| Monthly
Planning Guides for North Texas
and Plant Care Information |
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| Keys
to Gardening Success |
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| Shade
Tree Information Sheets with
Colorful Pictures (PDFs) |
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| What You
Should Know |
Our What You Should Know
series of articles is
useful, need to know information
for anyone wishing to garden
in North Texas. Most of the
regular readers of our webletter
may already know this information,
but the series is written so
our customers can share
it with their friends, neighbors,
and family who need to know about
these topics, but didn't know
to ask! Feel free to send
any of our What
You Should Know articles
to anyone who could
use a bit of gardening help.
It's OK...we don't mind! Just
download the PDF, attach
it to an email, and send
to a friend. |
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| Planting
Articles |
Covington's
Recipe for New Beds
- First, remove the grass
(if any exists) from the
new bed area with a sod cutter
or with a spray of 20% vinegar
or Hi-Yield Kill-Zall.
- Roto-till the area thoroughly.
- Add no less than a 2" layer
of expanded shale and a 2" layer
of our Back to Earth cotton
burr compost! The shale improves
drainage more or less permanently
(as it is stone, it doesn't
decompose!), and the porous
nature of the shale holds
moisture in drought conditions,
as well as air when the soil
would otherwise be waterlogged!
The compost provides further
initial drainage and feeds
the soil.
- Roto-till it again! Think
of this step like blending
a cake batter, working the
shale and compost throughout
the existing broken clay.
- Top dress with another
2" layer of your favorite
mulch! Hardwood
mulch, cedar mulch, and cypress
mulch are all good choices
for top dress. A thick layer
of mulch cuts dramatically
down on weed problems and
keeps your soil cooler during
the summer.
This bed preparation will
make it much easier
to succeed with your new plantings,
across the board.
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| Helpful
Articles |
Water
Conservation in North Texas
- Mulch
Everything -
This is the #1 priority:
when drought conditions
threaten, it's time to
mulch. Put a generous
two-to-three inch layer
on top of your flowerbeds,
around your trees, and
in your gardens. A good
thick layer of mulch
is the first
line of defense.
 Prepare
New Beds Properly -
Expanded Shale and Compost,
a two inch layer of
each tilled into your
soils of new plantings,
adds proper drainage
and also holds enough
moisture around your
plants' roots to help
prevent undue summer
stress.- Water
Correctly -
Water applied through
your sprinkler system
should be applied heavily,
but less often; follow
your home city's rules
for sprinkler usage.
Water in the early
morning to avoid
unnecessary evaporation,
and when you do water,
soak your plants hard. This
heavier, less frequent
watering encourages a
strong, deep root system
that is less prone to
drought stress.
- Do
Not Over Fertilize Turf -
Heavily fertilized lawns
need heavier watering.
In drought conditions
- with water restrictions
active - go easy on
the feedings. The turf
won't be a lush, brilliant
green, but it won't
burn up either.
Expanded Shale and Why You
Should Use It
Expanded Shale for our heavy
clay soil does the following:
- Shale
Opens Clay Soils - Using
a good two-to-three inch
layer of Expanded
Shale, tilled
in to the soil, opens
clay soils and keeps
them open for years.
One tilled-in application
of this shale will last
for at least 10 years
or more. This provides
a soil condition most
of us here in North Texas
never see - soil
soft enough
to easily dig without
"stomping" on your
shovel.
- Shale
Adds Air to Your Soil -
Even when your soil would
otherwise be waterlogged,
through rain or simple
over-watering, Expanded
Shale will still maintain
thousands of tiny pockets
of air, helpful for the root
system of your
plants.
- Shale
Holds Water in Drought
Conditions -
Shale also has thousands
more larger pockets within
a typical pebble, large
enough for water to come
in and make itself home.
Expanded Shale will hold
up to 38% of
its' weight in water,
but won't let it go until
the soil around it is
dry and in need of the
moisture.
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Planting Advice
What You
Should Know
Helpful Articles
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| Water
Conservation Products |
 Soil
Moist has been developed
to reduce the amount of water
needed to maintain vigorous
plants and other green goods.
When mixed in the soil, the
crystals will soften and swell
as water is added and absorbed.
Enviro
RainDrops is a formulation
that reduces the surface tension
of water and increases the
retention of moisture in the
soil. It changes the structure
of water molecules to reduce
their natural tendency to bead,
allowing water to flow deeper
into the soil - up to 35% in
soils that do not typically
repel water.
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