Southwest Fertilizer

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by Lisa Lennon & Dr. Paul Nester
Extension Agents - I.P.M - Fire Ant Project
Texas Agricultural Extension Service

Photo: Scott Bauer

Fire ants love the springtime - they like the warm humid air, the moist soil in planting beds and turfgrass, and conditions in the compost pile. Spring is the ideal time for imported fire ants to begin working their mounds and causing problems for homeowners. The past dry winter kept fire ants deep in the ground, and the mildness of the winter means a minimal reduction in their numbers.

Fire ants like to nest in open, sunny yards that are mowed and watered regularly. They will nest in vegetable gardens for the adequate moisture supply, in newly planted tree rings, in sidewalk cracks and next to building foundations. During the spring and fall, fire ants become very active - the queen can produce up to 800 eggs per day!

Imported fire ants travel from yard to yard, easily dispersing due to periodic mating flights. Also, colony movement readily occurs during this time. Most of our mounds have multiple queens, and may be spread over larger areas than we actually see. Just sprinkling a product over the top of the mound may not control the whole colony.

Spring is a particularly good time to begin an organized fire ant management program. Homeowners will continue the battle and expense of attempting to control these pests unless a coordinated effort is recognized. There are many communities and neighborhoods across Texas working together to successfully manage fire ants. These neighborhood-wide treatments are safer for the environment because less pesticide is actually used to gain control of the ants.

Take the time to educate yourself to the extent of your fire ant problem. Are there just a couple of mounds in the yard? Have you seen other types of ants in the yard? Or, do you feel that fire ants have taken over? The best way to control the imported fire ant is to follow a management plan developed for your home. If there are native competitor ants present and fewer than four or five fire ant mounds per average 1/4-acre yard, maybe an individual mound treatment approach is best. This method helps protect populations of native ants and allows them to better compete with fire ants.

Six ant species known to attack red imported fire ant workers, brood and queen or compete for food are the southern fire ant, little black ant, Pharaoh ant, bigheaded ant, pavement ant and tramp ant. Some of these native and exotic “desirable” competitor ant species may be the ultimate key to our fight against the red imported fire ant. More information on surveying your yard for native ant activity can be found in the Ant Fact Sheet #7, Survey-Based Management of Red Imported Fire Ants, available on the web site http://fireant.tamu.edu. Try monitoring your lawn for the presence of these native competitor ants and identify the type of imported fire ant problem you have to help select one of the following programs.

Check the fire ant web site. Information found there can help assess the problem and find the solution. For example, the “Two-Step Method of Fire Ant Control” is an excellent tool for homeowners to use for heavily infested areas, and is exceptional when organized with your neighbors.

For additional information on the Community-wide program, contact Lisa Lennon or Dr. Paul Nester with the Texas Agricultural Extension Service. They are avaialble to discuss the program with Homeowner Associations or Neighborhood Groups.

Extension programs serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability, or national origin.

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Common Symptoms

Does your lawn look thin and yellow? Is the soil hard as a parking lot? When watering, do you start to get run- off into the gutter after just a few minutes? Is the root system of your grass shallow and easy to pull up? Does your yard look worse than your neighbor that “never does anything to his yard”? These are all indications that the soil structure in your yard is poor. The purpose of this article is to give you an annual program that will feed the grass and improve the soil to provide a more efficient and disease resistant lawn.

The Root of the Problem

To prosper, plants need well-drained soil with a course texture. The dirt should be friable i.e. crumbly and loose. Over time, the organic matter in our lawns is used up without replacement. The microorganisms that feed on the organic material dwindle and are also killed off by fungicide and pesticide applications. The result is a hard packed, lifeless soil. The root system of your grass becomes shallow and cannot efficiently take-up nutrients. Fertilizers dissolve and run-off without being used and the lawn becomes more susceptible to drought and disease.

This program focuses on feeding the soil as much as on feeding the grass. We will be adding organic matter, an important soil amendment, throughout the year. By their nature, these products have a cumulative benefit and are not fast-acting. You will see a gradual improvement each year that you apply this schedule. In the end, you will have a better looking yard with less water, fertilizer, and effort.

The Soil Additives

Compost - In any of its forms, compost is an essential element for good soil. In this program, we will be recommending a sheep manure compost. This product has been fully composted to be odorless and is easy to apply with a fertilizer spreader. Compost will provide microorganisms and nutrients. It will also help the soil hold nutrients by keeping them from leaching. Existing microorganisms in the soil will break down the compost into humus.

Humus - This jelly-like substance is a combination of soil microbe remnants, minerals, and organics. It will become part of the soil structure where it improves drainage and increases the availability of nutrients to the microorganisms and the grass. It can be applied as a granular or a liquid.

Organic Fertilizer - Southwest Fertilizer’s Earth Essentials is a combination of organic components which will feed slowly and add to the soil structure.

SuperBio - Provides and stimulates the microbe colonies that the soil needs to break down the organics. These are the workers that are essential to convert nutrients into forms that the plants can use. Many fungicides and pesticides will kill these microorganisms and the SuperBio will reverse that effect. This is a critical item to the success of the overall program.

Perc-O-Late - Polymers that will open up the soil and allow for water penetration.

Southwest Premium Gold Fertilizer - A blend of slow and quick release fertilizer that will feed the lawn steadily for up to 3 months. Contains 3% Iron to keep grass a deep green color.

Southwest Premium Winterizer - The correct blend of nutrients to help grass move energy into the root system for the Winter. Proper winterizing will reduce freeze damage and help grass come in stronger in the Spring.

The Schedule

March

1. Aerate the lawn (buy the tool)

2. Apply sheep manure compost (buy it!)

3. Apply Southwest Premium Gold Fertilizer (buy it!)

4. Spray in with SuperBio (buy it!)

April

1. Apply Southwest Earth Essentials (buy it!)

2. Spray Perc-O-Late (buy it!)

June

1. Apply Humate (buy it!)

2. Apply Southwest Premium Gold Fertilizer (buy it!)

3. Spray in with SuperBio (buy it!)

October

1. Aerate the lawn (buy the tool)

2. Apply Southwest Earth Essentials (buy it!)

3. Apply Southwest Winterizer (buy it!)

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The Ultimate Garden Soil Recipe

The key to healthy plants is healthy soil. Late winter is the time to prepare the soil in your vegetable and flower gardens for the upcoming season. Nothing will make more of a difference in the performance of your plants than the correct soil mixture. Most plants will do best in soil that is well-drained with an abundance of organic matter. Does your dirt crust over when dry? When wet, does it form a hard ball when squeezed in your hand? These are all indications that the soil is deficient. This plan is intended for the majority of the common vegetable and flower plants where soil pH needs to be slightly acid.

Step 1 - Understand your starting point

Measure your garden to determine the square footage: multiply length by width. We will use this number to determine how much of each additive to use. It is also helpful to know the pH of the soil you are working with. Most plants do best in a slightly acidic soil. If you have a pH meter, place the probe in the soil and let it sit for a few minutes and record the reading. Soils that are too alkaline (above a 7 reading) or too acidic (below a 7 reading) will keep plants from using some nutrients efficiently.

Remove grass and weeds from the area. Most non- selective herbicides such as Roundup, Finale, Roots and All, have no soil activity and may be used in the garden. It is important to get all this stuff out now because the tilling process will spread many weeds if you try to bury them.

Step 2 - Select your materials

Meal A good organic source of readily available nitrogen and minor micro-nutrients. Apply at the rate of 10 pounds per 100 square feet.

Cotton Seed Meal - A source of slowly-available nitrogen and a natural acidifier. Apply at the rate of 5 pounds per 100 square feet.

Bone Meal - Provides Phosphorus for blooming and fruit development. Also, it supplies Calcium which is an important micro-nutrient. This is especially useful for tomato growers who battle blossom end rot (the soft, grey, rotten, spots on the bottom of tomatoes). Apply at the rate of 3 pounds per 100 square feet.

Sheep Manure Compost - One of the best compost products in the world. 100% manure content that has been completely composted to eliminate odors and the chances of ‘burn’. Great source of humus for the soil microbes. Apply at the rate of 40 pounds per 100 square feet.

Powdered Gypsum - This will help break up heavy clay soils and improve drainage. Apply 40 pounds per 1,000 square feet.

Turface - Soil conditioner that looks like cat litter. This product is a porous granule that will hold over 70% of its weight in water. When added to your garden, it will stop the soil from compacting and release moisture as the soil around it dries. Apply at the rate of 10 pounds per 100 square feet.

Step 3 - Work the products into the soil

Spread each product at the recommended rate on top of the soil. Using a spading fork or tiller, blend them into the bed as deeply and thoroughly as you are able. As you are doing this, break up any clods that you see and pull any roots that may produce weeds.

Step 4 - Light the fuse!

After getting all of these goodies in the dirt, kick start the blending/composting of the ingredients by watering them in with a solution of soil microbes. These will make the soil ‘mellow’ and the nutrients you have added available to the plants. Cover with a layer of mulch to retain moisture.

Good luck with your garden! Send us a picture of the results.

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Tips on How to Manage Their Healthy Growth



These seeds look like little rocks. Why are they so hard?

Mother Nature made them that way. In nature, when the plant goes to seed, that seed must be protected from the climatic elements since they are dropped in areas untended by man (i.e. in protected, irrigated areas). The seeds are also “timed” to germinate at different intervals. For example, let’s assume that the seeds are on the ground and there is one rainfall. Some of the seeds will germinate (sprout) immediately.

But suppose it doesn’t rain again for a long while, as is often the case here in Texas? Those tiny sprouts will probably die. However, since Mother Nature has protected her seeds with a hard seed coat and an inner “time clock” for germination, she still has plenty of ungerminated seed on the ground, thus assuring Bluebonnets in the Spring, when there is sufficient moisture.

Since this seed is so hard, would it help if I scratch or cut the seed coat before I plant it?

We don’t recommend this procedure, Mother Nature doesn’t cut(scarify) the seed coat because it lessens the seed’s protection from the elements.

Research has shown that injury in some seed can be expected even while using laboratory scarification equipment because of the seed size variations. Even though some weed will germinate faster, there also exists a risk of fungal infestation and deterioration which will reduce the viability of the seed.

What about soaking the seed before panting?

We don’t recommend soaking the seed. Soaking the seed begins the germination process. The duration of soaking seed is critical and handling the soft coated seed could cause damage.

When should I plant the seeds?

Generally speaking, Bluebonnets can be planted from September first through December fifteenth. Here in Texas, with our unpredictable rainfall, seed can be started in a seed bed(with irrigation) in September. If you are planting in an area where you will not be able to water the seed, then it is best to wait until October when rainfall is a little more plentiful and there is less evaporation. Your Bluebonnet seed can be stored in the produce section of the refrigerator until the proper planting date.

Where is the best place to plant Bluebonnets?

Bluebonnets thrive in areas with plenty of sunlight, good drainage, and prefer a well drained, neutral or slightly alkaline soil. That is why you will see them growing on slopes, but rarely in the bottom of a ditch. Most home owners in Southeast Texas will have better results planting Bluebonnets in raised flower beds due to the improved drainage. Most lawns drain too slowly and the sub-soil stays too moist, even if water does not actually stand. You will be amazed with the results if you simple work the seed in bark mulch beds, about one-half inch deep, with your fingers. Be sure to plant in areas that will not be mowed until after the bluebonnets go to seed, if you want a crop next year.

How is the best way to plant Bluebonnets?

If you are planting in a cultivated seed bed, you can broadcast or row plant the seed, although it is best to cover the seed with a little soil no more than one-fourth inch deep. If the seed is left on top of the bare ground and watered, the sun will “cook” them or the birds will have a feast. If you are seeding an area that is already covered with vegetation(such as a grassy area), Broadcast the seed over the area, then press the seed into the soil by walking over it. there must be soil/seed contact for germination to begin! We have noticed that some people over seed with Ryegrass in the winter in order to have a green lawn year-around. Do not plant your Bluebonnets with Ryegrass or other cool season grasses, as it is too competitive and you will not have good results with your Bluebonnets in the Spring.

How soon will the seeds sprout?

You will probably see your seed begin to sprout in six to ten days. This germination process can continue over the next eighteen months, and some seed will not sprout until the next year. Some beds can have plants in all stages of development… from the two-leafed little bean plant to plants that are three inches tall. This varying germination process is another way Mother Nature has of guaranteeing future stands of Bluebonnets.

Shall I fertilize?

Fertilizing will produce more leaves but not more blooms, because Bluebonnets are a member of the bean(also known as nitrogen fixing legumes). The little knots you will see on the roots are actually nodes of nitrogen, which, by the way, are excellent for the soil. Due to this nitrogen content, it is best not to fertilize.

If I plant the seed in the Fall, what happens until they bloom in the Spring
The seeds will begin to germinate(sprout) in six to ten days(if adequate moisture is provided). The seedlings look like a bean plant with two little fat leaves, no larger than a dime. The first real leaves will have three fingers. Later on the leaves will have five segments and resemble a star.

The seedlings will grow into rosettes(little individual clumps) and may not be more than an inch or two high, but may be seven inches across. They will stay at this stage, and green throughout the winter. The growing process will begin again when the ground warms in the Spring, and continue until they bloom in April.

The blooms will continue through most of May, when they begin to take on purplish color, which indicates they are turning to seed. You will notice seed pods(they look like pea pods) forming on the stem. These pods will mature and open to allow the seed inside to drop to the ground. This completed cycle ensures a beautiful stand of Texas Bluebonnets the following year. Remember not to mow until the seeds have dropped.

Why have I not had success in planting Bluebonnets in the past?
 Aside from some of the points discussed earlier, other reasons for low success rate ate as follows:

• Low seed quality.
• Time of planting.
• Not planting in well drained areas.
• Need to store in a cool, dry environment.
• Seed damaged by improper handling.
• Not planting enough seed for the designated area.
• Distinguishing the Bluebonnet seedling from unwanted seeds.
• Patience

If I sent Bluebonnet seed as a gift to someone outside the sate of Texas, would they grow?
Yes and No. The Texas Bluebonnet(Lupinus Texensis) is indigenous to the Southwest. Bluebonnet seed are shipped throughout the U.S. and in many foreign countries. Surprisingly many success stories have been reported from people throughout the world. However, growth patterns might be altered due to various soil types and climatic conditions.

Photo: University of Texas School of Biological Sciences

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