IN THE GARDEN: Ant Solutions, Mulch to Conserve Water, and Other Summer Duties

Can you say “HOT?” Yes, it is summertime. Please make sure to stay hydrated! We drink lots of water. Sometimes, we get tired of the taste of water, but you have your garden. Pinch off a couple of mint leaves and place them in your water bottle. You can also add slices of orange, lemon, lime, cucumber, watermelon … the list is as long as your garden. Switch it up on a daily basis to add some pizzazz to your water bottle. 
Daughter: Dad, I have ants in my garden right next to my recently pollinated zucchini plants. Can I still use the same ant solutions we’ve told people about? It’s no fun kneeling down to see if I have some fruit or vegetables and getting bit.
Dad: You may. Try not to get it on your fruits and vegetables. It might taste a little funny when you’re eating in the garden.
Conservation of water is of the upmost importance right now. Not the kind where you shouldn’t wash your car on a concrete driveway at two in the afternoon. (But don’t do that either.) The conservation of water that keeps the water in the ground where the roots of plants, trees, and vines can be beneficial. 
You knew it was coming: MULCH, MULCH, and more MULCH! 
Arbor Day Foundation reminds us of the benefits of mulching. Mulching insulates the soil and keeps the hot out and the cool in. Mulch retains water, helping to keep the roots moist. Remember: When you pour your natural wood chips or bark pieces, make sure your mulch is 2-4 inches deep. (Daughter here: I learned this lesson the hard way. I gently placed mulch one-half inch to an inch deep in my flower gardens. Several days later, my daughter commented that she liked the forest that I was growing. She was sincere. I spent two days picking all the itty bitty seedlings out of my flower garden.)
Speaking of mulch, it is hot enough to trim your oaks with minimal chance of oak wilt infestation. Chip your limbs and branches to make your own mulch. You can also prune your trees and shrubs. When you are cutting live limbs, don’t make the cut flush with the tree. According to the Dirt Doctor, “Flush cuts leave oval cuts and cause cavities to form in the trunk long term.” 
However, do not trim or prune your fruit trees yet.
Lightly prune your roses. Deadhead flowering plants and crape myrtles to encourage another beautiful boost of flowers.
Are you seeing pecans on your pecan trees yet? Chocolate chip pecan pie. Yummy!
Keep your souls and soles in your garden!
Remember the True Master Gardener: Jesus said, “I am the vine; my Father is the Gardener.” John 15:1
Contact Bill Luedecke at The Luedecke Group Realtors at (512) 577-1463 or email him at bill@texasland.net. Contact Martelle Luedecke at (512) 769-3179 or luedeckephotography@gmail.com.