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Organic Landscape and Gardening Fair
The United Way Building Click the image to download a PDF flyer! (opens new window) See you there! |
” Why did my parents Purple Martins fail to return this year? Could this be from a nearby tree that is now as tall as the Purple Martin house” Bobby B., Houston, Texas
I asked bird expert, geologist, paleontologist, and nature, wildlife landscape photographer Michael Dumont for his expert advise. The most common reason martins abandon their colony site is because predators have raided their nests so watch out for startling crows, owls, snakes, hawks, squirrels. Trees provide cover for lurking aerial predators like Coopers and Sharp-Shinned Hawks, and martins seem to sense this and avoid settling into tree-encroached housing. The Purple Martin house should be cleaned, disinfected for unwanted invaders before the Purple Martins arrive. Older Purple Martins usually return to past nesting areas where they have had breeding success in the past. You can entice younger Purple Martins by having nesting material already in the house. The best material is dry pine needles which do not retain moisture as wood shavings or leaves. Most important the house should always face in the same direction or it will be abandoned.
Below are birdhouses for sale (not Purple Martin houses)and made in Austin, Texas. Mainly made of ceder wood to make them long lasting. The houses are perfect during spring or summer seasons. However, the birds will enjoy living in them all year round. Birdhouses add aesthetic value in your yard.
Thank you Michael Dumont for sharing another beautiful picture!
NATIVE SPIDER LILY
If you work during the day and only get to enjoy your garden at night you might choose to do an all-white garden. In nature, art, and landscaping, white is a natural focal point that draws the eye to it. If you have an area that needs to be lit up at night like a path or front door work it with white!
All of the plants listed are blooming and available right now at Treesearch Farms!
Last week my friend /client asked, when should we plant a fall garden? Dwight MacDonald recommends if you are sowing by seed to start the following fall vegetables: beans, brocolli, mustard, carrots, winter squash, and tomatoes no sooner than August 20th. If you plant the seeds outside you will need to water a few times a day and protect your plants from snails and the hot sun. We recommend sprouting seeds in the house or other protected area.The end of September is the best time for lettuce and the seeds can be planted directly into the ground.
Jen Allgood
Below is an email I received today from my friend, Matt Raney. If anyone is interested in receiving Matt’s garden tips and emails his address is below. He also has a fantastic nursery!
How come my Carrots don’t taste good no mo?
“The answer lies in when you planted them—-they probably experienced a hot snap (above 80 degrees or so-ish) When that happens it burns the sugar in the carrots and that kills the flavor! So yea — your right they don’t taste good no mo.
It is for this very reason you should plant your under ground stuff in fall so that they will stay nice and cool. Plant your above ground stuff in the spring—if you follow that advice your carrots will be nice and sweet next year.”
Matt Raney / 713-895-9171
4305 Northfield Ln.
Houston, Texas 77092
Email: Allinoneplants@comcast.net
Last week I was driving to Memorial Park for my morning run and I saw a new landscape job with a stressed tree under an umbrella to shade it. I thought that was a clever idea, so I pulled over to take a picture.
Houston Summer 2010
My mentor and associate,Dwight MacDonald also recommends for this tree and every tree you plant in Gulf Coast soil to use an auger, to bore 3 root reservoirs around the root ball that are 30″ deep. Then remove existing soil and fill the holes with ammonium sulphate 3Tbs to gallon every 30 days. He says its not organic but its inexpensive and better than anything you can get at the store for the price. If you are going for the orgainic approach I recommend filling the holes with Super Seaweed Liquid Concentrate.
Organic expert, Mike Serrant of San Jacinto Environmental recommends the following products for Summer Landscape Survival.
MicroLife Humate Plus Granular – Help your soils get the most of your rain and irrigation water. Easy to spread. Provides much needed Humates, Kelp, Sugars, Potassium, Minerals, and Bio-Inoculation including the all important Mycorrhizas.
Super Seaweed Liquid Concentrate -The goodness of Super Seaweed will enhance plant color, increase chlorophyll content, build stronger roots, increase plant development and vigor. Reduce heat and drought stress with Super Seaweed. Super Seaweed packs a huge punch with Plant Vitamins, Sugars, Growth Hormones, and needed Minerals.
Soil Moist – Incorporate Soil Moist into the soil to hold more moisture in the root zone. The Soil Moist crystals absorb and release water and create void space for additional oxygen. Soil Moist can reduce water needs by as much as 50%.
Thank you Mike!
Where to Buy
MICROLIFE DEALERS
| TEXAS | |
| Beaumont Greenery 3925 Delaware Beaumont, TX 77706 409-898-7740 Bering’s – Westheimer Bering’s – Bissonnet Buchanan’s Native Plants Buds & Blossoms Buffalo Hardware Company Condon Gardens Enchanted Forest Georgia’s Farm to Market Heiden Feed & Supply Katy Chemical Kingwood Garden Center |
Lake Hardware 1813 N. Velasco Angleton, TX 77515 979-849-8321 Maas Nursery Mata Turf Nature’s Way Resources Pearland Lumber Company Pineywoods Nursery Plants For All Seasons Plants For All Seasons-Klein RCW Nursery Shell Plant Farm Southwest Fertilizer Wabash Feed |
Jen,
My bottlebrush trees continue to have dead to yellowing branches. I cut them out, but they continue to reappear. Do you have any solutions?
Paul H., Bellaire, Texas
Paul, sounds like too much water. I consulted with the growers at Treesearch Farms to verify and they agreed the bottlebrush needs very little water even to get established.
Part 2
Jen,That seems unusual as they were so lush last year, and my watering times and schedules haven’t deviated from last year.
Paul, Most “drought tolerant” plants such as the bottlebrush can survive through an average summer without supplemental watering. The bottlebrush is usually not drought tolerant the first year and regular watering and an application of mulch are good ideas. After that, you can pretty much allow them to fend for themselves with an occasional soaking. Treesearch recommends to stop watering it all together for awhile, then practice a routine of giving it a deep soak and then letting it dry out completely before soaking again.
This week I saw the Cactus King and picked up a beautiful Agave Octopus. Lyn the owner told me it is now time to spray agaves because its main pest the Japanese Beetle typically attacks in late summer which leaves your agave with wilted leaves and will collapse the plant. The Cactus King suggests to spray your agave now with an insecticide which contains pyrethrin or polyurethane . Pyrethrin is an insecticide ingredient prepared from pyrethrum flowers. It is the common active ingredient in many flea and tick preparations which Lyn says will also work.
Please click onto Agave Octopus for plant file.
If you really want to enjoy the day tomorrow and learn something new stop by the Organic Horticulture Business Alliance booth at Discovery Green. I have been asked by Houston’s organic expert, Mike Serant, owner of San Jacinto Environmental and chair member of the Organic Horticulture Business Alliance to help answer questions at our booth along with other landscape professionals in the Houston Metro area. JenScapes Inc. joined OHBA last year to continue our education focusing on soil health, plant health, organic practices, water quality and usage, urban trees and design elements. We hope to see you at our booth so we can share some of our Green knowledge with you.
DATE: April 3, 2010
TIME: 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
WHERE: Discovery Green
COST: FREE
The festivities kick off with the Mothers for Clean Air Earth Day 5K at 8 a.m. followed by a day-long celebration with family entertainment, environmental education, a Green Expo, music, and much more.
Earth Day Houston hosted activities and displays include:
MUSIC:
11:00 am – 12:30 pm Leah White & The Magic Mirrors
12:45 pm – 2:15 pm Beetle
2:30 pm – 4:00 pm Allen Oldies Band
4:15 pm – 5:45 pm The Norma Zenteno Band
Presented by TXU Energy, Sponsored by: Green Bank, H-E-B, CenterPoint Energy, Bud Light, Mike Calvert Toyota, Waste Management, Community Coffee, Port of Houston, Sysco, and Discovery Green
NON PROFIT HOSTS: LAND – Houston Parks & Recreation Dept, AIR – Air Alliance Houston, RENEWABLE ENERGY – Blackwood Education Land Institute, WATER – Bayou Preservation Assoc., Farmers Market/Green Artist Market – Urban Harvest
MEDIA PARTNERS: KIAH – Channel 39, Greensheet, Houston Community Newspapers, Houston Family Magazine, KSEV Thirty Green
PARKING: Downtown surface lots and garages
FOOD & BEVERAGES: Available for purchase on-site
Spring is my favorite time of year to visit TreeSearch farms. The Viburnums, Magnolias, Callary pear, Mexican plum, Red buds and apple trees all look astonishing this spring. Heidi Sheesley says it is from Houston’s few weeks of exceptionally cold weather.
Jenscapes Inc. would like to thank Michael P. Dumont for some of his fabulous spring photography and Mark Montgomery from TreeSearch for the blooming tour!
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