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October and El Nino

Well as we have seen so far as usual Bob Rose is right on

target. Here in the end of September and the beginning of October the rains have returned. Praise Be to God! It has been almost two years since I have seen any water in our creek (Oatmeal Creek). My how the land has been restored. We are enjoying the blooms of Fall with Gay Feathers in their purple plumes everywhere, Maximillan Sunflowers in their glorious yellow gold and the green grasses as the whole countryside seems to be relieved of the stress of two years of drought. The Live Oaks are looking lively again (forgive the pun).

Now as the creeks slowly fill and ponds and lakes are replenished and are inching their way back to being the former beauty, the rains continue. We must be patient while this process takes place. What a blessing it is to have the rains return.

Ashe Junipers and Their Fever

The Ashe Junipers (Cedar Trees) are loading up with pollen earlier this year and by the looks of things it is going to be a really stout season for Cedar Fever sufferers. Now is the time to start locating and picking the berries from the female of the species. Those pretty blue in color berries that you see can be a saving grace for those of us that suffer from Cedar Fever. Sue Kersey can be at peace. I have your cedar berries already picked, so you are covered for another season.

The season normally begins in December; however, it could be earlier this year. We are going to have a wet Fall and Winter that might tone down a bit the pollen if the rains come at the right time to wash away some of the pollen. Come on rain!

Bees and Blooms

I do not purport to be an expert on Honeybees or the reasons they are diminishing in numbers, however, I have read several articles about the situation from such a wide variety of publications that it

certainly shows us the importance of Honeybees to our well being, our crops and food supply. There have been articles written about Honey Bees in the Financial Times (London England), Wall Street Journal, Christian Science Monitor, and all the usual gardening and agriculture magazines.

The dying of the Honeybees is a worldwide problem and the reasons given are as diverse as the number of the reporters and scientist that are studying and trying to resolve the problem. Our Honeybees here in the USA are from Europe in the first place. Our local experts on this subject are Mary Ellen Goff and her husband Michael. If you have questions call them at 830-798-8781. They will put together a short course for your group as well. They are really nice folks and very knowledgeable.

October is a Busy Month in the Garden

Now is the time to apply Corn Gluten for the lawns. I have not done my lawn yet because with out moisture it would be a waste. Remember to apply at the rate of 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet of lawn. Water in gently and reapply next February or right before the last freeze this next year. I am going to apply in late January. Warning: Never apply any fertilizers just before a rain. The rains will carry off your application and you will have wasted your money, time, and effort. Corn Gluten is high in Nitrogen (10%) and that is what knocks out the grass burrs.

Prepare your plants for winter by applying John Dromgole’s formula to your plants, trees, almost any vegetation. This application builds up the plants to either heat or cold and Lord knows we have

both in our winters. This formula is best if used as a foliar spray. The recipe is 2 tablespoons of fish emulsions, 1 tablespoon Medina Soil Activator, 1 tablespoon of Maxicrop Seaweed, 1 tablespoon of G-V Blackstrap Molasses all combined in 1 gallon of water

Have you purchased and placed your Tulip and Hyacinth bulbs in the refrigerator? After 60 days of them chilling, then in late December you can plant them for spring color. The other bulb plants can be planted this month. This is also the time to dig up and prepare for saving till next year your caladium bulbs. Check with your local nursery or look at pages 135 and140 of my book Gardening in the Texas Hill Country.

Don’t start pruning yet wait till at least the first freeze. However, you can be thinking about where you want to plant which trees in November through February.

If you have been gathering seeds and preparing them, now you can place them in containers properly labeled. Warning: Be absolutely sure that you have properly dried the seeds before putting away for the season. This is an excellent year to collect native grass seeds. With our first half year being so wet, the grasses have been plentiful and some are growing that we have not seen here in years. Always collect from country roads as they have not had herbicides applied by local and state governmental agencies.

Bits and Pieces

Furthermore, it is time to feed your Azaleas, Camellias, and Rhododendrons with bone meal. Don’t forget, October is the month to plant those wildflowers that you have been collecting or purchasing. On every packet that you purchase at Wild Seed Farms has instructions on how to plant. I think that their web site has instructions as well (www.wild seedfarms.com). Lastly, cut the tops off all the herbaceous perennials that have completed their flowering cycle or when the first freeze has killed their leaves.

Till Next Month!

Keep your souls and your soles in your garden! Remember the True Master Gardener: Jesus said, “I am the vine; my Father is the Gardener.” John 15:1

Have questions or comments? Contact Bill Luedecke at The Luedecke

Group Realtors, P.O. Box 1632, Bertram, TX. 78605 (no Post Office in Oatmeal) or email bill@texasland.net. For additional gardening web

sites, go to his web site; www.TexasLand.Net and click on links.