We are one day closer to those rains that are coming our way. I did not say it was going to rain tomorrow, but that we are one day closer. If you have lived here in the Texas Hill Country very long you know that when our droughts break it is a “Frog Strangler” of a rain. If you are not accustomed to that term, it means a real “wooly burger” of a rain storm or in normal terms a flood is a coming.

In the meantime what we need to do is mulch almost everything and water slowly and deeply. Be careful not to waste water but use it carefully and save our trees and landscape. Remember: Rain is coming we just don’t know for sure, how much or when. Cedar Fever is Coming!

Now is the time to locate those lady Ashe Junipers (Cedar Trees), the ones with the berries. Mark these with flagging tape spray paint or something so you can go straight to them and get the berries that you will need to make the Cedar Tea to combat “Cedar Fever”. If you have plenty then you will want to share with friends who suffer from this annoying allergy.Yes, Sue Kersey I have yours already spotted and in late November I will have your berries bagged for you.

Care for Plants for the Winter, now is a good time to prepare your landscape with John Dromgole’s formula for this coming season and the drought conditions that we are currently experiencing. This is a formula for foliar (spraying the leaves) feeding your plants. Ideally this should be done each week throughout the Fall and Winter months.

The recipe consists of two tablespoons of fish emulsion, one tablespoon of Medina Soil Activator, one tablespoon of Maxicrop Seaweed, one tablespoon of G-V Blackstrap Molasses, combined together in one gallon of water. If you can not find all these ingredients or choose not to mess with the making of this formula, you can purchase John’s formula already mixed and ready to use.

It is time to feed your azaleas, camellias, and rhododendrons with bone meal to encourage bud formation. Do you want a beautiful and healthy lawn next Spring, now is the time to prepare by fertilizing with (8-2-4) for the Winter.

Wildflower Planting Time, now is the test of our patience as gardeners. What does that mean? Well we prepare the ground, plant and water if we can then wait till next Spring to see our results. I don’t know about you but that is a huge test of this gardener’s patience. My wife Patty will tell you that patience is not one of my virtues.After you have cleared the planting area, prepared the ground you are ready to plant those seeds.

John Thomas of Wild Seed Farms fame in Fredericksburg suggest that you rake the ground to about an inch depth and plant the seeds no more than 1/16th of an inch deep for best results. Mix the seeds with some clean masonry sand, perlite, potting soil, etc. and broadcast together. Broadcast half of this mixture in one direction then broadcast the other half perpendicular to the first. If you are looking for a real treat go to Wild Seed Farms just east of Fredericksburg and enjoy the wonders there.

Remember: The future of a seed is in the quality of the soil! 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.