VOLUME 15, ISSUE 39 • September 26, 2019

Neil Sperry editor. Gretchen Drew design and circulation.

Gardening This Weekend

We're about to wave goodbye to another month across Texas. A month from now many parts of the state will be nearing the average date of first frost. That seems improbable at this point, but it means we need to get busy. I have your guidelines.

Photo: It's time to divide daylilies.

Will Be Most Visible Weed of Autumn

People have been asking me to identify this weed in their lawns the past several weeks. Its leaves are so tiny you could almost miss seeing it. But it's out there and it's about to get very noticeable. I'll tell you about it and help you control it.

Photo: What is this weedzilla-to-be?

Question of the Week: September 26, 2019

"Why are branches falling off my tree? They look like they've been cut with a knife."

As the autumn winds pick up these twigs start to fall. I'll explain.

Photo: What has done this unusual damage?

Fall Shades of Orange

I've been out and about these past several days and a couple of plants have really caught my eye. Even for a guy who grew up surrounded by maroon in College Station, orange is beautiful, especially in fall. Here are two great sources.

Photo: Orange Jubilee Esperanza (l) and Pride of Barbados

Quick Questions of the Week: September 26, 2019

1. "When is the best time to remove bothersome roots?"
2. "I want to plant St. Augustine sod, but you said it's too late to plant it. What can I do now?"

I'll answer both of these questions.

Photo: When can you remove roots like these?

Before we close…

Join us for the annual Crape Myrtle Run the Trails Family Fun Run, 5K and 10K and Family Fun Festival as we kick off Oktoberfest in McKinney this Saturday, September 28. Come to Boyd High School on Lake Forest Drive just north of Virginia. Registration begins at 7 a.m. Details at CMTRUN.com.

And, one last-minute addendum!

This photo was posted a few hours ago to my Facebook page by Juliana H. of Gonzales County (South Texas). It’s armyworms, so we’re now officially put on alert. ID them by those dark stripes down their sides. They strip blades off bermudagrass turf, leaving it unsightly and brown. The grass will green up again since they don’t affect the runners or roots. They do not attack St. Augustine. Bifenthrin, permethrin or carbaryl will control them quickly. Organic gardeners will have the best control with spinosad.

And, in closing…

That's it for e-gardens for this week. I'll look forward to seeing you back here again next week, however, as we slip into October. There's a lot to love about that month horticulturally.

In the meantime, I'll see you in a local nursery, or I'll talk to you on the radio (or via podcasts on my website). Join me on Facebook or in one of my newspaper columns. And there's always the burger joints and church - those are places we can visit, too.

Until next week,

Happy gardening!