TREE & SHRUB CARE

🌱 Improving Your Soil Healthy soil = healthy plants. It’s the foundation of gardening success. ✅ Better watering & fertilizing ✅ Stronger plants & bigger blooms ✅ Ongoing investment in your garden 🔍 Why Test Soil? Soil testing is the first step to improving your garden. A soil test will: 🧱 Identify soil type (clay, sandy, etc.) 🌿 Reveal nutrient or micronutrient deficiencies ⚖️ Pinpoint soil pH (acidic or alkaline) 📍 Soil testing available at: Oklahoma County Extension

November is a great time to plant container grown shade trees, shrubs, and ground covers. P ansies, Ornamental Cabbage and Kale may still be planted. Fertilize at time of planting with Hi-Yield Blood Meal , which also repels rabbits. Plant spring flowering bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, etc., Use Hi-Yield Bone Meal. In early November fertilize established cool-season shady lawn grass with TLC Premium Lawn Food. Remove fallen leaves from covering cool-season grasses Fertili

Winter and Water Plants need less care in winter, but it’s important to not neglect watering your plants over the winter months. Some ice or wind damage is unavoidable, but a lot of cold weather damage to plants’ cells is caused by dehydration. Follow the steps below to make sure your plants have adequate hydration in the winter. Step 1 Water your garden thoroughly in the fall and deeply water newly planted trees and shrubs. Plan to give the plants and trees a deep watering e

Plant Selection Choose your tree or shrub based on your landscape needs, like flowering, evergreen, screening, hedge, shade or border. Be sure to consider the ultimate size of each plant – which tends to be different in Oklahoma than what you’ll read on a generic label. Speak with a TLC Expert for guidance in selecting the proper tree for your location. Call OKIE Call OKIE at 811 to have your utility lines marked before planting. This service is free of charge, but takes 48 h

The most important component of gardening: Soil. The success or failure of gardening depends heavily on how gardeners prepare their soil. Understanding your soil will give you insight into watering and fertilizing your plants. The result is healthier, more beautiful plants. A lucky few are blessed with naturally good soil, but most soils in Oklahoma need improvement. The best investment a gardener can make to ensure hardy plants, luscious blooms and abundant fruit and vegetab

Succulent Survival Cacti & succulents come from various regions of the world. Both encompass many different varieties of plants. Therefore, most of the time, they aren’t sorted or named when you see them in store. Fortunately, though, the care for these cacti and succulents are similar. Light Many cacti & succulents can sustain and grow with at least medium light. South facing windows work best in Oklahoma. Depending on the plant variety, intensity of the sun or time of year,

Breathtaking Beauty Meets Simplicity In terms of evolutionary history, orchids are the youngest flowering plants. They are also the largest plant family, with 10,000 to 30,000 species and more than 70,000 hybrids. Most orchids come from Asiatic regions and are most commonly found growing in trees. But a greenhouse or climate-controlled area isn’t required to grow them. Despite their elegant, graceful appearance, orchids aren’t difficult to care for, and by following a few sim

Striking the Right Balance Reasons to Analyze Soil Soil testing provides a starting place for soil improvement. Unless you know the problems in your garden soil, you are only guessing when you apply fertilizer. For soil testing information, contact the Oklahoma County Extension Center, 2500 NE 63rd St, Oklahoma City, (405) 713-1125. Learn what type of soil composition you have (clay, sandy etc.) Find out what your soil is lacking (nutrients, micronutrients, etc.) Pinpoint soi

With immense flower heads, hydrangeas flaunt an old-fashioned charm that is hard to resist. Colors also beguile with clear blues, vibrant pinks, frosty whites, lavender, and rose—sometimes all blooming on the same plant! Unrivaled in the shrub world, these elegant ladies are easy to cultivate, tolerate almost any soil, resistant to most pests and diseases, and produce flowers in mid-summer through fall. Hydrangeas are excellent for a range of garden sites from group plantings