By Mary Ann Steele, Somervell County Master Gardener
Gardening is one of the most gratifying of all human endeavors. Some people say “Gardening is too hard. There is so much to learn and it’s hard work. I know if I plant something, I’ll kill it.”
Everyone who has gardened since Adam and Eve has killed a plant or two. That is how you figure out what will work and what won’t.
Don’t get upset when plants die. It’s not failure. Think of it as an opportunity. It’s like the Big Guy is looking down on your garden and saying “Oh, you’re going to grow THAT again? Here, let me kill it so you can try something new and more interesting.”
The most common reason that plants fail to bloom is from not receiving enough sunlight.
The vast majority of garden plants like sun and well drained soil. Tattoo this on your forearm so you will ALWAYS remember.
The best time to prune spring flowering trees and shrubs is right after they bloom. If you wait until summer or fall, you will cut off a lot of the flower buds forming for next year.
Prevent Crape Murder at all costs. You should prune your crape myrtle just about never. The older it gets, the less pruning it will need.
Many plants will wilt in hot sun even if the soil is moist. Examine your plants first thing in the morning when it is cooler. If they are wilted, water.
Power company pruning crews are not artists. If they say they are going to prune your trees, assume they will do so in the ugliest way possible. They generally wreak less destruction if you are there watching them.
No kind of grass, not even the illegal kind, will grow in full shade. So, mulch the area or plant a shade loving ground cover like mondo grass, moss, or evergreen ferns.
There are some easy ways to help prevent insect and disease problems. Start with plants that are naturally pest resistant. If you are growing tomatoes, look for the letters VFTNA after the selection name. This tells you that the plant is bred to resist most common tomato diseases.
To keep birds from pecking holes in your ripening tomatoes, hang red Christmas balls on the vines. This drives them nuts.
It is a mistake to copy what your neighbor is doing in his garden. He likely has no idea. In fact, he is probably waiting for you to make the first move.
Avoid wetting plant foliage when you water. Wet foliage encourages disease. Don’t use lawn sprinklers to water garden beds.
The purpose of a kinked garden hose is to make you stop, take a look around you, and wast precious time.
Don’t rake up fallen leaves from your lawn. Run over them with a mulching mower. The ground up particles will filter down to the soil, enriching it and attracting earthworms. Or bag the chopped leaves and use them to mulch your planting beds. They look great and stay put.
Just because a plant is native doesn’t necessarily make it better. Some of the weediest plants around, such as Virginia Creeper, hackberry, and river oats are natives that will take over.
Old and dry potting soil will not absorb water. Fix this by slowly pouring water containing a drop or two of dish soap into it and stirring with a stick or a spoon. The soil will absorb water from then on.
Butterflies are music on the wing. Some of the best plants for attracting them are butterfly bush, zinnia, lantana, marigold, salvia, purple coneflower and penta. Don’t forget host plants for your butterfly larvae to eat, such as dill, fennel, parsley and passion vine.
Fruiting veggies such as tomatoes, peppers, squash and melons need full sun. For partial sun or light shade, choose leafy greens such as lettuce, mustard, collard greens and spinach.
You know you are a true gardener if you consider a truck load of manure to be an acceptable gift for your birthday, anniversary, or even Mother’s Day!
HAPPY GARDENING!