July 9 , 2015
Worms, Wonder, Oak Leaf Fungus, Bougainvillea
It ’s crinum time in the metropolis ! My passalong ‘ Ellen Bousanquet ’ jumped right in with the crowd . Perhaps all that rain propel shy bloomers out there , since many gardeners account blossom at last . My mystery crinum took a few years to bloom after institute — typical after crinums are divided . Fungal disease sure liked that rain , too . Rows of cloudy days and humid , cool weather jell up perfect breeding conditions . Daphne ’s gotten lots of questions about chocolate-brown splotches on oak leaves . Don’t worry , she tells us . This is oak foliage bulla . “ The spores of this fungus overwinter on the tree , but only become infectious if conditions are right for their development . It only affects the first flush of outgrowth in the leaping , so leaves that rise later in the time of year wo n’t be affected at all , ” she order .
Even if the leaves come down off , there ’s no long - full term damage , and the tree will grow new foliage . find oneself out more about oak tree folio blister .
Undaunted by rain , Texas Superstar‘Flare ’ Hibiscus cheered on soldiers , their families and theGardening Volunteers of South Texason our recent sojourn to San Antonio ’s Fort Sam Houston Warrior and Family Support gardens . That knock-down segment ’s slat to publicise in November . This week , Daphne celebrates anotherTexas Superstar : Moy Grande hibiscuswith flowers as big as Texas — well , Texas - size dinner plates!Developed by the late Dr. Moy at theSan Antonio Botanical Garden , this one ’s stalwart to USDA Zone 5 . For us in Central Texas , it will lose its leaves in wintertime , but being root hardy , will bound back up to 5 - 6 ’ in spring .
Thank you to Dr. Jerry Parsons , ( Retired ) Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service — San Antonio for the enceinte pictures!Find out more about Moy Grande hibiscus .
flare bougainvillea revels in summertime ’s heat , but what ’s the trick to keep them blooming?John Dromgoole ’s get the tips , including watering , soil , and pruning . Since they bloom on new forest , John present where to prune to advance flowers between remain cycles . Iron blend with seaweed ( you ’re going for gamy nitrogen on those bracts ) help . Since they like a more acidic pH scale , John summate filth sulfur every 3 months or so .
Many of my neighbor constitute them in the ground . Even though some got hit hard this past wintertime , they ’re rebounding!Find out more about bougainvilleas . Healthy , pretty plants start with nutrient - productive soil . Jessica Robertson fromBackbone Valley Nurseryin Marble Falls goes INSIDE the box with tips for dirt ball composting . Red wigglers are the eager beaver composters you want . Worms do n’t care how precious you make their houses . But if you require snazzy up their homes , what a great house project ! Plus , worm composting is an ideal way to spare the landfill if you do n’t have elbow room for a compost bin or exist in an flat or condo . you may even use a magnanimous plastic container , with mess drilled in the bottom and sides .
But , like us , red wigglers are picky about comfort . It ’s significant to keep them cool in summer — out of the sun — and comfortably warm in winter . Indoors is ideal , since it does n’t smack . Give them comfy nest material like coconut coir fiber or shredded newspaper . speedily , they ’ll turn your kitchen scraps into toothsome dirt ball castings to nourish containers and garden bed . As Jessica says , these are like thirsty teenagers : a pound of worms will eat two pound of food day by day .
Thanks for stopping by ! See you next week , Linda
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