Barbara and Bobby Wright

currently in Austin

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Meet under-the-radar native perennials for wildlife with Barbara and Bobby Wright from organic Wright’s Nursery in Briggs.

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Perennial Fun

Recent Episodes

Half-Pint Urban Prairie + Native Fruit Tress

Let’s get growing native fruit trees! Horticulturist Karen Beaty from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center plucks a few for big and small gardens to feed us, the birds, and beneficial pollinators. To demonstrate the beauty and value of the Blackland Prairie, University of Texas at Austin students are seeding the future at the Half-Pint | watch episode →

Take a Walk on the Dry Side Plants

Dry, hot times aren’t going away. Drought-design expert, author, and landscape consultant Mary Irish creates a mixed border that withstands low rainfall. Here’s Mary and Gary’s plant list. In rocky deer country, Kathy Payne and Fix it Wise Greg Bright adapted design concepts when they left Houston, including tiered, raised limestone beds and an artistic stone | watch episode →

July To Do List

Plant: ornamental & wildlife

Succulents
Container plants

Plant: food crops

Okra, eggplant, peppers, corn 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

OKAY to prune red oaks and live oaks until February. Spray immediately with clear varnish.
No need to apply pruning paint to other trees
Dead head flowering plants
Last chance to cut back fall blooming perennials (like aster) that are setting buds

Fertilize

Foliar feed flowers and vegetables with liquid seaweed
Bougainvilla with high nitrogen
Container annuals
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.
Aphids and other insects can plague crape myrtles and other trees in summer (“raining trees” are due to the honeydew secretions). Blast with water hose on regular basis.
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).

Lawn

Keep the lawn mower setting up to high. 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.

Prep

Start planning the fall garden. Clean up debris in the vegetable garden. Late month, apply compost to future beds

Other tasks

Solarize areas where you want to kill grass or weed pests for future planting
Collect seeds from summer blooming plants. Clean off the chaff and let dry indoors. Store in jars, envelopes, or paper bags (not plastic) to plant next spring.
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
Water fruit and nut trees deeply to avoid fruit drop-off
Avoid over-watering perennials and annuals in hot, humid conditions. To avoid root rot, check soil moisture. Water deeply and then let dry out.

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