Remember I told you back in November that we were going to have a really bad year for Cedar Fever. Well of course I felt that it was going to be severe but I did not have any idea that it would end up being historically the worst year ever. You can still start the Cedar Tea if you haven’t already begun. This year instead of using one teaspoon, I am using two tablespoons of the tea each morning. If you have not received the recipe either from my book or past articles, here is the process. Take one cup of Juniper berries and place in a saucepan with one and a half cups of water. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, cover and let cool. Once the tea has cooled, place in a covered jar in refrigerator. Each morning take one teaspoon of the tea (this year take 2 tablespoons). Some prefer to put the teaspoon of tea in their orange or apple juice. I just take it straight.
Plants are Puzzled
How would you like to be a plant or a tree right now? Two days ago it was 76 degrees; this morning it was 23 degrees. Our plants and trees are probably saying “It’s spring! No, it’s winter!”. The plants must be as confused as we are. The plants don’t know whether to bud and bloom or stay dormant. I know one thing for sure; we are certainly getting an abundance of “Chill Hours” for our fruit trees. When our rains return, we should have an awesome fruit crop this year, barring any late freezes.
The Martins are Coming
The Martins are coming! The Martins are coming! I know it seems too cold and too early, however, my friend Jim Cox always reminds me that they are coming right around February 15th. So it is certainly time to clean up and clean out their houses, as the scouts will be here shortly.
Some February Reminders
Potato planting time is around mid month, between Presidents’ Days.
Do you have your onion sets planted yet?
Valentine’s Day means it is time to prune your roses.
This is our last time to apply Corn Gluten to our lawns to naturally feed and weed them before the spring growing season. This is the way to get rid of those pesky grass burrs and other weeds in our lawns. Apply Corn Gluten at the rate of 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet with a fertilizer spreader. Don’t wait for the grass burrs to pop up since this is a natural pre-emergent to the burrs and the fertilizer to everything that is already up.
There is still time to plant fruit trees or any other trees for that matter.
Warning: Don’t prune your fruit trees till mid to late this month(February) or early March.
Please Don’t Murder the Myrtles
The best way to prune Crepe Myrtles is not to prune. The only time they should be pruned is when they are planted under the eaves of the house or power line. Crepe Myrtles are not supposed to be pruned. Instead, we are supposed to purchase the correct size. They come in dwarf, medium to tall; always ask the nursery how tall they are going to grow before you purchase one.
Food for Thought (No Pun intended)
I read the following in “The Acres“ February Issue. Professor Don Huber said in his closing remarks at last month’s Acres USA’s Conference, “Future historians may well look back upon our time and write not about how many pounds of pesticide that we did or didn’t apply, but about how willing we are to sacrifice our children, to jeopardize future generations to this massive experiment that we call genetic engineering that’s based on flawed science and failed promises just to benefit the bottom line of a commercial enterprise.” Of course, he was referring to the GMOs that are in our society. In other countries the GMOs are not allowed. Why do we allow them here in America?
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.
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