Feb. 17, 2011

Here's Randy's Weekly KTRH GardenLine Tip:

Issue #199

Let's talk freeze-recovery.

First of all, I just looked at a long-range forecast I trust, and there is no hint of freezing weather in it for the next two weeks. So I think we can consider getting seriously busy without fearing another Arctic blast. That doesn't mean I can guarantee no freezes or frosts between now and April 1, but this is about as good as it gets.

So, since I've been hammered recently with freeze-recovery e-mails, here are some simple rules we can follow for the next few weeks.

1. If it's crispy and brown, cut it back to green wood. Hibiscuses are perfect examples.
2. If you cut back any brown-and-crispy plant to the ground and see no sign of green, but the root system seems to be firmly locked in, consider leaving it alone and seeing what comes back. If the root system moves around easily ... like a car's stick-shift ... it's dead. You can remove the whole thing.
3. If it's mushy, gushy or gooey, get rid of it! Cut it out, remove it — do whatever it takes to get the nasty stuff out of there.
4. If a palm frond (queen palms are good examples) is drooping over, cut it out or back. If a palm frond is standing up, leave it alone. Remember last year? We had to wait months before we knew if they were coming back or not.
5. On smaller palms, where you have access to the fronds (a dwarf pygmy date palm is a perfect example), pull on those in the interior to see if they stay in. If they easily slide out, the plant is dead. If they are holding on tight, the plant may still be alive, but you will have to wait and see.
6. It's time to scalp the yard. If you don't know what that means, please read this tip sheet. (Essentially, you're going to try to vacuum up dead grass so the live roots are open to air, sunshine, water and fertilizer.)
7. If you think your St. Augustine lawn has a lot of thatch build-up, don't mechanically de-thatch — scalp instead. And there are products that will help break down the thatch — basically anything with humus or humates in them.

If these seven rules don't seem to apply to your situation, call the GardenLine broadcast on 740 KTRH this weekend. Or, come out to the Woodlands Home & Garden Show Saturday.
Woodlands Home & Garden Show
Remote Broadcast - Sat., Feb. 19
Waterway Marriott, 1601 Lake Robbins Drive
I will be broadcasting GardenLine live Saturday from the Woodlands Home & Garden Show at the Waterway Marriott. It'll be a great opportunity to ask me questions live and in person at the KTRH booth. I'll also have a seminar 10:30-11:30 a.m. Then, I'll be back at the broadcast booth till 1:30 p.m. to take more questions.

I will also have my new book, "1001 GardenLine Questions," on sale along with my previous book, "Gulf Coast Gardening." They'll be priced at $15 each or the pair for $25. But here's an even better deal: bring me a copy of this e-mail tip to get the pair for just $20! Everyone else pays $25.

We love the Woodlands Home & Garden Show for several reasons. First, there are always a number of GardenLine sponsors at the show. Second, parking is free. And third, it's actually a home and garden show ... not just "home," and not just all that infomercial stuff. We always have a great time there, so join us. By the way — the doors don't open until 9, but you can come by at 8 a.m. for our live broadcast ... or to get your hands on those books!

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Exclusive for GardenLine Listeners and E-mail Tip subscribers:
The new book, 1001 GardenLine Questions with Randy Lemmon
is available NOW at a discount!
It covers how to grow and kill things in the garden,
especially those in the Houston area and along the Gulf Coast.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER!

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