// BLOG
Tips for Planting
October 5, 2010
| Preparing the Ground for Planting: |
| The first step would be to remove any existing sod or other unwanted plant materials from the area to be planted. Generally speaking, with the high clay content of our soils here in the South, you should mix in a three to four inch layer of well-rotted cow manure, or mushroom compost, as well as incorporating an adequate amount of peat moss, along with ten pounds of super phosphate per each hundred square feet of planting space to be prepared. Small gardens can be worked over and prepared by hand with a shovel or spade.
For best results, the soil should be worked and prepared to a depth of not less than twelve inches; you will find that plants will produce noticeably better if the soil can be worked to this depth. |
| What is the Best Time of Year for Planting? |
| Annual flowers can be planted in the spring, once the winter frost is out of the ground. In Texas, that typically occurs around late March to early April. They can continue to be planted throughout the summer and into late fall, even early winter, as long as the ground has not frozen up again. |
| When to Water: |
| Many homeowners wind up and store their hoses and watering equipment once the trees and shrubs have finished dropping their fall foliage. This is not in the best interests of your plants. Trees and shrubs will continue to take water from their roots right up until the time the ground freezes. As long as the temperature of the soil remains at 38 degrees Fahrenheit, or above, plants will continue to grow.
If not properly hydrated the extreme temperatures and humidity of the summers in Texas can have some disastrous effects on your outdoor beauties. Water early in the day. Watering in the cool of morning (even before dawn) minimizes evaporation if you’re using a sprinkler. It also allows foliage to dry off quickly, preventing fungal diseases. Avoid wetting the blooms. Some blooms close up if wet or fall off in a hard spray. Water occasionally and deeply rather than often and lightly. You want water to soak in as deeply as possible, encouraging the plant to send down deep roots. The soil should be moist to the bottom of the plant’s roots when you insert your finger into the soil. |
| Additional Gardening Tips: |
| Early Spring:
Early Spring is a great time to cut back ornamental grasses. (small grasses may be cut back to a few inches above ground and larger grasses should be cut back to about 12 inches) Clean up winter-damaged foliage on perennials. Apply a slow-release fertilizer according to package directions. Mid To Late Spring: Mid to Late Spring is a perfect time to enjoy the blossoms of early perennials like Iris, Blue-Eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium), Bleeding Heart (Dicentra), and Dianthus. Simply deadhead faded blossoms to keep plants looking neat. Peonies are about to bloom, and may be staked with bamboo poles or grow-through grids to keep heavy blossoms upright. Apply pre-emergent after planting landscape beds to prevent weeds throughout the growing season. Both standard and organic pre-emergent products are available in our nursery. Refresh mulch to retain moisture and keep landscape beds looking tidy. Add only enough mulch to maintain a 2-3 inch depth, making sure to keep mulch away from stems and trunks of plants. |
| When to Prune: |
| The first rule of thumb to follow is that nothing should be pruned from the beginning of August until the beginning of December. |
| When to Prune Flowering Shrubs: |
| Some plants bloom on new growth while others bloom on the previous years growth. Pruning at the wrong time may prevent blooming during the upcoming season. Typically, shrubs that bloom in Spring or early Summer should be pruned right after they finish blooming. Shrubs that don’t bloom until late Summer or Fall should be pruned in early Spring. |
| When to Prune Trees: |
| The best time to prune trees is during the winter. When there are no leaves it is much easier to determine growth pattern so that you may predict future growth. |
| When to Prune Conifers: |
| The best time to prune False Cypress, Leyland Cypress, Juniper, Yew, and Arborvitae is right before a flush of new growth (usually early Spring). |
| What About Fertilizing? |
| As a general rule, a slow release fertilizer is best applied between November and early Spring. Liquid, organic, and plant-specific fertilizers vary in application rates, times, and methods. When using any type of fertilizer, always follow instructions on product packaging to protect your plants, yourself, and the environment. |
| How About Mulching? |
| Mulching is an excellent way to add nutrients to the soil and also help plants retain moisture. New landscaping benefits from a 2-3 inch layer of mulch. As mulch decomposes, more mulch can be added to maintain a depth of 2-3 inches. The very most important rule to remember is to always keep mulch away from the trunks of trees, shrubs and other plants. Excessive organic material will cause them to rot. Though it is very common to “over-mulch”, it is actually extremely harmful, often deadly to plants. |
| Planting Tips: |
| One of the leading factors to unsuccessful planting and transplanting is the tendency to plant the root ball too low. Keep approximately 1/8 inch of the root ball above the soil level to prevent drainage problems and encourage healthy growth. |
| We hope these tips have been helpful and will provide with a beautiful landscape season after season. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to please do not hesitate to contact GORDON’S LANDSCAPES LLC. |
LAWN MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS -
August 31, 2010
Did you know…
- Well-cared-for lawns can significantly increase your property values.
- A healthy lawn is of utmost importance to our environment. A 50-foot by 50-foot lawn produces enough oxygen for a family of four!
- Lawns cool the atmosphere. Eight healthy front lawns have the cooling effect of 70 tons of air conditioning, which is enough for 16 average homes.
- Grass converts carbon dioxide to oxygen, a process that helps clear the air.
- Dense, healthy grass slows water runoff, removing contaminants and trapping soil. Fresh, filtered water returns to the underground water supply.
Be proactive this Fall and ask about GORDON’S LANDSCAPES LLC lawn care programs that ensure both a healthy and beautiful lawn throughout the year.
The experts at GORDON’S LANDSCAPES LLC’s Turf Maitenance Division want you to enjoy the pleasure that a thicker, greener, more healthy lawn will bring to your whole family. A well-maintained turf grass will provide a comfortable, safe setting for your leisure activities, games and sports. You may also choose a “country lawn” for a less manicured look and in keeping with environmental concerns and lower use of fertilizers and chemicals. GORDON’S LANDSCAPES LLC is proud of its commitment to caring for the environment.
Our trained, knowledgeable staff are licenced by the State of Oklahoma and are insured. Taking care of the environment begins in our own back yards…
De-thatching, slice seeding, core aeration – Renews your lawn areas by the removal of dead grass build-up, insertion of grass seeds directly into soil layer, or removal of small plugs of grass for complete rejuvenation.
Fertilization & Lime Application – Spring, early and late summer, and fall programs to add pre-emergent weed control, balanced, complete fertilizers, broadleaf weed control, grub control and applications of lime as needed for proper acid/alkalinity balance.
Inspections & Soil Testing – Periodic inspections of lawn for insects or diseases and sampling of soil to determine nutrient needs.
Organic Applications Program – You may choose our organic fertilizer/weed and pest control program in keeping with an ever-increasing awareness of environmental stewardship. If you live within 250’ of a water body, new regulations limit the use of pesticides and fertilizers.
Problems with algae in your Pond? Two choices: Kill the algae or get rid of its food source!
August 4, 2010
Kill the “algae”
If you can kill the algae faster than it is growing even if there are high nutrient levels in the water or if you can remove the nutrient source then the water must remain clear because the algae population cannot build up to levels which cloud the water. Under normal conditions it is difficult to remove the nitrates and as such there is always food on which the algae thrive. Plants to some extent help in removing nitrates but never reduce the nitrate to zero levels otherwise the plants would die.
The UV light has one single function. It is designed to kill algae. The action of an UV light is to kill the algae faster than it forms … it does not eradicate algae! This is an important point to understand. Suspended algae in water, is pumped through the UV unit. The living algae is irradiated and killed. If there is enough power in the UV unit to completely suppress algae growth then the water will remain clear. If the power or irradiating effect of the UV is insufficient then water will remain cloudy.
If a UV unit is not clearing the pond water then there are 3 possible reasons.
1.) The lamp has gone beyond its active period (max 8000 hours or approx 1 year running 24/7) after which it must be changed. After a period in use the capacity to irradiate is completely lost. Lamps do not always last 8000 hours.
2.) UV may not have enough power ( Watts ) for your specific situation. You have very warm water and your pond is probably overstocked with fish. Remember also your fish have grown over the last year and thus produce more nitrate nutrients. This might mean that what worked last year will no longer be sufficient. However without knowing dimensions of your pond or volume and your existing UV wattage I cannot really comment. Suffice to say UV works every time if correctly sized and maintained for prevailing conditions. Send me this information and I can comment further.
3.) If your UV contains a quartz tube (and most do) there is a possibility that it is “fogged up” thereby reducing light transmission. In this case it needs cleaning since this also results in reduced irradiation levels. Irradiation capacity is expressed as Watts … thus an UV is specified as 8 watts, 15 Watts and so on.If I have to guess I would say your UV is undersized for the prevailing pond conditions.
It is true to say that most UV claims are overstated since the specification is provided for a low fish stock in ponds of lower temperature and in a partial shade situation. These conditions rarely exist in climates like yours. In practice this means if you see a specification based upon your pond volume then by virtue of your location/climate you probably need double that specified wattage.
Don’t feed the “algae”
All living creatures need nutrients (food) to grow. Deprive the organism of nutrients and the organism dies. Certain types of bacteria in an anaerobic environment consume nitrates and produce nitrogen gas in the process. The nitrogen gas escapes from the water surface and the nitrate levels drop.
By introducing these bacteria and providing areas where anaerobic conditions exist (as is the case in boundary surface layers in all ponds and all biofilters) the nitrate levels will ultimately be reduced to zero. Under this condition algae cannot survive for any length of time and water remains clear.
Curb Appeal – mission impossible?
July 21, 2010
But Gordon you say: I don’t know any annuals or perennials plants to start with to even begin my flowerbeds. Do your homework “do not do your landscape project at the nursery”.
Using landscape magazine pictures, landscape books and other resources such as plant encyclopedia, or even your computer to assist you the homeowner in creating curb appeal is not discouraged.
Do a little homework before bring the plants home. You’ll save a lot of time and frustration being able to look up plants according to your specific zone, type of plant, color, characteristics, by name, and so on. They’re also very handy to carry with you into the garden or to the nursery.
Let these tips on curb appeal from our landscapers inspire your new yard makeover. Curb appeal may increase the real estate value of your property or home by as much as 15 to 20%.
