Spray with abandon! Now that the New Year has passed, it is time to spray your fruit trees with the same exuberance, some of you exhibited New Years Eve (you know who you are). Break out the sprayer, All Seasons Oil Spray and put the music on! Start spraying and start dancing. If your neighbors (or … Read more about New Years fruit tree care
2012 Roses
The fall of a dynasty. Before you know it, the 2012 roses will be here. But, before I tell you about them, lets see what's up with the rose industry. In 2007, Jackson Perkins (JP) was bought by the Park Seed group. The high standards and quality, that had sustained JP for 135 years, started to … Read more about 2012 Roses
All hail, the Queen of Winter (in Houston)
The perfect lady What is evergreen, blooms in the winter, is drought tolerant, grows in partial shade and comes in lots of colors and heights and some are even fragrant? Camellias of course! For some bizarre reason, camellias have gotten a bad rap as hard to grow and this is simply not true. Yes, … Read more about All hail, the Queen of Winter (in Houston)
How much soil or mulch should I buy?
How much soil or mulch to buy can be a mystery, and it never seems to go as far as we think it should. These are guide lines, not rules because soil settles. For example I built 2 vegetable beds that were 20' X 4' and 6" deep. I calculated I wound need 40 cubic feet of soil for each bed. I … Read more about How much soil or mulch should I buy?
Living Christmas Trees
Who said it has to be shaped like a triangle and smell piney? Every year, I see signs for "Live Christmas Trees". It drives me batty. It should say "cut Christmas trees", or how about just "Christmas Trees". How can a tree, that has had its roots cut off, be "live"? They were alive...months … Read more about Living Christmas Trees
Trees add value to our lives
The old saying, "Can't see the forest for the trees", may be far too applicable this year. Many of us are concerned about a single tree or even a few, on our own property, after we buy homes in woodstock and other places with lush greenery. If we step back and look at the entire picture, we will … Read more about Trees add value to our lives
What is next for our trees?
What do we do now? One big thing this year 2011 taught us is that we had forgotten what a real drought is. Oh, we can go two months without rain and moan like crazy, but we were not ready for this year. This shows in our trees the most, signs of stress are all over Houston. With autumn/winter … Read more about What is next for our trees?
Specifications for trees
Trees get grades? Trees, like many other commodities, have standards and grades. Trees are measured in several ways. Pot size, which is usually measured in gallons. RCW uses a # sign instead of the word gallon. Height is the real height of the plant...and NEVER includes the soil in … Read more about Specifications for trees