would rather take a mediocre variety and put it in good soil than the 1207 01:27:14.880 --> 01:27:17.800 best variety I can possibly think of. Wait a minute, I said that 1208 01:27:17.920 --> 01:27:23.720 backwards. Yeah, I would rather take a mediocre writing but than the best 1209 01:27:23.760 --> 01:27:27.239 writing in the world and not the best variety in the world and put it 1210 01:27:27.359 --> 01:27:31.680 in unprepared soil. And that happens all the time. People that maybe aren't 1211 01:27:31.720 --> 01:27:35.600 really into gardening, but they just want to plant something. And typically they're 1212 01:27:35.640 --> 01:27:41.000 going to go someplace that's not a full service mom and pop garden center where 1213 01:27:41.039 --> 01:27:44.840 they know what they're talking about, and they carry what should be sold here, 1214 01:27:45.119 --> 01:27:46.640 not something else. And they take care of them too, by the 1215 01:27:46.640 --> 01:27:48.760 way, So when you bring those things home, they're ready to go. 1216 01:27:49.439 --> 01:27:53.439 They're going to go someplace else. I'm thinking they're going to save a nickel. 1217 01:27:53.960 --> 01:27:58.840 And when they go there and they bring that home, I always say, 1218 01:27:58.880 --> 01:28:00.800 they stand there with a flat of plants in their hand, looking around 1219 01:28:00.800 --> 01:28:03.560 the yard, going where am I going to put this? And so they 1220 01:28:03.600 --> 01:28:08.680 scratch up some soil and they put the plants in it unprepared, and before 1221 01:28:08.720 --> 01:28:13.279 we even get to summer, the plants are struggling. They're not doing well. 1222 01:28:13.479 --> 01:28:15.359 The people say I have a brown thumb, they throw up their hands, 1223 01:28:15.880 --> 01:28:18.000 they walk in, you know, they mow around that thing for a 1224 01:28:18.039 --> 01:28:20.479 little while, and then the next thing they just mow over it because it's 1225 01:28:20.520 --> 01:28:26.560 not worth growing. That is not necessary. That is absolutely unnecessary. You 1226 01:28:26.680 --> 01:28:29.920 prepare your soil, you buy a quality plant from a place that knows what 1227 01:28:29.960 --> 01:28:32.640 they're talking about, that sells you the right stuff, and you can have 1228 01:28:32.800 --> 01:28:35.960 success. You go into trouble, you're spending money on a plant for crying 1229 01:28:36.000 --> 01:28:40.399 out loud. Get a good plant from a good place that can help you 1230 01:28:41.000 --> 01:28:43.840 with the good products you need to go with it so you can have success. 1231 01:28:44.119 --> 01:28:47.079 That's the whole idea. That's why we do it. All right, 1232 01:28:47.520 --> 01:28:51.039 that was a soapbox. I'll quit that now. But Buchanans is one of 1233 01:28:51.079 --> 01:28:55.000 those kinds of places. You know. They're in the heights. They're eleventh 1234 01:28:55.039 --> 01:29:00.359 Street, Buchanans Plants dot com. That's the website specialize in native In fact, 1235 01:29:00.399 --> 01:29:04.479 that's the name of the place, Buchanans Native Plants. But don't let 1236 01:29:04.600 --> 01:29:09.399 that fool you. They have a beautiful selection of houseplants. They have a 1237 01:29:09.560 --> 01:29:13.880 wonderful selection of plants for the shade in your landscape. They've got fruit trees, 1238 01:29:13.920 --> 01:29:16.119 they've got vegetable plants and herb plants and everything else. You know, 1239 01:29:16.199 --> 01:29:19.319 as the spring warms up, all of those things are going to be coming 1240 01:29:19.359 --> 01:29:24.000 in. And when it comes to soil, yes, they will send you 1241 01:29:24.119 --> 01:29:29.319 home with quality bags, bags of quality soil so that you can have success, 1242 01:29:29.399 --> 01:29:32.000 including every fertilizer I recommend on Guardline. They're going to have it at 1243 01:29:32.039 --> 01:29:40.159 Buchanans Plants East eleven Street and the Heights. Buchanans Plants dot Com should have 1244 01:29:40.239 --> 01:29:44.359 said, Yeah, Larry is a not too far away, so that's just 1245 01:29:44.520 --> 01:29:46.319 kind of walking across the street for him. But it's worth the drive in. 1246 01:29:46.359 --> 01:29:51.119 I'll tell you that too for sure. Now we haven't really started talking 1247 01:29:51.119 --> 01:29:55.359 about lawns a lot. It's just about time to do that, and I 1248 01:29:55.439 --> 01:30:00.520 will once we get past this frost or freeze and all the disco of that. 1249 01:30:00.560 --> 01:30:06.680 But the weeds that germinated in the fall in your thin lawn, remember, 1250 01:30:06.760 --> 01:30:11.960 wherever sunlight hits the soil, nature plants of weed. Those weeds are 1251 01:30:12.039 --> 01:30:15.399 small still they're like our blue bonnets. They sprouted in the fall. They're 1252 01:30:15.479 --> 01:30:18.479 just sort of sitting there. We call them rosettes, little tiny plants, 1253 01:30:19.279 --> 01:30:23.520 and all of a sudden, as the weather warms in the day link gets 1254 01:30:23.600 --> 01:30:29.600 longer, they burst forth with growth their blue bonnets, or become knee high 1255 01:30:29.880 --> 01:30:33.920 full of all kinds of flowers and set in seeds. And that's their cycle. 1256 01:30:34.439 --> 01:30:38.840 That's true with your lawn weeds, the henbit, the chick weed, 1257 01:30:39.520 --> 01:30:45.439 the cleavers also called though crow weed, the carpet weed, annual blue get. 1258 01:30:45.479 --> 01:30:48.159 All of that stuff is going on in your lawn now. Now, 1259 01:30:48.239 --> 01:30:54.920 once they become big old plants with blooms and seeds, it's very difficult to 1260 01:30:54.960 --> 01:30:57.840 control them, and you're not going to have good success. The time to 1261 01:30:57.920 --> 01:31:00.760 do it, if you're going to do it, is now. Turf Star 1262 01:31:00.000 --> 01:31:05.479 product by Nelson's. They call it weedinator, turf star weedinator that has nitrogen 1263 01:31:05.720 --> 01:31:10.039 and all the other nutrients that you're gonna want there, especially the big three 1264 01:31:10.159 --> 01:31:14.439 nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium. They're there in a very slow release form. 1265 01:31:14.880 --> 01:31:18.079 And so rather than call it a weed and feed, I just like to 1266 01:31:18.159 --> 01:31:23.960 say it deals with the weeds that are already growing, not a pre emergent, 1267 01:31:24.159 --> 01:31:29.680 a post emergent, and then later on releases those nutrients. That's one 1268 01:31:29.680 --> 01:31:31.279 of my problems with a lot of wheden feeds is the time to weed and 1269 01:31:31.359 --> 01:31:34.079 time to feed in the spring are not always the same. When you get 1270 01:31:34.079 --> 01:31:38.119 a slow release like that, it'll work out okay, but you don't want 1271 01:31:38.159 --> 01:31:40.439 a delay in getting it done. You need to get it on. We 1272 01:31:40.680 --> 01:31:45.439 the soil, we the foliage of the weeds. Sprinkle your grass just briefly, 1273 01:31:45.720 --> 01:31:47.640 just enough to wet the foliage, then immediately put it out so it 1274 01:31:47.760 --> 01:31:51.960 sticks to the foliage. And as it does that, it moves down and 1275 01:31:53.039 --> 01:31:56.399 it kills those weeds before they have a chance to go to seed and cause 1276 01:31:56.439 --> 01:32:00.159 you all kinds of problems. Turfstar weedenator available a lot of place, is 1277 01:32:00.239 --> 01:32:05.439 easy to find from the folks at Nelson's. Let's see, we are a 1278 01:32:05.520 --> 01:32:09.680 little short on time to take another call. Pat, you'll be the first 1279 01:32:10.319 --> 01:32:13.760 when we come back in just a moment. If you would like to call 1280 01:32:13.840 --> 01:32:15.560 in, talk to Josh and get on the boards. Our phone number is 1281 01:32:15.640 --> 01:32:21.000 seven one three two one two five eight seven four seven one three two one 1282 01:32:21.079 --> 01:32:26.399 two fifty eight seventy four. Just want to remind you that if you are 1283 01:32:26.479 --> 01:32:32.720 looking for my lawn care schedule and my lawn pest Disease and weed management schedule, 1284 01:32:32.800 --> 01:32:40.560 that's two different calendar charts free multicolor, organic options, synthetic options. 1285 01:32:40.600 --> 01:32:45.960 They're all on the website Gardening with Skip. That's me gardeningwith Skip dot com. 1286 01:32:46.479 --> 01:32:49.119 So go buy there, print those up, and be ready to go 1287 01:32:49.319 --> 01:32:55.279 for spring because spring is really right on the doorstep. We're going to turn 1288 01:32:55.319 --> 01:32:57.960 it over to Nicky again. The number if you'd like to call seven one 1289 01:32:58.039 --> 01:33:03.439 three two one two fifty eight seven four. Welcome back to guard Line. 1290 01:33:03.600 --> 01:33:08.359 We're glad you're listening today. Of course we always are love talking to you 1291 01:33:08.399 --> 01:33:10.880 about it. We got some phone calls here we're going to get to if 1292 01:33:10.920 --> 01:33:15.399 you'd like to call in seven one three two one two fifty eight seventy four. 1293 01:33:15.439 --> 01:33:17.279 We're going to start by going up to Cyprus and talking to Pat. 1294 01:33:17.439 --> 01:33:24.079 Hello, Pat, Good morning, Skip, Good morning. I have a 1295 01:33:24.359 --> 01:33:29.600 Confederate rose tree that grew on its own from one that I used to have 1296 01:33:29.880 --> 01:33:34.760 that was out in the middle of my yard and died. So my concern 1297 01:33:34.960 --> 01:33:43.119 is that where this one grew, it's near my back fence. Right behind 1298 01:33:43.199 --> 01:33:49.359 the fence is a retaining wall that drops down to the to the yard behind 1299 01:33:49.439 --> 01:33:56.239 me. Come at the backside of a subdivision. My concern is that the 1300 01:33:56.520 --> 01:34:01.000 roots of this Confederate rose may affect that retain wall. No concern. It's 1301 01:34:01.000 --> 01:34:05.600 about six feet from the wall. Should I move it? Is it okay 1302 01:34:05.680 --> 01:34:09.560 to leave it? Perfectly? Okay? Think of it as a perennial. 1303 01:34:09.720 --> 01:34:12.479 I mean, I know it's shrub like, but they often will die to 1304 01:34:12.560 --> 01:34:14.800 the ground. In fact, if you didn't protect it. I bet I 1305 01:34:14.840 --> 01:34:17.960 bet it did die of the ground. Well I didn't protect it, so 1306 01:34:18.119 --> 01:34:21.119 we'll see. No, that's okay, that's okay. Done. All the 1307 01:34:21.239 --> 01:34:26.399 time. They grow them across Texas and different areas. I don't how far 1308 01:34:26.479 --> 01:34:30.119 north they can go, but they'll die back, and you just cut it 1309 01:34:30.199 --> 01:34:33.199 all back just a couple of inches above the ground, and it'll re sprout 1310 01:34:33.239 --> 01:34:36.039 out and do just fine. It's a wonderful plant, okay. And the 1311 01:34:36.119 --> 01:34:41.560 roots won't affect that retaining wall or anything. No, think of it. 1312 01:34:42.239 --> 01:34:45.680 Think of it more like a perennial than a tree or shrub or something. 1313 01:34:45.760 --> 01:34:49.359 It's not gonna be a problem, especially six feet away. That's that's but 1314 01:34:49.479 --> 01:34:53.680 they do last quite a few years. Well, yeah, they should, 1315 01:34:53.720 --> 01:34:57.920 they should, I will say living definitely. You know, things happen to 1316 01:34:58.079 --> 01:35:01.680 plants, but there there's not a life span per se where you're only going 1317 01:35:01.720 --> 01:35:03.920 to get three years out of water. I mean, they won't keep going. 1318 01:35:05.000 --> 01:35:09.640 Okay, all right, and then the future, in the future, 1319 01:35:09.680 --> 01:35:12.760 by the way, when we're gonna have uh, you know, just really 1320 01:35:12.880 --> 01:35:15.600 bad cold. There's nothing wrong with a with ahead of that, going ahead 1321 01:35:15.600 --> 01:35:19.720 and cutting them off so that you can mound up some compost over them, 1322 01:35:19.800 --> 01:35:24.319 just to protect that base a little bit better. But I don't know what 1323 01:35:24.479 --> 01:35:27.359 killed what killed the other one, do you know? I think it was 1324 01:35:27.439 --> 01:35:31.079 too much water, okay? And then we got the freeze okay, Yeah, 1325 01:35:31.520 --> 01:35:35.159 so I wasn't gonna rep I wanted to get another one when I wasn't 1326 01:35:35.159 --> 01:35:39.239 going to replant it in the same spot. Then this one popped up. 1327 01:35:39.720 --> 01:35:44.199 Has this one bloomed for at least it has better drainage? Yeah? Has 1328 01:35:44.239 --> 01:35:47.640 it bloomed for you already? It has it bloomed? It popped up at 1329 01:35:47.680 --> 01:35:53.319 the beginning of last year, and then it bloomed this fall. Was it 1330 01:35:54.039 --> 01:35:58.000 single blooms or was it more of a double carnation. You're looking wide? 1331 01:35:58.079 --> 01:36:02.479 Is that blood not? Okay, that's good because they can't say probably a 1332 01:36:02.600 --> 01:36:06.239 single it's I don't think it was real. Okay. They come in both 1333 01:36:06.359 --> 01:36:10.560 types and both are beautiful. But the cool thing about Confederate rose for those 1334 01:36:10.600 --> 01:36:14.399 of you listening that don't have one, uh, it's a it's a longtime 1335 01:36:14.520 --> 01:36:17.159 Southern plant. Uh. It is in the hibiscus family, so it's kender 1336 01:36:17.239 --> 01:36:23.800 cotton and okra and your hibiscus flowers in the garden perennial hibiscus. But it 1337 01:36:24.159 --> 01:36:28.880 comes out like a pink or white and then it fades to almost a burgundy 1338 01:36:29.000 --> 01:36:31.680 color. It depends on specifically which one you have, but that's kind of 1339 01:36:31.720 --> 01:36:35.479 cool to watch them change color. Yeah. What what I also like about 1340 01:36:35.560 --> 01:36:40.000 them is they bloom in the fall. Yes, that's a good point. 1341 01:36:42.079 --> 01:36:45.680 Don't forget we have four seasons. There you go, yeah, exactly. 1342 01:36:45.359 --> 01:36:47.880 All right, Okay, Well, I'm going to let it stay right where 1343 01:36:47.960 --> 01:36:51.159 it is. Alright, good luck with it, thank you. Hopefully it 1344 01:36:51.239 --> 01:36:55.840 made it through this freeze, okay, and enjoy it. Well, I'm 1345 01:36:55.880 --> 01:36:59.840 going to go out and uncover some things today. All right, this is 1346 01:37:00.079 --> 01:37:03.159 it's time time to do that and ass Cyprus you may are you scheduled to 1347 01:37:03.199 --> 01:37:10.039 have another freeze tonight? Now I looked, it's it's the forties. I 1348 01:37:10.159 --> 01:37:13.600 think, oh really okay, well that's a lot warmer than the last time 1349 01:37:13.640 --> 01:37:15.760 I look, so okay, good, all right, Pat, thank you 1350 01:37:15.880 --> 01:37:19.880 so much, thank you, you bet you take care. I was in 1351 01:37:20.039 --> 01:37:26.000 the Magnolia area at Spring Creek Feed yesterday visiting with Kelly there, manager there, 1352 01:37:26.439 --> 01:37:29.640 and just looking at the supply of everything they have. And you know, 1353 01:37:29.840 --> 01:37:32.079 if you if you need anything when it comes to feed and you are 1354 01:37:32.159 --> 01:37:36.720 in that area, it's Magnolia FM twenty nine seventy eight, just minutes away 1355 01:37:36.760 --> 01:37:41.720 from Grand Parkway and Highway to forty nine. They've got it. They've got 1356 01:37:41.760 --> 01:37:44.319 all that stuff. You know, if you're into backyard chickens. They're going 1357 01:37:44.359 --> 01:37:47.760 to be getting a lot more stuff in with that really soon. Always friendly 1358 01:37:47.840 --> 01:37:50.239 and curtious staff. They always greet me when I walk in, you know, 1359 01:37:50.359 --> 01:37:54.640 people working there out I am walking in the door necessarily and they just 1360 01:37:55.039 --> 01:37:58.760 come up and greet you, and it just it's what you expect from that 1361 01:37:58.880 --> 01:38:00.720 kind of feed store. Now, you know they're going to be getting in 1362 01:38:00.880 --> 01:38:05.199 a lot more plants. They're adding to their plant selection this year. They've 1363 01:38:05.239 --> 01:38:09.479 got all the products you need to control disease and pest and weeds. They've 1364 01:38:09.520 --> 01:38:13.159 got the fertilizers that I recommend here. In fact, we were talking about 1365 01:38:13.720 --> 01:38:15.640 some things that they carry and that they might want to carry there. I 1366 01:38:15.640 --> 01:38:18.600 always like to go by and visit and you know, talk about that kind 1367 01:38:18.600 --> 01:38:23.560 of thing. If you need a special order, talk to them. They 1368 01:38:23.640 --> 01:38:27.319 probably can do it. They even have a delivery service there at Spring Creek 1369 01:38:27.680 --> 01:38:30.720 Feed Center. It's a fun thing to go see. Lots of cool stuff 1370 01:38:30.760 --> 01:38:34.119 to look around when you're in the feed store. Any kind of a line 1371 01:38:34.159 --> 01:38:40.720 of dog food, animal food. They just have a million different options. 1372 01:38:40.800 --> 01:38:43.439 Far it at Sprint Creek Feed I always like stopping in there. It was 1373 01:38:43.479 --> 01:38:46.880 great to get to see Kelly again to visit the other day. Let's see 1374 01:38:46.920 --> 01:38:50.600 we are going to now head out to Alvin and talk to Joanne. Hello, 1375 01:38:50.720 --> 01:38:57.680 Joanne, Hi, I wondered if you had any recommendations on how to 1376 01:38:57.800 --> 01:39:02.199 get rid of stink bugs. I love to grow tomatoes and I always plant 1377 01:39:02.279 --> 01:39:08.960 two dozen or so bushes, but I can't grow them with it anymore because 1378 01:39:09.119 --> 01:39:15.439 the steak bugs are so bad. And I've tried everything that I have found, 1379 01:39:15.600 --> 01:39:19.439 and I can't find anything, even vacuuming the babies off of them, 1380 01:39:19.520 --> 01:39:26.039 which is pretty time consuming. I don't know how to. I can't bring 1381 01:39:26.159 --> 01:39:30.119 the tomatoes up to when it's time to harvest them. They're all messed up. 1382 01:39:30.439 --> 01:39:34.119 Yeah, I get it. I feel your pain. So with stink 1383 01:39:34.159 --> 01:39:40.159 bugs, it's a multi faceted approach, and it depends on things. Like 1384 01:39:40.319 --> 01:39:43.520 you know, if you have an acre of tomatoes, that changes things. 1385 01:39:43.600 --> 01:39:45.840 If you got one tomato plant, you can do a whole lot for stink 1386 01:39:45.880 --> 01:39:49.960 bugs on it. But when you get more plants and things, that becomes 1387 01:39:50.079 --> 01:39:55.680 more of a challenge. I would start off. Here's what I tell people 1388 01:39:56.000 --> 01:39:59.560 here. It's like, just think of it as a stair step and you 1389 01:39:59.760 --> 01:40:02.279 just heat taking it up one more step, and there's more of those you 1390 01:40:02.399 --> 01:40:05.319 can get done, the better off you're gonna be. Number one. Learn 1391 01:40:05.439 --> 01:40:08.920 what their eggs look like. Now, when you say stink bugs, are 1392 01:40:08.920 --> 01:40:13.319 you talking about the leaf footed bugs, the longer black bugs, or you're 1393 01:40:13.319 --> 01:40:18.399 talking about the little shape like a shield. The shape like a shield mostly, 1394 01:40:18.840 --> 01:40:25.279 and they grow pretty good size eventually. I mean by the fall you 1395 01:40:25.359 --> 01:40:30.000 can see those great, big old things zooming around even if you don't have 1396 01:40:30.159 --> 01:40:31.960 tomato plant. I think on that last part, I think you're talking about 1397 01:40:31.960 --> 01:40:38.560 the leaf footed bug. But because stink bugs will only get oh gosh about 1398 01:40:38.720 --> 01:40:44.359 the size of your thumbnail something like that. The leaf Yeah, it doesn't 1399 01:40:44.359 --> 01:40:46.279 matter what they are. They do the same thing. They're both They both 1400 01:40:46.800 --> 01:40:50.119 spit in your tomato plant. Can you imagine that they put their mouth in 1401 01:40:50.199 --> 01:40:54.840 there and they spit. This is more than you want to know. And 1402 01:40:55.039 --> 01:40:59.520 they spit is caustic and it dissolves the cells of your tomato, and then 1403 01:40:59.600 --> 01:41:03.760 they lurp up the contents and what's left behind is that little hard yellow spot. 1404 01:41:04.000 --> 01:41:08.640 So next time you're next time you're serving tomatoes and you got a spot 1405 01:41:08.760 --> 01:41:11.560 or two, just tell your friends and family that's what it is and they'll 1406 01:41:11.560 --> 01:41:15.880 appreciate all that. Actually I have more than one spot or two. I 1407 01:41:15.000 --> 01:41:19.399 mean they run them all right, you know what, Joanne, I am 1408 01:41:19.479 --> 01:41:21.600 going to have to take a break, but hang on, I want to 1409 01:41:21.640 --> 01:41:25.479 get into this because it's it's a long inch or not a short one. 1410 01:41:25.520 --> 01:41:31.159 Okay, thank you, all right, we'll be right back. Welcome back 1411 01:41:31.199 --> 01:41:36.000 to Guarden Line, Our phone number seven one three two one two five eight 1412 01:41:36.319 --> 01:41:39.760 seven four. Write that down so you can give us call. By the 1413 01:41:39.800 --> 01:41:42.880 way, whenever you listen to guard Line, have a pen and paper handy. 1414 01:41:43.199 --> 01:41:45.720 I may give out a URL. I may give out the name of 1415 01:41:45.800 --> 01:41:48.319 a product or a plant or something. And you'll want to be able to 1416 01:41:48.359 --> 01:41:54.399 remember that. For those of you who have already missed something writing it down, 1417 01:41:54.560 --> 01:41:56.960 you know what was that? He said. We have a thing called 1418 01:41:57.119 --> 01:42:00.720 a podcast, and you just go to your podcast app and you can find 1419 01:42:00.800 --> 01:42:04.159 garden Line and there you can listen to past shows. If you'd like to 1420 01:42:04.239 --> 01:42:08.199 go back and do that shortly, welcome to We have a lot of folks 1421 01:42:08.279 --> 01:42:12.920 that don't live in this area that listen to garden Line on the air excuse 1422 01:42:13.000 --> 01:42:15.600 me online. They don't get the radio signal, but they can listen online. 1423 01:42:16.000 --> 01:42:19.479 And we have other folks that listen by podcasts too, so welcome to 1424 01:42:19.560 --> 01:42:24.640 do that as well. We're going to head out now and continue our conversation 1425 01:42:24.840 --> 01:42:28.319 with Joanne and Alvin and Joanne I said there'd be a lot lot to the 1426 01:42:28.399 --> 01:42:31.279 answer, So here we go. Okay, already, number one, learn 1427 01:42:31.399 --> 01:42:34.479 what those critters look like. And I think you already know that. Number 1428 01:42:34.520 --> 01:42:40.159 two, Learn what their eggs look like. Stink bug eggs look like little 1429 01:42:40.239 --> 01:42:43.680 barrels that are all stacked together. Imagine a bunch of wine barrels that are 1430 01:42:43.720 --> 01:42:47.880 all, you know, kind of pile together in rows, if you will, 1431 01:42:48.720 --> 01:42:51.640 or in a group. That's what stink bug eggs look like. They 1432 01:42:51.680 --> 01:42:57.439 have different coloring. Of course. The leaf footed bug egg the leaf footed 1433 01:42:57.520 --> 01:43:00.560 bug has eggs that are a little flat, like shingles on a roof, 1434 01:43:01.319 --> 01:43:05.039 and they will lay them along the pettiole of the tomato, the leaf petiole, 1435 01:43:05.239 --> 01:43:09.399 the stem of the leaf. You'll find them in different places. But 1436 01:43:09.520 --> 01:43:12.159 once you know what those look like, and you're just out taking care of 1437 01:43:12.239 --> 01:43:14.880 your plants, just clip them off, take them out of the garden thumb 1438 01:43:14.920 --> 01:43:18.079 way. That's step two, number three, Step three. When they hatch, 1439 01:43:18.239 --> 01:43:23.279 they stay in herds for a while. That's an easy time to swat 1440 01:43:23.319 --> 01:43:26.479 them into a pail of water. You mentioned vacuuming. Yes, that is 1441 01:43:26.520 --> 01:43:30.199 a little tedious. You can do that, but other people will just have 1442 01:43:30.319 --> 01:43:32.680 a little kind of a little pale of water, soapy water. They can't 1443 01:43:32.840 --> 01:43:36.319 fly up out of that. It drowns them. And just swap the branch 1444 01:43:36.520 --> 01:43:40.239 and that's it. You took care of the whole thing with one swat. 1445 01:43:41.079 --> 01:43:45.159 After they get older and they have wings, now you got a challenge because 1446 01:43:45.319 --> 01:43:49.000 now they're flying in from other areas. If you killed every stink bug and 1447 01:43:49.079 --> 01:43:53.680 leaf footed bug in your garden, some from across the fence may fly in, 1448 01:43:54.000 --> 01:43:56.319 and so you're still going to have some. But remember I said this 1449 01:43:56.560 --> 01:44:00.880 was a bunch of different steps to get rid of more and more and more. 1450 01:44:00.520 --> 01:44:04.600 At that stage you have to use some pretty potent insecticides to do it. 1451 01:44:05.119 --> 01:44:09.479 It can be done, but it's not very effective because number one, 1452 01:44:09.600 --> 01:44:13.279 they're not easy to kill. Number Two, you're chasing a bug around the 1453 01:44:13.319 --> 01:44:16.720 garden with the spray wand one at a time as you find them, and 1454 01:44:16.880 --> 01:44:23.399 that's just not efficient. So what people will do is they will put if 1455 01:44:23.439 --> 01:44:28.039 it's slicer tomatoes, they'll put the little organza bags with a draw string over 1456 01:44:28.119 --> 01:44:30.359 them. If you've just got one or two or three tomatoes, you can 1457 01:44:30.479 --> 01:44:35.239 buy a hundred of those bags for pennies in the bag and you just have 1458 01:44:35.359 --> 01:44:40.319 them handy and you just slip on a tomato cluster or whatever tomato. You 1459 01:44:40.399 --> 01:44:43.039 slip it up, pull the draw string and walk away. It's done, 1460 01:44:43.439 --> 01:44:46.720 and that keeps them off the tomato. You can also, if you have 1461 01:44:46.840 --> 01:44:50.920 a row of tomatoes, put a mesh over the whole row. There's something 1462 01:44:51.000 --> 01:44:56.600 called garden mesh, and think of the screen on your windows, but something 1463 01:44:56.720 --> 01:45:00.920 that's a finer textured and very soft like a bed sheet, and you just 1464 01:45:00.079 --> 01:45:03.960 lay it over the whole row and it basically is creating a screen porch and 1465 01:45:04.000 --> 01:45:06.760 the bugs can't get in. Now, you need to do that early before 1466 01:45:06.800 --> 01:45:11.359 the bugs get in and start laying eggs, or you're just trapping them inside. 1467 01:45:12.319 --> 01:45:15.720 But that's that is the final step as an option to do it. 1468 01:45:15.880 --> 01:45:20.279 So one or more of those things along the way can at least get the 1469 01:45:20.399 --> 01:45:26.800 numbers down really really low. Okay, well there's nothing you can. I'm 1470 01:45:26.880 --> 01:45:30.319 scared to spray them, you know, too much, because I don't want 1471 01:45:30.359 --> 01:45:33.560 to ruin the fruit to be able to eat it. Well. The sprays 1472 01:45:33.600 --> 01:45:38.279 are made with some called a days to harvest interval, and that depends on 1473 01:45:38.399 --> 01:45:41.640 which insecticide you buy. It may say you've got to wait three days or 1474 01:45:41.720 --> 01:45:45.840 seven days or whatever before you can pick that fruit and then wash it. 1475 01:45:45.920 --> 01:45:48.399 Always wash them, little miles soapy water at the kitchen sink. You can 1476 01:45:48.640 --> 01:45:54.319 wash residues off the surface. But I'm just saying that most people don't want 1477 01:45:54.319 --> 01:45:59.399 to spend their saturdays mix mixing up smelly water to spray on bugs. And 1478 01:45:59.560 --> 01:46:02.600 so we've got a lot of other options that work very very well. They 1479 01:46:02.720 --> 01:46:06.920 do have natural unamis. The natural unemies do not do their job enough, 1480 01:46:08.520 --> 01:46:14.840 as you've learned through the past. Okay, all right, I'll work on 1481 01:46:14.960 --> 01:46:17.319 this now. If you double the amount of tomatoes you get this year that 1482 01:46:17.479 --> 01:46:20.560 don't have bug damage, I just want you to bring half of it to 1483 01:46:20.640 --> 01:46:24.319 the garden, to the garden ship. Okay, drop it off. That's 1484 01:46:24.359 --> 01:46:29.880 all I asked. This is free advice, but I do charge tomatoes have 1485 01:46:30.039 --> 01:46:32.119 good time, have any at all? Well, we're gonna you're gonna have 1486 01:46:32.199 --> 01:46:34.760 something if you do all that I just said, you're going to have some 1487 01:46:34.880 --> 01:46:41.600 tomatoes. But I I grow my stuff under that garden mesh. Squash undergarden 1488 01:46:41.680 --> 01:46:44.319 mesh up until the time I need to let the bees in to keep the 1489 01:46:44.319 --> 01:46:47.399 squash vine borer out of it. Tomatoes undergarden mesh. That works really really 1490 01:46:47.479 --> 01:46:51.439 well too. All right. Just got to be smarter, got to be 1491 01:46:51.479 --> 01:46:55.439 smarter than the bug. That's all. Well, thank you so very much, 1492 01:46:55.520 --> 01:46:58.720 thanks for the calle Joan appreciate you hanging around till we got back from 1493 01:46:58.760 --> 01:47:02.479 break two. I appreciate that. So how many times do I say brown 1494 01:47:02.520 --> 01:47:05.760 stuff before green stuff? On a garden and a gardening show? A lot? 1495 01:47:06.039 --> 01:47:10.680 Right, because it's the most important thing you do in your garden. 1496 01:47:12.279 --> 01:47:15.640 Nobody can complain about their soil. You can fix the soil. If you've 1497 01:47:15.640 --> 01:47:18.600 got a clay soil, you can buy compost, you can buy bet, 1498 01:47:18.800 --> 01:47:24.359 decomposed bar all kinds of things, mix it into the soil and turn that 1499 01:47:24.439 --> 01:47:27.560 soil into something else. Or you can just buy it and dump it on 1500 01:47:27.640 --> 01:47:30.399 the surface. You can do that. I make beds all the time. 1501 01:47:30.880 --> 01:47:35.039 Where I put the stuff down, I mix a little bit in with the 1502 01:47:35.079 --> 01:47:39.279 soil that I have, and then I continue to add that bed mix in 1503 01:47:39.399 --> 01:47:42.880 to create whatever height. Most of my garden beds are eleven inches high. 1504 01:47:43.760 --> 01:47:46.880 That just the size I like. And you know, it's easy to do, 1505 01:47:47.920 --> 01:47:51.520 but however you want to do it. You can fix the soil, 1506 01:47:51.560 --> 01:47:58.399 but you need good stuff. And there are places that sell cheap compost. 1507 01:47:58.840 --> 01:48:01.680 And what is a cheap it's just decomposed stuff right, well, not fully 1508 01:48:01.760 --> 01:48:04.920 decomposed stuff. People rush it through. They leave it there long enough to 1509 01:48:04.960 --> 01:48:08.760 turn brown, so people think it looks good, and then they sell it 1510 01:48:08.920 --> 01:48:12.239 and it's not ready to go. It needs to be decomposed well. It 1511 01:48:12.319 --> 01:48:15.920 needs to have the parent materials that make the compost to be a good blend 1512 01:48:16.319 --> 01:48:21.199 of high carbon and stuff with more nitrogen in it to create that quality compost. 1513 01:48:21.279 --> 01:48:26.279 And then it needs to be screened into the particle size that you want 1514 01:48:26.439 --> 01:48:30.359 for the use you want. That's what Nature's Way does. Nature's Way resources 1515 01:48:30.439 --> 01:48:35.000 is up on Interstate forty five, up there in the conroad direction. If 1516 01:48:35.439 --> 01:48:39.399 right where fourteen eighty eight comes into forty five, you just turn right. 1517 01:48:39.439 --> 01:48:42.600 If you're going north, turn right, cross the railroad tracks, turn right 1518 01:48:42.640 --> 01:48:45.039 again, and Nature's Way is right there, easy to get to. They 1519 01:48:45.119 --> 01:48:48.520 can deliver. They also have bag products that you can get. Do you 1520 01:48:48.600 --> 01:48:53.239 need a rose soil? Do you need leaf mole compost? They invented those 1521 01:48:53.359 --> 01:48:57.439 things. They know how to make them. The phone number nine three six 1522 01:48:58.119 --> 01:49:03.399 three two one sixty ninety nine three six three two one six nine nine zero. 1523 01:49:03.840 --> 01:49:08.119 When you go out there, leave room in the car and go check 1524 01:49:08.199 --> 01:49:12.000 out their Native Plant Garden Center. They have a wide variety of plants, 1525 01:49:12.079 --> 01:49:15.239 including an excellent selection of natives. You can while you're out there grabbing your 1526 01:49:15.359 --> 01:49:18.720 multus and stuff, just pick some of that up as well. You would 1527 01:49:19.199 --> 01:49:24.000 be very impressed, as I was last time I went out checking it out. 1528 01:49:24.279 --> 01:49:28.039 It just keeps growing and getting better out there. Nature's Way John and 1529 01:49:28.119 --> 01:49:32.239 Ian have really continued to improve the place. Nature's Way Resources nine six three 1530 01:49:32.560 --> 01:49:38.920 one sixty nine ninety. Get the brown stuff right, and the green stuff 1531 01:49:39.279 --> 01:49:43.319 will make it look like you have a green thumb. That's a tip right 1532 01:49:43.399 --> 01:49:46.640 there, worth the price of admission. Always a good idea to start with 1533 01:49:46.720 --> 01:49:51.359 the soil. I don't know what it is about us where we just we 1534 01:49:51.640 --> 01:50:00.079 just like to purchase the flowers and we like to purchase the plants, but 1535 01:50:00.399 --> 01:50:02.319 we don't get excited about this. Well, and you should. That's the 1536 01:50:02.560 --> 01:50:08.079 best part of the whole mix right there. It just really is. I 1537 01:50:08.199 --> 01:50:10.840 tell people all the time, you know, you buy a plant, people 1538 01:50:10.920 --> 01:50:14.279 want a giant, big red bloom on the plant in this little tiny tray 1539 01:50:14.279 --> 01:50:16.600 at the garden center. Well that's fine, But to buy a plant that 1540 01:50:16.720 --> 01:50:18.840 doesn't have a bloom on it. But you know what it is, you 1541 01:50:18.920 --> 01:50:21.680 know the type, and take care of it and put it in good soil 1542 01:50:21.720 --> 01:50:25.920 and get it growing. It's not trying to support that bloom and create a 1543 01:50:26.000 --> 01:50:29.920 the bloom right away. That's the head start. They're just a little tip 1544 01:50:30.039 --> 01:50:32.520 right there. It'll look better in the long run. Plants have a way 1545 01:50:32.920 --> 01:50:39.439 of performing according to the environment they're put into. They like sun, they 1546 01:50:39.600 --> 01:50:43.720 like if they prefer a break from the sun. They almost all need good 1547 01:50:43.800 --> 01:50:46.800 drainage, not all. Most of them need good drainage. Just give them 1548 01:50:46.840 --> 01:50:49.159 what they want. If you have a question about what they want, give 1549 01:50:49.199 --> 01:50:53.880 us a call on garden Line. Our number is seven one three two one 1550 01:50:53.960 --> 01:50:58.399 two KTRH. It's as simple as that. Seven one three two one two 1551 01:50:58.920 --> 01:51:02.600 k t our H. We'll be glad, glad to help you out with 1552 01:51:02.720 --> 01:51:09.039 that. Don't forget that. The Oba Organic Science Day is coming up on 1553 01:51:09.239 --> 01:51:13.560 January the twenty sixth, next Friday. Come by there. I'll find me 1554 01:51:13.600 --> 01:51:16.479 there. I'll be hanging out there eight thirty or eight am to three thirty 1555 01:51:16.520 --> 01:51:21.880 pm. Go to obaonline dot org slash register to get your tickets. It 1556 01:51:23.000 --> 01:51:28.000 is a day full of awesome speakers. Kt R H Garden Line does not 1557 01:51:28.119 --> 01:51:32.760 necessarily endorse any of the products or services advertised on this program. Welcome to 1558 01:51:33.039 --> 01:51:46.079 kt r H Garden Line with Skip rictor it's crazy Trim just watch him as 1559 01:51:46.359 --> 01:52:04.159 well. So many go thanks to Septs Gluble not a side a. Welcome 1560 01:52:04.199 --> 01:52:10.000 back to garden Line. On a beautiful Saturday, look outside. Check out 1561 01:52:10.079 --> 01:52:12.560 that sky Ooh that's what we want to see. And it's going to be 1562 01:52:12.600 --> 01:52:15.199 warming up a little bit. That is a nice thing. Be a good 1563 01:52:15.279 --> 01:52:19.520 day to get outside. Go visit some garden centers, Go pick up some 1564 01:52:19.640 --> 01:52:25.000 supplies. Get ready because hey, spring is here. I know. Don't 1565 01:52:25.079 --> 01:52:30.600 wait until it is just perfect spring weather and you know, butterflies are flying 1566 01:52:30.680 --> 01:52:34.199 by and everything. He who hesitates his loss. Now's the time to get 1567 01:52:34.239 --> 01:52:38.680 your soul fixed, get your beds made. If you're gon't to purchase a 1568 01:52:38.720 --> 01:52:42.680 bed like a Vego bed for example, and put it in and get a 1569 01:52:42.760 --> 01:52:45.880 mixed delivered and get all that set up you need to get going. It 1570 01:52:45.000 --> 01:52:48.920 is. It is time to get that done. If you are going to 1571 01:52:48.960 --> 01:52:57.880 be doing any planting before next year, for woody ornamentals, roses and shrubs 1572 01:52:58.399 --> 01:53:03.079 and trees and divines, even perennials. Now's the time to get those in 1573 01:53:03.680 --> 01:53:08.359 because it gives them more time to establish before the heat of summer arrives. 1574 01:53:08.560 --> 01:53:12.880 Remember last summer not a good time for a brand new plant without an extensive 1575 01:53:12.960 --> 01:53:15.600 root system to go in the ground. We can do it now, don't 1576 01:53:15.640 --> 01:53:19.479 delay, get that done now. A lot of great deals too at our 1577 01:53:19.600 --> 01:53:25.800 suppliers on some of the woody ornamentals and whatnot. I was mentioning RCW the 1578 01:53:26.239 --> 01:53:30.520 minute ago or earlier today and just the selection, Oh my gosh, there 1579 01:53:30.640 --> 01:53:36.479 rows selections unbelievable. There the trees. One of the best selections you're going 1580 01:53:36.520 --> 01:53:41.640 to find anywhere. On trees and trees that grow here. These are not 1581 01:53:41.840 --> 01:53:45.880 things sold by some national box store all over the country. These are things 1582 01:53:45.960 --> 01:53:49.800 grown by local people who've lived here a long time and know what works and 1583 01:53:49.840 --> 01:53:54.920 what doesn't, and sold for this region. And that is important. Think 1584 01:53:54.960 --> 01:53:59.520 about a tree, it's a long term investment in your landscape. I mean, 1585 01:54:00.119 --> 01:54:01.279 well, it's a long term investment if you get a good one and 1586 01:54:01.359 --> 01:54:05.560 plant it right and take care of it. But some of these trees, 1587 01:54:05.680 --> 01:54:12.800 I get calls and questions all the time on fast growing trees. They opened 1588 01:54:12.840 --> 01:54:17.600 up some Sunday supplement in the newspaper, and they saw some tree like royal 1589 01:54:18.000 --> 01:54:23.960 polonia. That's one beautiful, big clusters of purple flowers. It grows fast, 1590 01:54:24.000 --> 01:54:27.479 it dies young, and it's basically the strength of a match stick when 1591 01:54:27.520 --> 01:54:31.079 it starts falling apart on you and the environment. Don't plant that kind of 1592 01:54:31.159 --> 01:54:36.720 stuff if it's fast growing. What that means if you translate the words fast 1593 01:54:36.880 --> 01:54:44.479 growing tree, what it means when you translate it into gardener language is dies 1594 01:54:44.800 --> 01:54:47.560 young, trash tree. Don't plant it. Don't want it. You don't 1595 01:54:47.600 --> 01:54:51.920 want that kind of tree. You want a tree that every year gets bigger. 1596 01:54:53.720 --> 01:55:00.319 I had a gardener up in Montgomery, Texas, Jim Smith, Humy 1597 01:55:00.359 --> 01:55:05.319 Smith Boy. Wonderful people, wonderful gardeners. But Jim showed me a picture 1598 01:55:05.359 --> 01:55:11.119 one time as this little old black and white picture of a home that he 1599 01:55:11.239 --> 01:55:15.000 and Kimmy lived in, and it had this little tree in the yard. 1600 01:55:15.479 --> 01:55:17.359 And then he showed a picture forty years later of that tree, and that 1601 01:55:17.479 --> 01:55:23.159 tree was the yard. That tree is probably worth more than the house by 1602 01:55:23.199 --> 01:55:28.600 that. I have a beautiful tree, absolutely wonderful quality trees last, and 1603 01:55:28.680 --> 01:55:32.319 they make your home more valuable. Over time they do, and so don't 1604 01:55:32.439 --> 01:55:35.640 get in a hurry, don't dry by, you know, go someplace and 1605 01:55:36.239 --> 01:55:40.199 it just kind of a whim Oh, I think I'll try this. Find 1606 01:55:40.239 --> 01:55:43.439 out what you want, and if you go to a good place, if 1607 01:55:43.479 --> 01:55:45.279 you go to a good place that knows what they're talking about, you can 1608 01:55:45.359 --> 01:55:49.119 tell them I need an evergreen, I need deciduous. I want it to 1609 01:55:49.239 --> 01:55:53.399 bloom. I don't want it to not bloom. My lot is only this 1610 01:55:53.600 --> 01:55:57.840 big. What'll fit. That's a good question to ask, and pick the 1611 01:55:58.039 --> 01:56:01.960 right species for all your goals and get it planted right, take care of 1612 01:56:02.039 --> 01:56:06.319 it right, and it becomes more and more valuable over time. When you 1613 01:56:06.479 --> 01:56:12.079 look at a quality home with quality trees, if you remove those trees, 1614 01:56:12.359 --> 01:56:17.880 the value of that property it plummets. But a big beauty not just the 1615 01:56:18.199 --> 01:56:21.279 actual dollars you get for a house when you sell it, but the fact 1616 01:56:21.319 --> 01:56:26.239 that it sells. When you walk up and you're looking to buy a house 1617 01:56:26.279 --> 01:56:29.560 and you find a house and it already has beautiful trees that are well planted. 1618 01:56:29.600 --> 01:56:31.439 They weren't stuck ten feet from the foundation. There are planting where they 1619 01:56:31.479 --> 01:56:35.439 belong, and that is part of the deal. Like this is the house 1620 01:56:35.520 --> 01:56:41.199 we want, and that's what you create when you take a good quality tree. 1621 01:56:41.600 --> 01:56:45.840 That is important, very very important to remember. You know, the 1622 01:56:46.840 --> 01:56:51.600 cold weather we've been through has set a lot of plants back and it's frozen 1623 01:56:51.680 --> 01:56:56.560 some to the ground. Some have been killed all right outright, if it 1624 01:56:56.800 --> 01:57:01.279 was a very marginal species. Where you live, you have marginal species. 1625 01:57:01.640 --> 01:57:04.640 You know, we have things that are very dependable here that you go up 1626 01:57:04.680 --> 01:57:10.239 to Waco, Texas and Huntsville or certainly Dallas, they're not going to be 1627 01:57:10.399 --> 01:57:14.920 veried, and so you want to make sure you're planning things that belong where 1628 01:57:14.960 --> 01:57:17.680 you go. But your plants that have been through it are going to need 1629 01:57:17.800 --> 01:57:24.600 some help. And it's important that when the new growth begins, you supply 1630 01:57:24.760 --> 01:57:30.000 that new growth with some nutrition early on. And that may include something like 1631 01:57:30.119 --> 01:57:33.640 Microlife's ocean harvests. For example, add an enchanted forests in Richmond. I 1632 01:57:33.640 --> 01:57:35.760 don't know if you've been there before. You need to go if you haven't, 1633 01:57:36.039 --> 01:57:41.119 But enchanted forests and Richmond they've got a good supply of Microlife's ocean harvests 1634 01:57:41.600 --> 01:57:45.680 and you're going to drench that on the on the plants and when it begins 1635 01:57:45.760 --> 01:57:47.880 to grow, You're going to spray the foliage with it as it's growing. 1636 01:57:47.920 --> 01:57:53.399 It will not burn. It's an organic safe for spraying as a foldier feet 1637 01:57:53.439 --> 01:57:57.279 and then you're gonna drench it again later and also include some of the dry 1638 01:57:57.399 --> 01:58:00.359 granular fertiliza that they produce. They're going to have that out there at Enchanted 1639 01:58:00.399 --> 01:58:04.039 Forest and that is going to help a lot to get your plants off to 1640 01:58:04.199 --> 01:58:10.520 a good start. Now in Chanted Forest has got lots of heirloom seeds for 1641 01:58:10.680 --> 01:58:15.800 peppers and tomatoes and eggplants and more. And boy, they are soon going 1642 01:58:15.880 --> 01:58:21.760 to have all your vegetables, their vegetables and herbs. That selection is wonderful. 1643 01:58:23.000 --> 01:58:25.680 You gotta check it out. They carry everything you want. I mean, 1644 01:58:25.720 --> 01:58:29.439 they're gonna carry annual flowers and trees and shrubs and perennials and vines and 1645 01:58:29.840 --> 01:58:32.079 plants for butterflies something else are good at. And they also have a good 1646 01:58:32.119 --> 01:58:35.680 selection of red, white, and yellow seed potatoes. That's not one potato, 1647 01:58:36.159 --> 01:58:40.439 that's red varieties. You know, red varieties of potatoes or things like 1648 01:58:40.479 --> 01:58:45.399 pontiac and with soda. The yellow if you never grown the yellow that is 1649 01:58:45.600 --> 01:58:49.439 Yokan Yukon gold and it just looks buttery pant from the standpoint of cutting it 1650 01:58:49.520 --> 01:58:54.279 wide opens. Beautiful potatoes, but red, white and yellow potatoes all there 1651 01:58:54.279 --> 01:58:59.560 at Enchanted Forest. And if you haven't been to Enchanted Forest, here's what 1652 01:58:59.680 --> 01:59:01.039 you need to do. You need to go. If you're in Richmond and 1653 01:59:01.079 --> 01:59:03.840 you're heading up tourch sugar Land, it's off to the right and it's on 1654 01:59:04.039 --> 01:59:08.960 FM twenty seven fifty nine, just a little bit off of fifty nine there 1655 01:59:09.079 --> 01:59:14.199 Highway fifty nine on FM twenty seven fifty nine. When you go, you'll 1656 01:59:14.199 --> 01:59:19.279 see why it's called Enchanted. Wonderful place, fun to visit, knowledgeable staff, 1657 01:59:19.520 --> 01:59:23.399 everything you want in a garden center right there to chant it for us. 1658 01:59:24.840 --> 01:59:27.319 It's time for a break. We're in our last hour by the way 1659 01:59:27.359 --> 01:59:29.560 today, so if you'd like to give us a call today, Hey, 1660 01:59:29.640 --> 01:59:31.359 it's time to get on the phones and do it. Seven one three two 1661 01:59:31.439 --> 01:59:39.560 one two five eight seven four. I'll be right back. Welcome back to 1662 01:59:39.680 --> 01:59:42.920 garden Line. Our phone number if you'd like to get on the boards with 1663 01:59:43.079 --> 01:59:45.039 us, is seven one three two one two fifty eight seventy four. And 1664 01:59:45.119 --> 01:59:47.359 we got some folks on the boards. We're going to go right out to 1665 01:59:47.800 --> 01:59:53.560 Huffman, Texas and talk to Harold. Hello, Harold, good morning, 1666 01:59:53.640 --> 01:59:57.960 Thank you for taking my call. More of a turf question than gardening. 1667 01:59:58.079 --> 02:00:00.479 But I built a house out here in the country and put I had to 1668 02:00:00.520 --> 02:00:08.439 put an aerobic system in. I'm looking for a grass that will flourish in 1669 02:00:08.479 --> 02:00:13.600 an aerobic underneath an aerobic system. Pretty much any of your grass, any 1670 02:00:13.640 --> 02:00:16.279 of your grass, is going to grow. Are three big ones here in 1671 02:00:16.439 --> 02:00:21.520 this area are Saint Augustine, Bermuda, and Zoysia, and all three of 1672 02:00:21.600 --> 02:00:27.159 those have their pros and cons. Saint Augustine's the most common one. It 1673 02:00:27.279 --> 02:00:31.119 puts up with irregular mowing schedules. Even though it doesn't want an irregular mowing 1674 02:00:31.159 --> 02:00:34.239 schedule, it will put up with that, and it grows better in shade 1675 02:00:34.279 --> 02:00:40.119 than anything. Zoysia is the next best in shade. I suspect your aerobic 1676 02:00:40.279 --> 02:00:45.960 field is sunny. Is that correct? No, there's a tree canopy. 1677 02:00:45.319 --> 02:00:49.039 Oh, there is the tree. I trimmed the trees up, you know, 1678 02:00:49.159 --> 02:00:54.920 to let the It was raw land. Uh, you know, over 1679 02:00:55.399 --> 02:00:59.720 overgrown, never been okay before? So oh okay, okay, I got 1680 02:00:59.800 --> 02:01:05.239 you. So Saint Augustine's the best shade tolerant one, and it's more tolerant 1681 02:01:05.239 --> 02:01:10.359 of an erratic money schedule. Zeutzia is quite shade tolerant, not as much 1682 02:01:10.399 --> 02:01:16.199 as Saint Augustine, and it is also very resilient to wear and tear foot 1683 02:01:16.279 --> 02:01:23.439 traffic. It's especially Saint Augustine's not Bermuda grass is it needs sun. It 1684 02:01:23.520 --> 02:01:28.840 does not do well in shade. It's extremely resilient. Every football feel pretty 1685 02:01:28.920 --> 02:01:32.840 much in Texas and golf courses as well are going to be Bermuda grass because 1686 02:01:33.119 --> 02:01:36.119 it can take the wear and tear and bounce back just fine. But it 1687 02:01:36.239 --> 02:01:41.359 doesn't want shade. So those are your options. Depending on which one you 1688 02:01:41.520 --> 02:01:45.680 choose. You can pick from a number of cultivars or varieties of that grass 1689 02:01:46.800 --> 02:01:50.760 you know as to which one does the best for you. Let me let 1690 02:01:50.840 --> 02:01:55.800 me give you a place where you can go and learn a lot more than 1691 02:01:55.840 --> 02:01:58.920 I would be able to go into just in a phone call. If you 1692 02:01:59.039 --> 02:02:02.840 go to Aggie Turf A G G I E t U r F Aggie Turf 1693 02:02:03.000 --> 02:02:09.760 dot t A m U dot E d U, that's the State turf Grass 1694 02:02:10.079 --> 02:02:14.680 special Specialist website at Texas A and M. And if you click on there. 1695 02:02:14.840 --> 02:02:16.680 It has Texas turf grasses. You can look at other things, but 1696 02:02:17.239 --> 02:02:20.079 if you go into that and like you clicked on Zoysia, it would tell 1697 02:02:20.079 --> 02:02:24.000 you all about it, and it would tell you all the varieties that are 1698 02:02:24.079 --> 02:02:28.239 good options for Zoysia, and go in there and read and learn about it. 1699 02:02:28.439 --> 02:02:32.399 I think if your shade's not too dense, Zoysia might be a good 1700 02:02:32.439 --> 02:02:38.600 one. But Zoysia needs more regular mowing to look good. If you mow 1701 02:02:38.680 --> 02:02:43.399 it irregularly, it gets lumpy and it doesn't look so good. Okay, 1702 02:02:44.000 --> 02:02:45.039 well, I appreciate your time, sir. All right, Well, good 1703 02:02:45.119 --> 02:02:47.960 luck with that, Harold, and if you have follow up calls, feel 1704 02:02:47.960 --> 02:02:51.319 free to give us call. We're going to head out now to Richmond, 1705 02:02:51.439 --> 02:02:56.560 Texas and talk to Brian. Hello, Brian, Hey, good morning to 1706 02:02:56.640 --> 02:03:00.600 Gid. Morning my normal PSA. All your listeners needed take advantage of your 1707 02:03:00.640 --> 02:03:05.239 text. They have make that service agents. All right, I agree with 1708 02:03:05.359 --> 02:03:10.720 that, having been one. Yeah, hey, skip, so last year 1709 02:03:10.760 --> 02:03:15.680 if planet some butterfly bushes and they only get afternoon sun in the summer, 1710 02:03:15.600 --> 02:03:23.840 it didn't matter what any for replace it. I think I think I heard, 1711 02:03:25.039 --> 02:03:26.880 yeah, I think I heard what you said. I need to make 1712 02:03:26.920 --> 02:03:30.039 sure and take your phone off speaker. We we cut out about a third 1713 02:03:30.079 --> 02:03:32.920 of that. But what you want is a butterfly bush replacement in an area 1714 02:03:32.960 --> 02:03:38.079 where it doesn't get a whole lot of sunlight. Is that correct? Yeah? 1715 02:03:38.119 --> 02:03:41.800 I mean it only gets afternoon sun but it was so hot and dry 1716 02:03:41.920 --> 02:03:45.680 last summer that they didn't do well. And okay there were week going into 1717 02:03:45.680 --> 02:03:47.439 the freeze. Yeah. Well, butterfly bush is a good plant. It 1718 02:03:47.840 --> 02:03:53.159 is susceptible to spider mites. Uh, and it does want sunlight. Uh. 1719 02:03:53.880 --> 02:03:57.479 Let's see, you might consider some of the salvias. Uh. There's 1720 02:03:57.520 --> 02:04:03.039 a salvia called salviaannitica. It sounds like you're saying guarantee that it's garynitica. 1721 02:04:03.880 --> 02:04:10.119 Salvia garnitica gets up about the size of butterfly bushes. It has beautiful spikes, 1722 02:04:10.159 --> 02:04:15.239 so typically blue. A bluish purple attracts hummingbirds. And what else about 1723 02:04:15.279 --> 02:04:19.359 Sava garanitica. It will put up with a lot more shade than a lot 1724 02:04:19.399 --> 02:04:24.600 of salvia's will, So that would be one to consider. There's also a 1725 02:04:24.840 --> 02:04:29.920 version called it's called Argentine skies. It's kind of a sky blue color that 1726 02:04:30.000 --> 02:04:33.600 shows up a little better in shade. Uh, there are other salvias that 1727 02:04:33.720 --> 02:04:38.319 will do okay in a moderate amount of shade. So that would that would 1728 02:04:38.479 --> 02:04:41.199 that's a perennial, not really a shrub. It's going to dive back to 1729 02:04:41.239 --> 02:04:45.760 the ground, but that would be kind of close to a butterfly bush replacement. 1730 02:04:45.800 --> 02:04:49.279 And then there's some other things that bloom that can take partial shade. 1731 02:04:50.199 --> 02:04:54.079 So it kind of depends on what you're going after. I like I like 1732 02:04:55.840 --> 02:05:00.479 that Salvio garanittica a lot. Okay, thank you. Yeah. Now you're 1733 02:05:00.520 --> 02:05:05.119 in Richmond, so you got enchanted gardens and enchented forest and they're both going 1734 02:05:05.199 --> 02:05:10.720 to have Salvia garnitica as well as some other options. You might ask if 1735 02:05:10.760 --> 02:05:14.560 they have one called black and blue. Black and blue is one of the 1736 02:05:14.680 --> 02:05:19.239 common cultivars of Salvia garanitical that there there are several other good cultivars too. 1737 02:05:20.520 --> 02:05:25.039 Okay, thank you. Hi, yes, sir, Hey say hey to 1738 02:05:25.119 --> 02:05:28.600 mister Boone holiday at the extension office there. If you get a chance to 1739 02:05:28.680 --> 02:05:30.640 visit with him again, I will do that. Thank you very much. 1740 02:05:30.840 --> 02:05:35.319 You've bet appreciate that call. Well, let's see here, we're going to 1741 02:05:35.399 --> 02:05:40.600 head up now to Conroe and talk to Steve. Hello, Steve Hey, 1742 02:05:40.680 --> 02:05:44.920 good morning, mister skip Hey. I got a red oak that when I 1743 02:05:45.000 --> 02:05:47.880 moved in this house. It's one of them ones that branched into four trunks 1744 02:05:47.920 --> 02:05:51.000 coming off of it. Okay, it had some kind of ye on it 1745 02:05:51.119 --> 02:05:55.239 that was choking the tree out of one of the trunks. Ended up getting 1746 02:05:55.279 --> 02:05:58.000 cut because it was bad looking. So I got two good looking ones. 1747 02:05:58.279 --> 02:06:01.199 About two foot up of one of these coming out the smaller one, it's 1748 02:06:01.279 --> 02:06:08.039 the box black where the box came off the woods black. Okay, about 1749 02:06:08.079 --> 02:06:11.279 three foot up I got to for some box come off. There's it's brown 1750 02:06:11.760 --> 02:06:15.000 and in about four foot maybe about four and a half foot, the box 1751 02:06:15.079 --> 02:06:17.840 kind of came off. It's gray. Is this thing toast that sounds a 1752 02:06:18.000 --> 02:06:23.840 lot like hypoxylan canker And I'm gonna spell it for you because I want you 1753 02:06:23.880 --> 02:06:30.600 to go look it up. It's h y p O X hypox a l 1754 02:06:30.359 --> 02:06:38.880 O N hypoxylon canker. If you go to the State Plant Clinic, which 1755 02:06:38.960 --> 02:06:45.199 is really easy, it's plant Clinic dot T A m U dot E d 1756 02:06:45.439 --> 02:06:47.800 U. That's a n m's State plant Clinic for the whole State of Texas 1757 02:06:47.840 --> 02:06:51.840 all plant diseases. You can go in there and they got a publication on 1758 02:06:53.039 --> 02:06:59.680 hypoxylan canker And here's the bottom line. The plant gets stressed, the disease, 1759 02:06:59.720 --> 02:07:02.880 which is already present, gets the upper hand, and you start losing 1760 02:07:03.279 --> 02:07:09.640 entire branches and trunks and typically the whole tree, and there's no spray for 1761 02:07:09.800 --> 02:07:14.720 it. There's no systemic cure for it. Keep the tree healthy. I 1762 02:07:14.760 --> 02:07:18.840 would take that completely out, that whole trunk, the olive drab brown color 1763 02:07:18.960 --> 02:07:24.439 underneath the bark and then the gray hard color. Sometimes there's a black tar 1764 02:07:24.680 --> 02:07:30.359 like looking color on some species with hypoxylin. That sounds really classic. And 1765 02:07:30.000 --> 02:07:33.960 having multiple trunks on a red oak is generally not a real great idea anyway. 1766 02:07:34.399 --> 02:07:36.800 Yeah, I know it's not. And then's just what I had when 1767 02:07:36.800 --> 02:07:41.560 I moved in here. So I'll look that up and then meantime i'll get 1768 02:07:41.560 --> 02:07:43.680 a three guy over here, and it won't be too much. It's not 1769 02:07:43.760 --> 02:07:45.840 too much of it, Yeah, too bad, So I'll get that cut 1770 02:07:45.920 --> 02:07:48.479 off and then I'll see what I need to do for the rest of it. 1771 02:07:48.680 --> 02:07:50.479 Yeah, And when you cut them off, you're always gonna have a 1772 02:07:50.520 --> 02:07:55.680 lopsided tree left because they grew together, so the branches are only going outward, 1773 02:07:55.800 --> 02:07:59.279 not inward, on any given trunk, and so it's gonna be lopsided, 1774 02:07:59.319 --> 02:08:01.640 but trating itself out in time. How big is a trunk like if 1775 02:08:01.640 --> 02:08:05.479 you were to try to grab around, oh, okay, the one that's 1776 02:08:05.840 --> 02:08:07.520 got the disease on it, to the canker on it, I'd say that's 1777 02:08:07.560 --> 02:08:13.760 about six inches, Okay, six to eight inches? Is that what? 1778 02:08:13.000 --> 02:08:16.399 Most of them are? Same size? No, there's one that's towards the 1779 02:08:16.439 --> 02:08:22.479 back that really looks good and it's about, say that's about twelve to fourteen 1780 02:08:22.520 --> 02:08:26.279 inches. Then there's another one that's close to the diseased one, and it's 1781 02:08:26.359 --> 02:08:30.119 about eighty inches. Okay, I would leave the best one. I'd take 1782 02:08:30.159 --> 02:08:33.000 all the other two out now. Of course, I'm not sitting there looking 1783 02:08:33.039 --> 02:08:35.079 at it. And if you have a tree guy come out, he's gonna 1784 02:08:35.079 --> 02:08:37.439 be able to see things I can't see right now. But I would leave 1785 02:08:37.520 --> 02:08:41.000 one and just know it's going to be lopsided, but it you know, 1786 02:08:41.399 --> 02:08:46.640 it's the best thing to go back out Eventually eventually it will but up higher. 1787 02:08:48.159 --> 02:08:50.840 It's not like suddenly out of a thick bark trunk. You're just gonna 1788 02:08:50.880 --> 02:08:54.199 have a branch comes from the bonus. This good looking one isn't going to 1789 02:08:54.239 --> 02:08:58.520 be really too lopsided. It's it's kind of grown out a little bit. 1790 02:08:58.560 --> 02:09:00.840 I just the other ones were far enough away. It kind of grew out 1791 02:09:00.960 --> 02:09:05.680 little Yeah, barther Well, branches proliferate where they can get good light. 1792 02:09:05.840 --> 02:09:09.279 And that's why you know, you don't see a lot of sprouting inside of 1793 02:09:09.359 --> 02:09:13.800 a tree. That's why your trees that grow side by side or get lopsided 1794 02:09:13.840 --> 02:09:18.199 because there's no light to be going toward the inside. All right, good 1795 02:09:18.239 --> 02:09:20.600 deal, because I don't want this thing falling. I'm putting in the process 1796 02:09:20.640 --> 02:09:22.720 of putting in a pool and it's probably going to fall. Well, have 1797 02:09:24.279 --> 02:09:28.000 a tree, you know what I would call affordable tree. He knows what 1798 02:09:28.119 --> 02:09:31.920 he's talking about. And have him come look at it. Because here's the 1799 02:09:31.000 --> 02:09:35.600 thing. When you cut a trunk off, now you got exposed wood that's 1800 02:09:35.680 --> 02:09:39.960 going to decay down there. That's just going to happen, and there is 1801 02:09:39.199 --> 02:09:45.439 some bit of a loss of structural strength right there at the base. We're 1802 02:09:45.479 --> 02:09:48.319 at a branch that's eight inches across coming off the base of a trunk, 1803 02:09:48.399 --> 02:09:52.000 then you'd really have a weak spot. I wouldn't worry as much, but 1804 02:09:52.399 --> 02:09:56.000 have a good tree person that knows what they're talking about, like affordable tree. 1805 02:09:56.079 --> 02:10:01.159 Come out and take a look at it, because I you know, 1806 02:10:01.319 --> 02:10:05.079 it's one thing for me to on the phone here make a recommendation. It's 1807 02:10:05.199 --> 02:10:07.520 different to be standing there and uh yeah, I mean you're looking at it. 1808 02:10:09.159 --> 02:10:11.479 It just looks sick at the base. I mean it's it's it's definitely 1809 02:10:11.600 --> 02:10:16.760 sick. Okay, Well, good luck with it. And red oaks are 1810 02:10:16.760 --> 02:10:20.479 a great species, so hopefully you can get it back in shape and it 1811 02:10:20.640 --> 02:10:24.760 just gets better over time. I appreciate it. Thank you, appreciate that 1812 02:10:24.880 --> 02:10:28.039 call very much. You're listening to Guardline. Our phone number is seven to 1813 02:10:28.079 --> 02:10:35.399 one to three six or two one two fifty eight seventy. How many times 1814 02:10:35.439 --> 02:10:39.079 have I said that number of the past year seven one three two one two 1815 02:10:39.319 --> 02:10:46.800 five eight seven zero. We are here to take your phone calls, Katie. 1816 02:10:46.840 --> 02:10:48.239 I see you out there. We're going to come to you in just 1817 02:10:48.319 --> 02:10:52.079 a moment when we come back, and just want to let you know I 1818 02:10:52.199 --> 02:10:54.680 want to have plenty of time available to be able to answer your question and 1819 02:10:54.800 --> 02:11:00.960 do a good job about it. Now, some of you are into birds. 1820 02:11:01.119 --> 02:11:03.600 You love bird feeders, love you have bird houses, You love songbirds, 1821 02:11:03.640 --> 02:11:09.239 You appreciate the music they bring into our landscapes, maybe even bird baths 1822 02:11:09.319 --> 02:11:11.560 and things. Whybirds Unlimited is the place you need to know about now. 1823 02:11:11.600 --> 02:11:16.880 Why Birds Unlimited is easy to find. Go to w b U, wibirds 1824 02:11:16.920 --> 02:11:22.159 Unlimited, WBU dot com, Forward Slash Houston. There's I believe there's six 1825 02:11:22.199 --> 02:11:26.159 stores out there across the greater Houston area, and they will stock you up 1826 02:11:26.239 --> 02:11:30.880 on the best stuff. And they're knowledgeable. They can guide you. Do 1827 02:11:30.920 --> 02:11:33.520 you have particular kinds of birds you want to attract. They can tell you 1828 02:11:33.600 --> 02:11:35.600 what kind of houses, what kind of feeders, and what kind of seed 1829 02:11:35.680 --> 02:11:39.560 to put in them. Right now, Winter super Blend is the one you 1830 02:11:39.680 --> 02:11:43.319 need to be putting in most of your bird feeders because birds need the fat 1831 02:11:43.479 --> 02:11:50.000 and the protein that a Winter super Blend has. Don't buy cheap bird seed 1832 02:11:50.319 --> 02:11:52.680 because it's not cheap. Here's why I say that, I've seen those things 1833 02:11:52.720 --> 02:11:56.279 that are over half the little red bebes that birds don't want to eat, 1834 02:11:56.359 --> 02:12:01.199 that not milow stuff. And so if you get a good deal, but 1835 02:12:01.399 --> 02:12:03.920 half of it you don't get. You just paid twice as much as you 1836 02:12:03.039 --> 02:12:07.199 thought for stuffed birds are gonna eat right, Plus you get the mess. 1837 02:12:07.760 --> 02:12:13.119 Wibird's Unlimited has no mess seeds available. Wbu dot com Forward Slash Houston, 1838 02:12:16.760 --> 02:12:20.840 Welcome back to garden Line on a gorgeous Saturday. I'll tell you what. 1839 02:12:22.920 --> 02:12:26.359 This is a day to get outside. It just is. Look at it, 1840 02:12:26.800 --> 02:12:30.479 beautiful skies. You know, we got a little breeze. It's a 1841 02:12:30.560 --> 02:12:33.680 little on the chilly side. But hey, that's why we have sweaters and 1842 02:12:33.199 --> 02:12:37.000 jackets and long sleeve shirts. It's gonna warm up a little bit for us 1843 02:12:37.039 --> 02:12:39.239 too. I found that when you get busy out in the garden, it 1844 02:12:39.359 --> 02:12:43.600 just warms up anyway because you're busy in doing activity. Because gardening is good 1845 02:12:43.880 --> 02:12:48.319 exercise. It's I always like to say that if if you are a good 1846 02:12:48.399 --> 02:12:54.960 gardener, gardening is good exercise. If you are a bad gardener, gardening 1847 02:12:54.199 --> 02:12:58.039 is great exercise. Why do I say that, Because you could spend more 1848 02:12:58.079 --> 02:13:03.039 time pulling weeds and bathing the soil to replant and all the other things. 1849 02:13:03.079 --> 02:13:05.800 So however you want to go about it, We're going to go straight out 1850 02:13:05.800 --> 02:13:07.920 to spring branch, right now and talk to Katie. Katie, thank you 1851 02:13:09.039 --> 02:13:13.439 for waiting. Good morning, Skip. I'm calling because, yes, I've 1852 02:13:13.439 --> 02:13:22.239 been a good gardener. I have this beautiful black gold compost in my backyard. 1853 02:13:22.720 --> 02:13:28.239 However, I've noticed as I've been turning it this last month or so, 1854 02:13:30.119 --> 02:13:35.319 I'm seeing grubworms in it. And I don't want to put that in 1855 02:13:35.640 --> 02:13:39.039 my vegetable garden. Now, I'm very concerned about it. What should I 1856 02:13:39.199 --> 02:13:43.520 do about all those YUCKI grubworms? I would not worry. I think it's 1857 02:13:43.600 --> 02:13:50.039 so beautiful. The grubworms just we're attracted to. Absolutely, absolutely they do 1858 02:13:50.199 --> 02:13:54.399 well in there. But don't worry about it. I used, I've used 1859 02:13:54.720 --> 02:13:58.479 composts of grubworms a lot, and you just when you spread it out, 1860 02:13:58.720 --> 02:14:01.399 just if you see them, just pick them out. I mean there they 1861 02:14:03.039 --> 02:14:07.720 tend to feed the number one they like grasses more than they like other kinds 1862 02:14:07.760 --> 02:14:11.000 of plants. But uh, they also or just tend to feed in one 1863 02:14:11.119 --> 02:14:16.760 spot. So it's not like now they're gonna make grub worms all over your 1864 02:14:16.800 --> 02:14:18.479 garden. I mean they have to come out as an adult and fly around, 1865 02:14:18.560 --> 02:14:22.600 and when that happens, they're gonna be grub adults. What we call 1866 02:14:22.720 --> 02:14:28.000 jum beetles flying around all over the place dropping eggs. So it's not gonna 1867 02:14:28.039 --> 02:14:31.720 make your garden more full of grubs. Really, just pick them out as 1868 02:14:31.760 --> 02:14:35.439 you see them. Okay, So I've got a girlfriend that has chickens. 1869 02:14:35.600 --> 02:14:41.840 Okay, well listen, listen. You will be known as the neighborhood pusher 1870 02:14:43.039 --> 02:14:46.760 drug pusher to those chickens because that stuff is chicken crack. I mean it 1871 02:14:46.960 --> 02:14:48.760 is like, oh, yeah, I used to have I used to have 1872 02:14:48.880 --> 02:14:54.560 a fox terrier miniature fox terrier that loved grub worms. And when I went 1873 02:14:54.600 --> 02:14:56.800 to the garden, the terrier made a bee line because when I turned over 1874 02:14:56.840 --> 02:15:00.960 the soil, they would eat the grubs. It was craziest thing I've ever 1875 02:15:01.039 --> 02:15:05.439 seen. But still no reason for humans to eat them, not to my 1876 02:15:05.640 --> 02:15:07.840 knowledge, and I'm not going to even try to go there. But I 1877 02:15:07.000 --> 02:15:11.439 tell you what, your chickens will and the egg yolks will be oranger than 1878 02:15:11.520 --> 02:15:16.000 they were before they eat the grubs. So yes, yes, wonderful, 1879 02:15:16.039 --> 02:15:18.920 wonderful, Thank you. That's good. You'll be a hit with your friend, 1880 02:15:18.960 --> 02:15:24.000 but also with your friend's chickens. They were very good. Thank you. 1881 02:15:24.399 --> 02:15:31.119 Bye, Katie, my gosh, let's go out to Cypress, Texas 1882 02:15:31.199 --> 02:15:33.520 and talk to Mike. Hey, Mike, Hey, how you doing? 1883 02:15:33.640 --> 02:15:39.039 Good morning? Good? So real quickly, I bought a by Text tree 1884 02:15:39.159 --> 02:15:43.560 last year and I put it in the ground in the backyard and I did 1885 02:15:43.640 --> 02:15:46.840 really well. It bloomed really nice and everything. But through the freeze and 1886 02:15:46.920 --> 02:15:50.640 everything I was told. First of all, I was told that it is 1887 02:15:50.720 --> 02:15:54.079 really good in the extreme cold and the extreme heat as well. Yes, 1888 02:15:54.399 --> 02:15:58.880 but I didn't cover it during these freezes, and I'm looking at it now 1889 02:15:58.079 --> 02:16:01.000 and it looks like it's just really dormant. But I'm just wondering, is 1890 02:16:01.039 --> 02:16:05.319 it going to come back in the spring? Oh? It should absolutely. 1891 02:16:05.680 --> 02:16:07.960 What you can do, it's been a few days since a freeze. Give 1892 02:16:07.960 --> 02:16:11.359 it another day or two just to be sure. But you can take your 1893 02:16:11.399 --> 02:16:15.680 thumbnail and scrape back some of the bark in those little tender you know, 1894 02:16:15.840 --> 02:16:18.960 some smaller than a pencil sized branches and stuff, and you'll see if it's 1895 02:16:20.079 --> 02:16:24.760 creamy colored, light green underneath, that's good. But by Texas very doing 1896 02:16:24.840 --> 02:16:28.199 that right now, and it's actually green like yeah, they're very hardy, 1897 02:16:28.520 --> 02:16:31.840 very hardy. Okay. And one other thing real quickly, so I have 1898 02:16:31.920 --> 02:16:35.760 a bunch of different type palm trees, and I have them in my garage 1899 02:16:35.840 --> 02:16:43.159 right now. I love the palm trees. I want to say Mediterranean palms 1900 02:16:43.200 --> 02:16:46.639 and a few different others. Okay, what is the best way to keep 1901 02:16:46.680 --> 02:16:50.879 those really hardy through the hot summer? Well, they can take the heat 1902 02:16:50.040 --> 02:16:54.319 just fine. That you just need to get them planted. Would I would 1903 02:16:54.360 --> 02:16:58.360 get them out whenever we have days like today that there's not going to be 1904 02:16:58.440 --> 02:17:03.120 freezing and you've got good sunlight, get them out where they can get some 1905 02:17:03.280 --> 02:17:07.360 sunlight, because that makes carbohydrates, and carbohydrates will help them have the energy 1906 02:17:07.520 --> 02:17:11.559 to grow, to produce roots and all that when you get them planted. 1907 02:17:11.079 --> 02:17:15.280 So I assume you're put in the landscape, right, No, sir, 1908 02:17:15.399 --> 02:17:18.479 I'm putting them in. They're all in pots. Oh they're all in pot 1909 02:17:18.600 --> 02:17:22.520 Okay, yeah, well, and I have to they're actually pretty big too, 1910 02:17:22.639 --> 02:17:26.079 and so what I see happening during the hot summer, try and keep 1911 02:17:26.079 --> 02:17:28.799 them watered in everything, But then they start turning yellow and up. They're 1912 02:17:28.799 --> 02:17:33.120 gonna end my watering too much. Well, I guess you could be dig 1913 02:17:33.200 --> 02:17:37.959 down in the soil with a little hand trout and feel the soil down down 1914 02:17:37.040 --> 02:17:43.079 below. How big are the pots? Oh, I don't know, twenty 1915 02:17:43.120 --> 02:17:46.440 five gallons, Maybe they're big pots. Yeah, I don't think you're overwatering 1916 02:17:46.799 --> 02:17:50.760 if they have no drainage. The drainage hols are non existing, are plugged 1917 02:17:50.840 --> 02:17:54.799 up, and you water a lot. Yeah, you can create an underground 1918 02:17:54.959 --> 02:17:58.440 or basically a bathtub that's hold in water with that pot. But I kind 1919 02:17:58.479 --> 02:18:01.520 of doubt that that's what's happening. But just check. You can lay them 1920 02:18:01.559 --> 02:18:05.520 over and check the drainholes if you want, just to make sure, but 1921 02:18:05.799 --> 02:18:09.360 or just water it real good and see if water runs out. But they 1922 02:18:09.719 --> 02:18:11.879 ought to be okay. The yellowing could be a nutrient thing. That's a 1923 02:18:13.000 --> 02:18:16.959 confined root system, and so it's easy for a nutrient to get a lot 1924 02:18:16.040 --> 02:18:20.399 out of whack. You can purchase some quality palm foods, a good palm 1925 02:18:20.479 --> 02:18:26.280 food, you know, that'll that'll provide nutrients. Yeah, just look for 1926 02:18:26.559 --> 02:18:31.079 a palm food. Nitrophost makes a really good palm food for example, I 1927 02:18:31.200 --> 02:18:37.479 know. Yeah, And yeah, just just find You're gonna find it a 1928 02:18:37.520 --> 02:18:39.559 lot of places. But I would do that and just follow the label, 1929 02:18:39.600 --> 02:18:41.920 you know, don't overdo it when you put it in there. Just just 1930 02:18:41.959 --> 02:18:45.840 give it a little food help it. That ought to help. If it's 1931 02:18:46.280 --> 02:18:52.440 typically with palms, Mike, it's gonna be magnesium or potassium. That might 1932 02:18:52.520 --> 02:18:54.399 be a little on the short side. It could also be lack of nitrogen. 1933 02:18:56.200 --> 02:18:58.479 But you know, without having a soil test on your pot it's kind 1934 02:18:58.520 --> 02:19:03.399 of hard to know for sure exactly which one. Right, Okay, then 1935 02:19:03.520 --> 02:19:05.559 thank you sir, Yes, sir, thanks for the call. I appreciate 1936 02:19:05.639 --> 02:19:09.040 that very much. Well, here we are, we're gonna have to take 1937 02:19:09.040 --> 02:19:11.840 another break again. We got one more segment left at a Carol, you 1938 02:19:11.959 --> 02:19:15.319 are first up when I have time. When I come back, I'll have 1939 02:19:15.440 --> 02:19:18.799 time to fully answer your question. So hang on just a minute and we'll 1940 02:19:18.840 --> 02:19:20.840 be right back. Thanks for listening to garden Line. Our phone number is 1941 02:19:20.920 --> 02:19:28.680 seven to one three two one two five eight seven four. Welcome to garden 1942 02:19:28.760 --> 02:19:31.639 Line. Glad you're here, and we are ready to go back to the 1943 02:19:31.719 --> 02:19:33.680 phones because we've got some folks out there. We're going to go first to 1944 02:19:33.799 --> 02:19:39.840 Spring, Texas and talk to Carol. Hello, Carol, Hi, Hi, 1945 02:19:41.239 --> 02:19:46.319 I have a couple of butterfly cleodendrums in the ground and a pride of 1946 02:19:46.399 --> 02:19:52.760 Barbados in the ground, and uh, the butterfly cleodendrin, they're uh, 1947 02:19:54.120 --> 02:19:58.680 they froze and look horrible, and the Pride of Barbados is kind of iffy. 1948 02:19:58.799 --> 02:20:03.920 So I'm wondering, well those come back or because they are tropical, 1949 02:20:05.440 --> 02:20:11.200 yes they should. Pride of Barbados is in a lot of areas. It 1950 02:20:11.520 --> 02:20:15.879 naturally freezes to the ground ever winter. If you go far farther north, 1951 02:20:16.040 --> 02:20:18.399 you know, you get up in Conroe College Station that direction, it's going 1952 02:20:18.479 --> 02:20:22.559 to be unusual for it to not freeze to the ground in the wintertime. 1953 02:20:24.239 --> 02:20:26.639 And it does come back out of the ground. But know that it's a 1954 02:20:26.719 --> 02:20:31.600 sleepy head and so it it probably is not going to be interested in showing 1955 02:20:31.680 --> 02:20:37.079 its face until at least May because they they really like it to warm up 1956 02:20:37.079 --> 02:20:39.760 before they want to grow. So don't give up on it. Just save 1957 02:20:39.840 --> 02:20:46.000 that spot. It'll be back. The butterfly, the clarodendrum that they call 1958 02:20:46.040 --> 02:20:50.680 the blue butterfly. By the way, aren't those flowers beautiful? Oh my 1959 02:20:50.760 --> 02:20:54.440 gosh, yes they are. The yeah I do too. It's for those 1960 02:20:54.440 --> 02:20:58.200 of you listening it aren't familiar. Imagine a four petaled flower that the petals 1961 02:20:58.319 --> 02:21:03.680 are almost shaped like butterfly wings. They're really unique too, light colored blue 1962 02:21:03.760 --> 02:21:09.200 and two darker blue with little anthers that look like butterfly antenna. Love that 1963 02:21:09.319 --> 02:21:15.040 plant. Yes, it should too come back from the ground, if you 1964 02:21:15.120 --> 02:21:18.879 know. I've never tried to see how cold it can take, but I 1965 02:21:18.920 --> 02:21:22.319 would expect that you should see it re sprouting also, and it may take 1966 02:21:22.360 --> 02:21:26.520 a little while to get going to in the future. By the way, 1967 02:21:26.559 --> 02:21:30.319 on those Carol, in the future, when we're going to get down below 1968 02:21:30.479 --> 02:21:33.920 mid twenty five, you know, mid twenties or so, I would definitely 1969 02:21:33.079 --> 02:21:37.360 just throw some composts up around them or mulch up around them, just to 1970 02:21:37.479 --> 02:21:41.280 make sure you protect the base. But in general they do come back. 1971 02:21:43.479 --> 02:21:46.559 Okay. Also add a question. Every time I've tried to grow squash, 1972 02:21:48.799 --> 02:21:52.079 I only get male flowers, Okay, So I don't know if I'm doing 1973 02:21:52.200 --> 02:21:58.799 something wrong. No, you're not. It is not unusual for cue curbets, 1974 02:21:58.840 --> 02:22:03.040 and cue curbets include watermelons, cantelopes, squash, cucumbers, all of 1975 02:22:03.120 --> 02:22:07.719 those. It's not unusual for some of those plants to start off producing only 1976 02:22:07.840 --> 02:22:15.639 male flowers and then begin to produce female and male both flowers. So it 1977 02:22:15.719 --> 02:22:18.479 could be that it's a variety that takes a little longer to get going, 1978 02:22:18.680 --> 02:22:24.120 and so you eventually should end up getting female flowers. So I don't know, 1979 02:22:26.159 --> 02:22:30.319 I don't know why you're not getting female flowers at all, but the 1980 02:22:30.520 --> 02:22:35.040 male first is typical, and of course you're not going to get any fruit 1981 02:22:35.120 --> 02:22:39.079 out of that. But maybe look at the variety. What kind of squash 1982 02:22:39.120 --> 02:22:43.600 are you growing that's doing that. I've tried zucchini, and I've tried the 1983 02:22:43.799 --> 02:22:48.360 summer squash, and I've had the same issue with both. That's interesting. 1984 02:22:48.440 --> 02:22:54.399 Are you getting plenty of sunlight or the in full sun? I think they're 1985 02:22:54.399 --> 02:22:58.719 getting enough sunlight. I just the thing that I've noticed is I don't get 1986 02:22:58.760 --> 02:23:05.479 a lot of pollinators in that area. So I've tried plant flowers back there 1987 02:23:05.559 --> 02:23:09.639 also to attract them, and I still get a lot. Well, it's 1988 02:23:09.760 --> 02:23:15.680 not a lack of pollinators if they're not if they're not producing female blooms. 1989 02:23:15.959 --> 02:23:18.360 Now it's a lack of pollinators if they have female ballooms that aren't setting. 1990 02:23:20.040 --> 02:23:26.200 But if you're not seeing in all the cucurbits at the base of a female 1991 02:23:26.239 --> 02:23:28.600 bloom is a little miniature of the fruit of that plant. Whether it's a 1992 02:23:28.639 --> 02:23:33.000 cucumber or cantalop or a squash. Would I would check your varieties, try 1993 02:23:33.040 --> 02:23:37.479 to go with varieties that are a little faster. That would be one thing. 1994 02:23:37.200 --> 02:23:41.239 Uh. And if you have to hunt this down, do you do 1995 02:23:41.280 --> 02:23:46.079 you typically buy seeds or transplants, normally seeds seeds? Okay, if you 1996 02:23:46.159 --> 02:23:52.879 can hunt down a variety of yellow squash called multi pick or super pick multi 1997 02:23:52.959 --> 02:23:58.440 pick or super pick and pick I believe is p I K. But those 1998 02:23:58.559 --> 02:24:05.280 are exceptionally pocious. They come on early and they just set fruit like crazy. 1999 02:24:05.799 --> 02:24:09.799 Those are yellow squashes, and they do the summer squash they do really 2000 02:24:09.879 --> 02:24:13.280 really well. I would try those two and see if that makes a difference. 2001 02:24:13.280 --> 02:24:15.799 So let me know how it goes for you this year. Squash need 2002 02:24:16.440 --> 02:24:20.040 sunlight to anything that makes fruit need sunlight to make the fruit. And so 2003 02:24:20.200 --> 02:24:22.719 that could also be part of what's going on if it's not lots of sun 2004 02:24:24.719 --> 02:24:28.319 But if you do see it and you don't have pollinators, you can What 2005 02:24:28.520 --> 02:24:31.959 I will do, just for simplicity, is pick a male bloom and pull 2006 02:24:31.000 --> 02:24:35.719 the pedals off and use it as a little stick to pollinate the female flowers. 2007 02:24:35.799 --> 02:24:39.399 The little ends of the female flowers. You can hand pollinate. Some 2008 02:24:39.479 --> 02:24:43.200 people use artist brushes and Q tips and all kinds of things, but you 2009 02:24:43.280 --> 02:24:46.879 may have to become the bee if you end up getting both male and female 2010 02:24:46.920 --> 02:24:52.479 flowers if you don't have pollinators. Okay, all right, and one last 2011 02:24:52.479 --> 02:24:56.520 thing. My husband wants to know what is the best compost to get or 2012 02:24:56.600 --> 02:25:03.399 in your opinion, U or to compost places. And because I've been to 2013 02:25:03.440 --> 02:25:07.600 both, I've seen the products. I've used both products as Nature's Way which 2014 02:25:07.639 --> 02:25:11.200 is really close to you, and Airloom Soils, which is out importer, 2015 02:25:11.399 --> 02:25:15.280 and they sell by the bag all over town. So either one, you're 2016 02:25:15.399 --> 02:25:18.840 not gonna go wrong. They do that, they take their time and they 2017 02:25:18.920 --> 02:25:24.879 make it right, and that's important. Okay. Is that bagged up already 2018 02:25:26.040 --> 02:25:31.440 like Nature's Way or is that buy it by the yard or you can do 2019 02:25:31.520 --> 02:25:37.799 it either way. Nature's Way does have have bags. You can purchase from 2020 02:25:37.959 --> 02:25:41.399 them at their site, or you can purchase in some garden centers wherever you 2021 02:25:41.559 --> 02:25:46.120 like to shop. Check and see what they carry. You'll find Nature's Way 2022 02:25:46.159 --> 02:25:50.280 heirloom is pretty widespread in terms of the garden centers that they're in. And 2023 02:25:50.399 --> 02:25:54.520 now we have the Landscaper's Pride products they have. They make a compost as 2024 02:25:54.559 --> 02:25:58.959 well that is also pretty wide spread in its marketing. So I don't think 2025 02:25:58.000 --> 02:26:03.760 you're going to go wrong with any of those. Just know that when you 2026 02:26:03.200 --> 02:26:07.600 when you are making when you're getting the bed ready for replanting, it's always 2027 02:26:07.639 --> 02:26:11.879 good to add an inch or so of composts mixed in each cycle of a 2028 02:26:13.000 --> 02:26:16.840 crop, you know, when you come back into it again. But starting 2029 02:26:16.879 --> 02:26:18.319 off that way, are you wanting to make a new bed or a raised 2030 02:26:18.360 --> 02:26:20.760 bed, or are you just wanting to improve the soil you already got, 2031 02:26:22.959 --> 02:26:24.520 Just to improve the soil, Yeah, you can just mix some of that 2032 02:26:24.639 --> 02:26:31.159 in it will it will do very well. So whatever is convenient for you. 2033 02:26:31.280 --> 02:26:33.840 And I know you guys you're in Spring Listen, you've got some nice 2034 02:26:33.879 --> 02:26:37.239 ace hardware stores not too far from you that are going to carry those kind 2035 02:26:37.280 --> 02:26:41.719 of bag products as well. Okay, well, thank you very much. 2036 02:26:41.840 --> 02:26:45.760 All right, Carol, thank you. I appreciate your call very much. 2037 02:26:46.760 --> 02:26:50.040 We are now going to go to Spring Branch and talk to Berta. Berta, 2038 02:26:50.479 --> 02:26:54.239 Welcome to garden Line. I believe we have about two minutes, so 2039 02:26:54.399 --> 02:26:58.399 how can we help me? I have a question. I have a bunch 2040 02:26:58.440 --> 02:27:03.680 of it. I'm a realist. And the fellow that covers my plants forgot 2041 02:27:03.760 --> 02:27:07.520 to cover them. And we're having freeze after freeze. Gon't come back. 2042 02:27:07.760 --> 02:27:11.760 They are, They're gonna come back. They're gonna be fine. Yeah, 2043 02:27:11.879 --> 02:27:16.760 oh thank you. Yeah, some are. Some amarillas are heartier than others 2044 02:27:16.360 --> 02:27:20.879 in most areas where you have a little bit of a protective cover. Did 2045 02:27:20.920 --> 02:27:24.159 the freeze just leave the top as mulsh mush over the top of the plants? 2046 02:27:24.360 --> 02:27:28.040 Just killed them back? I'm even afraid to touch them. Okay, 2047 02:27:30.079 --> 02:27:37.040 there's one coming out like it's telling me I'm here. It's already growing back 2048 02:27:37.079 --> 02:27:41.280 again. Yeah. Do you have a portable radio you're listening on. Can 2049 02:27:41.319 --> 02:27:43.319 you go out in the garden. I want to talk to that plant. 2050 02:27:43.760 --> 02:27:46.639 Take the radio with you and I'll tell it. I'm just kidding. I'm 2051 02:27:46.680 --> 02:27:50.200 just kidding. Tell it to stop stop growing. It's not time yet. 2052 02:27:52.000 --> 02:27:56.239 But seriously, there's some if you really love amarillis, there's one that has 2053 02:27:56.319 --> 02:28:01.760 real strappy red petals called Johnson's, and it's very hearty. But then that, 2054 02:28:01.959 --> 02:28:05.280 even the little kind you buy for forcing and stuff, they do okay 2055 02:28:05.360 --> 02:28:09.440 in our gardens and most years are going to please. Were given to me 2056 02:28:09.600 --> 02:28:15.360 by a friend and I've started so I just multiply them and I've my whole 2057 02:28:15.440 --> 02:28:18.159 bank yard full of them, and they've been so beautiful. Sound like you're 2058 02:28:18.159 --> 02:28:22.920 doing everything right. You need to ride an amillas. The only thing that 2059 02:28:22.040 --> 02:28:26.200 is I'm not doing ready is I can't work on the bed anymore. I'm 2060 02:28:26.280 --> 02:28:30.200 maybe two. Oh well, hey, an, if I work on them, 2061 02:28:30.200 --> 02:28:33.239 i'll need two people to help me up. Well, here's what you 2062 02:28:33.360 --> 02:28:37.879 do. You put a sign in the yard and say free amarillas in exchange 2063 02:28:37.920 --> 02:28:41.639 for labor, and people can come you. They can dig up a few 2064 02:28:41.680 --> 02:28:45.360 bulbs, but they got to weed that bed or molt that bed for you. 2065 02:28:45.479 --> 02:28:46.399 And I think you ought to be able to work something out. I 2066 02:28:46.520 --> 02:28:52.120 know a lot of people that would love that. Oh I've got that always 2067 02:28:52.159 --> 02:28:54.399 wants to take them, and I said, well, just take them and 2068 02:28:54.479 --> 02:28:58.399 don't disturb the bed. Okay, well you may have to give a little 2069 02:28:58.440 --> 02:29:01.200 bit on the anyway, get the idea. Hey, thank you so much 2070 02:29:01.280 --> 02:29:05.360 for the call. I appreciate that. Good luck with those amarillas. Thank 2071 02:29:05.399 --> 02:29:11.239 you, bye bye, all right bye bye. Oh gardening a lifetime hobby, 2072 02:29:11.079 --> 02:29:16.840 A lifetime hobby. I knew a gardener one time that was literally in 2073 02:29:18.840 --> 02:29:24.120 a rest home with some houseplants, and they had beautiful plants at a good 2074 02:29:24.159 --> 02:29:28.840 time doing it. They just enjoyed messing with their plants and all kinds of 2075 02:29:28.879 --> 02:29:31.799 things. People love to come in. So yeah, it's a great hobby. 2076 02:29:33.079 --> 02:29:37.239 Hey, don't forget. Next week on Saturday, I'm going to be 2077 02:29:37.280 --> 02:29:41.440 at the Brasses Home and Garden Show that is in Rosenberg, Texas, right 2078 02:29:41.479 --> 02:29:48.799 there on fifty nine at the Fort Bend f S Center Fort Bendepicenter. I'm 2079 02:29:48.840 --> 02:29:50.159 all head out there after I get through with the show. I'll be there 2080 02:29:50.200 --> 02:29:54.159 from Biden eleven eleven thirty a couple hours. I'll be talking about things to 2081 02:29:54.239 --> 02:29:58.840 be doing in your spring garden, answering your gardening questions. If you got 2082 02:30:00.040 --> 02:30:03.319 any samples of plants you want to identify. If you got any photos, 2083 02:30:03.479 --> 02:30:07.079 please and good sharp focus bring them with you. Let's get together out there 2084 02:30:07.239 --> 02:30:11.159 at the Brazas Home and Garden Show. But look forward to it and hope 2085 02:30:11.200 --> 02:30:11.760 to see you there.