The quote above, from Janet Gillespie’s “Stories from my Sketchbook” , is one of, if not THE, most appropriate, timely quotes I’ve used in the past 10 years I’ve been privileged to write for Nature’s Way Resources.This is issue 500. Thanks so much for your support!
Once you accept Mother Nature bats last, you don’t take it TOO personally when plants don’t cooperate ( uh-oh, I sense tight lips out there?)
Many of us are itching to replace (apparently) heat-/drought-killed plants . . .
(which I assume decided to go dormant. But I know in this ostrobogulous summer, waiting takes patience, faith AND an understanding HOA.)
Rains will come eventually. If predictions are correct, we’ll go from famine to a heavy “feast” of storms, if not hurricanes.
Mother Nature often provides compensation.
Plants fearing extinction after weather traumas often subsequently produce tons of flowers (necessary for seed) to ensure species continuation. Witness the incredible crape myrtle blooms this past spring. Or, maybe they just die.
Unfortunately Farmer’s Almanac predicts “the brrr is back” for our 2023-2024 winter, “. . . an unseasonably cold, stormy winter.” What should you do?
Visit your neighborhood independent nursery. Don’t know where it is? Ask! Then ask which of THEIR plants best tolerated this intense, dry hot period, when to plant them and/or how to nurture them until rains come. Try more natives (recommended for this area!) Great place to start: Native Plant Society – Houston Chapter’s always incredible 2023 Wildscapes Workshop. Make reservations early – fills up quickly!
Paula adds: “As with extreme cold, increase watering during extreme heat.” Sunburned leaves should remain on the plant to protect the bark. Usually next season they will see new growth and all will be well.” She’s even heard of plumerias neglected in a closed greenhouse that suffered severe damage, but they came back in spring if dead branches are pruned off. Don’t forge.
TIP O’ THE TROWEL TO GREG GRANT’s column in this week’s The Arbor Gate newsletter. Hurts to read Grant’s opening comment,“As I get on up in years …” (I think of him as so YOUNG!), but this column — like his incredible success with plants — will delight those who know this very special gardener. Greg is responsible for finding/developing/making available too many of our now-garden-favorites to even try and count.
SPEAKING OF GREAT NEWSLETTERS, Buchanan’s Native Plants in the Heights’ current send has a neat pdf download of best plants for which birds. buchanansplants.com/this-week-at-buchanans
PERHAPS MOST UNHAPPY this summer are fruit growers. In many cases, they have only one (hopefully long-lasting) harvest. High temps and drought have seriously impacted these and other edibles. In our Spotlight Article below, MARY KARISH, Waller County Master Gardener, shares coping tips, many in their Waller County Extension sited Demonstration Gardens. They’ll be sharing this expertise and great fruit, vegetable and other plants at the:
SAT., AUG. 26: FRUIT (SOIL) & MORE SEMINAR & SEPT. SALE UPDATE
by DR. RICHARD GRIFFIN & MARY KARISH, 10am-noon,
Civic Center, 3007 Waller St., Waller County Master Gardeners. tsmg.org/wallermg/events
‘CONSTANT’ IRRIGATION KEY TO FRUIT TREE SURVIVAL THESE DAYS
by MARY KARISH
Waller County Master Gardeners
txmg.org/wallermg/
It is over hundred degrees; it has not rained in over 6 weeks and the breeze picks up in the afternoons to dry whatever moisture is left in the soil. What do you do?
We cannot command nature to do our bidding, but we can alleviate the struggle fruit trees and plants are facing until the weather cools off or are blessed with rain.
Consistent irrigation is key! The best way to achieve that is to water early in the morning when the first 6 inches of soil feels dry to the touch. If you find it hard to judge moisture needs, use a moisture meter, inserted 6 inches deep in the soil. Water your fruit trees once a week and early in the morning to allow enough time for the roots to absorb the water before the heat sets in and the water evaporates.
When you irrigate, soak the area around the tree thoroughly, at least 12 inches deep and ensure you water around the drip line. Remember tree trunks are like your skeleton, they only hold the tree. Focus your irrigation on the root system that spreads about three times the limb area. Keep in mind that young trees may need frequent irrigation. However, the best way to ensure your fruits trees are sufficiently irrigated is to install drip irrigation with a timer.
Since the last freeze, many home gardeners are opting to keep their citrus in pots, giving them the option of moving the pots to protected areas during hard freezes. Citrus however, are considered subtropical, meaning they also need adequate amount of irrigation. The problem with pots is that they dry quickly and if planted in black plastic, the root system may get stressed.
To give your potted citrus the best chance of survival is to place them on the east facing side of the house or any structure that will provide afternoon shade. They will also require daily irrigation, unless you have them set up on a timer. Also, aside from your periodic fertilization, your potted citrus will benefit from a once-a-week soil drench of fish emulsion and liquid molasses. They are guaranteed to help the plant deal with heat stress.
Until nature decides enough is enough, keep your fruit trees adequately irrigated. The good news, nothing lasts forever, not even the heat!
* * *
EDITOR’S NOTE: More on this subject at the Waller County Master Gardeners’: SAT., AUG. 26: FRUIT (SOIL) & MORE SEMINAR & SEPT. SALE UPDATE by
DR. RICHARD GRIFFIN & MARY KARISH, 10am-noon, Civic Center, 3007 Waller St, Waller. Free. Waller County Master Gardener event. txmg.org/wallermg/events.
* * *
NEWS FROM THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF SOIL AND PLANTS # 251
Trees (part 2b) – the benefits
Health:
Many trees produce a wonderful fragrance from leaves, flowers, roots, bark, and wood that stimulates our immune system.
Looking at green leaves from trees help us relax and stimulates our immune system for better physical and mental health.
Exposure to trees and other greenery lowers human heart rates and relaxes brain wave patterns.
Airborne chemicals emitted from green leaves lowers our blood pressure and helps us feel good.
Many trees have medicinal properties in their leaves, bark, roots, flowers, and fruits or seeds.
Sounds from multiple song birds living in the trees lowers our stress levels.
The fragrance of the forest floor from fungi and other microbes decomposing dead wood (from the trees) lowers our blood pressure and sharpens our mental focus. It also increases production of serotonin and other beneficial chemicals in our brains.
Parks with trees promotes greater physical activity.
Girls whom have a view of trees at home, score higher on self-discipline tests.
Trees provide oxygen for us and other life forms to breathe.
The canopy of trees protects children from ultra-violet radiation and can reduce exposure by 50% or more.
Trees provide food for humans, animals, birds, insects, and other life. Studies have shown that if there is a view of trees out their windows patients heal faster with fewer complications.
Children with ADHD show fewer symptoms when they have access to trees and nature.
Exposure to trees reduces mental fatigue and improves one’s mood. Neighborhoods with trees have less crime than neighborhoods without trees.
The environmental benefits of trees reduce asthma attacks and severity. Trees by lowering particulate matter pollution outdoors, reduced indoor particulate pollution in adjacent homes by 50%
One study found that in areas without trees there was an abundance of disease carrying mosquitoes. Conversely, areas with lots of native trees had very fewer disease-causing mosquitoes.
Another study that covered 35 counties in the USA, found that in areas with greater tree cover, children had far less cases of diarrheal disease. Trees can provide nutritious food. An apple tree can produce 15-20 bushels of apples each year. Numerous fruit trees can grow on a standard urban lot.
Economic:
Trees provide shelter, fuel, food, medicine and building materials. Trees reduce the heat island effect in our cities as well as lower our electric bills (as much as 50% in some areas)
The evaporation from a single tree can produce the cooling effect of a ten-room sized air conditioner operating 20 hours per day
A lush canopy can reduce summer temperatures 6-8 degrees as compared to neighborhoods without trees
Trees around agricultural land increase yields of the main crop, and reduces insect and disease problems.
Trees clean the air, produce oxygen, intercept airborne particles, and reduce smog which helps meet urban air pollution requirements.
In urban areas with trees there are lower crime rates.
Trees used as windbreaks can reduce residential heating costs 10-15%, while shading and evaporative cooling can lower cooling costs by 20-50% Urban forests improve water quality.
A Palo Alto study found that trees in the city can intercept 135 million gallons of rainwater reducing flooding.
Trees capture and slow rainfall, their roots filter water and recharge the water table this reduces run-off, which reduces flooding, which saves stormwater management costs
For every 5% increase in tree cover added to a community, storm water runoff is reduced by approximately 2%
Trees clean and reduce polluted water from reaching our bays. Homes with trees sell more quickly and are worth 5-15% more than those without trees.
Homes where the entire street is lines with trees sell for an average of 25% more than the same houses without trees.
Trees enhance economic stability by attracting businesses, since people linger and shop longer when trees are present and they spend more money
When a canopy of trees is present, apartments and offices rent more quickly, have a higher occupancy rate, workers have less absenteeism and are more productive.
Trees reduce wind velocity during storms reducing the damage.
Trees can be harvested for crafts, building materials, and to flavor grilled meat.
I love to use mesquite, pecan, hickory, oak, persimmon, and other woods to smoke meat when I am barbecuing, as each contributes a different flavor to the meat.
If only three trees were planted for every unshaded single-family home in US cities, this would be 100 million additional trees, saving society $2 billion per year in energy costs.
Lower income neighborhoods have fewer trees and the lack of trees is associated with the problems they face.
A study from The USDA Forest Service (published in Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, June 2016) found that trees just along streets in California produced benefits of one billion dollars per year. By category: carbon storage – $10.3 million, removal of air pollution – $18.5 million, interception of rainfall – $41.5 million, and energy savings – $101 million. They also bolster property values and home sales price to the tune of
$839 million! For every dollar invested in street trees, the trees returned $5.82 in benefits.
Another study found that urban areas will continue to grow and predicts that urban land will increase another 163 million acres by 2060. Currently the 5.5 billion trees in urban areas that contain 127 million acres of leaf area and 44 million tons of dry weight leaf biomass.
These trees provide over $18 billion in air pollution removal, $5.4 billion in reduced building energy usage, and $4.8 billion worth of carbon sequestration every year!
Researchers at Oregon State University and the U.S. Geological Survey have found that some tree species “eat” rocks. They found that red alder in a symbiotic relationship with microbes uses bacteria to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere and dissolves rocks releasing elements like calcium and phosphorus. This process accelerates rock dissolution releasing more minerals to help trees and plants grow. Which will eventually help form rich fertile soils. Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences (2019).
“The wonder is that we can see trees and not wonder more” Ralph Waldo Emerson
A few good books for gardeners on trees:
“Nature’s Best Hope- A New Approach to Conservation That Starts In your Yard” by Douglass W. Tallamy, Timber Press, 2019, ISBN-13: 978-1- 60469-900-5
The Nature of Oaks – The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees by Douglas Tallamy, 2021, Timber Press, ISBN: 978-1-64326-044-0
FINDING THE MOTHER TREE – Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest, by Suzanne Simard, PhD, Borzoi Books, 2021, ISBN: 978-0525-6569-098
The Hidden Life of TREES – What They Feel, How They Communicate – Discoveries from A Secret World, by Peter Wohlleben, Greystone Books, 2015, ISBN 978-1-77164-248-4
TREE STORY – The History of the World Written in Rings
By Valerie Trouet, John Hopkins University Press, 2020, ISBN: 978-1- 4211437774
The environmental group “Houston Wilderness “, has prepared a list of native “super trees” for providing environmental benefits. https://houstonwilderness.org
The report can be found here.
If you need tree work done or consulting, I have had multiple customers whom voluntarily told me, they used a company called Arbor True for their tree work and were very pleased.
I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Brad Phillips the founder of this company for many years. They are ISA certified arborists, very knowledgeable and extremely nice good people. If you need tree work done correctly or just some consulting, they are a great company to call.
ArborTrue Tree Service https://arbortrue.com/ Phone: (832) 980-8733
526 Kingwood Dr #241
Kingwood, TX 77339
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ABOUT US
BRENDA BEUST SMITH WE KNOW HER BEST AS THE LAZY GARDENER . . . but Brenda Beust Smith is also:
- a national award-winning writer & editor
- a nationally-published writer & photographer
- a national horticultural speaker
- a former Houston Chronicle reporter
When the Chronicle discontinued Brenda’s 45-year-old Lazy Gardener” print column — started in the early ’70s as a fun side-project to reporting, it then ranked as the longestrunning, continuously-published local newspaper column in the Greater Houston area. The name, she says, is not just fun, it’s true. Brenda’s gradual sideways step from reporter into gardening writing led first to an 18-year series of when-to-do-what Lazy Gardener Calendars, then to her Lazy Gardener’s Guide book which morphed into her Lazy Gardener’s Guide on CD, which she now emails free upon request. Brenda became a Harris County Master Gardener and, over the years, served on theboards of many Greater Houston area horticulture organizations. She hosted local radio and TV shows, most notably a 10+-year Lazy Gardener specialty shows on HoustonPBS (Ch. 8) and her call-in “EcoGardening” show on KPFT-FM. For over three decades, Brenda served as Assistant Production Manager of the GARDEN CLUB OF AMERICA’S “BULLETIN” magazine. Although still an active broad-based freelance writer, Brenda’s main focus now is THE LAZY GARDENER & FRIENDS HOUSTON GARDEN NEWSLETTER with John Ferguson and Pablo Hernandez of Nature’s Way Resources. A native of New Orleans and graduate of St. Agnes Academy and the University of Houston, Brenda lives in Humble, TX, and is married to the retired Aldine High School Coach Bill Smith. They have one son, Blake. Regarding this newsletter, Brenda is the lead writer, originator of it and the daily inspiration for it. We so appreciate the way she has made gardening such a fun way to celebrate life together for such a long time.
JOHN FERGUSON John is a native Houstonian and has over 27 years of business experience. He owns Nature’s Way Resources, a composting company that specializes in high quality compost, mulch, and soil mixes. He holds a MS degree in Physics and Geology and is a licensed Soil Scientist in Texas. John has won many awards in horticulture and environmental issues. He represents the composting industry on the Houston-Galveston Area Council for solid waste. His personal garden has been featured in several horticultural books and “Better Homes and Gardens” magazine. His business has been recognized in the Wall Street Journal for the quality and value of their products. He is a member of the Physics Honor Society and many other professional societies. John is is the co-author of the book Organic Management for the Professional. For this newsletter, John contributes articles regularly and is responsible for publishing it.
PABLO HERNANDEZ Pablo Hernandez is the special projects coordinator for Nature’s Way Resources. His realm of responsibilities include: serving as a webmaster, IT support, technical problem solving/troubleshooting, metrics management and quality control. Pablo helps this newsletter happen from a technical support standpoint.
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