The Landscape Thread - What to do this month

[Sirhornsalot]

The former owners of our house were very fond of Bradford Pears and there are two that are within 5 feet of the pool; should we worry about the root system damaging the pool? Also, our back fence is set back about 20 yards from a fairly busy road and we'd like to plant something along the back that would dampen some of the road noise. Do you have any suggestions? I'd like to find something that grows fairly quick and doesn't drop all of it's leaves... thanks to the former owner's fondness for them, we've got the Bradford Pears to do that for us. AND...is there a good way to handle dog paths in the back without getting rid of the dogs?

Pears are indeed one of the worst types of trees to locate near a pool. They have aggressive root systems, shed tons of leaves and will sap into the water.

I would venture to guess about 30 percent of the Pear trees in DFW right now are infected with Fire Blight, a disease that affects pears and apple trees that will eventually kill them. When they're weakened by drought stress or hard winters, they are vulnerable to it. I saw at least 40 of them today, all infected. You'll recognize it right now by seeing the dead leaves clinging to the limbs still. They shouldn't be there under normal circumstances.

I would remove them. If you need trees by a pool, you can't lose with a Palm (shallow root systems) or perhaps a small ornamental tree such as a redbud or Texas Mountain Laurel (an evergreen).

I've found with dogs, you usually better off just accommodating them instead of fighting them. You can make a bed in the back area topped with a 1"-2" river rock that they'd love to lay around in. The rock generally stays cool, is rounded so it's easy on the feet/paws, and is heavy enough to stay put. It serves the same basic function as mulch, but is a permanent cover that doesn't require annual replenishment. Doing this allows the dogs their due while keeping the area attractive and more importantly - mud free. A layer of landscape cloth beneath will keep weeds at a minimum.

On the back screen, I've got a customer now in Southlake who is building a new home, but has a similar situation. He's opted to go with our native Eastern Red Cedar for a screen as they are evergreen, native (easy to grow) and require almost no irrigation once they're established. You could also look at a Savannah Holly, East Palatka Holly, or even Little Gem Magnolias if the location is irrigated. If you want to go drought tolerant, Arizona Cypress and Eastern Red Cedars would be great choices. Red Tip Photinias would also be a great choice as they'll be thick and will grow to 25-30 if allowed to.

 

[JKW-Hook 'em]

Sir,

I saw your post about cold weather coming again around Super Bowl time. I'm in Austin (Lakeway to be exact) an so far our Sago Palms, of which we have many (potted and in-ground) have done fine so far without covering them. The coldest temps at our home so far this year have been around 22-24 degrees. What is the cold weather tolerance of these plants and should I consider covering them with what appears to be an even a colder snap coming?

Also, do you offer any services in the Austin area?

Thanks!!

JKW

 

[Sirhornsalot]

Sir' date='
I saw your post about cold weather coming again around Super Bowl time. I'm in Austin (Lakeway to be exact) an so far our Sago Palms, of which we have many (potted and in-ground) have done fine so far without covering them. The coldest temps at our home so far this year have been around 22-24 degrees. What is the cold weather tolerance of these plants and should I consider covering them with what appears to be an even a colder snap coming?

Also, do you offer any services in the Austin area?

Thanks!!

JKW[/quote']

Thanks for your post, JKW.

Sago Palms do not tolerate freezing temperatures. A day or two of below freezing here and there like you get in Austin will not cause too much damage to the Sago's fronds. It's when you have a week of freezing temps in a row that will do them in.

Freezing temps will typically cause the fronds to die and go brown. The ones that do this will never turn green again, so they'll need to be removed in early spring. The Sago will grow new ones.

Now to your question about what to do:

1. Any Sagos you have in pots should be brought indoors when temps get below 30. A couple hours at 32 isn't enough to hurt them much. But the same scientific principals that cause bridges to freeze faster than highways is at work with the pot the Sagos are in. You do not want the roots to freeze and Sago roots are not real deep. So bring them, put them in the garage and leave the light on for at least 8 hours each day until you can put them back out.

2. It would help to cover the Sagos that are in the ground. Do not use plastic. Use a pair of sheets, layered one over the other, or a blanket or even a freeze cloth made specifically for this purpose and found at some nurseries.

3. Either way, water your Sagos prior to the arrival of a cold front. Wet soil is harder to freeze than dry soil.

Another tip - About once a month, put down some Epsom Salts around the base of your Sago Palms. Water it in well. Or, put Epsom Salts in a bucket, fill with water to dissolve, then pour around the base of the Sago. It gives them what their natural habitat would give them living near the coast, but that they do not get inland. Epsom Salts only, table salt will kill.

Right now, we offer all landscape services to folks in the Austin area except for mowing services. We have about 50 Longhorns down there who are lawn chemical maintenance customers. We also do quite a few landscape designs/installations and hardscape (patios, outdoor kitchens, etc.) down there. You can email me at greenthumbtx@verizon.net

 

[RedRiverHorn]

Sirhornsalot,

My mother lives about an hour West of Houston. 2 years ago during the drought, she lost her St Augustine grass. She put in a sprinkler system but the Bermuda grOss took over almost the whole yard. There are small areas of St Augustine trying to come back. She has the yard cut high which I heard helps the St Augustine. Someone told her there is a fertiliser that will help the St Augustine but also kill off the Bermuda. Any idea if this is the case or if there is another solution minus re-sounding the whole yard with St Augustine?

For my yard- where can I buy bulk dairy cow manure around Katy-Houston?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Sirhornsalot]

Sirhornsalot,My mother lives about an hour West of Houston. 2 years ago during the drought, she lost her St Augustine grass. She put in a sprinkler system but the Bermuda grOss took over almost the whole yard. There are small areas of St Augustine trying to come back. She has the yard cut high which I heard helps the St Augustine. Someone told her there is a fertiliser that will help the St Augustine but also kill off the Bermuda. Any idea if this is the case or if there is another solution minus re-sounding the whole yard with St Augustine?

For my yard- where can I buy bulk dairy cow manure around Katy-Houston?

Thanks for the help!

RRH, thanks for your post.

1. All "weed n feed" products for St Augustine contain the same weed killer - Atrazine. The differences between the various products comes down to the quality of the atrazine used and the quality of the fertilizer as well. Atrazine, technically, will kill bermuda grass. However, that would be a case where there is constant and repeated exposure to the atrazine and that's not likely and not wise. Bermuda is pretty resilient and will soon overcome the Atrazine application. So while there may be some promising results at beating back the bermuda at first, it's not lasting.

I would sod some St Augustine pieces in the middle of those bermuda areas and let the St Augustine grow together.

2. Don't be so quick to blame the drought. Chinch bugs have been very active the last two summers (late summer, early fall) and have left behind a lot of destruction in St Augustine lawns. If her lawn's damage is near or around concrete sources, then it's Chinch bug damage. An application in May of Arena will kill the grub worms that attack in May-June-July and will last long enough to hold off the Chinch that will strike in August. If you need a source for the Arena, email me at greenthumbtx@verizon.net

The link below is a good place to get manure compost. They have a nice product called "leaf mold compost" as well as the cow manure compost and chicken manure compost. Any of those three will be winners.

http://wabashfeed.com/compost.html

 

[valleyhorn]

This is just a for your information post. My son lives in Austin and had a 80 year old oak tree get hit by lightning. He was going to get someone in Austin to plant another one for him and when he told me the price I almost fainted. I contacted Sirhornsalot and he got in touch with my son. He suggested what he thought was best for his yard, it was the red oak. Long story short, my son went with him (saved a ton of money) and got a first class job done. My son was very impressed with his quality of work.

If you need any landscaping work done, I highly recommend Sirhornsalot.

 

[Sirhornsalot]

Guys, get your tender vegetation covered, it's going to be a cold one tonight and tomorrow night.

Temps will dip well below freezing in DFW, North Texas, East Texas while freezing rain, sleet and wintry mix are forecasted for South and Central Texas. So no matter where you are in this state today and tomorrow - you're going to be experiencing freezing weather.

Remember - no plastic coverings. Use only cloth or specially made freeze cloth. This is where good mulching pays off, too.

Bring the pots into the garage or some other shelter where temps will stay above freezing.

Tons of you have Sago Palms in your landscape. One of my customers in Austin yesterday noted that his Sago were looking fine despite a couple of morning freezes. While that is true and Sagos will sail through a temporary period of freezing temps - they will sustain damage during extended periods of freezing temps. If you're expecting more than a few hours of freezing weather, cover the Sagos.

 

[Bandit]

Guys, get your tender vegetation covered, it's going to be a cold one tonight and tomorrow night.
Temps will dip well below freezing in DFW, North Texas, East Texas while freezing rain, sleet and wintry mix are forecasted for South and Central Texas. So no matter where you are in this state today and tomorrow - you're going to be experiencing freezing weather.

Remember - no plastic coverings. Use only cloth or specially made freeze cloth. This is where good mulching pays off, too.

Bring the pots into the garage or some other shelter where temps will stay above freezing.

Tons of you have Sago Palms in your landscape. One of my customers in Austin yesterday noted that his Sago were looking fine despite a couple of morning freezes. While that is true and Sagos will sail through a temporary period of freezing temps - they will sustain damage during extended periods of freezing temps. If you're expecting more than a few hours of freezing weather, cover the Sagos.

I love it when you say "tender vegetation". ?

 

[Sirhornsalot]

UPDATE FOR AUSTIN TOPDRESSING CUSTOMERS

If you haven't received an email from me yet, my crew had a slight accident this morning on the way down to Austin. They hit an icy patch on a bridge and temporarily lost control and hit a guard rail. Everyone is fine, but the radiator was damaged in the hiccup. The radiator is being repaired in Austin right now.

Topdressings that were to take place today will take place tomorrow instead. I apologize for the delay.

 

[doc longhorn]

Will Foxtail ferns grown back after the foliage has been freeze killed? I forgot to cover them, dammit.

 

[Sirhornsalot]

Will Foxtail ferns grown back after the foliage has been freeze killed? I forgot to cover them, dammit.

Yes, if they're only hit with one freeze like that the damage will be minimal and there should be normal grow-back in spring. You definitely want to get something over them for tonight though. Two freezes in a row would be a bad thing. We're supposed to be colder here (DFW) tonight than we were last night.

 

[Chitownhorn]

RRH, thanks for your post.
1. All "weed n feed" products for St Augustine contain the same weed killer - Atrazine. The differences between the various products comes down to the quality of the atrazine used and the quality of the fertilizer as well. Atrazine, technically, will kill bermuda grass. However, that would be a case where there is constant and repeated exposure to the atrazine and that's not likely and not wise. Bermuda is pretty resilient and will soon overcome the Atrazine application. So while there may be some promising results at beating back the bermuda at first, it's not lasting.

I would sod some St Augustine pieces in the middle of those bermuda areas and let the St Augustine grow together.

2. Don't be so quick to blame the drought. Chinch bugs have been very active the last two summers (late summer, early fall) and have left behind a lot of destruction in St Augustine lawns. If her lawn's damage is near or around concrete sources, then it's Chinch bug damage. An application in May of Arena will kill the grub worms that attack in May-June-July and will last long enough to hold off the Chinch that will strike in August. If you need a source for the Arena, email me at greenthumbtx@verizon.net

The link below is a good place to get manure compost. They have a nice product called "leaf mold compost" as well as the cow manure compost and chicken manure compost. Any of those three will be winners.

http://wabashfeed.com/compost.html

Chinch Bugs? sound like a job for Carl Spackler.

 

[Sirhornsalot]

 

[Juan]

Sat shot of this most recent front - taken by NOAA's GOES-East satellite on Feb. 11, 2014 at 1:15 p.m. EST (1815 UTC)

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Quite possibly the craziest snow photo I've ever seen, today in Raleigh NC:

<a href="http://t.co/YTDIRTidb3">http://t.co/YTDIRTidb3</a> <a href="http://t.co/kNjM9FEwJL">pic.twitter.com/kNjM9FEwJL</a></p>— Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) <a href="

https://twitter.com/EricHolthaus/statuses/433753520760561664">February 13, 2014</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Sirhornsalot]

Hey HornSports members in the Dallas area and also the Austin area!

I'm looking for part time help. I need someone who is reliable, honest, knows how to be professional and communicate. This would be a nice gig to earn extra bucks on the side. I pay a good wage plus mileage. Local travel involved.

I could use 1 to 2 people in both locations.

If interested or know someone who fits and is interested, email me at greenthumbtx@verizon.net

 

[popdaddy]

Sirhornsalot,

Are Spanish White Oaks supposed to shed leaves this time of year? I have one about 3-4 years old I hauled back form a Marble Falls nursery in the back of my Navigator.

The tree is a good 30' now but started losing the top thin branch leaves after all the freezing weather last month. Now I'm seeing more leaves throughout the tree turning and falling.

However the Burr Oaks in Briarcliff are bare and the Live Oaks are getting the ting of yellow leaves that signal the coming change. I'm guessing my Spanish Oak is just doing a seasonal change but would appreciate a little reassurance.

 

[Sirhornsalot]

Sirhornsalot,
Are Spanish White Oaks supposed to shed leaves this time of year? I have one about 3-4 years old I hauled back form a Marble Falls nursery in the back of my Navigator.

The tree is a good 30' now but started losing the top thin branch leaves after all the freezing weather last month. Now I'm seeing more leaves throughout the tree turning and falling.

However the Burr Oaks in Briarcliff are bare and the Live Oaks are getting the ting of yellow leaves that signal the coming change. I'm guessing my Spanish Oak is just doing a seasonal change but would appreciate a little reassurance.

Those are Monterrey Oaks. The leaves were damaged by the freeze/ice so the tree drops them, grows new ones. Completely natural, nothing to be alarmed about.

 

[dochorns10]

Live in San Antonio. Have a yard that a portion of yard gets full sun 6 hours/day and a portion gets partial sun during same hours. Plan on putting 4 inches of topsoil down, don't have a sprinkler system. What is your suggestion on type of grass to lay? And when should I do it? I am willing to work on it(water as much as I need to), but don't want it to me a full time job. Thank you guys

 

[Sirhornsalot]

Live in San Antonio. Have a yard that a portion of yard gets full sun 6 hours/day and a portion gets partial sun during same hours. Plan on putting 4 inches of topsoil down, don't have a sprinkler system. What is your suggestion on type of grass to lay? And when should I do it? I am willing to work on it(water as much as I need to), but don't want it to me a full time job. Thank you guys

Being that you're in San Antonio, you simply have to consider water into the equation with this decision.

For the partial sun area, you can go with Zoysia which is a lush, full type turf like St Augustine but is more drought tolerant than St Augustine. It's a little more expensive on the front end, but it's worth it IMO.

With the full sun area you talked about, Buffalo turf would be a good choice. It's a nice dark green, is native to Texas, requires half the water that St Augustine does, and grows half as fast (less mowing). Again, it's more expensive on the front end but this turf will pay for itself with the water it will not require.

The Zoysia will do fine in both full and partial sun. The Buffalo will do great in full sun, but just ok in partial sun.

To add to your chances of success and to the drought tolerance of your new turf, put down some expanded shale on top of that topsoil base. The shale will keep moisture on the roots and also keeps the soil from compacting and keeps working for years. It's cheap, too.

 

[Topstarr]

all of us HornSports guys need the information for March.....what is the day of the month to fertilize (end of)