by CMG Adrienne M
White Spider Lily from Pixaby.com by shell_ghostcage
One lifetime is never enough to accomplish one’s horticultural goals. If a garden is a site for the imagination, how can we be very far from the beginning? ~Francis Cabot Lowell~
- Watch for Lycoris radiate, the red “Spider Lily, which will be popping up this month in gardens, pastures and along road sides. Other colors are orange, yellow and white. Lycoris is in the amaryllis family.
Red Spider Lily, Lycoris radiata, by CMG Adrienne. They are hardy in USDA zones 8 & 9.
- As the weather cools, visit the garden centers and big-box stores for end-of-summer sales on decorative garden items like new pots, colorful plant supports and trellises. Restock supplies with useful items such as gloves, coconut matting, tarps, nozzles and tools.
- Purchase spring blooming bulbs now while selections are plentiful. Prepare the bedding area for planting in October, when the weather is cooler.
Narcissus x intermedius ‘Texas Star’ Daffodil from Pixabay.com by Florian Pircher
- Narcissus x intermedius ‘Texas Star’ Daffodil, photo and bulb sales at The Southern Bulb Co
- Revitalize your houseplants: trim and divide them as needed, place in a clean pot with fresh soil, add time-release granular fertilizer, then water well. Your plants will reward your efforts throughout the winter. Re-pot the extra plants as gifts.
- Herb transplants for the cool season are bee balm, lemon balm, rosemary, oregano, cilantro, dill, parsley, thyme and mints.
Tuscan Blue Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Tuscan blue’, from Pixabay.com by Hans
- Our first frost date is around November 15. Count backwards from there if you have tomato and pepper plants in the ground, as they will need 10 to 12 weeks before the first frost to produce fruit.
- Beets, Brussels sprouts, green beans, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, kale, cucumbers and spinach can be planted in early September. For best results, use high quality seeds. Plant spinach seeds several days apart for a continuous yield.
- Prepare a space for planting an under-story shrub or a specimen tree later this month, such as a small variety of crêpe myrtle. See the link below for Southern Living magazine’s step-by-step guide for crêpe myrtle pruning.
- Consider replacing some older, high-maintenance shrubs with ones that are low-maintenance and drought tolerant. The A&M EarthKind® site has many choices.
- Have you tried using companion plants in your vegetable garden? The Comal County Gardening Guide has an extensive list on page 100 of the 1st edition, ©2012
What’s online:
- The Old Farmer’s Almanac has a complete planting dates calculator. Be sure to enter your zip code.
- The Fall Vegetable Garden: “Simply looking at seed packets in catalogs or local nurseries will not get the job done. Once the decision has been reached, a gardener must take action — drastic action.” – Growing a Fall Garden
- Southern Living’s Crêpe Myrtle Pruning and Crepe Myrtle Prep for Winter.
References: Comal County Gardening Guide ©CMG 2012; Month-By-Month Gardening in Texas, Groom & Gill, revised ©2006; Texas Gardener® Magazine; Texas Master Gardener Handbook ©2015, Austin Grow Green 2006.