Sirhornsalot
**The Official Horn Sports Landscaper and Landscap
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2013
- Messages
- 33,373
As I post this, we're welcoming our first real cold front of the year. Hopefully, we'll get to see what rain looks like again, soon. lol Let's get right to the October stuff!
Hummingbird Feeders
The time has come to put the Hummingbird feeders away. It’s best to clean them out now before storing them away for the fall/winter.
We put them away in October because we don’t want to give the Hummingbirds an excuse to hang around longer than they should.
If they’re (Hummingbirds) here when we get our first freeze, it will kill them. So removing the feeders helps encourage them to head south in advance of the cold weather threat that looms ahead.
This is also a great time to bring down your bird houses. Bring them in for the winter and clean out the inside of your bird house. If you leave the previous nest inside, males seeking out the perfect nest will look elsewhere as the females prefer to build their own nest. The males know this.
If you keep them in for the winter, they will last longer as they won’t be exposed to the detrimental elements of winter weather.
Pansies have arrived!
For curb appeal seasonal color, there really isn’t much choice for fall/winter. We have Pansies, and we have Pansies. And then, there’s Pansies. lol
Pansies are the only flowers that will tolerate cold/freezing weather. They are extremely colorful and come in an array of mixed colors as well. You may prefer to plant a group of only one or two colors for a dramatic effect. However, mixed colors can be equally impressive as well.
A nice compliment to Pansies, which are only 4-6 inches high, is the Ornamental Cabbage/Kale. There are numerous varieties of Kale, some that look just like cabbage while others are deep purple and will grow upright with lacy leaves.
In early spring, they will send up a narrow tower that is as long as the plant itself. Along the tower will sprout dozens of yellow blooms. However, most people will replace these with new spring color before the Kale blooms.
Combined with Pansies, Kale provides a nice contrast in color and height and are normally located in centralized spots so that they can be surrounded with Pansies.
HOW TO PLANT AND GROW SUCCESSFUL PANSIES
I get a lot of feedback from homeowners who do their own planting. Some of that feedback in winter concerns the why behind Pansies that don’t perform well. They either don’t grow, don’t live, or live but don’t bloom.
Let’s go step-by-step through the planting process. I direct us here because success with Pansies (like other plants) is created during the planting itself, not as much afterwards.
Step 1 – Break up the existing soil in the area you’re going to plant Pansies in. You will want to use a spade shovel, a pitch fork, or hoe. Dig into the soil about 3-4 inches minimum and break it up. We’re not worried about appearances right now so a mess is a good thing.
Step 2 – Distribute a “Landscape Planting Mix†all over the broken up soil. Just let it pile on top. Then we mix the bed soil with the planting mix. I prefer to do this by hand but you may want to use a hand shovel. The end result will be a planting area that is about 4-6 inches higher than it was. The soil and mix should be mixed together well.
Step 3 – Place your small pot Pansies how you want them arranged. At this point, we’re going to decide on the look by simply putting the potted flowers in place. Spacing is also important. I like to “pack†my Pansies so that they are very close together and provide for a more dramatic effect, visually, from the street. Pansies are one of those plants that like to be located close to other plants.
Once we like what we see, we’re ready to plant, which is Step 4.
Step 4 – Planting the Pansies. Pansies do not like to sit in moisture for long periods of time. This is why our planting area is now 4-6 inches higher. We’ll keep this in mind as we plant. You can make your holes literally by hand, place the Pansy root ball into the hole to where 1/4 inches of the Pansy’s root ball is exposed at the top. Pansies like a lot of air in the root zone as well as good drainage.
Step 5 – Use a water-based mild fertilizer, such as ColorStar or Carl Pool’s and apply by dispersing by hand in modest amounts around the base of each flower. I say modestly because too little is better than too much when it comes to fertilizer. Water in immediately after you apply.
Step 6 – About 1.5 months after planting, fertilizer your Pansies again.
We do not mulch our Pansies after planting. Again, Pansies like a lot of air in their soil and mulch reduces air flow. The landscape mix mentioned above consists of Perlite and ground up hardwood mulch. This is ideal for Pansies as it provides ample air flow and dries out faster.
Pansies like to dry out before their next watering. So through the season you may need to adjust your watering accordingly.
WINTER RYE GRASS
If you intend to have winter rye turf this season, now is the time to apply/install it! This works best if you have a Bermuda lawn.
You start by scalping the lawn. Remove all debris after the scalp, including the thatch and grass waste. Once cleared, you can spread your rye seed using a common broadcast spreader. You’ll want a nice thick coverage so set your spreader accordingly.
Once finished, load your spreader up with a 21-0-0 (or close) time-release fertilizer. This will help the seed germinate faster and more thoroughly.
Your enemies here are birds (they eat your seeds) and windy weather. I would not apply rye seed on a windy day, it causes inconsistent coverage.
Once your seed and fertilizer are down, turn on the water. You’ll want to water 2-3 times a day for two weeks. It normally takes two weeks to get full germination. Once the seeds have sprouted and are about 2 inches in length, you can back off the watering to every other day for a week, then to twice a week.
Fertilize again two months later. You’ll still likely only need to mow every other week through the winter. Winter Rye will naturally die off once temperatures hit 90 in spring.
Halloween & Christmas Lighting/Decorations
Halloween is a fun time for the kids. And it can be fun for adults, too. One thing I always enjoy is dressing up the place a bit for the kiddos, provide something interesting visually for them to enhance their trick-or-treating.
Sticking with something basic in theme is wise. Using hay bales, pumpkins, scarecrows, and even Spanish Moss are things you can use to decorate. Add in some decorate lighting and maybe even some sound – instant fun!
If this sort of thing doesn’t come easy for you, contact your landscaper and ask him to provide you with a proposal. Start now, do not wait any longer. It’s just around the corner! If you’re in the DFW area, email us at greenthumbtx@verizon.net and let’s discuss.
Christmas Lighting
Believe it or not, the process for planning an exterior Christmas lighting on your home should start in the next weeks, if not now. By starting now or in the next week(s), you’ll avoid the rush by getting the details hashed out now before other things related to the holidays begin taking up your time.
How it works – We provide free consultations and free mock up and estimates. During the first year, you’ll buy your lights (professional grade, built to last) and pay for the labor to install them. The years following, you only pay for the labor to install/remove.
We normally begin installations during the first week of November for certain customers, and continue through to the second week of December. During the first/second week of January, we return to remove the lights/decorations and we box them strategically so they can be installed more efficiently the following season. We store them free at our facility or store them at your place, whichever you prefer.
The lights are controlled by sensor/timer, you’ll never have to bother with it. We can set it up where the lights come on at sundown and stay on for 4 hours, 6 hours, 8 hours, or until sun-up, whichever you prefer.
To set up an appointment, email us at greenthumbtx@verizon.net
Tree trimming/planting
This is your last month to be able to trim deciduous trees before they dump their leaves. It’s important to do your trimming while the leaves are still on the tree so you can see which limbs are dead, easier.
Correct Tree Planting
Since this is the ideal time of year to plant a new tree, I’m going to go through the steps of how to plant them correctly.
Lets say you’ve purchased a 15 gallon tree. You’ve got a spot picked out. We’re ready to dig.
Dig your hole only as deep (and just slightly less) than the size of the tree’s rootball’s height. At 15 gallon size, the rootball is likely 12-13 inches high. So in that case, dig your hole about an inch shorter than that. The objective here is to ensure we the tree’s base about an inch higher than the surrounding land. We want water to drain away from the trunk’s base when it rains.
On width of the hole, you’ll want to dig it at least twice as wide at the container holding the tree. Once done, place the tree into the hole and fill the hole halfway with water. This is the last time the bottom of the rootball will be wet, so this gives a nice start. If you wish, add some miracle grow when you do this.
Then add a landscape mix or planting mix. The native soil you dug out of the hole will go somewhere else, but not in this hole. You will want to mix in a few handfuls of native dirt with your landscape mix, however.
Once your landscape mix is added, by hand push the mix down as best you can to make sure there are no air pockets beneath the surface. This is important. Continue until the soil is nice and firm all around the tree. At this point, add mulch at 2 inches on top of the planting area.
If anyone would like to ask questions of their own, I’d be glad to answer any that are fielded. No question is insignificant.
Hummingbird Feeders
The time has come to put the Hummingbird feeders away. It’s best to clean them out now before storing them away for the fall/winter.
We put them away in October because we don’t want to give the Hummingbirds an excuse to hang around longer than they should.
If they’re (Hummingbirds) here when we get our first freeze, it will kill them. So removing the feeders helps encourage them to head south in advance of the cold weather threat that looms ahead.
This is also a great time to bring down your bird houses. Bring them in for the winter and clean out the inside of your bird house. If you leave the previous nest inside, males seeking out the perfect nest will look elsewhere as the females prefer to build their own nest. The males know this.
If you keep them in for the winter, they will last longer as they won’t be exposed to the detrimental elements of winter weather.
Pansies have arrived!
For curb appeal seasonal color, there really isn’t much choice for fall/winter. We have Pansies, and we have Pansies. And then, there’s Pansies. lol
Pansies are the only flowers that will tolerate cold/freezing weather. They are extremely colorful and come in an array of mixed colors as well. You may prefer to plant a group of only one or two colors for a dramatic effect. However, mixed colors can be equally impressive as well.
A nice compliment to Pansies, which are only 4-6 inches high, is the Ornamental Cabbage/Kale. There are numerous varieties of Kale, some that look just like cabbage while others are deep purple and will grow upright with lacy leaves.
In early spring, they will send up a narrow tower that is as long as the plant itself. Along the tower will sprout dozens of yellow blooms. However, most people will replace these with new spring color before the Kale blooms.
Combined with Pansies, Kale provides a nice contrast in color and height and are normally located in centralized spots so that they can be surrounded with Pansies.
HOW TO PLANT AND GROW SUCCESSFUL PANSIES
I get a lot of feedback from homeowners who do their own planting. Some of that feedback in winter concerns the why behind Pansies that don’t perform well. They either don’t grow, don’t live, or live but don’t bloom.
Let’s go step-by-step through the planting process. I direct us here because success with Pansies (like other plants) is created during the planting itself, not as much afterwards.
Step 1 – Break up the existing soil in the area you’re going to plant Pansies in. You will want to use a spade shovel, a pitch fork, or hoe. Dig into the soil about 3-4 inches minimum and break it up. We’re not worried about appearances right now so a mess is a good thing.
Step 2 – Distribute a “Landscape Planting Mix†all over the broken up soil. Just let it pile on top. Then we mix the bed soil with the planting mix. I prefer to do this by hand but you may want to use a hand shovel. The end result will be a planting area that is about 4-6 inches higher than it was. The soil and mix should be mixed together well.
Step 3 – Place your small pot Pansies how you want them arranged. At this point, we’re going to decide on the look by simply putting the potted flowers in place. Spacing is also important. I like to “pack†my Pansies so that they are very close together and provide for a more dramatic effect, visually, from the street. Pansies are one of those plants that like to be located close to other plants.
Once we like what we see, we’re ready to plant, which is Step 4.
Step 4 – Planting the Pansies. Pansies do not like to sit in moisture for long periods of time. This is why our planting area is now 4-6 inches higher. We’ll keep this in mind as we plant. You can make your holes literally by hand, place the Pansy root ball into the hole to where 1/4 inches of the Pansy’s root ball is exposed at the top. Pansies like a lot of air in the root zone as well as good drainage.
Step 5 – Use a water-based mild fertilizer, such as ColorStar or Carl Pool’s and apply by dispersing by hand in modest amounts around the base of each flower. I say modestly because too little is better than too much when it comes to fertilizer. Water in immediately after you apply.
Step 6 – About 1.5 months after planting, fertilizer your Pansies again.
We do not mulch our Pansies after planting. Again, Pansies like a lot of air in their soil and mulch reduces air flow. The landscape mix mentioned above consists of Perlite and ground up hardwood mulch. This is ideal for Pansies as it provides ample air flow and dries out faster.
Pansies like to dry out before their next watering. So through the season you may need to adjust your watering accordingly.
WINTER RYE GRASS
If you intend to have winter rye turf this season, now is the time to apply/install it! This works best if you have a Bermuda lawn.
You start by scalping the lawn. Remove all debris after the scalp, including the thatch and grass waste. Once cleared, you can spread your rye seed using a common broadcast spreader. You’ll want a nice thick coverage so set your spreader accordingly.
Once finished, load your spreader up with a 21-0-0 (or close) time-release fertilizer. This will help the seed germinate faster and more thoroughly.
Your enemies here are birds (they eat your seeds) and windy weather. I would not apply rye seed on a windy day, it causes inconsistent coverage.
Once your seed and fertilizer are down, turn on the water. You’ll want to water 2-3 times a day for two weeks. It normally takes two weeks to get full germination. Once the seeds have sprouted and are about 2 inches in length, you can back off the watering to every other day for a week, then to twice a week.
Fertilize again two months later. You’ll still likely only need to mow every other week through the winter. Winter Rye will naturally die off once temperatures hit 90 in spring.
Halloween & Christmas Lighting/Decorations
Halloween is a fun time for the kids. And it can be fun for adults, too. One thing I always enjoy is dressing up the place a bit for the kiddos, provide something interesting visually for them to enhance their trick-or-treating.
Sticking with something basic in theme is wise. Using hay bales, pumpkins, scarecrows, and even Spanish Moss are things you can use to decorate. Add in some decorate lighting and maybe even some sound – instant fun!
If this sort of thing doesn’t come easy for you, contact your landscaper and ask him to provide you with a proposal. Start now, do not wait any longer. It’s just around the corner! If you’re in the DFW area, email us at greenthumbtx@verizon.net and let’s discuss.
Christmas Lighting
Believe it or not, the process for planning an exterior Christmas lighting on your home should start in the next weeks, if not now. By starting now or in the next week(s), you’ll avoid the rush by getting the details hashed out now before other things related to the holidays begin taking up your time.
How it works – We provide free consultations and free mock up and estimates. During the first year, you’ll buy your lights (professional grade, built to last) and pay for the labor to install them. The years following, you only pay for the labor to install/remove.
We normally begin installations during the first week of November for certain customers, and continue through to the second week of December. During the first/second week of January, we return to remove the lights/decorations and we box them strategically so they can be installed more efficiently the following season. We store them free at our facility or store them at your place, whichever you prefer.
The lights are controlled by sensor/timer, you’ll never have to bother with it. We can set it up where the lights come on at sundown and stay on for 4 hours, 6 hours, 8 hours, or until sun-up, whichever you prefer.
To set up an appointment, email us at greenthumbtx@verizon.net
Tree trimming/planting
This is your last month to be able to trim deciduous trees before they dump their leaves. It’s important to do your trimming while the leaves are still on the tree so you can see which limbs are dead, easier.
Correct Tree Planting
Since this is the ideal time of year to plant a new tree, I’m going to go through the steps of how to plant them correctly.
Lets say you’ve purchased a 15 gallon tree. You’ve got a spot picked out. We’re ready to dig.
Dig your hole only as deep (and just slightly less) than the size of the tree’s rootball’s height. At 15 gallon size, the rootball is likely 12-13 inches high. So in that case, dig your hole about an inch shorter than that. The objective here is to ensure we the tree’s base about an inch higher than the surrounding land. We want water to drain away from the trunk’s base when it rains.
On width of the hole, you’ll want to dig it at least twice as wide at the container holding the tree. Once done, place the tree into the hole and fill the hole halfway with water. This is the last time the bottom of the rootball will be wet, so this gives a nice start. If you wish, add some miracle grow when you do this.
Then add a landscape mix or planting mix. The native soil you dug out of the hole will go somewhere else, but not in this hole. You will want to mix in a few handfuls of native dirt with your landscape mix, however.
Once your landscape mix is added, by hand push the mix down as best you can to make sure there are no air pockets beneath the surface. This is important. Continue until the soil is nice and firm all around the tree. At this point, add mulch at 2 inches on top of the planting area.
If anyone would like to ask questions of their own, I’d be glad to answer any that are fielded. No question is insignificant.
