Ask The Expert
Our knowledgeable staff here at Garden-Ville are available to answer many of the questions you might have about gardens, landscaping, and trees. Many problems with plants, however, cannot be responsibly diagnosed other than in person. We're located in central Texas and may not be familiar with the details of gardening in very different climate or soil zones. One of the guiding principles of organic growing is adapting methods to the particularites of local soil and climate. With that in mind we'll do our best to answer your question, but if we can't we'll be happy to help you find the appropriate resources or professionals in your area.
Feel free to browse the topics below to see if we've already answered a question similar to yours. If you can't find the information you need, the question submission form is located at the bottom of the page.
What fertilizer or other product may I apply in December to make my st. augustine grass greener and stronger??
12/11/20089:13:29 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment
This is a good time of year to apply our 7-2-2 fertilizer as well as to top dress with compost. We recommend our Alamo Gro for that purpose. You'll apply the 7-2-2 at a rate of 10 pounds per 1000 feet and the Alamo Gro at a depth of 1/4" to 1/2". This will help to green the lawn for the spring as well as reducing watering needs and improving the quality of the turf. Come by any of our retail locations in Austin, San Marcos, or San Antonio for either of these products. We can also ship the fertilizer and set up deliveries for bulk quantities of the Alamo Gro.
I am looking for a way to keep these inch type worms off my patio. They come up one step onto the patio and then die there. So they get dried onto the patio floor and are hard to get off. Is there something I can spray around the patio step?
12/6/200811:09:57 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Insect Control, Sick Tree Treatment, Soil Questions, St. Augustine
Once you've established where they're coming from and how they're getting in you can treat their access point with any kind of spray that will serve as a deterrent. Our Orange Oil diluted to a rate of 1-2 oz per gallon should deter them; a garlic and pepper spray will do the same thing. A couple drops dish soap in either of those will help the spray to adhere to the surface. Spray it directly onto the surfaces they are crossing to get onto the patio.
Hi, I have a cedar elm tree it was planted approx. 18 months ago. its aprox. 8-10ft tall with not many green leaves. the leaves are maybe 2-3 in long but i noticed the tips are brown and some of the leaves are brown. The tree was planted when i purchased my home and its planted on the northside of my home. is the brown leaves normal for a young tree ? Should i fertilize? if so, what would you recommend? i recently placed mulch around the tree. Thanks....
10/28/20088:26:30 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Leaf browning is normal for cedar elms this time of year. They're getting ready to drop for the winter. Unless the leaves have been brown all summer it isn't anything to worry about. And I would definitely not fertilize right now. Wait until the tree is fully dormant--December or January.my soild Ph came in at 8.6 and Pete Moss was recommended. I have spread Pete Moss around an eight thick over my entire lawn--what else should i do. I understand the high pH is preventing the St Augustine from poicking up nutrients from the soil and that might explian why it looks dry, yellow and generaly unhealthy. Thanks
10/8/20089:00:45 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Add Soil Sulphur to correct excess alkalinity in the soil at a rate of 1-2 lbs. per 100 square feet. In high alkaline soil iron becomes tied up and you will see St Augustine start to yellow. If you look closely at the grass blade it will have vertical green veins, this is called iron chlorosis. An application of greensand at 10-20 lbs per 1000 square feet will supply the iron to your lawn. I would also apply a half inch to quarter inch layer of compost to your lawn. The compost will reduce your watering needs, make more nutrients available from your fertilizer and add as a food source for good fungus. Unfortunately, St Augustine in high alkaline soil and after Summer is a given to show iron chlorosis and fungal diseases. If you are living anywhere besides the costal plains I would compost your yard in the spring and fall along with an application of greensand.
I recently purchased a home and the grass is horrible.1) It has St. Aug. in some patches but the rest is weeds What do you recommend I Do? 2) I have a area that had a bunch of rocks&sand for a fountain that I pulled out. I'm planning on laying squares of St. Aug. What advise can you give me on this project?
10/3/200810:40:56 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment
If you are located here in central Texas I wouldn't recommend St. Augustine, as it requires a great deal of water. It also doesn't do well in our full sun. Buffalo grass and Zyosia are two good options for this area. Even Bermuda would be better than St. Augustine.Your first priority should be to control the weeds. Broadcast corn gluten meal right about now for pre-emergent control. Next spring after the last frost date, then go through with our natural weed killer or a 20% vinegar solution and spray any remaining weeds. Let them die, then mow it down. If your soil is poor, which it sounds like it is, you'll want to put down some soil. 4"-6" is the recommend soil depth for a healthy lawn. Depending on your current soil you probably won't need to put down that much. Lay down sod squares or broadcast seed directly into this, then spread a very thin layer of compost over that. Either option will need to be watered regularly until established. In the fall broadcast another 1/2" of compost into the lawn. This will provide needed nutrients to the grass, improve your soil, and increase the water holding capactiy of the lawn, thereby reducing the need for water the following season. We recommend this every fall to maintain a healthy lawn.Hello, I live in Round Rock, Texas and when we first moved into our home (it was newly built) the tree didn't shade much of the side yard, so the St. Augustine grew fantastically there. Now however, the side yard is becoming more and more shaded, and of course the St. Augustine is having serious issues (thining out, completely gone in places, etc). What kind of grass can I replace the St. Augustine with that might hold up to the shade better? Could I try one of the more shade tolerant strains of St. Augustine? Or would that just be a waste of time? Thank you, Dave Green
5/12/200812:35:57 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Once the shade takes over it is going to be difficult to get anything to grow thick there, one suggestion is to trim the trees to allow more light to the ground, spread compost and fertilize the grass. That will enrich the soil and give the grass a fighting chance at survival.
Amy I have St. Aug. grass that is thinning and dying in the front yard. i have 3 12 yr old live oaks planted next to each other who's roots are popping up. I really would like to till or aerate, but i'm worried about the roots. How would you recommend building this part of the yard up? I did compost and greensand last spring. When we first moved in, this part of the yard was plush. It feels that the yard has sunk at least a couple of inches, hence the roots showing. thanks Mario Cedar Park, TX
5/12/200812:31:16 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Mario,Tree roots popping out of the soil is pretty common, the roots are where the trees breathe out of so you do not want to cover them up. You can spread compost between the roots to try and encourage grass to grow between the roots or you can plant some ground cover between the roots. If you have any other questions please let me know.When is the lastest that we can compost our St. augustine grass?
5/12/200812:23:52 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment
As long as the temperatures are below 90-95 degrees Fahrenheit you are ok to compost the grass, just remember to water it regularly after you apply the compost.
I live in san antonio and was wondering when should i start to fertilize my st. augustine? should i start in spring? and i also have bermuda tiff grass inmy front yard, when should i fertilize that? also should i put out a weed killer or anything else that will help me control the weeds in my tiff grass?
2/26/200811:47:12 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Paul,Right now is a good time to apply compost and fertilizer to your yard, if you use an organic fertilizer like our Premium Lawn Food 7-2-2 you will not have to worry about which fertilizer to put on what grass since organics are designed to build the health of the soil, the grass will get the nutrients it needs from the soil. For spring weeds you can apply corn gluten meal at a rate of 20lbs per 1000 square feet. You can purchase the fertilizer, compost, and corn gluten meal at any San Antonio Garden-Ville location.I live in Austin Texas and have St. Augustine grass, does this grass need to be cut down to 1 "t after the first freeze and clippings bagged?
2/26/200811:46:43 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Sherry,When mowing St. Augustine you will need to keep it around 2", for the first mowing of the season I would recommend you bag the clippings to remove the blades that are brown and follow up with a good 1/2" layer of compost and application of an organic fertilizer on the entire yard to ready it for spring and the hot summer months to follow. Our Premium Compost is a great compost to use on lawns since it has nitrogen, trace minerals, and organic matter that lawns need at this time of year. You do not want to "scalp" the yard because it will allow the grass to become susceptible to disease. If you have any other questions please let me know.Amy, we live in the Northwest part of Ausint, on the mesa. We have very shallow topsoil. We have lived here 30 years. in the past the St Augustine grass has been healthy and lush. beginning last summer we began to have large patches die off. Added compost, tilled, and sodded. No effect. Now we have dallar weed for the first time and othre areas are thin and sickly. We sent a soil sample to A&M and the reply was that we did not need to add any fertiliser and the soil was balanced. Suggestions? The yard is ringed with large oaks.
1/16/200810:28:31 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Lynne,When you tilled the soil you brought up dormant dollar weed. I would recommend you purchase some corn gluten meal and broadcast it this spring to take care of any spring time weed seeds from germinating. As for the existing weeds, if they are still alive right now I would spot treat the lawn with Natural Weed Control or 20% Vinegar while your grass is dormant. As for the grass, I would suggest spreading more compost this spring and fertilizing with a good balanced organic fertilizer like Premium Lawn Food 7-2-2, you can also spread our Greensand out on the lawn to give it an iron boost. If the oaks are cutting into the sunlight throughout the day I would also look into trimming the trees back. Make sure that you water the grass at least once a week for 10-15 minutes in the summer so the roots do not dry out. We have a Garden-Ville store located at 10624 N. FM 620, stop by one weekend and talk to Eric, check out our soils, mulches, and other great natural products Garden-VIlle has to offer. Hope this helps out.
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