Ryegrass Season Starts in September

Over-seeding with ryegrass for the winter is a popular practice that benefits your lawn and sets your home or business apart from the crowd.

Over-seeded lawns have fewer winter weed issues as weed seeds have a difficult time germinating in the thick green cover provided by healthy turf. You might enjoy the fact that winter normally brings enough rainfall to keep your rye green with little or no supplemental watering once established. A green winter lawn also creates a nice foreground or background for early spring flowers such as daffodils, dogwoods, Mexican plums, azaleas, and spiraeas. Even Christmas lighting is more attractive when framed by lush green grass instead of dormant brown lawn.

There are 2 primary types of rye seed available, annual and perennial.

Annual rye seed is the one most commonly used but will need to be mowed every week in the spring as its rate of growth is quite fast. Perennial rye is more refined, with a darker green color and slower rate of growth, but sometimes is more difficult to get it to germinate. In our area the term perennial is not accurate in regards to rye, as most ryegrasses burn out by June. In shady areas or if we have prolonged cool, wet weather into the summer, ryegrass may persist longer.

The normal preparation for over seeding is to mow the lawn a few notches lower and rake or bag the clippings during the last half of September through October. This allows the seed to make better contact with the ground and improves germination. Depending on rainfall, the seed should be watered at least twice a week until it is up and growing. Once it is up, mowing requirements will vary depending on the weather and type of seed used. Mowing once every 14 days is usually the norm. Light fertilizing in December and February will really enhance the appearance, especially if we are having a dry winter.

Call us for a free quote if you would like a lush green winter lawn this year.

Late Summer Lawn Care

Last month we reminded you that grub worms are most vulnerable in August and that is an optimal time to treat. Well, we have seen several infestations, so you may want to consider treating now while the window is still open.

As evenings start to cool in late September and on through November, watch for irregular circular brown spots in St. Augustine during rainy weather. Brown patch is a common fungus that can do severe damage to your lawn going into winter. In fact, since take-all patch also becomes active in fall, you should consider a preventative fungicide application. We have professional products that are labeled for both problems, and it is much better to treat proactively. Once take-all patch has infected the roots, there is virtually no way to save the lawn.

Spurge is a flat broadleaf weed that sprouts in July-August after a good rain. Fast growing and difficult to control, this is the dominant weed problem we are seeing at this time. Your next application will contain a broadleaf spray to help control this if you have any in your lawn.

One reason that late summer weeds like spurge are hard to control is that most herbicides will damage the lawn in hot weather. Celsius or similar sulfonylureas are about the only option for weed control with minimal turf stress.

Reliving the 70s with a little help from his spurge

Fall Bird Feeding

The fall and spring migrations give even the most casual bird watcher an opportunity to see unique birds that may only be here for a short time.

Keeping a feeder or two stocked and a source of water will keep colorful characters interacting in your garden all year, and they may be especially noticeable when deciduous plants lose their foliage.

We have a great assortment of year-round residents that appreciate the extra forage in winter- cardinals, chickadees, wrens, dove, titmice, downy woodpeckers, jays, and red bellied sapsuckers to name a few. But any bird feeder has the potential to draw in visitors from far away during the migration. Common guests may include juncos, cedar waxwings, yellow rump warblers, red breasted nuthatches, goldfinches, orange crowned warblers, and more. Some may hang around for days, some may stop in only briefly, but seeing a bird you have never seen before can be quite a thrill.

Be sure your feeders are located in an area convenient for viewing and pick up a good identification guide.

Different seed blends can attract different species, and many of our ornamental shrubs provide forage for certain species too—cedar waxwings are famous for lighting on a mahonia bealei in late winter and quickly removing the ripe fruits. A flurry of activity like this adds interest and excitement to any garden.

A great source of information on birding can be found at your local Audubon Society, www.FWAS.org

“If you build it, they will come.” Including squirrels too, unfortunately!

Veggie Gardening

This was another great year for vegetable gardeners, at least through the spring. June and July have been pretty dry but our gardens got regular rainfall and mild weather all winter and spring, making for some prime conditions.

You might be thinking, why talk about it now? “I’ll plant a few peppers and tomatoes next April.”

If you wait until then though, you miss out on a great gardening season.

If your soil is ready to go, you can plant tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, corn, beans, and squash in early August for fall dinners, and cool season plants like spinach, lettuce, carrots, radish, and sugar snap peas in September - October for late fall and winter harvesting. I even plant carrots at 1 month intervals starting in September through November and have fresh carrots to eat from December through March.

Depending on what kind of winter we have, you can start planting onions, cabbage and other cool season plants in December - February. Just keep a frost blanket handy in case we get a hard freeze for several days.

Most winters give us regular rain and mild conditions, perfect for plants like broccoli, spinach, and lettuce that just can’t take our summer heat.

A spring harvest from the Hoover veggie patch. This year was great for broccoli, lettuce, cabbage, and carrots.

Incidentally, kids get a thrill from planting a seed and seeing a plant grow from that simple act. A garden is a great real-life classroom for them to learn about natural processes. And who knows? It may even entice them to eat something they have refused in the past if they grow it themselves!

"Hmmm, maybe fruits and veggies aren't so bad after all"

Planning For Fall Projects

Every year we like to remind customers that Fall is an excellent time for landscape improvements.

Everyone gets spring fever and enjoys freshening up their yard in spring, but well informed gardeners know that Fall is really the best season for planting most of our landscape ornamentals. Trees, shrubs, and perennials that are planted in September through December get to take advantage of our traditionally mild temperatures and regular rains.

Plants that go in the ground in the Fall have reduced heat stress now and are better equipped to handle the inevitable dry conditions of next summer. Although most plants will show little or no top growth during the winter, it’s what is going on in the ground that counts. Root systems thrive in our mild Fall weather and grow vigorously all winter, giving you bigger, healthier plants next year.

Use these hot days of August to make plans for your fall landscape projects.

August Lawn Chores

• Mow weekly and do not bag the clippings


• Hand water newly planted areas and trees


• Watch for dry areas and signs of chinch bugs in turf


• Check and adjust sprinkler systems (don't forget to mind your city's water restrictions!)


• Mulch planting beds


• Treat for grub worms

Fresh mulch and adequate water keeping it green!

August- The Toughest Month

Sun worshippers may love it, but gardeners know the next 30 days will likely be the hardest part of our season.

Barring hurricane spawned rain events, August is traditionally our hottest, driest month. So, repeat after me, the Texas gardener’s mantra: Mulch is good, I love my water hose. Mulch is good, I love my water hose…

We actually had a great week of rain mid-July and not a lot of extreme heat so far. Just keep an eye on tender plants like hydrangeas or newly planted trees and shrubs, and check your sprinklers regularly for clogged nozzles, worn out rotors, low heads, heads blocked by shrubs, etc. It only takes a week or so to do serious damage to lawns and landscapes that are not receiving enough water, so stay alert!

You can't beat old fashion hand watering!