March 27 , 2014
Freeze Report|Cold & Deer Proof Succulents|Citrus|Chickens!
First , please join us in give thanks theAustin Area Garden Council at Zilker Botanical Garden , our new production insurance broker ! Their support help proceed our mission to assist you . This weekend — March 29 & 30 — maneuver out to the 57th annualZilker Garden Festivalto brighten up your garden .
Despite weirdo weather , the bulb parade marching on with my baby - cover - yellow Gladiolus tristus .
Fluffy small Narcissus ‘ Abba ’ evidence up , as always .
But what a wintertime ! Some sometime reliables freeze in their runway . It ’s the first clip I ’ve seen freeze damage on roses . Most will bloom right on docket , but early bird Lady Banks lost her aureate craw . Not one for regrets , she ’s already cranking out new leaves .
Daphne answer THE top query : planting tomatoes ! Until temps are reliably in the 50 ° degree range at dark , do handle them . Even though we ’re hitting that now , face what pass toLaura Zebehazylast April .
She ’d done everything the right way and her tomatoes were setting fruit . Laura planted in March after getting her plants at the annualSunshine Community Gardens sale . THEN , we got a surprise late piquance after lots of lovesome solar day .
beneficial news show ! Her plants convalesce just fine .
But , Laura started with healthy greenhouse plants and dear garden prep . Do beware of bribe young plants that suffered frost damage . And keep that course cover ready to hand !
And oh yes , what about flowering pomegranates that literally got nipped in the bud?Jim Kamas , Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Fruit Specialistadvises : “ Do nothing right now . You ca n’t really state the extent of the injury at this point in time ; it will vary quite a bit by variety and even location . So , just be patient and let the tree force and crop out utter tissue when it prove itself . You may have lost quite a chip of bloom , but the tree should ultimately be o.k. . Just give it a little time and some piss . ”
Here ’s my reward for patience : new life on foxtail ferns I ’d just about eulogized with a shovel .
Agave celsiidoesn’t search so hot , but it ’s not a loss .
ditto mark for my ‘ Macho Mocha ’ mangaves . I ’ll let newfangled ontogeny emerge and cut off damaged leaf .
Eric PedleyfromEast Austin Succulentsadvises : fecundate with a fluid seaweed / fish emulsion mixture . “ If it ’s a literal treasure , dust wound with sulfur . Serrated , long bread knife cut leave the fastest . Leave as much of the level-headed folio as potential and shape them like sword so they do n’t look cut . ”
In part shade , my squid American aloe ( Agave bracteosa ) were n’t scared at all , joined here by aboriginal baby gentle - eyes ( Nemophila phacelioides ) and prosperous Senecio vulgaris ( Packera obovata ) .
Squid agave is one on Eric ’s list when he joinsTom this weekwith some of hisEast Austin Succulentsthat hold both insensate and DEER .
Get Eric ’s CTG tilt .
Some of our citrus did n’t fare too well . My Satsuma near the sign of the zodiac looked all right until that last eruption . More dear news!Daphne enclose a newcold - hardy Satsuma mandarin , ‘ Orange Frost , ’ the latestTexas Superstar .
Despite freezes , home - grown fruit is a good treat well worth establish . Trisha picks a few of her favorites , with tips on growing and harvesting . Here ’s her Key linden tree , Ponderosa lemon ( a cross between lemon and Citrus medica ) and Improved Meyer lemon .
They will suffer damage with temps in the 23 - 28 ° reach , so industrial plant in pots to protect . In warmer microclimates ( like near the menage ) , I ’ve fancy vast Improved Meyer lemon in the ground for years .
Trisha also mentions Lemonquat , a crossing between stinker and kumquat tree . Our San Antonio friend , bloggerShirley Fox at Rock - Oak - Deer , report : “ We mother down to 20 degrees this class . The first year with the Lemonquat , which I think was 2010/2011 , we got down to 15 and it decease to the footing but came back . This year we did n’t lose a single foliage . The yield is very honorable too . ” On her blog , she reports her success with ‘ Orange Frost , ’ too , but here ’s one of her Lemonquats .
In a past CTG interview , Monte Nesbitt , Extension Program Specialist at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension , providedthis tilt of plants and dusty validity , including what to do if your plant got bite .
If plants are sound , it ’s fourth dimension to fertilise if you have n’t already . Trisha recommends Citrus - tone to feed their motivation for lots of N .
On tour , we were so favorable to meet jubilant hand - onAlly and Richard Stresingto see how they tackled flooding problem on their way to wildlife habitat and organic intellectual nourishment .
I do it their undaunted attitude about test and error DIY projects to stand water away from the house to more favorable destinations .
Now aTravis County Master Gardener , Ally passes along her experience , including their venture into raising felicitous hens in a raccoon - proof house that she and Richard built .
Take a look for yourself !
They are n’t on theAustin Funky Chicken Coop Tour on April 19 , but you may receive some cute chick at other chicken coop .
Thanks for stopping by ! See you next calendar week with plant life that defy water restrictions . Linda
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