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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Jen

My bird of paradise leaves are brown with green stalks from the snow last year. Should I cut them back to stimulate new growth? If so how far?

Is it time to prune my crepe myrtles?

Paul H., Bellaire, Texas

Hi Paul,

You can do either two things with your bird of paradise:

1. Cut back your bird of paradise halfway and new shoots should start sprouting with the warm temperatures we are having. Just hope that we do not get another freeze this season.  If it  freezes again this season make sure you cover it well.  

2.  Or you can wait until late February to cut them back when their is no chance of a freeze.

Winter is the best and easiest time to prune crepe myrtles because the tree has no leaves and all the energy is in the roots.  It is also the best time to see their branching structure, and the best time to identify and remove limbs that are damaged or that are beginning to rub against one another. However, you can actually prune crape myrtles to remove unwanted branches and basal sprouts year ’round. 

We recommend not topping the crepe myrtle like  I saw today at my daughter’s elementary school.   If you must to control the height it should be done every 7 years and fertilize with tree spikes when you do this.  Topping trees leaves large open wounds that can trigger problems and shorten the specimen’s life span. It results in fists or nubs from which multiple weak branches sprout in the spring. These are fast-growing, but they usually result in unnaturally long branches that are loosely attached and more susceptible to breakage

Please don't Murder

According to the Arbor Day Foundation, “The appearance of a properly pruned tree is like a good haircut: hardly noticeable at first glance.”
 

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Jen,

Aren’t you big into native plants?  How do they fair in a Houston freeze? Jon

Yes, I love the  indigenous plants.  I think all natives did well. During this time of the year they are not blooming so they just look dead.    Interesting you asked Jon,  I was just in the car with my mentor and friend Jeff Law, owner of Indian Summer Lodge and he pulled out a list he has been working on of ”good” plants and  damaged plants from the freeze.    Of course I told him I have to have it so I can share it.

Most everything that was established will come back says Houston Xeriscape expert, Jeff Law.  Remember, most of the hybrids, semi tropicals and tropicals have done well the past 20 years.  Gardeners just have to know which ones will winter, which ones to cover, and which palms not to plant in Houston. Mexican, queen, date, and sabal palms all see fine. foxtail Palms look dead, but we won’t know until it warms up.    Jeff says, he planted some foxtail palms this year, even though he knew they do not like it below freezing much, yet everyone has been planting them the past 5-8 years quite a bit.  Even Queen palms don’t like it this cold, but most seem fine so far.

 The following lists are plants that Jeff has observed at his famous Indian Summer Lodge in the Heights and in other Houston gardens. 

List of  “GOOD” Plants

• silverado sage
• aztec grass
• pampas grass
• gulf Coast Muhly grass
• maiden grass
• cosmopolitan grass
• horsetail
• artemsia
• roses
• blue agaves
• cassias
• loropetalums
• oleanders (standard)
• loquats
• palo verde retama
• nandinas
• privets
• dianella
• sparkler sedge
• holly fern
• polygala
• dianthus
• virgina sweetspire
• cast iron
• bottlebrush tree
• guava
• allium
• plum yews
• white potato vine
• sweet autumn clematis
• confederate jasmine vine
• fig vine
• salvia gregii
• wimbii ligustrum
• Carolina Jasmine
• cestrum
• azaleas
• Mexican Palm
• windmill palms
• Palmettos
• queen palm
• date palm
• sabel palm
• cordylines made it if they had tough leaves
• Podocarpus
• mounding junipers
• chinese evergreen wisteria
• orange tree
• rosemary
• variegated ginger (dwarf)
• Lousianna Iris
• Butterfly Iris
• Bamboo Muhly
• Lady Slipper
• Brunsfelsia
• Agave (most) 
• Cacti   (most)
• Europhobia Trigonia
• Senecio
• Yucca
• Tapioca
• alfonso Karr bamboo

 Normal winter flowering plants that DID NOT do well that usually prefer winter

• skyflower vine
• mexican flame vine
• firespike
• cassias
• Van Houti and Indigo spires
• Bolivian Pink Powderpuff
• Hamelia

Some plants that did not like this cold at all. 

• ixora                                                                                                                                          
• heliconias
• persian shields
• plumerias
• birds of paradise
• coleus
• little john bottlebrush- looks burned, but leaves still on
• asparagus fern
• sword fern
• fire spike
• Kolanches look like wilted spinach
• banana
• jatropha
• basil
• sedum
• echeverias
• oleander (dwarf)
• pentas
• variegated ginger (standard)
• Cestrum
• Sweet Memory Duranta
• Almond Verbena
• wandering jews
• succulents
• australian violets
• croton

These plants look dead, but stems still alive so we won’t know until it warms up.  Tropicals can go into shock, or die, but we need 40s-70s this winter to keep them alive now.  Any more deep hard freezing will not be good for anything but for the plants on the first list and of course the “normal apartments“ such as  boxwood, Indian hawthorn, photinias, pittosporum, ilex….

As for bamboo some did great, and some we have to see when it warms up.  There are cold hearty one that can take less than 20 degrees and our heat.  Some of the new types do not take the cold that are sold in commercial nurseries the past few years. 

 Jeff says, he has gardens grow all winter, just depends on the freezes light or heavy, long or short and what time of the winter we get them.  It also depends on where they are planted, along walls or sides of homes to block wind, in the sunlight or in the shade, or what part of Houston.  There are 100 miles north to south to Houston and several different mini zones. Please email me if you can add to the list!  

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“Colors are gruel , porridge and mushroom these days seeming to reflect the interior of the people choosing them………………After all, our exteriors are our interiors turned inside out. “     Jeff Law

The other day I had the most inspiring afternoon with award winning artist, landscaper, and designer Jeff Law.  Jeff  produces “feel-good”gardens.  He has over 30 bamboo cultivars in his landscape and only does  projects he likes and mostly does not attract those types with typical plants.

Playboy magazine recently discovered Indian Summer Lodge in late 2009 and chose to do some photoshoots for its Internationl Special Edition.  A reality show is also being taped at Indian Summer Lodge.  

 Below are some pictures of his home in the Heights, called Indian Summer Lodge.  This sanctuary is for sale and for a steal!  Thank you for your inspiration Jeff!

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Last week I went to TreeSearch Farms and I saw Heidi Sheesley.   It was my lucky day, Heidi had a ripened Dragon Fruit from her Dragon Cactus or Pitaya and offered me a taste.    WOW!  I have never had anything like it and I couldn’t believe it came from a cactus!   The fruit tastes like a grape/kiwi.  It contains an antioxidant called lycopene which is known to help prevent cancer and heart disease.

That brings me to Heidi is having a Citrus Tasting followed by a talk to help you choose the trees you want to buy and how to care for them this Saturday December 5th from 10 to 11am.  For more information, please visit this link for more information. 

http://www.urbanharvest.org/classesevents/calendar/tree_sale_prep.html

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Can you tell me what might be eating my Bougainvillea folliage?   

Thank you,

David Vincente

 

David, It sounds like its the bougainvillea looper.   The caterpiller is a green or brown and about 1 inch long.   It feeds primarily at night, which is why you may see the damage but fail to find the culprit on the plant.

The insect will cause significant visual damage to bougainvillea, although this does not apparently result in the death of the plant.

With the cooler weather the loopers will slow down so I recommend nothing. 

If you would like to use something you can spray with Bt or with Spinosad. Neither one lasts very long on the plant after it is sprayed. It probably would be good to spray about 3 times a week apart.

 

Jen

 

 

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“Dumb Question!     What happens to the St Augustine grass we currently have?  Will it return?”

Yolanda Ramirez

Hi Yolanda,
Not a dumb question….Many of my clients have asked the same question and yes it will return.

Keep in mind that there are two kinds of Rye, both annual and perennial. The difference is in the grasses’ preference of climate. Perennial is perfect for those living in cooler climates with milder summers, while annual will only live for one season and must be replanted in southern states.

The rye seed that JenScapes is applying is an annual which will give you green lawn throughout this fall and winter AND WILL CHOKE OUT YOUR WEEDS..   This Rye grass  we spread will die when the weather becomes hot in late spring.  Just in time for your St. Augustine to come out of dormancy.

Rye grass is what you need to keep your lawn beautiful all year long. The best time to plant for optimum forage production is September and October in fall.

After spreading seed, water lawn immediately, preferably in the late afternoon.  Mow rye grass after it sprouts and enjoy a blanket of thick green grass.

Don’t skimp on the quality of seed.

BE GREEN,

Jen

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Hi Jen,
How do I  care for my new zoysia?
Carlos

Carlos,

Water your new sod everyday for the first 10 days then every other day for 10 days.  If it rains you can skip those days.  Water as needed when you first observe wilting, and water longer and less often to promote deep rooting of the grass. Zoysia is more drought resistant and when fully established has a deep root system.  It should only be watered when showing signs of water stress.  Indication of water stress is when the blade begins to curl inward.   One of the most common mistakes of watering Zoysia is actually over watering due to it drought tolerance and overall low water requirements.

Zoysia grasses are best cut at a height of one to two inches.  Begin mowing when weeds or Zoysia becomes 3inches thick and rooted.  If you can easily pick up the sod square do not mow.  This means your zoysia has not rooted.  When mowing never cut more than half the blade length of a grass.  This can dry out sod and prevent good growth.  For ideal results mow from opposite directions every mowing to prevent regular training of grass blades in one uniform angled direction.  When weed eating the outer edges of Zoysia grasses where grass meets objects be careful not to trim to far in or deeply. The best cut height is 1 to 2 inches in full sun and 2 to 2.5inches in heavily shaded areas.

Fertilization requirements are lower for Zoysia than many other lawn grasses. Fertilize in April, June, and August.  Applications of 2-4lbs of nitrogen per 1000 sq ft annually.  Over fertilization will result in severe thatching.

Did you know that Zoysia grasses have a high silica content which the blades become tougher the longer the leaf is allowed to grow?  Trial Tests have documented that Zoysia grasses can be mown up to ten times less per season than St. Augustine grass. This can be a considerable savings in maintenance cost.

zoysia

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Last year’s  house Jenscapes landscaped is on 4904 South Shepherd Drive,  77098

See BEFORE and AFTER photos on our Jenscapes website

Saturday and Sunday
October 10-11, 2009
12:00 to 6:00 pm
$25 ticket price for all houses/ no individual entrance fees
$20 for bike riders
For more information, please call 713.520.0155

http://www.aiahouston.org/Home_Tour.cfm

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