Hello acclimated lovers of less than 100-degree weather! 

What a horrible summer, let’s hope it’s behind us.  September is the time to come out of hibernation and get back to the landscape and garden.   Some things to think about:

 FEED THE SOIL

Jeremy’s newest article for Edible Austin (fall issue) is on the streets now, and includes two interviews with some inspiring peeps about living soils.  So inspiring, that it deepened BioGardener’s commitment to treating landscapes as a living system, especially the dirt.  In addition to the usual compost topdressing and organic fertilizer applications, we are now also emphasizing the importance of regular applications of compost tea.

Compost tea has a concentrated number of beneficial microbes.  If your soil has enough organic material to support them (through the application of compost topdressing), these microbes can accelerate the restoration of historically abused soils.  We’ve found a great source for the tea, and recommend applying every month during the growing season, usually 8-9 times per year. 

Cost to apply is about the same as organic fertilizer, $50-75 for most average-sized yards.  If you’d rather save the money and do it yourself, let me know, and I’ll hook you up with the best quality stuff in all the land. 

Microbes are an most important part of any maintenance program, but so is organic matter and nutrients.  As soon as the weather cools, most plants and lawns would appreciate an application of compost and/or organic fertilizer.  Compost has some beneficial microbes and some nutrients but most importantly, it amends soils by breaking up clays and balancing water retention.  Organic fertilizers don’t have the microbes or the organics, but are rich in nutrients and minerals that compost and compost tea don’t have.  Let me know if you need help figuring it all out.

 WATER

This is always a very delicate topic in Austin, but even more so during this record-breaking summer.  It’s all about perspective.  Everyone’s priorities are different, so it’s not fair to shun folks for wanting a lawn that is alive despite the weather.  As long as we all stay in the spectrum of thoughtful water use, there are no rights and wrongs.

For those in the more tropical corners of the spectrum, remember that Austin is in Stage 2 watering restrictions, which means we can only use sprinklers one time per week.  On your watering day, try to water each zone in several short bursts to avoid runoff.  The goal is to keep it barely alive, not a Seattle jungle.

For those in the opposite corners, you haven’t watered at all and your St. Augustine is not coming back.  It’s dead.  When considering what to do with the dirt patch, you’ve got some options.  Consider expanding or creating new beds with not only native plants, but natives that can take the extreme summers with no supplemental water.  Texas kidneywoods, evergreen sumacs, native lantanas, some native groundcovers, succulents, agaves, some native grasses…they’re all doing fine despite two years of drought.  Maybe consider converting your lawn into a wild prairie, which can be seeded NOW with a mix of native wildflower and grasses.  No matter how you take advantage of the only opportunity this summer has allowed us, it’s important to consider the mature trees, even the native ones, on your property. 

We are gradually seeing weaker, mature, native trees die all over town as a consequence of this 50-year (soon to be 100-year) drought.  If you don’t want that 40-year old pecan or live oak to come crashing down on your house, and you haven’t watered at all, you might want to turn on the hose.  Water slow and deep to give those roots some water.  Maybe take off the P-trap under your kitchen sink and stick a 5-gallon bucket in its place.  Or run the washing machine drain hose to the lawn.  Consider skipping a fall veggie garden this year.  But still throw eggs at those 200k-gallon-per month users on the west side of town.  Stay true to your conservationist roots, but try to protect the natural resources on your land that actually improve the value of your home by using a little water on them. 

MULCH

A thick layer of coarsely-ground hardwood mulch in beds does more than help keep weeds down.  It helps buffer soil temps, which protects the good microbes living in your soil, along with plant roots, and helps retain soil moisture.  Mulch also slowly breaks down over time, adding nutrients for plants and a food source for the good bugs.  But because it breaks down, it needs to be replenished anytime it’s reduced to a depth of less than 3 inches.  This a good idea for any time of the year.

For those with plenty of mulch, don’t forget to turn and ‘fluff’ the mulch periodically, especially if you have that finely shredded black stuff from the green and white bags.  Fluffing keeps the mulch aerated, which prevents compaction and allows water and air to continue to get down into the soil. 

FALL INSTALLATION PROJECTS

We seem to be in a bit of a time warp for fall installation projects, which normally would be all lined up and launching this time of year.  But for Fall 2009, mostly because of the weather but maybe a little because of the economy, we’re crawling into the planting season in a pool of syrup and are having a hard time getting there.  Which means you have more time than usual to get on the schedule!  If you benefited from a BioGardener consultation this summer and are ready to make a move in the next 3-4 months, please get in touch soon to secure your place and avoid getting pushed back to next year. 

THE BLOG

We have eliminated the “What’s New” page of our website and created something much more dynamic, reader-friendly, useful, and informative: the BioGardener Blog.  It includes and will include writings relevant to BioGardener, including seasonal tips useful to everyone.  We will continue to send important emails to existing customers with seasonal topics, but the blog serves a broader purpose and includes lots of more information for those who are interested. 

Please let me know if we can help you restore a tortured landscape, create a new one, maintain what you have, or simply answer any questions.  August was the biggest August we’ve ever had, which makes it the fifth month this year of record revenue.  Wow, you people are the greatest. 

Thanks as always for your business, and for the love.

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