Bromeliad Madness

Learn a bit about Merrideth's newest plant obsession. When the G.M. has a new favorite, the store gets a great selection, so come and check out our newest additions. Full article here.

New agaves and yuccas are here

We just got a new shipment of agaves and yuccas. Great selection of cool and unusual plants.

Summertime Sale

The pic says it all!!! Summer clearance sale. All plants 40% off, all pottery 15% off. Saturday 8/14- Friday 8/20.

Proper Spraying Techniques

Also, read my article at:

www.gonursery.com

Agave, Yucca, and Related Plants

Agave and Yucca for Austin

First, let’s make sure we are clear about the differences between these plants, cacti, and succulents. Plants in the family agavaceae form from a central rosette with rigid stems and piercing tips on the ends of the stems. Cacti, on the other hand, are spinney and leafless plants that share the same arid conditions. Succulents comprise a large variety of species and may or may not be freeze hardy. They still prefer an arid dry environment. All these plants are succulents.

We will list several species here that have proven to do well in Austin and the surrounding regions. All require good drainage. Adding an aggregate material, such as expanded shale or decomposed granite works well. If you have very heavy clay, a bit of compost will help as well. Full to part sun for most, but there are exceptions. While most would survive if never watered, plants will look best if given a deep soaking occasionally in very hot, dry summers.

Agaves: Possibly one of the most striking families of plants, agaves are a large group with great variety in color and size. Nearly all are stemless (the rosette stays low to the ground, unlike some yucca or others). Also, most are monocarpic, meaning they flower once in their life, then die. The bloom is spectacular and they often leave a way to propagate many more. One downside to the agave, they cannot be pruned for size restriction like most shrubs. While older leaves can be removed, generally they should be allowed to grow and can become quite large. Be sure to check size info to pick a plant that won’t outgrow your spot. Many species are also available in variegated forms, some of which may be more cold sensitive.

A. Americana – Possibly the most common here in Austin. Pups freely. 6’x8’. Z8-11

A. parryi-Parry Agave. 2’x2’ Z5-11. Ssp.’Truncata’-Artichoke Agave. Also 2’x2’, Z8-11. More compact growth than regular parryi.

A. Montana- 4’x5’. Z6-11

A. Victoria Regina-One of the smallest. 1.5’x1.5’ Z8-11.

A. Salmiana-One of the largest. Green leaves. 8’x10’ Z8-11

A. Franzosini-Another very large one. Silver leaves. 8’x10’ Z8-11

A.Geminiflora– Twin Flowered Agave. May prefer some afternoon shade. May bllom without dying. 3’x3’. Z8-11

A.Vilmoriana- Octopus Agave. 4’x4’ Z9-11,

Other small agave that work well here: A. Lopantha, A. Bracteosa, A. Filifera, A. Stricta

Yuccas: A relative of the agave, yuccas are notable for their rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped leaves and large terminal clusters of white or whitish flowers. They are native to the hot and dry (arid) parts of North America, Central America, South America, and the West Indies. Unlike most agave, once mature, yuccas will bloom every year. Larger specimens may produce numerous bloom spikes. Sizes listed are maturity and may take several years to be achieved. Like most agave, most yuccas prefer full to part sun and good drainage.

Y. aloifolia- Spanish Dagger. 10’ tall on trunk. Z7-11.

Y. baccata- Banana Yucca. 4’ tall, forms colony. Z5-11.

Y. filamentosa- Adam’s Needle. 4’ tall, form colony. Z4-11

Y. pallida- Pale Leaf Yucca. 3’ tall, forms colony. Z7-11

Y. pendula (recurvifolia)- Soft Leaf Yucca. 8’ tall, form small colony. Z7-11. Tolerates medium shade.

Y. rostrata- Beaked Yucca. 15’+, usually solitary. Z5-11

Y. rupicola- Twisted Leaf Yucca. 2’ tall, forms small colony. Z8-11. Tolerates shade well and may burn in too much sun.

Y. thompsoniana- Thompson’s Yucca. 10’ tall, usually solitary. Z7-11

Hesperaloe: These yucca-like plants are also in the agave family. The plants have long, narrow leaves produced in a basal rosette and flowers borne on long panicles or racemes. The species are native to arid parts of Texas and Mexico. Sizes vary, depending on species. Flowers range from red to yellow, pink to white. Some species include: H. parvifola- Red Yucca.(also comes in yellow, and sold as Yellow Yucca), A fairly common plant in Austin and possibly one of the easiest plants to grow. H. funifera- Giant Red Yucca, and H. nocturna- Night Blooming Yucca.

Nolina and Dasylirion: Other agave relatives of note. These families included the sotols and tree grasses. Like yuccas, they bloom annually, once mature. Many of these plants have finer textures and some are spineless, making for a friendlier arid garden.

Fall tomatoes are here!

Summer Veggies-Round 2
Well, the heat has finally arrived (but thanks for all the summer rain!) and your veggies may be looking a little “long in the tooth” as we say. Many of our favorite summer veggies (tomatoes and peppers for sure) have a hard time producing flowers, and consequently fruit, in the high summer heat. This is not due as much to the daytime highs as to the nighttime “lows”. When our low temp is in the upper 70’s and 80’s, the plants can’t rest overnight to produce new flower buds. Some people will cut back their existing plants and try to reflush them for fall production, but most of us plant a new fall crop to get maximum yield.
This week, we got our first shipment of fall tomatoes in and I expect to see more of those and fall peppers arriving soon. Small plants are put in now and they will grow quickly in the heat. As the plants near maturity, the heat should (hopefully) break and they can begin to flower and produce fruit for a late summer/early fall harvest. There are a few things to keep in mind when planting these fresh for fall veggies however.
First, you are planting young plants in very high temps. They will need to be irrigated regularly, until they can get some roots going. Planning mid August vacation for a week or two, maybe skip the fall plot, unless you have a reliable waterer. Using a product like liquid seaweed is a great way to kick start root growth (naturally) on small plants and don’t forget to pot down tomatoes. If you don’t know what that means, ask one of our passionate plant professionals! Some people will also make a screen to the south and west of new plants to relieve some of the late day heat. Row cover or shade cloth works great for this. ***Merrideth Tip- Harbour Freight Tools sells a small piece of shade cloth pretty cheap in their tarp section. ***
Second, varieties are more limited for fall planting. Generally, we look for quicker maturing varieties or the tried and true stuff. We often get a little flack from people that want more and more unusual varieties to try in the garden. Rest assured, we will get everything that is offered by our growers. It will be limited.
We hope to see these plants producing in late August to mid-to-late September. Still plenty of time to get a bumper crop and leave time for the real fall plantings of leaf crops such as lettuces, cabbage, broccoli, etc…
Our veggies growers usually deliver on Thursday afternoons, so check on Friday to see what arrived. Again, we order just about everything we can, so if we don’t have it, it probably isn’t out there.
Good luck and good gardens!

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