Page 55 - September Sun Rays
P. 55
September tips for a beautiful
Water Wise landscape
By Winola VanArtsdalen
It may still be blazing hot when you The Garden Club has prepared a book Winola is a Williamson County
get your Sun Rays, but hold on! By of recommended plants with color Master Gardener, a member of
mid-month, temperatures will cool photos, descriptions and suggested care, the Sun City Garden Club and a
and our beautiful Texas fall will begin. available at the Monitors’ Desks at the member of the Sun City Water Wise
Get your tools ready and prepare the Social Center and at Cowan Creek. Task Force.
soil, as this is the time to plant in the You can also bring your gardening
South. During our mild winters, roots questions to the folks at the Help Desk Master Gardeners and other
continue to grow, ensuring plants are before Garden Club meetings or call the experienced gardeners are available
strong and ready for the stress of next county AgriLIFE Extension Office phone to answer questions a half hour
summer’s heat. Tropicals like lantana, number listed at the end of this article. before Sun City Garden Club
esperanza and Pride of Barbados, are the HORTICULTURE CLUB PLANT SALE meetings each month. The Garden
exception to recommended fall planting. Club meets the second Wednesday
While they thrive in summer heat, they The Sun City Horticulture Club Plant of each month beginning with
are not fully cold hardy and as such are Sale is Saturday, September 26, from the question/answer period at
best planted in spring. This allows them 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 12:30 p.m.
to develop a strong root system before
winter arrives. Experienced gardeners will be on hand lower, usually mid-September.
to help you choose from a host of quality,
To prepare soil for planting in an existing drought tolerant plants fresh from the • Pick up a rake this fall and spare
bed, rake back mulch and refresh soil grower! yourself from the roar and pollution of
with at least an inch of compost. For a SEPTEMBER GARDENING TIPS those awful blowers! You can get some
new bed, remove turf and spread three healthy exercise and burn calories
to six inches of compost; mix in. Ideally, • Prepare to plant seeds next month without creating noise or air pollution.
the soil in the planting bed will be one- or, if cool enough, the middle of this
third compost. Organically-enriched month for spring color. • Instead of bagging leaves to be hauled
soil not only gives the plants nutrients, away, put to use what we have learned
but absorbs rainwater and filters out • Wait until next spring to plant for about mulching grass and leaving on
potential pollutants while increasing summer color (cosmos, sunflowers, lawn to add nutrients. You can do the
drainage and moisture retention. Plants zinnias). same with fall leaves. Mow several
growing in this amended soil will be times to shred into small pieces and
healthy and more resistant to disease. • Want to make a pretty fall container? then let those nutrients remain in your
Try a spikey dracaena or giant liriope yard.
How can you save water without with fillers of ornamental kale,
resorting to using gravel/rocks, which mustard plants, marigolds or Italian Source: Texas A&M AgriLIFE Extension
result in blasting heat and the problem of flat-leaf parsley. Spillers could be Service.
weeds coming through barrier? Choose ponyfoot dichondra, seedums or ivy.
drought-tolerant and native/adapted Horticulture Questions:
plants, plant in soil with organics as Turf: Contact Williamson County AgriLIFE
described above, then experience a yard
with less maintenance while enjoying • September 1: Apply pre-emergent for Extension Office at
the wildlife that you have invited! Keep annual winter weeds. 512-943-3300
some space ready for wildflower seeds,
too. Next month it will be time to plant • September 15-30: Fall is the prime
spring-blooming reseeders such as season for brown patch, a fungal
bluebonnets, columbines and poppies. disease. Symptoms appear as fairly
circular areas of brown turf which may
How do you make wise plant choices? expand outward and green up again
in the center. The dead leaves can be
easily pulled away.
• Apply one-half to one inch fine compost
as top dressing after temperatures
ONLINE: SCTEXAS.ORG SEPTEMBER 2015 SUNRAYS | 53
