Freezing Weather Ahead?
The question I am asked more than any other these days is “are there more freezes in the weather to come?” People have been asking that question for a couple of weeks. My answer is a resounding “YES”. Since people started asking we have had three freezes. We have several signposts available to guide us to the answer to the question.
The first signpost is what is the mesquite doing? Have they leafed out yet, not at my place here in Oatmeal. Don’t pay attention to the fruit trees, or Cedar Elms, they are fooled all the time. The second signpost is, when is Easter? This year Easter is on April 24th, which is very late. And what happens every year around Easter, almost every year, we have one last cold front come through. The third signpost is when is the average last freeze in the Hill country? The average last freeze is March 31st and freezes have happened in recent years on April 15th. We had a double whammy that year a freeze and IRS filing on the same day. WOW! I know that it seems like Spring these days that we don’t have a freeze, however, beware of what is happening in your area.
Go ahead and plant if you like, just be ready to replant if necessary.
Fruit Trees
I don’t know about you but my fruit trees are blooming or trying to bloom. I have been asked what to do about pruning. My answer was prune, but hurry. I wanted to make sure my advice was sound so I called a Peach expert Diane Eckhardt of Eckhardt Peaches in Fredericksburg. Her family has been operating a Peach Orchard for years and now the next generation has taken the helm. Diane confirmed what I had already told Chuck Caraway and others. Praise God!
Duties for March
Do not fertilize your lawns yet. All you will accomplish is growing larger and healthier weeds the very thing you don’t want. If your grasses haven’t started to peak through the brown yet then you can weed kill and it won’t bother the grass in your lawn. Spray the areas that the weeds are coming up in your lawn with Gardenville Weed Killer. If you are a do it yourselfer then take a gallon of 20% vinegar (from feed store or nursery) add 2 ounces of Orange Oil and shake, place in a hand sprayer and apply directly to the weeds.
Warning: Always check the wind and don’t be down wind when applying plus always wear a protective mask to protect yourself from the vinegar fumes.
Plant a new Strawberry bed or restore the existing bed by adding compost and other soil amendments.
You can plant from Early to mid month Asparagus Crowns, collards, and Turnips. You can plant all month lettuce, mustard, radish, and tomato plants.
Time to foliar feed your Roses with Hastogro. It is planting time for all hot weather herbs and perennial herbs, such as basil, catnip, chives, lemon grass, mints, oregano, rosemary, and thyme.
Again: Watch the weather. This is shaping up to be a very interesting Spring for the garden.
Wildflowers
This year they are going to be where they always are, where it rained. There are several places around that will have them. We will just have to drive and find them or go online www.dot.state.tx.us and they will have them spotted. Our tax dollars at work once again. My Bluebonnets here in Oatmeal are struggling, however, as the Aggies say, “Wait till next year”, just teasing. The Aggies even have their own Bluebonnet that is Maroon and I have not heard of a Burnt Orange Bluebonnet, yet.
Lawn and Garden Show
Remember the Highland Lakes Lawn and Garden show, The 26th of March that is the last Saturday. Hours are nine AM to three PM at the Burnet Community Center just east of the square on Jackson Street. You really don’t want to miss this with great speakers, plants to buy, advice to receive and much more. Hope to see you there I never miss this event. As my friend Patti Colbert said years ago this show is better than Austin’s.
Ponder This
“ You cannot fly like an eagle with the wings of a wren.” – Henry Hudson (An English Sea Explorer and Navigator in the early seventeenth century)
Till Next Month!
Keep your souls and your soles in your garden!
Remember the True Master Gardener: Jesus said, “I am the vine; my Father is the Gardener.” John 15:1
Have questions or comments? Contact Bill Luedecke at The Luedecke Group Realtors, P.O. Box 1632, Bertram, TX. 78605 (no Post Office in Oatmeal) or email bill@texasland.net. For additional gardening web sites, go to his web site; www.TexasLand.Net and click on links
