Garlic Softneck varieties of garlic do the best in our region
Greens, cool season
Kale (seeds or transplants)
Kohlrabi (seeds or transplants)
Leeks (seeds)
Lettuce (seeds or transplants)
Mustard (seeds or transplants)
Radish
Shallots
Spinach (seeds or transplants)
Turnip
Prune
Oak trees safe to prune
Divide/Move
Daylily
Fern
Iris
Liriope
Spring-Blooming Perennials
Violets
Prep
Add compost to vegetable gardens along with organic fertilizer if not already done
Plan wildflower seeds and bulbs to plant in November
Mulch tropical and semi-cold-hardy plants like gingers, Esperanza, Pride of Barbados, Firecracker fern, and bananas
Take cuttings of tender annuals to propagate in warmth to renew your garden next spring
If temps dip, cut basil and preserve in oil in the freezer
Collect seeds of annuals to dry and store inside until next Spring
Lawn
Fertilize with an organic slow release formula like 8-2-4 or similar ratio. Avoid products with too much nitrogen. This is the best time of year to fertilize.
Brown patch: Apply a quarter inch of compost. Apply corn meal. Find out what’s causing the problem like low drainage spots or compacted areas.
Mow high to fend off weed seeds that are germinating. Taller grass shades them out.
Pests
Caterpillars become active again. Monitor plants for holes and droppings. Control by picking them off or spraying with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)
Other tasks
Late month: get row cover or plan other protection in case of early frost in November
Cut basil to freeze in oil in ice cube trays to use this winter in soups and stews
Collect seeds from summer annuals to dry and store indoors until next spring
Get houseplants ready to move inside. Investigate for any “buddies” that could be coming indoors with them.
Dig and store Caladium bulbs when foliage dies.
Contact us today and have your yard ready for Spring!
Let Native Edge help you carve out your perfect garden space.
[igp-video src="https://nativeedgelandscape.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/14613506_359359627737331_6003926210323677184_n.mp4" poster="https://nativeedgelandscape.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/14499021_1126795900745040_3994394549639184384_n.jpg" size="large"][igp-likes] Instagram LikesLandscape Designer Jill and Marketing Director Jake, explore the seas in a VR film by @conservationorg at @sxsweco #sxsweco
Originally posted to KVUE.com by Eleanor BeckAUSTIN – Even with the recent rain in Central Texas, it hasn't fallen in the right places to help alleviate drought conditions.The Austin Water Utility is hoping for the best but planning for the worst, and one business says homeowners are preparing, too.As little as one year ago, convincing a homeowner to convert to a xeriscaped yard, a process that uses native plants that naturally need less water, would have taken a strong sales pitch, according to Native Edge President Rodney Stoutenger."We used to have to give the 'native speech' on why it's beneficial, we no longer have to do that it's typically brought to us," he said.There's been a fundamental shift, he says, in his customers' attitudes, no longer prioritizing growing green as much as going green."People are relieving themselves of the duty of having a green, pristine, estate lawn to switching to a drought tolerant landscape," said Stoutenger.A smart move as lake levels continue to drop.As of Jan. 15, Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan are about 34 percent full, low enough to keep Austin in stage two restrictions.See current lake levels from LCRAIn stage two, watering is allowed once a week. In stage three, watering will still be allowed once a week but for fewer hours. In stage four, no outdoor watering is permitted, according to Derma Gross, Austin Water Conservation Division Manager.A tough transition, she acknowledges. Austin Water put it to the public Thursday night: help us find a compromise.Austin Water is essentially proposing instituting the emergency equivalent of 'stage 3.5', something more severe than stage three but less severe than stage four.Gross says depending on feedback, that could include additional regulations on business like carwashes and landscapers.They also want the public's help to establish a lake level trigger for stage four restrictions. Currently, none exists.Thursday was the first of two meetings on this issue tonight. The second meeting will be held Feb. 19. Austin Water is aiming to have a fully formed plan for what additional stage three restrictions could look like by March 1.Stoutenger agrees, creating tiers within stage three would be helpful."I think jumping from stage three to stage four without any tiers or without any step in between will be very drastic. And I think there's going to be backlash," said StoutengerIn the meantime, there are other ways to cut back. He estimates a xeriscaped yard uses about 50 percent less water than a traditional lawn.
