Category: Ground Cover

Spring Pre-emergent Weed Control

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Late summer blooms.Now, early March, is the time to apply your twice annual pre-emergent weed control, if you choose to use one. This timing is for North Texas – if you live further south (Zone 9 or greater) you will need to apply it earlier, and if north (Zone 7b and lower) apply it later.

We at Desiree Gardens don’t really do lawns, and what little lawn space we have is usually dedicated to native wild flowers. But we know this is not for everyone. If you have a wild-scaped lawn like we promote, you DO NOT want to apply pre-emergents and definitely do not apply a broad leaf weed killer.

If however you have a well manicured lawn, you will want to apply your pre-emergent now in the first week of March. This will help control crabgrass, spurge, henbit, and rescuegrass. This should be reapplied in early June, and again in September. We’ll post reminders for those applications.

Other weeds such as clover, dandelion, dallisgrass, nutsedge, and bittercress will need to be controlled with a broad leaf weed killer that is only effective after the weeds have appeared. It is also important to apply a broad leafed weed killer when the daytime temperature is above 70°, rain is not expected for at least 48-hours, and preferably in the morning when there is little to no wind. Always remember that broad leafed weed killers are indiscriminate and if blown onto your garden beds will damage or kill plants there as if they were weeds.

Need help with your irrigation or sprinkler system? Does your garden need an overhaul or just a general checkup? Maybe you just need a helping hand to protect sensitive plants from freeze and frost. Give us a call at 817-202-4808, or drop us a line and contact us here, to find out how Desiree can help you create a wonderful garden with a budget you can afford.

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Zone 7 & 8 May Plants

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The summer heat is here, and the weather man is forecasting nothing but highs in the 90s and 100s for weeks to come. Things start to seriously heat up in May, but it’s still the perfect time to plant certain crops. There are a variety of vegetables that need warm soil and grow very quickly that are perfect to plant in warmer weather.

Beans, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes all grow very quickly and prefer warm weather. This is the perfect time to set up a trellis in your raised beds and start your seedlings. All of these prefer well drained soil and regular watering, so if you don’t get frequent summer showers you’ll need to water your crops early in the morning. Tomatoes might tend to go dormant in the searing heat of late July and August, but you can look forward to another crop as the temperatures cool into September and October.

Corn, melons, and squash can be grown in fresh tilled fertile ground and will thrive in the coming summer heat. Don’t feel that you’re planting too late into the growing season. The first frost for zones 7 and 8 doesn’t usually come until mid to late November at the earliest, giving you plenty of time to allow these crops to reach maturity.

Pepper bushes seem to capture the scorching heat of the sun and concentrate it into their tiny red and orange fruits. These bushes can be ornamental, along with sweet potatoes, and provide interest and color to a front yard bed. Sweet potatoes in particular make a fantastic ground cover.

If you’re planning on some fall and winter crops, now is also the time to start planning your seedling grow beds for kale, spinach, and lettuce. Don’t start these seedlings just yet, but go ahead and start organizing grow beds and be ready to start your fall seedlings indoors under the grow light or by a south facing window here in a few weeks.

There’s never a dull moment and there’s always something to do in an active year-round garden.