Doug Welsh’s  Texas Garden Almanac AgriLife Research and Extension Service Series Craig Nessler and Edward G. Smith, General Editors WelshBook.indb 1 8/1/11 3:08:27 PM WelshBook.indb 2 8/1/11 3:08:27 PM Illustrated by Aletha St. Romain Texas A&M University Press College Station WelshBook.indb 3 8/1/11 3:08:30 PM Copyright © 2007 by Douglas F. Welsh Manufactured in China by Everbest Printing Co. through Four Colour Imports All rights reserved Second edition, 2011 The paper used in this book meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, Z39.48-1984. Binding materials have been chosen for durability. The Library of Congress has cataloged the First edition as follows: Welsh, Douglas F. Doug Welsh’s Texas garden almanac / Doug Welsh ; illus- trated by Aletha St. Romain. —1st ed. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN-13: 978-1-58544-619-3 (flexbound : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 1-58544-619-X (flexbound : alk. paper) 1. Gardening—Texas. 2. Almanacs, American— Texas. I. Title. SB453.2.T4W45 2007 635.09764—dc22 2007007634 ISBN: 978-1-60344-478-1 (flex paper) ISBN: 1-60344-478-5 WelshBook.indb 4 8/1/11 3:08:31 PM To my wife, Laura, for her loving support, counsel & encouragement WelshBook.indb 5 8/1/11 3:08:31 PM WelshBook.indb 6 8/1/11 3:08:32 PM Contents Select Plant List xiii Almanac at a Glance xiv Introduction 1 January: Heading toward Spring  4 Roses in the Landscape 6 Soils 101 for the Garden 15 Thinking Like a Plant 21 Growing Fruits and Nuts 26 “What can I do about bagworms covering my pecan tree?” Timely Tips 41 February: Hints of Spring, Reminders of Winter  46 Annual Flowers . . . Icing on the Cake! 48 Mulch—Low Tech, High Impact 58 “Can mulching with sawdust or wood chips rob nitrogen from the soil?” “ How do you calculate how much mulch to buy?” Is Your Irrigation System Ready for Spring? 62 Are You Ready to Have an Irrigation System Installed? 65 Pruning School 68 “Should I use pruning paint?” Last and First Freeze Dates: What They Mean and Why They Are Important 80 “Can I get a jump on spring by growing giant transplants?” Fertilizing Trees and Shrubs 88 Timely Tips 92 WelshBook.indb 7 8/1/11 3:08:32 PM Contents VIII March: Spring—Get Busy  96 Spring Has Sprung When You See These Bloomers 98 When to Water, and How Long? 102 Saving Water Drip by Drip—Drip Irrigation for the Landscape and Garden 107 “Should I place the drip lines under mulch?” Lawn Fertilizing Made Simple 113 Will There Be a Next Generation of Vegetable Gardeners? 119 Vegetable Gardening Is for Everyone 120 Gardening with Kids 134 Timely Tips 138 April: Get Moving—Lots to Do  142 Weeds, Weeds, and More Weeds 144 “How do I get rid of grassburs in my large lawn?” “Should I use a weed-and-feed product on my lawn?” Fire Ant Management 153 “Is there an organic two-step method?” Lawns 101 159 “Can I encourage one grass over the other in my Bermuda and St. Augustine lawn, or will one win regardless?” “Why won’t St. Augustine grass grow under my big trees?” Herb-Growing Hints for Texas 177 “Are cilantro and coriander from the same plant?” Timely Tips 187 May: Full Steam Ahead  190 What’s Wrong with My Plant? 192 “Why won’t my ____ plant bloom?” “What is the black stuff on my crape myrtle leaves?” Managing Plant Problems 203 “This spring I have aphids on my roses. What do I do?” Pesticide Safety 213 Texas Produce: When to Purchase? 218 Timely Tips 221 WelshBook.indb 8 8/1/11 3:08:32 PM Contents IX June: Welcome to Texas Heat  224 Sizzling Summer Color for Texas Gardens 226 Attracting Birds to the Garden 229 “Can I prevent my bird seed from creating a weed problem in the landscape?” Irrigation Season Starts In Earnest 235 Drinking Water and Texas Landscapes 236 “What are the similarities and differences in rainwater harvesting and rain gardens?” Water Conservation for Texas Landscapes 239 “How do I water my huge live oak tree?” “I have been watering, but my plant’s leaves are wilted and yellowing, and some are brown. What is the cause?” All Plants Welcome in Water-Efficient Landscapes 247 Desert Gardening: Plants for West Texas 249 Lawns Don’t Waste Water; People Do! 253 Timely Tips 255 July: Dog Days of Summer  260 Go Tropical! 262 Expand Gardening to Containers 269 Butterfly Gardening Made Simple 273 Vacation Time—What about the Plants? 278 Deer-Resistant Plants 280 “Will a scarecrow deter deer from visiting my landscape?” Fall Vegetable Gardening Starts Now! 285 Timely Tips 288 August: Hot, Hot, Hot, and Dry Too!  292 Crape Myrtles—a Love Affair 294 Summer Rose Care: Preparations for Fall Bloom 306 Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, and Poison Sumac 308 “I see a couple of other vines similar to poison ivy in the woods. Are they poisonous?” WelshBook.indb 9 8/1/11 3:08:32 PM