Soil (Biology) is Sexy

The Show

Soil (Biology) is Sexy

air date: May 11, 2024

Go underground for the key to beautiful gardens and happy plants. Soil health specialist Andie Marsh explores basic principles that apply to any garden. When downhill rainwater runoff plagued a family’s home, they plunged into a whimsical, colorful makeover. See why to love aphids with entomologist Wizzie Brown! Amber de la Rosa, who started Central Texas Plant People to share plants with friends and the community, shows how to propagate plants from stem cuttings.

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Episode Segments

On Tour

Artistic Collaboration Goes with the Flow

When stormwater runoff plagued a family’s home, they plunged into a whimsical, colorful makeover. Local artists, landscapers, and sculptors united to reframe a beige, boxy house into a gregarious octopus and elegant mermaid overlooking tumbling streams framed by native plants.

Watch more "On Tour" videos on YouTube →

Interview

Soil Health: What Does That Mean?

Go underground for the key to beautiful gardens and happy plants. Soil health specialist Andie Marsh explores basic principles that apply to any garden.

Watch more CTG Interview videos on YouTube →

Question of the Week

How Aphids Keep Ladybugs Around

Ladybugs, hoverflies, and green lacewings hurry over to our gardens to feed on aphids—as long as we don’t wipe out their food pantry. Entomologist Wizzie Brown explains how to keep a healthy prey-to-predator balance and a non-chemical way to manage aphids if they’re out of control. Check out Wizzie’s fantastic podcast Bugs by the Yard!

Watch more Question of the Week videos on YouTube →

Backyard Basics

It all started as a way to save a few bucks. Quickly, Amber de la Rosa’s plant swaps among friends grew into Central Texas Plant People, bringing together all kinds of gardeners from around the region. Amber shows how to propagate plants from stem cuttings.

Watch more Backyard Basics videos on YouTube →

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CTG Episode Archive

December To Do List

Plant: ornamental & wildlife

Hardy perennials, shrubs
Trees
Roses (best time!)
Winter annuals, including calendula, snapdragon, pansy, viola, dusty miller, ornamental kale and cabbage, alyssum, stock, cyclamen, dusty miller, flowering kale and cabbage
Avoid planting cold tender plants like Pride of Barbardos, Esperanza, lantana, plumbago

Plant: herbs

Perennials thyme, oregano
Avoid planting rosemary
Cilantro transplants, parsley, dill, fennel , chervil, summer savory, borage, rue, chives
Be prepared to cover in case of deep freeze

Plant: food crops

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Vegetable Planting Guides (Central Texas) http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/travis/home-landscape/edible-gardens/growing-vegetables/

Prune

Prune freeze damaged plants or not? Best to leave seeds on plants for birds and protect root system. If picky relatives coming, okay to prune
Avoid pruning shrubs right now unless you see damage
Do not prune oak trees unless you have damage: paint wound immediately
Okay to prune trees other than red oaks and live oaks

Divide/Move

Shrubs, roses, trees, evergreen spring-blooming perennials while dormant
Asters and other fall-bloomers which are dormant

Prep

Select spots where you want fruit trees, grapes, or berries to plant in January; for now, prep with compost
Mulch cold tender plants like gingers, Esperanza and semi-tropicals
Keep that row cover ready! Do not protect plants with plastic!

Lawn

Pluck out early weeds.

Other tasks

Rake leaves into beds to mulch over winter and return nutrients to the soil
Mow leaves on grass (if not raking to beds or compost) to break them down
Collect leaves from neighbors to add to compost pile!
Deeply water new plants; keep new seedlings moist but not drenched

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