Concho Valley. Horticulture Update. October Post-Rain Landscape Issues. Harvest cold-sensitive herbs such as basil. Plant cool season annuals

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1 Post-Rain Landscape Issues Concho Valley Horticulture Update October 2018 You certainly won t hear me complain about rainfall because it s so vital and always needed; but after as much as the Concho Valley has gotten recently, it does warrant a discussion on pests that follow rainfall. First, many homeowners have noticed an increase in fire ant mounds. This is a great time to use the two-step method of fire ant control because they are more visible and conspicuous, and easier to treat. For more info, visit the website But in a nutshell, the recommendation is to utilize both a mound treatment and a broadcast bait product this will not only help reduce fire ants now, but will keep the numbers lower in the spring. There have also been a lot of mosquitos around. According to Dr. Sonja Swiger, Agrilife Extension entomologist, the floodwater mosquito species are what we re primarily seeing now. These are the species that primarily breed in ponds, ditches, marshes and other open-water locations. These species don t pose any significant health threat, but they are a nuisance and will bite you pretty much anytime... As conditions dry, Texans can expect to see more container breeder species such as the Aedes mosquitoes, which have a much greater potential for spreading disease. To reduce mosquito populations, be sure to drain standing water and use mosquito dunks in areas that can t be drained. Always wear long pants and sleeves and use repellent when working outside to defend against mosquito bites. October To-Do s Harvest cold-sensitive herbs such as basil Plant cool season annuals Adjust irrigation schedule for cooler weather Plant trees, shrubs and vines Pecan Update There is also a proliferation of plant growth, which is great for the landscape plants that are thriving, but many lawns are overgrown and weeds are booming. Khaki weed is an especially annoying weed that has come up like crazy, and homeowners should try to get it under control now when it s small to prevent a massive infestation later on. Khakiweed grows flat on the ground with oval shaped leaves and it produces irritating burs. There has been little research done on control, but broadleaf post-emergent herbicides can help try a product that has a combination of 2,4-D with either mecoprop, carfentrazone, dicamba, or metsulfuron (for example, Fertilome brand Weed Free Zone). Apply early when the plants start to emerge, when they are still small; large mature plants will not be easily controlled. Pecan Weevil: Pecan weevil can still be an issue in areas with weevil that have drought hardened soils which can result in a drought delayed emergence. Producers with adult emergence traps should monitor traps until the latest maturing cultivar has reached shuck split Khakiweed is very opportunistic and grows well in bare spots and thinned out turf, so good turf management will help prevent this pest. Don t scalp the lawn or mow too low, as the weed loves to grow out flat on the ground. Raise the mower and cut the grass a little higher so the turf can shade it out if needed.

2 Plant A Tree The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago; the next best time is now. - Proverb Fall is here, and if you want to get a tree planted, October through November is a good time of year to do it. Trees should be planted in the fall, winter or spring, but summer is the most challenging time to get a tree established. Fall is a really nice time to plant container grown or balled and burlap trees, while bare root trees can go in in the winter. When the hole is dug, place the tree in and carefully refill the extra space with soil. As you fill, pack it in well to ensure there are no air pockets. After that s done, you can use the extra soil to create a 4 inch raised berm around the tree to make it easier to water; fill it in with mulch to prevent water from evaporating away. Staking newly planted trees is not recommended because it can cause the trees to stay weak. If the tree is too weak to stand without staking, use two stakes and place them a foot out from the trunk. Tie the trunk to the stakes, but only for the first year, and make sure that the ties are fairly loose so that the trunk will grow strong. When planting a tree, the hole should be made twice as wide as the rootball or pot, but it should be exactly as deep as the root ball, not deeper. Planting a tree at the wrong depth can cause permanent damage, and can create an ugly canopy years later. No soil amendments are needed when planting trees. You don t need to add compost, peat moss or anything to the soil. Just fill the hole back in with the soil dug from the hole. Plant Spotlight Flowery Senna Senna corymbosa This Senna is a beautiful fall bloomer and is looking particularly spectacular right now after all the rain! Plant in full sun and well drained soil, in a spot that is protected against cold winter winds.

3 Plant Strawberries Now Waterwise Landscaping It s not exactly strawberry season, but just like other iconic spring garden favorites like daffodils and bluebonnets, strawberries should be planted in the fall to have a good spring harvest. Strawberries are coolweather plants and don t produce well when it s hot. Research done at the Texas A&M Research Center in Lubbock shows that strawberry plants planted in October that are protected from freezing temperatures are much more productive than if planted in the spring. I have really enjoyed the weather this year, the summer was cooler than usual and even though September started out hot, the cool fall temperatures settled in and we even had some good doses of rain. But though this year was not as hard as previous years, we still need to focus on water conservation. Our water supplies are still low and water will always be a critical issue. It gets too hot, too soon for spring-planted strawberries to grow well in Texas and many gardeners only get a few berries before the plants give up. But the cooler weather and rain that comes in the fall is the perfect setting to establish new plants, and then in the early spring they will produce early enough to get a better crop. It may be hard to find transplants in the fall, since strawberries are traditionally planted in the First - amend soil. When planting new spring, but try ordering online or from seed catalogs the plants plants, can be till shipped. in 3 inches Some of of the compost recommended as varieties deep include as possible Festival, Chandler to improve and Radiance. the soil Also consider structure trying Seascape and water which holding is a variety capacity. recommended by Cheryl Beesley, author of Landscaping with Edible Plants in Texas, at the Master Gardener s recent Fall Landscaping Symposium. Here are some practices to adopt in the landscape to be more conservative with water use. Next, start converting to drip irrigation for all planting beds like vegetable gardens, flower beds and shrub beds. Drip irrigation is much more efficient than sprinklers because sprinklers can lose a lot to evaporation. Plan ahead and have a good system in place that is convenient and effective for freeze protection. Strawberry plants (with no flowers or fruit) are cold hardy and can withstand freezing temperatures, but cold weather will slow down growth. A small hoop house or low tunnel structure is a good choice; clear plastic can be secured snugly around the structure when needed to trap warmer air and protect from cold winds. Be sure to remove the covering promptly when temperatures warm up, otherwise it gets to hot inside when the sun comes out. In the late winter, when the plants start to flower and make fruit, they need to be protected from even just a light frost. Strawberries prefer high quality, well-drained soil so amend with compost if planting in the ground and create mounds so the plants can grow on top and have better drainage. A steady, even fertilizer and irrigation regimen will help encourage healthy plants. For a helpful guide on fall planted strawberries and instructions with photos for creating a low tunnel, visit Butterflies Right now is a great time to plant some butterfly plants since Besides it s cooler evaporation it s easier loss, for plants spraying to become water established on plant versus leaves planting is in not the good spring for when the it s health getting hot. of And most right plants. now is When when the it s monarch humid and migration wet is coming outside, through, spraying so it s on a good the encouragement leaves can to plant something new for them to help on their way to Mexico. spread Monarchs disease. rely on And butterfly when weed, it s so hot it s and important for dry, as many the salt people content as possible of the to water plant some can so they have burn a good or scorch supply. plant leaves. When it comes to turfgrass, sprinklers are the easiest way to go, though. There are some subsurface drip systems available which are more water efficient, but they are not common. But you can adjust your sprinklers to be more water wise. Do an irrigation audit - run the system during daylight so you can see where the heads are spraying. Sometimes sprinklers get turned and spray the wrong direction. Also, check if the heads are spraying a fine mist - smaller droplets evaporate faster. Lowering the pressure can increase the droplet size and reduce water waste. To increase the number of all types of butterflies in your yard, the best bet is to plant some food and nectar plants and also reduce the use of insecticides but there are few other tips as well, such as providing water and protection from predators. Creating a butterfly habitat is especially good to do with kids, they enjoy it and can learn a lot. Good nectar plants that are also attractive landscape plants and do well here include anisacanthus, blue mistflower, butterfly bush, butterfly weed, lantana, salvia and verbena. Try to group these colorful plants together so they make a strong impact and are easy for butterflies to find. Food plant recommendations would be dill, fennel and parsley. One of the challenges of butterfly gardening is being OK with caterpillars eating on some of the plants. Butterfly caterpillars don t devour plants as quick and completely as moth caterpillars can, but still have the potential to defoliate certain plants. So be sure to plant enough for them as well as you if you want your herbs for cooking. Butterflies also need a source for water, and a damp area works well. If there is an existing wet spot, like where air conditioner condensate drains, that works fine. If not, a shallow saucer of sand with water added to make it damp can help. Finally, eliminate the use of insecticides in the butterfly garden, and be careful with insecticide use in the surrounding areas. Butterflies are sensitive to insecticides and can be easily killed with them.

4 Utilizing Perennials in the Landscape Fall Blooming Bulbs Both annuals and perennials make good partners in the landscape, and both should be utilized for good color and interest. Annuals generally have more concentrated color pop, but have to be replaced each year. Perennials generally don t provide as intense, concentrated color as annuals can, but they do come back each year and are very important to a good landscape design. Perennial flowers are good at unifying and bringing a landscape together. Repeat three types of perennial flower in several different plantings in the landscape, instead of planting one of many different kinds, which can look hectic and disorganized. Perennials work well in small beds, to create an accent or focal point that will brighten up simple green hedges. They are also great for large planters and raised beds, mixed with annuals, to brighten up a porch or patio. Fall is a great time to plant perennials, though they are a little harder to find at the nurseries. Cut flowers are a nice way to bring the beauty of nature inside, and perennial flowers give you that option. Whether it s a small set of just a few perennial flowers or a full blown cut flower garden, it s nice to have supply of flowers to pick when wanted or needed for a present. Perennials aren t that hard to care for if you choose the best ones for the area. The most common maintenance includes deadheading, which just means removing the old spent flowers to encourage more blooming, and then in the winter they need to be cut to the ground after it freezes. Some good perennials to try in this area include plants like: autumn joy sedum, mealy cup sage, garden chrysanthemums, coreopsis, gaillardia, lantana, Mexican mint marigold, Mexican bush sage, cat mint, rudbeckia, darcy sage, gaura and globe mallow. Bulbs are so fun to have in the landscape, because even though they don t have long lasting color they seem almost magical with how they pop up from nothing, into beautiful colorful blooms. They are easy to forget about because they have no leaves for much of the year, then when it s time to bloom they suddenly appear which is why they are also nicknamed surprise lilies. Plants like spider lilies and oxblood lilies are what we call pass along plants, because while they are easy to grow and share, they are hard to find in stores. Your best chance of getting some to plant would be to find a friend or neighbor who has some to share. Oxblood lilies are beautiful deep red flowers that look similar to amaryllis, but are a little smaller and bloom in September. You can plant the bulbs just about any time of year, but right after they bloom is a good time to dig and divide because if you wait too long it s easy to forget exactly where they are. They are easy to grow and adaptable to just about any soil type and can take shade or sun. They are very reliable bloomers. Spider lilies are also a deep red, but instead of a trumpet shaped flower they have long, narrow curved petals with very large stamens the flower is very unique and showy. In addition to the more common red flower, there is also a yellow variety that is bright and really pops when planted in a mass. Spider lilies are also easy to grow and adaptable to most soils and can take shade or sun.

5 Upcoming Upcoming Events October 2018 Thursday, October 11, 2:00pm 5:00pm Green Thumb Seminar Composting and Vermiculture NEW Location: People/Plant Connection Headquarters Wells Fargo Building Basement, 36 W. Beauregard Cost: $25 Speakers: Susan Stanfield, Linda Rowe Hosted by the People/Plant Connection; learn about how to make your own compost, and also how to raise worms for fun and for the garden! Friday, October 19, 12:00pm Lunch N Learn Class - Fall and Winter Landscape Tasks NEW Location: People/Plant Connection Headquarters Wells Fargo Building Basement, 36 W. Beauregard Cost: $5 Speaker: Allison Watkins Hosted by the People/Plant Connection; Learn what to do this time of year to have the best fall curb appeal, and also to get ready for winterizing the landscape for a better spring next year. Saturday, October 20, 9:00am 12:00pm Trash to Treasure Recycling, Composting and Vermiculture Location: Fort Concho Living History Stables; 236 Henry O. Flipper St., San Angelo Cost: Free to attend Speakers: Christy Youker, Allison Watkins, Linda Rowe See attached flyer for details, call to RSVP: For more information on any of the topics, or to ask questions please contact: Allison Watkins Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Tom Green County 113 W Beauregard San Angelo, TX The members of Texas A&M AgriLife will provide equal opportunities in programs and activities, education, and employment to all persons regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation or gender identity and will strive to achieve full and equal employment opportunity throughout Texas A&M AgriLife.