Geyata Ajilvsgi

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Meet backyard butterflies and how to keep them around with tips from Geyata Ajilvsgi, author of Butterfly Gardening for Texas.

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Backyard Butterflies

Recent Episodes

Snakes to Love!

Most of the snakes in our gardens are not harmful at all, except to vermin—trying to get into your house—and to plant pests like slugs and snails. Tim Cole from Austin Reptile Service shows off some common friendly snakes, debunks a few myths, and explains why they’d even get close to your homestead. Daphne answers viewer | watch episode →

Flashy Plants for Splashy Summer

Icy drinks, cool swims, and sizzling grills mean that summertime’s here for sure. Pop hot color into outdoor “livin’ is easy” with Casey Aicklen from Barton Springs Nursery, including the oft-asked question, “How to keep bougainvilleas blooming?” Caterpillars love summer, too! Daphne identifies butterfly larvae instars chomping on fennel and parsley and Genista Broom moth caterpillars | watch episode →

June To Do List

Plant: ornamental & wildlife

Annuals: zinnia, cosmos, sunflower, celosia, penta, periwinkle, gomphrena, portulaca and other “ice” plant succulents, Mexican sunflower, salvia coccinea
Perennials & vines: (shade them for a week or so)
Semi-tropicals like Pride of Barbados
Tropical plants
Succulents
Crinum lilies, cannas, caladiums, ginger
Ornamental (clumping) grasses like muhly and Mexican feather grass
Clean up and replant containers—annuals, perennials, herbs, hibiscus, vegetables in larger containers
Top new containers with light layer of mulch to conserve water; use decomposed granite, pea gravel or other grit for potted succulents

Plant: herbs

Basil, catnip/catmint, oregano, thyme, rosemary, Mexican mint marigold, peppermint, lemongrass, lemon balm, lemon verbena, bay laurel

Plant: food crops

Cantaloupe, okra, Southern peas, sweet potato slips, pumpkin, summer & winter squash, watermelon
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Vegetable Planting Guides (Central Texas) http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/travis/home-landscape/edible-gardens/growing-vegetables/

Prune

Trees: DO NOT prune red oaks and live oaks unless damaged. Spray immediately with clear varnish.
No need to apply pruning paint to other trees
Dead head flowering plants
Cut back fall blooming perennials like aster
Once-only spring bloomers if you haven’t already

Move/Divide

Succulents
Late-spring blooming bulbs while you can still see them!

Fertilize

Foliar feed flowers and vegetables with liquid seaweed
Fertilize bougainvillea with high nitrogen
Citrus with high nitrogen fertilizer like Citrus-tone. Fertilize every few weeks through growing season.

Insects

Watch for aphids and spider mites. It’s easy to spray them off with a hard blast of water. Be sure to get the undersides of the leaves.
Ladybugs and green lacewings will be chomping down those aphids, so watch for them and their larvae.
Aphids and other insects can create sooty mold on plants, a fungus that develops from their secretions (honeydew). Wash off the culprits and the leaves. Remove damaged leaves to the trash (not the compost pile).
Walk the garden in early morning to pick off stink bugs and largus bugs from tomatoes. Check under the leaves for eggs.

Lawn

Move the lawn mower setting up to high. As we head into summer, keep the roots cool by leaving the grass long. Don’t remove more than 1/3 of the top at a time. Leave clippings on the lawn to naturally fertilize.

Other tasks

Collect seeds from spring-blooming plants. Clean off the chaff and let dry indoors. Store in jars, envelopes, or paper bags (not plastic) to plant in November.
Collect cilantro seeds when totally dry for coriander in the kitchen or to plant next year
Mulch, but avoid touching the base of trees and roses
WEED! Do not let weeds go to seed. Do not apply chemicals: pull them up or mow down before they set seed.
Deeply water new plants. Even if rain comes, check the soil to 3” deep to make sure their roots have water. A brief shower doesn’t mean it penetrated to the roots.
Keep a garden journal to note bloom times and insect habits.

Tips

Prune herbs often to encourage new growth
Walk the garden in early morning to pick off stink bugs and largus bugs from tomatoes. Look under the leaves to for their eggs.
Water fruit and nut trees deeply to avoid fruit drop-off
Avoid over-watering plants as we head into heat. To avoid root rot, check soil moisture. Water deeply and then let dry out.

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