1 00:00:00,434 --> 00:00:01,635 >> Hi, there, I'm Tom Spencer. 2 00:00:01,635 --> 00:00:03,637 This week on "Central Texas Gardener," 3 00:00:03,637 --> 00:00:06,640 explore beneficial plants with Jay Beard from Lone Star 4 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:07,641 Nursery. 5 00:00:07,641 --> 00:00:10,177 From hibiscus tea to native milkweeds, 6 00:00:10,177 --> 00:00:12,412 see what grows organically. 7 00:00:12,412 --> 00:00:16,216 On tour, meet the Compost Pedallers who cycle around to 8 00:00:16,216 --> 00:00:19,987 recycle your household scraps and nourish local urban farms. 9 00:00:19,987 --> 00:00:23,323 Daphne makes her pick of the week and explains how to prune 10 00:00:23,323 --> 00:00:26,660 coral honeysuckle, plus John Dromgoole has your Backyard 11 00:00:26,660 --> 00:00:27,761 Basics tip. 12 00:00:27,761 --> 00:00:30,898 So, let's get growing, right here, right now! 13 00:00:30,898 --> 00:00:33,300 >> "Central Texas Gardener" is sponsored by the Austin Area 14 00:00:33,300 --> 00:00:35,736 Garden Center in Zilker Botanical Garden, 15 00:00:35,736 --> 00:00:38,772 home of 31 local garden clubs and the Zilker garden festival. 16 00:00:38,772 --> 00:00:41,842 Zilkergarden.org. 17 00:00:41,842 --> 00:00:45,679 [Music]. 18 00:00:55,822 --> 00:00:58,558 >> There's a lot of household waste beyond food scraps that 19 00:00:58,558 --> 00:01:00,994 can go into a compost pile to nourish our plants, 20 00:01:00,994 --> 00:01:04,431 but if you don't have room or time to do it the Compost 21 00:01:04,431 --> 00:01:07,668 Pedallers can cycle by to recycle for you and nourish 22 00:01:07,668 --> 00:01:09,870 urban farms. 23 00:01:09,870 --> 00:01:11,238 >> My name's Dan. 24 00:01:11,238 --> 00:01:13,907 I'm a pedaller with the East Side Compost Pedallers in 25 00:01:13,907 --> 00:01:14,908 Austin, Texas. 26 00:01:14,908 --> 00:01:19,846 We pick up residential and commercial organic waste stream 27 00:01:19,846 --> 00:01:23,517 basically to divert it from landfill. 28 00:01:23,517 --> 00:01:25,519 >> We're about to break about 100, 29 00:01:25,519 --> 00:01:30,057 000 pounds composted all without burning any diesel fuel. 30 00:01:30,057 --> 00:01:34,795 >> We love the Compost Pedallers because they do such a unique 31 00:01:34,795 --> 00:01:40,000 service for our community by literally driving around picking 32 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:43,503 up food scraps on the back of their bikes and taking it to 33 00:01:43,503 --> 00:01:46,306 places that need that for compost. 34 00:01:46,306 --> 00:01:48,675 >> The material that we collect we call it scrapple. 35 00:01:48,675 --> 00:01:52,346 And scrapple is anything that you can compost with the Compost 36 00:01:52,346 --> 00:01:55,048 Pedallers, and obviously that includes fruit and veggie 37 00:01:55,048 --> 00:01:56,049 scraps. 38 00:01:56,049 --> 00:01:58,218 >> Some of the things that can go in are tea bags. 39 00:01:58,218 --> 00:02:03,824 Just put it right in your bucket, the whole tea bag. 40 00:02:03,824 --> 00:02:07,294 >> If you compost four pounds it turns into about a pound of 41 00:02:07,294 --> 00:02:08,528 finished compost. 42 00:02:08,528 --> 00:02:10,697 >> The dryer lint definitely. 43 00:02:10,697 --> 00:02:12,766 And a couple of other things around the house that people 44 00:02:12,766 --> 00:02:16,269 might not think about, pencil shavings, toilet paper rolls. 45 00:02:16,269 --> 00:02:21,008 When you're done with a roll, just put it in your compost bin. 46 00:02:21,008 --> 00:02:23,410 It helps to tear it up a little bit into smaller pieces so it 47 00:02:23,410 --> 00:02:24,711 composts more quickly. 48 00:02:24,711 --> 00:02:26,713 >> We do have two kitchens in our building. 49 00:02:26,713 --> 00:02:28,715 One is the staff kitchen upstairs. 50 00:02:28,715 --> 00:02:31,952 On the first floor is a teaching and a commercial kitchen and the 51 00:02:31,952 --> 00:02:36,023 bulk of what we're generating goes in those compost bins. 52 00:02:36,023 --> 00:02:38,025 >> Sometimes I go through my spice drawer. 53 00:02:38,025 --> 00:02:42,496 I know I found these bay leaves that are very old and they can 54 00:02:42,496 --> 00:02:45,899 all go in the compost and you can recycle the bag. 55 00:02:45,899 --> 00:02:47,901 I want to talk about junk mail, right? 56 00:02:47,901 --> 00:02:48,902 We all get tons of junk mail. 57 00:02:48,902 --> 00:02:54,875 So, if it's shiny paper like catalogs, 58 00:02:57,210 --> 00:02:58,545 that goes in recycling. 59 00:02:58,545 --> 00:03:00,981 Shiny paper is for recycling. 60 00:03:00,981 --> 00:03:04,084 Magazines, these cardboard inserts, 61 00:03:04,084 --> 00:03:06,219 these are great for composting. 62 00:03:06,219 --> 00:03:08,488 Tear them up, throw them in. 63 00:03:08,488 --> 00:03:12,959 And then as far as junk mail, if it's shiny or has a plastic 64 00:03:12,959 --> 00:03:16,997 window, go ahead and recycle that. 65 00:03:16,997 --> 00:03:20,734 But the contents are all perfectly good to throw in your 66 00:03:20,734 --> 00:03:21,735 recycling bin. 67 00:03:21,735 --> 00:03:23,737 >> I was really surprised to see, 68 00:03:23,737 --> 00:03:26,406 even in a very progressive city like Austin, 69 00:03:26,406 --> 00:03:30,343 that there's so many people who have no idea what composting is 70 00:03:30,343 --> 00:03:34,815 or why someone would think of doing anything but throwing it 71 00:03:34,815 --> 00:03:37,084 all in one container and putting it at the curb. 72 00:03:37,084 --> 00:03:39,753 >> And so I just saw this beautiful connect between the 73 00:03:39,753 --> 00:03:43,256 amount of waste that we create and all the people who are 74 00:03:43,256 --> 00:03:46,193 starting to get interested in growing their own food. 75 00:03:46,193 --> 00:03:49,796 >> We're promoting that seed-to-table approach. 76 00:03:49,796 --> 00:03:53,700 Part of the entire food system is always what ends up back in 77 00:03:53,700 --> 00:03:56,736 our soil and the best thing for our soil is compost. 78 00:03:56,736 --> 00:03:57,737 And where do you get that? 79 00:03:57,737 --> 00:03:59,739 You get that from your food scraps. 80 00:03:59,739 --> 00:04:02,175 >> So I had this idea for the Compost Pedallers and it was 81 00:04:02,175 --> 00:04:05,278 really just kind of a pipe dream idea really until I met Eric 82 00:04:05,278 --> 00:04:07,414 Goff who's now my business partner. 83 00:04:07,414 --> 00:04:09,716 >> I've always loved gardens, that's what we got me interested 84 00:04:09,716 --> 00:04:13,620 in it is, like, my experience doing gardening and stuff. 85 00:04:13,620 --> 00:04:16,957 So doing that you stop being squeamish about composting and 86 00:04:16,957 --> 00:04:19,226 you start, like, really loving it. 87 00:04:19,226 --> 00:04:22,763 >> Not everyone has the space or really the time to cultivate a 88 00:04:22,763 --> 00:04:24,264 compost pile. 89 00:04:24,264 --> 00:04:27,834 Since 2012, East Side Compost Pedallers cycles to the rescue 90 00:04:27,834 --> 00:04:30,537 through five neighborhoods to collect residential and 91 00:04:30,537 --> 00:04:33,173 commercial compostables. 92 00:04:33,173 --> 00:04:37,177 Residential customers pay just $4 a week to spare the landfill 93 00:04:37,177 --> 00:04:41,515 and nourish their neighborhood farms and urban microgrowers. 94 00:04:41,515 --> 00:04:46,286 >> I wanted to have a real direct environmental impact on 95 00:04:46,286 --> 00:04:47,287 my neighborhood. 96 00:04:47,287 --> 00:04:49,422 I just kind of like the solitude when I'm riding around early in 97 00:04:49,422 --> 00:04:50,757 the morning. 98 00:04:50,757 --> 00:04:55,462 I enjoy listening to podcasts while I do my work and I think 99 00:04:55,462 --> 00:04:56,463 that's pretty nice. 100 00:04:56,463 --> 00:04:58,465 I like that it's a physical job. 101 00:04:58,465 --> 00:05:01,668 I spent time -- before doing this job I spent time working in 102 00:05:01,668 --> 00:05:07,641 an office for several years and I was very happy to start doing 103 00:05:07,641 --> 00:05:12,145 something physical that just made me sort of feel alive, 104 00:05:12,145 --> 00:05:13,146 I guess. 105 00:05:13,146 --> 00:05:15,215 >> For efficiency and neighborhood connectivity, 106 00:05:15,215 --> 00:05:18,318 pedallers pick up and drop off within a few miles. 107 00:05:18,318 --> 00:05:21,254 Some neighbors donate their garage to store the Metrofiets 108 00:05:21,254 --> 00:05:22,889 cargo bikes and supplies. 109 00:05:22,889 --> 00:05:25,392 >> And the pedalling's not bad. 110 00:05:25,392 --> 00:05:27,394 It's not hard to ride these bikes, 111 00:05:27,394 --> 00:05:30,163 even when there's several hundred pounds in them. 112 00:05:30,163 --> 00:05:32,365 >> What we do is we provide a bin, 113 00:05:32,365 --> 00:05:35,635 which is a bin which is a five-gallon bucket with a lid. 114 00:05:35,635 --> 00:05:38,672 >> And the vacuum, all the pet hair that you vacuum up when you 115 00:05:38,672 --> 00:05:41,441 brush your cats or dogs, put the pet hair in the bucket but 116 00:05:41,441 --> 00:05:44,845 certainly any of your vacuum contents, right into the bin. 117 00:05:44,845 --> 00:05:49,549 >> They fill it throughout the week and I come by on the bike, 118 00:05:49,549 --> 00:05:52,686 stop, pick up their bucket. 119 00:05:52,686 --> 00:05:55,655 So what I'm doing now is I'm just going to weigh my bin. 120 00:05:55,655 --> 00:05:59,192 >> So as a member you're able to go on the website and look at a 121 00:05:59,192 --> 00:06:03,530 score card that shows you in realtime updated each week how 122 00:06:03,530 --> 00:06:05,865 much you've composted to date. 123 00:06:05,865 --> 00:06:07,867 >> They sanitize with organic soap. 124 00:06:10,370 --> 00:06:16,109 >> Because we put a paper bag in the bin every week, 125 00:06:16,109 --> 00:06:19,879 I tear it up just so that it breaks down a little more 126 00:06:19,879 --> 00:06:20,413 quickly. 127 00:06:20,413 --> 00:06:22,582 I like to write little encouraging notes. 128 00:06:22,582 --> 00:06:28,588 Well, maybe not with this one. 129 00:06:35,195 --> 00:06:37,564 30% of the residential waste stream is compostable, 130 00:06:37,564 --> 00:06:39,666 but if you're talking about the commercial waste stream in 131 00:06:39,666 --> 00:06:43,169 restaurants, it's more like 50% to 80%. 132 00:06:43,169 --> 00:06:45,805 >> We have a lot of vegetable scrap and instead of it going 133 00:06:45,805 --> 00:06:50,277 into a dumpster it goes back into soil and our local 134 00:06:50,277 --> 00:06:53,613 community and gets more food for everybody. 135 00:06:53,613 --> 00:06:57,784 >> We've been doing recycling the whole time and we're -- we 136 00:06:57,784 --> 00:06:59,319 actually won an award from the city. 137 00:06:59,319 --> 00:07:01,755 >> The fact that we're taking several hundred pounds of waste 138 00:07:01,755 --> 00:07:04,991 out of the landfill I think more than makes up for the small cost 139 00:07:04,991 --> 00:07:06,326 that we pay. 140 00:07:06,326 --> 00:07:07,794 >> We get more customers because we do it. 141 00:07:07,794 --> 00:07:13,934 We also changed the way our box looks. 142 00:07:14,801 --> 00:07:17,637 >> You sort of do your route so that once you get to a point 143 00:07:17,637 --> 00:07:19,873 where you're loaded up, then you're right there at your drop 144 00:07:19,873 --> 00:07:21,007 site. 145 00:07:21,007 --> 00:07:23,009 >> We drop them here or we drop them at local gardens, 146 00:07:23,009 --> 00:07:25,512 community gardens where they have the same sort of bay set up 147 00:07:25,512 --> 00:07:26,513 here. 148 00:07:26,513 --> 00:07:28,782 >> And Dustin said he was even able to break up, like, 149 00:07:28,782 --> 00:07:32,986 a lot of the paper plates are pretty large and when you chop 150 00:07:32,986 --> 00:07:35,522 them into smaller pieces then that's always going to help as 151 00:07:35,522 --> 00:07:36,523 well. 152 00:07:36,523 --> 00:07:38,491 >> You don't want to put shredded paper in your recycling 153 00:07:38,491 --> 00:07:39,492 bin. 154 00:07:39,492 --> 00:07:43,096 It can jam up the recycling machines so this is really great 155 00:07:43,096 --> 00:07:44,097 for your compost bucket. 156 00:07:44,097 --> 00:07:46,099 It helps absorb a lot of the moisture. 157 00:07:46,099 --> 00:07:48,501 Dannea has a bill -- and this is a good idea -- credit card 158 00:07:48,501 --> 00:07:49,769 offers or junk mail. 159 00:07:49,769 --> 00:07:54,641 You're not going to have to worry about ID theft. 160 00:07:54,641 --> 00:07:57,877 >> So this is the end of my route or part of my route. 161 00:07:57,877 --> 00:08:02,082 What we do is we partner with a number of farms, 162 00:08:02,082 --> 00:08:07,454 community gardens, and just local growers, microgrowers, 163 00:08:07,454 --> 00:08:12,092 and we provide our scraps to them. 164 00:08:12,092 --> 00:08:14,728 >> We get probably a couple of hundred pounds of compost from 165 00:08:14,728 --> 00:08:20,433 them a week and then we're able to break that down and we have 166 00:08:20,433 --> 00:08:24,371 multiple stages in our hot composting bays and a bay for 167 00:08:24,371 --> 00:08:25,305 all of our finished compost. 168 00:08:25,305 --> 00:08:27,640 >> We compost at over 20 different urban farms, 169 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:29,642 community gardens, and back yards. 170 00:08:29,642 --> 00:08:31,678 >> Their margins are relatively thin, 171 00:08:31,678 --> 00:08:35,382 and so being able to provide a resource and to help those 172 00:08:35,382 --> 00:08:39,486 growers by providing nutrients is also really attractive to me. 173 00:08:39,486 --> 00:08:43,757 >> Waste is also a manmade convention, right? 174 00:08:43,757 --> 00:08:45,225 Waste in nature does not exist. 175 00:08:45,225 --> 00:08:48,027 If you go walk around in the woods there's no such thing as a 176 00:08:48,027 --> 00:08:49,028 landfill. 177 00:08:49,028 --> 00:08:53,466 And at the end of the day we've diverted tons and tons of 178 00:08:53,466 --> 00:08:56,970 material from the landfill and used that to empower people to 179 00:08:56,970 --> 00:08:58,371 grow more food. 180 00:08:58,371 --> 00:09:00,373 >> Thanks for sharing your garden with us. 181 00:09:00,373 --> 00:09:02,976 Now we're going to be turning to different groups of plants that 182 00:09:02,976 --> 00:09:05,879 have benefits for you and benefits for garden visitors, 183 00:09:05,879 --> 00:09:06,880 like butterflies. 184 00:09:06,880 --> 00:09:08,948 I'm joined by Jay Beard from Lone Star Nursery. 185 00:09:08,948 --> 00:09:10,950 Jay, welcome back to the program. 186 00:09:10,950 --> 00:09:11,951 >> Thank you. 187 00:09:11,951 --> 00:09:13,953 I appreciate you having me back. 188 00:09:13,953 --> 00:09:15,955 >> Yeah, and it's a real pleasure. 189 00:09:15,955 --> 00:09:17,957 You've brought an interesting group of things with you and 190 00:09:17,957 --> 00:09:23,196 we're going to start by talking about some plants that have 191 00:09:23,196 --> 00:09:25,198 medicinal or edible properties that a lot of us are unaware of. 192 00:09:25,198 --> 00:09:28,468 And some plants that are kind of new to the area altogether, 193 00:09:28,468 --> 00:09:31,604 including tea tree, which is famous here locally, 194 00:09:31,604 --> 00:09:33,606 or worldwide, I guess, for tea tree oil. 195 00:09:33,606 --> 00:09:34,607 >> Yep. 196 00:09:34,607 --> 00:09:36,609 So tea tree oil, also called melaleuca alternifolia. 197 00:09:36,609 --> 00:09:42,615 It grows great in Austin. 198 00:09:45,518 --> 00:09:51,591 It's an evergreen and, yes, it's famous all over the world for 199 00:09:51,591 --> 00:09:54,761 its anti-septic as well as anti-bacterial. 200 00:09:54,761 --> 00:09:56,095 >> Anti-fungal. 201 00:09:56,095 --> 00:09:57,097 >> Anti-fungal. 202 00:09:57,097 --> 00:09:59,265 >> Yeah. 203 00:09:59,265 --> 00:10:01,334 >> And it's heavy in the oil. 204 00:10:01,334 --> 00:10:05,071 So growing the plant, you can -- you'll have massive amounts of 205 00:10:05,071 --> 00:10:07,006 oil. 206 00:10:07,006 --> 00:10:08,007 >> So how do you harvest it? 207 00:10:08,007 --> 00:10:08,641 I'm curious. 208 00:10:08,641 --> 00:10:10,276 The plant is beautiful, by the way. 209 00:10:10,276 --> 00:10:10,977 >> It is. 210 00:10:10,977 --> 00:10:11,444 It's nice. 211 00:10:11,444 --> 00:10:14,247 It's got a nice white bloom in the springtime. 212 00:10:14,247 --> 00:10:17,050 The harvest can be cold pressed with the leaves -- 213 00:10:17,050 --> 00:10:18,051 >> Okay. 214 00:10:18,051 --> 00:10:19,052 >> Bark. 215 00:10:19,052 --> 00:10:22,422 You can also make, like, poultice, 216 00:10:22,422 --> 00:10:25,859 which is taking the leaves and actually putting them directly 217 00:10:25,859 --> 00:10:26,860 on -- 218 00:10:26,860 --> 00:10:27,861 >> Right. 219 00:10:27,861 --> 00:10:30,096 >> -- problem areas in your hair. 220 00:10:30,096 --> 00:10:30,997 Those kind of things. 221 00:10:30,997 --> 00:10:34,100 Or how it's commercially available is distilled, 222 00:10:34,100 --> 00:10:35,835 which is a little more complicated. 223 00:10:35,835 --> 00:10:36,936 >> Right, right. 224 00:10:36,936 --> 00:10:38,938 >> A little more for the home gardener, but it can be done. 225 00:10:38,938 --> 00:10:39,739 >> Yeah. 226 00:10:39,739 --> 00:10:41,241 Well, anyway, it's a beautiful plant. 227 00:10:41,241 --> 00:10:43,476 I knew they were from the tropics but I didn't know they 228 00:10:43,476 --> 00:10:44,611 would grow in Austin. 229 00:10:44,611 --> 00:10:46,813 >> It does magnificent here. 230 00:10:46,813 --> 00:10:51,851 In fact it, you know, it's supposed to be sort of a desert 231 00:10:51,851 --> 00:10:52,519 shrub. 232 00:10:52,519 --> 00:10:53,720 I mean, that's kind of what it is. 233 00:10:53,720 --> 00:10:54,687 >> Okay. 234 00:10:54,687 --> 00:10:58,024 >> But it can take just about everything Austin has including 235 00:10:58,024 --> 00:11:01,461 rain, cold, so it's a champion. 236 00:11:01,461 --> 00:11:04,330 >> Well, right next to it is ginkgo, which is, again, 237 00:11:04,330 --> 00:11:08,401 a botanical that is used medicinally or herbally 238 00:11:08,401 --> 00:11:11,704 worldwide. 239 00:11:11,704 --> 00:11:13,673 And these are beautiful trees. 240 00:11:13,673 --> 00:11:15,742 There's some beautiful old specimens that can go around 241 00:11:15,742 --> 00:11:16,376 Austin too. 242 00:11:16,376 --> 00:11:21,381 >> Yeah, especially on campus there are a few really old 50, 243 00:11:21,381 --> 00:11:22,649 60-year-old ginkgos. 244 00:11:22,649 --> 00:11:26,252 There's also a few in the botanical gardens. 245 00:11:26,252 --> 00:11:30,356 But, you know, it's kind of -- it's got a bad, sort of bad rap, 246 00:11:30,356 --> 00:11:35,161 I guess you would say, just because of the male/female. 247 00:11:35,161 --> 00:11:37,931 One of those, I believe it's the female -- 248 00:11:37,931 --> 00:11:39,666 >> Female, the fruit. 249 00:11:39,666 --> 00:11:42,669 >> -- puts out massive amounts of fruit that can be messy. 250 00:11:42,669 --> 00:11:43,670 >> Right. 251 00:11:43,670 --> 00:11:46,973 >> Kind of like pecans and all of the other natives that we 252 00:11:46,973 --> 00:11:48,174 grow around here. 253 00:11:48,174 --> 00:11:48,608 >> Right. 254 00:11:48,608 --> 00:11:51,945 >> That just, I guess, maybe it has a little more smell to it. 255 00:11:51,945 --> 00:11:54,380 >> It's malodorous, to put it politely. 256 00:11:54,380 --> 00:11:55,181 [Laughter]. 257 00:11:55,181 --> 00:11:57,183 >> I've never actually smelled it, so I don't know. 258 00:11:57,183 --> 00:11:59,485 >> I come from the northeast and there was a female ginkgo in our 259 00:11:59,485 --> 00:12:00,486 neighborhood, yeah. 260 00:12:00,486 --> 00:12:01,554 >> Everyone knew about it. 261 00:12:01,554 --> 00:12:02,555 >> Yes. 262 00:12:02,555 --> 00:12:04,557 >> Well, the leaves are medicinal. 263 00:12:04,557 --> 00:12:05,558 >> Right. 264 00:12:05,558 --> 00:12:07,560 >> You know, it's a great plant. 265 00:12:07,560 --> 00:12:09,562 If you've ever dabbled in Chinese medicinal herbs, 266 00:12:09,562 --> 00:12:12,165 it's one of the main plants. 267 00:12:12,165 --> 00:12:13,166 >> Right. 268 00:12:13,166 --> 00:12:15,301 Well, and beautiful color. 269 00:12:15,301 --> 00:12:16,302 Stunning color. 270 00:12:16,302 --> 00:12:17,303 >> Yes. 271 00:12:17,303 --> 00:12:18,304 And it does great here. 272 00:12:18,304 --> 00:12:20,540 As we said, there's some specimens around town, 273 00:12:20,540 --> 00:12:21,608 if you look for them, so. 274 00:12:21,608 --> 00:12:25,678 >> Now you also brought in this grouping some Canna lilies. 275 00:12:25,678 --> 00:12:28,715 And I was thinking Canna? 276 00:12:28,715 --> 00:12:29,248 Edible? 277 00:12:29,248 --> 00:12:29,882 Botanical? 278 00:12:29,882 --> 00:12:31,618 What's going on with the Canna lilies? 279 00:12:31,618 --> 00:12:36,656 >> Well, it's a Canna from South America. 280 00:12:36,656 --> 00:12:38,524 Last time I was here I brought some other South American 281 00:12:38,524 --> 00:12:39,492 tubers. 282 00:12:39,492 --> 00:12:42,729 This also is a root tuber. 283 00:12:42,729 --> 00:12:45,832 The leaves on this one are also edible. 284 00:12:45,832 --> 00:12:51,004 It's called Canna edulis, which we -- likely is because of the 285 00:12:51,004 --> 00:12:53,439 edibility of the entire plant. 286 00:12:53,439 --> 00:12:57,310 It's been used for thousands of years in South America. 287 00:12:57,310 --> 00:12:59,012 >> Well, I love Canna lilies. 288 00:12:59,012 --> 00:13:02,382 They're easy to grow, full sun, grow rapidly. 289 00:13:02,382 --> 00:13:05,184 You know, almost pest-free. 290 00:13:05,184 --> 00:13:06,552 All the good stuff, right? 291 00:13:06,552 --> 00:13:08,454 >> And it's very ornamental. 292 00:13:08,454 --> 00:13:13,126 It has a very similar bloom to ones that your grandmother grew. 293 00:13:13,126 --> 00:13:14,927 >> Right. 294 00:13:14,927 --> 00:13:15,762 >> So it's a nice one. 295 00:13:15,762 --> 00:13:16,796 >> Your grandma's Canna. 296 00:13:16,796 --> 00:13:17,997 All right. 297 00:13:17,997 --> 00:13:19,599 Well, grandma never ate Cannas. 298 00:13:19,599 --> 00:13:21,200 >> She didn't, right. 299 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:24,303 That would be shocking if you could do that. 300 00:13:24,303 --> 00:13:28,808 >> Well, you also, speaking of edibles and plants for -- I 301 00:13:28,808 --> 00:13:31,611 mentioned garden visitors. 302 00:13:31,611 --> 00:13:33,112 You brought some butterfly plants, 303 00:13:33,112 --> 00:13:35,014 including some of the native milkweeds. 304 00:13:35,014 --> 00:13:37,350 We're going to start by talking about Frostweed though, 305 00:13:37,350 --> 00:13:39,285 which is a fantastic butterfly plant. 306 00:13:39,285 --> 00:13:40,453 >> It is. 307 00:13:40,453 --> 00:13:45,425 And we brought Frostweed specifically for the monarch 308 00:13:45,425 --> 00:13:46,626 migration. 309 00:13:46,626 --> 00:13:47,593 >> Right. 310 00:13:47,593 --> 00:13:50,963 >> And more specifically the fall migration. 311 00:13:50,963 --> 00:13:53,666 You know, it's important to feed the butterflies with the 312 00:13:53,666 --> 00:13:55,568 milkweeds or the caterpillars with the milkweeds. 313 00:13:55,568 --> 00:13:56,636 >> Right. 314 00:13:56,636 --> 00:14:00,039 >> But what's also important is to keep them going and this is a 315 00:14:00,039 --> 00:14:01,941 plant that does it with the nectar. 316 00:14:01,941 --> 00:14:03,209 >> Right. 317 00:14:03,209 --> 00:14:07,680 And this, mass volumes of blooms in the fall in time for the 318 00:14:07,680 --> 00:14:08,381 butterfly migration. 319 00:14:08,381 --> 00:14:09,415 >> Exactly. 320 00:14:09,415 --> 00:14:10,049 Yes. 321 00:14:10,049 --> 00:14:11,617 And they're beautiful. 322 00:14:11,617 --> 00:14:14,320 You could put it in a perennial bed, you know, 323 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:16,723 where you're growing other natives. 324 00:14:16,723 --> 00:14:19,192 Sort of a wild garden plant. 325 00:14:19,192 --> 00:14:21,160 >> It's kind of a rambunctious plant, right? 326 00:14:21,160 --> 00:14:24,564 >> It can -- you know, we let it go to seed in some of our pots 327 00:14:24,564 --> 00:14:28,134 and every single perennial's got a Frostweed growing with it, 328 00:14:28,134 --> 00:14:29,268 which for us is not a bad thing but -- 329 00:14:29,268 --> 00:14:29,836 >> Right. 330 00:14:29,836 --> 00:14:31,237 Right. 331 00:14:31,237 --> 00:14:34,907 Well, you know, there's a place for those kinds of aggressive 332 00:14:34,907 --> 00:14:35,575 plants. 333 00:14:35,575 --> 00:14:36,275 >> Yes, exactly. 334 00:14:36,275 --> 00:14:42,448 You donate an area in your garden that is the wild side of 335 00:14:42,448 --> 00:14:43,750 Austin. 336 00:14:43,750 --> 00:14:45,685 >> I think that's important for every garden. 337 00:14:45,685 --> 00:14:46,419 >> Sure. 338 00:14:46,419 --> 00:14:48,721 >> You also have a small Maximilian sunflower plant 339 00:14:48,721 --> 00:14:51,390 there, which everybody knows in Texas. 340 00:14:51,390 --> 00:14:54,160 Those big, tall spikes in the fall with the gorgeous 341 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:55,595 sunflowers on them. 342 00:14:55,595 --> 00:14:56,462 Man, they're amazing. 343 00:14:56,462 --> 00:14:57,196 >> They are. 344 00:14:57,196 --> 00:14:58,865 Everybody knows them but for some reason you can never 345 00:14:58,865 --> 00:15:00,199 actually buy one. 346 00:15:00,199 --> 00:15:03,302 So this year we're going to be offering those. 347 00:15:03,302 --> 00:15:06,038 When you see the yellow Maximilian sunflower blooming, 348 00:15:06,038 --> 00:15:08,875 you know, there's a resource. 349 00:15:08,875 --> 00:15:10,877 >> Yeah, that's a great resource for the butterflies for sure. 350 00:15:10,877 --> 00:15:11,511 >> Exactly. 351 00:15:11,511 --> 00:15:13,513 >> And everybody's been talking about milkweeds, 352 00:15:13,513 --> 00:15:15,515 planting milkweeds for the monarchs. 353 00:15:15,515 --> 00:15:18,951 There are lots of different form of milkweed but the ones native 354 00:15:18,951 --> 00:15:24,791 here are often called, like, Snow on the Mountain or antelope 355 00:15:24,791 --> 00:15:26,259 horns or things like that. 356 00:15:26,259 --> 00:15:27,593 And you brought antelope horns. 357 00:15:27,593 --> 00:15:33,633 >> Yes, so we grow two of the most common native milkweeds, 358 00:15:33,633 --> 00:15:36,469 antelope horn and green antelope horn. 359 00:15:36,469 --> 00:15:38,304 Today we brought green antelope horn. 360 00:15:38,304 --> 00:15:39,138 >> Okay. 361 00:15:39,138 --> 00:15:42,375 >> They're almost indistinguishable by the bloom 362 00:15:42,375 --> 00:15:46,212 and it is the sole food source for the caterpillar of the 363 00:15:46,212 --> 00:15:48,548 monarch. 364 00:15:48,548 --> 00:15:52,084 >> So if you want -- if you really want to feed the larva. 365 00:15:52,084 --> 00:15:53,619 >> Yes. 366 00:15:53,619 --> 00:15:58,090 And this plant is very hard to find. 367 00:15:58,090 --> 00:15:59,459 >> Very, very hard to find, right. 368 00:15:59,459 --> 00:16:03,896 >> We have thousands of them and we'll be moving them at the 369 00:16:03,896 --> 00:16:07,466 Natural Gardener is where we will be selling those. 370 00:16:07,466 --> 00:16:08,868 >> They're very striking plants, I think. 371 00:16:08,868 --> 00:16:09,769 >> They are. 372 00:16:09,769 --> 00:16:10,436 They're beautiful. 373 00:16:10,436 --> 00:16:15,675 The blooms are -- not only is the plant a foliage plant for 374 00:16:15,675 --> 00:16:18,711 the butterfly, it's also -- they get nectar from the blooms. 375 00:16:18,711 --> 00:16:19,545 >> Right. 376 00:16:19,545 --> 00:16:25,184 >> So there's the viridis, the green antelope horn and also the 377 00:16:25,184 --> 00:16:25,618 antelope horn. 378 00:16:25,618 --> 00:16:27,820 And we'll have both of those. 379 00:16:27,820 --> 00:16:30,523 >> We have, of course, some nectar plants for the monarchs 380 00:16:30,523 --> 00:16:33,626 as well, Salvia farinacea and Gulf Penstemon. 381 00:16:33,626 --> 00:16:34,627 >> Yep. 382 00:16:34,627 --> 00:16:36,996 And these are also nectar plants, like you said, 383 00:16:36,996 --> 00:16:41,767 for more specifically for the spring migration of the monarch. 384 00:16:41,767 --> 00:16:47,073 Again, they need -- they come in the spring. 385 00:16:47,073 --> 00:16:50,843 In fact, they left, I think the date was March 28th they left 386 00:16:50,843 --> 00:16:51,844 Mexico. 387 00:16:51,844 --> 00:16:52,845 >> Oh, really? 388 00:16:52,845 --> 00:16:57,116 >> Yeah, which was a later -- you know, 389 00:16:57,116 --> 00:17:01,254 it's later migration than normal because of the cooler winter. 390 00:17:01,254 --> 00:17:02,655 >> Yeah. 391 00:17:02,655 --> 00:17:06,058 >> So they should be in Austin now. 392 00:17:06,058 --> 00:17:06,926 >> They're on their way. 393 00:17:06,926 --> 00:17:08,527 They're winging through. 394 00:17:08,527 --> 00:17:09,295 >> Exactly. 395 00:17:09,295 --> 00:17:10,196 >> Right. 396 00:17:10,196 --> 00:17:11,397 Well, those are great plants. 397 00:17:11,397 --> 00:17:14,700 I love both the Gulf Penstemon and the Salvia farinacea. 398 00:17:14,700 --> 00:17:15,735 >> Yes. 399 00:17:15,735 --> 00:17:17,503 >> There's some other cool things that you brought. 400 00:17:17,503 --> 00:17:20,439 Let's start by talking about this one. 401 00:17:20,439 --> 00:17:22,308 And you told me the name. 402 00:17:22,308 --> 00:17:23,476 Aztec spinach. 403 00:17:23,476 --> 00:17:24,610 >> Yes. 404 00:17:24,610 --> 00:17:26,412 >> So obviously I'm thinking edible here. 405 00:17:26,412 --> 00:17:28,581 >> Yes. 406 00:17:28,581 --> 00:17:33,886 It's in the Chenopodium family, which is in the same family as 407 00:17:33,886 --> 00:17:35,621 lamb's quarters. 408 00:17:35,621 --> 00:17:36,489 >> Okay. 409 00:17:36,489 --> 00:17:38,257 That's what I thought it was, lamb's quarters, right? 410 00:17:38,257 --> 00:17:41,060 >> Yes, which, you know, some gardeners hate, 411 00:17:41,060 --> 00:17:44,864 some don't really know about, and others are, you know, just, 412 00:17:44,864 --> 00:17:47,199 I guess, eat it. 413 00:17:47,199 --> 00:17:50,236 But this would be one and the same family. 414 00:17:50,236 --> 00:17:54,006 Again, another South American staple food. 415 00:17:54,006 --> 00:17:58,611 The leaves are eaten like spinach cooked in a tortilla or 416 00:17:58,611 --> 00:18:00,446 however you can eat it, raw. 417 00:18:00,446 --> 00:18:06,852 But it's sort of our -- we're trying to promote people doing 418 00:18:06,852 --> 00:18:08,154 more than the tomato and the pepper. 419 00:18:08,154 --> 00:18:09,689 >> Sure. 420 00:18:09,689 --> 00:18:11,958 Well, and I'm sure it's packed with minerals and lots of other 421 00:18:11,958 --> 00:18:12,758 good things. 422 00:18:12,758 --> 00:18:13,726 >> Exactly. 423 00:18:13,726 --> 00:18:14,594 Very nutritious. 424 00:18:14,594 --> 00:18:15,494 >> Yeah. 425 00:18:15,494 --> 00:18:17,663 Unfortunately we've run out of time. 426 00:18:17,663 --> 00:18:19,865 We have a lot of other cool plants we could talk about, but 427 00:18:19,865 --> 00:18:22,702 we really appreciate you being a part of the program, Jay. 428 00:18:22,702 --> 00:18:24,704 Thank you so much for being here. 429 00:18:24,704 --> 00:18:25,705 >> Well, thank you, Tom. 430 00:18:25,705 --> 00:18:26,706 And thanks for having us. 431 00:18:26,706 --> 00:18:27,707 We really appreciate it. 432 00:18:27,707 --> 00:18:29,709 >> All right, well happy foraging. 433 00:18:29,709 --> 00:18:30,710 There's lots to forage on here. 434 00:18:30,710 --> 00:18:31,711 >> Yes, definitely. 435 00:18:31,711 --> 00:18:32,712 >> Okay. 436 00:18:32,712 --> 00:18:33,713 All right. 437 00:18:33,713 --> 00:18:36,015 Well, coming up next is our friend Daphne. 438 00:18:36,015 --> 00:18:39,919 [Music]. 439 00:18:39,919 --> 00:18:41,253 >> Hi, I'm Daphne Richards. 440 00:18:41,253 --> 00:18:43,956 Our question this week is on pruning flowering vines. 441 00:18:43,956 --> 00:18:47,126 Kathy Fall, from Moody, sent us these pictures of her lovely 442 00:18:47,126 --> 00:18:51,564 coral honeysuckle, which has been going gang-busters this year. 443 00:18:51,564 --> 00:18:53,065 The vine was a gift from a generous bird, says Kathy, 444 00:18:53,065 --> 00:18:56,736 and she transplanted it to this location on her patio. 445 00:18:56,736 --> 00:18:59,805 Each year the hummingbirds flock to the nectar of its flowers, 446 00:18:59,805 --> 00:19:01,874 and it becomes home to nesting birds, 447 00:19:01,874 --> 00:19:04,210 including cardinals and mockingbirds. 448 00:19:04,210 --> 00:19:07,213 When deciding when to prune, Kathy carefully balances the 449 00:19:07,213 --> 00:19:10,249 needs of the wildlife with her own needs to have a beautiful, 450 00:19:10,249 --> 00:19:12,084 well-kept landscape. 451 00:19:12,084 --> 00:19:14,987 Pruning only lightly, and when absolutely necessary, 452 00:19:14,987 --> 00:19:17,690 Kathy illustrates a great point. 453 00:19:17,690 --> 00:19:21,293 As with most vines, coral honeysuckle does require regular 454 00:19:21,293 --> 00:19:25,231 pruning to keep it in check, but when and how will depend not 455 00:19:25,231 --> 00:19:28,234 only on the plant's growth, but on your personal preferences. 456 00:19:28,234 --> 00:19:32,204 You can either leave the vine shrubby and a bit wild for most 457 00:19:32,204 --> 00:19:35,908 of the growing season, or you can shear it back into shape 458 00:19:35,908 --> 00:19:38,944 regularly to give it a more refined appearance. 459 00:19:38,944 --> 00:19:42,148 It's best to do any hard pruning in the late fall or winter, 460 00:19:42,148 --> 00:19:44,683 once flowering is done and the birds have eaten most of the 461 00:19:44,683 --> 00:19:45,818 berries. 462 00:19:45,818 --> 00:19:48,854 As they move into dormancy, winter is the best time to get 463 00:19:48,854 --> 00:19:52,124 flowering vines back into shape and prepare them for new spring 464 00:19:52,124 --> 00:19:53,726 growth next season. 465 00:19:53,726 --> 00:19:56,395 By their very nature, vines are rampant growers, 466 00:19:56,395 --> 00:19:59,865 so you'll need to stay on top of any errant runners and offshoots 467 00:19:59,865 --> 00:20:01,701 in the early spring. 468 00:20:01,701 --> 00:20:04,203 Just prune those all the way back to the ground if you don't 469 00:20:04,203 --> 00:20:07,873 want your vine taking over any new garden real estate. 470 00:20:07,873 --> 00:20:11,610 Vigorous vining plants such as coral honeysuckle also produce 471 00:20:11,610 --> 00:20:14,413 offshoots all during the summer, so if you want to keep your 472 00:20:14,413 --> 00:20:17,216 vines in bounds, you'll need to make a regular visit to the 473 00:20:17,216 --> 00:20:19,185 garden with your pruning shears. 474 00:20:19,185 --> 00:20:21,987 This is the price we have to pay in exchange for all that 475 00:20:21,987 --> 00:20:25,524 boundless expansion of plants that grow this easily, because, 476 00:20:25,524 --> 00:20:28,294 they'll quickly take over if you don't watch out. 477 00:20:28,294 --> 00:20:32,565 Our plant this week is Almond verbena, Aloysia virgata. 478 00:20:32,565 --> 00:20:36,102 This large, shrubby plant is an absolute must for anyone who 479 00:20:36,102 --> 00:20:38,137 loves fragrance in the garden. 480 00:20:38,137 --> 00:20:41,807 Almond verbena should be planted in full sun or only light shade 481 00:20:41,807 --> 00:20:44,176 and given plenty of room to grow. 482 00:20:44,176 --> 00:20:46,979 This plant does get very tall, usually very quickly. 483 00:20:46,979 --> 00:20:50,549 My experience has been in the range of 10 to 12 feet tall and 484 00:20:50,549 --> 00:20:52,651 about 3 to 4 feet wide. 485 00:20:52,651 --> 00:20:56,122 Listed as hardy to zone 8 in most warm climates, 486 00:20:56,122 --> 00:20:58,124 almond verbena will be deciduous, 487 00:20:58,124 --> 00:20:59,391 especially in mild winters. 488 00:20:59,391 --> 00:21:01,961 But even if it doesn't die back to the ground, 489 00:21:01,961 --> 00:21:04,663 it will perform best if you treat it as you would other 490 00:21:04,663 --> 00:21:07,933 root-hardy perennial shrubs, shearing it back to the ground 491 00:21:07,933 --> 00:21:09,335 in late winter. 492 00:21:09,335 --> 00:21:12,771 This hard pruning forces almond verbena to put on all new 493 00:21:12,771 --> 00:21:16,742 growth, making it fuller, greener, and bushier. 494 00:21:16,742 --> 00:21:20,146 Be sure to plant near a patio or porch to get the full effect of 495 00:21:20,146 --> 00:21:23,949 its strong, but lovely, delicately sweet fragrance. 496 00:21:23,949 --> 00:21:25,951 Almond verbena is a repeat bloomer, 497 00:21:25,951 --> 00:21:28,854 usually from late spring all the way through fall, 498 00:21:28,854 --> 00:21:31,323 maybe taking a break during the hottest time of an extremely 499 00:21:31,323 --> 00:21:32,324 hot, dry summer. 500 00:21:32,324 --> 00:21:35,094 And when in flower, bees, butterflies, 501 00:21:35,094 --> 00:21:38,264 and hummingbirds will be attracted to it like magnets. 502 00:21:38,264 --> 00:21:40,833 A little light pruning in mid-summer can reinvigorate the 503 00:21:40,833 --> 00:21:42,601 plant for fall growth. 504 00:21:42,601 --> 00:21:45,237 Plant almond verbena in a well-drained soil and water 505 00:21:45,237 --> 00:21:46,672 sparingly, but regularly. 506 00:21:46,672 --> 00:21:48,774 Once a week watering should be fine, 507 00:21:48,774 --> 00:21:50,743 and fertilizer is not needed. 508 00:21:50,743 --> 00:21:53,913 Our Viewer picture this week is from Charlotte Trussell near San 509 00:21:53,913 --> 00:21:57,082 Antonio, who's overwhelmed with excitement to have this pair of 510 00:21:57,082 --> 00:21:59,185 beautiful bluebirds nesting in the yard. 511 00:21:59,185 --> 00:22:00,686 Thanks Charlotte! 512 00:22:00,686 --> 00:22:03,389 For timely garden tasks and monthly to-do lists, 513 00:22:03,389 --> 00:22:05,825 and to send us questions and pictures from your garden, 514 00:22:05,825 --> 00:22:09,361 please check out our newly designed website at 515 00:22:09,361 --> 00:22:10,963 klru.org/ctg. 516 00:22:10,963 --> 00:22:12,665 We'd love to hear from you! 517 00:22:12,665 --> 00:22:13,666 >> Thanks, Daphne. 518 00:22:13,666 --> 00:22:16,635 Now, let's check in with John Dromgoole for Backyard Basics. 519 00:22:16,635 --> 00:22:20,139 [Music]. 520 00:22:20,139 --> 00:22:21,373 >> Hello gardening friends. 521 00:22:21,373 --> 00:22:23,609 Welcome to Backyard Basics, I'm John Dromgoole. 522 00:22:23,609 --> 00:22:26,378 So, you want to build the soil, you don't want to buy a 523 00:22:26,378 --> 00:22:27,813 truckload of compost? 524 00:22:27,813 --> 00:22:28,981 It's easy enough to do. 525 00:22:28,981 --> 00:22:31,317 The farmers do this, the organic farmers do this, 526 00:22:31,317 --> 00:22:33,319 and they build their soil with plants. 527 00:22:33,319 --> 00:22:35,754 They grow plants out there specifically to build a healthy 528 00:22:35,754 --> 00:22:36,755 soil. 529 00:22:36,755 --> 00:22:40,025 And, so, some of the plants include buckwheat, 530 00:22:40,025 --> 00:22:41,860 many types of beans and peas. 531 00:22:41,860 --> 00:22:44,763 Here's some peas that we like to use quite a bit out in the 532 00:22:44,763 --> 00:22:45,764 garden. 533 00:22:45,764 --> 00:22:48,334 You know, lots of times we're shutting down for the summer 534 00:22:48,334 --> 00:22:50,936 these days, it's too hot, it's not productive out there, 535 00:22:50,936 --> 00:22:53,706 it's too much water, and so what we want to do is cover the 536 00:22:53,706 --> 00:22:56,175 ground with something called a biomass. 537 00:22:56,175 --> 00:22:59,745 A biomass is the plants that you grow out there and they are just 538 00:22:59,745 --> 00:23:03,816 pure organic matter, and then they cover the soil over time 539 00:23:03,816 --> 00:23:06,018 and then when they break down later on, 540 00:23:06,018 --> 00:23:08,587 when you break them down, you've got some good organic matter to 541 00:23:08,587 --> 00:23:09,588 work in. 542 00:23:09,588 --> 00:23:11,924 But what it most important about some of these legumes is the 543 00:23:11,924 --> 00:23:15,628 fact that they fix nitrogen from the air, lots of nitrogen, 544 00:23:15,628 --> 00:23:18,330 more than you can imagine as a matter a fact. 545 00:23:18,330 --> 00:23:21,267 And one pound of these covers about 1,000 square feet and, 546 00:23:21,267 --> 00:23:23,936 you know, that's not much money at all for these things. 547 00:23:23,936 --> 00:23:26,105 Nurseries carry them, but if you don't find them in a nursery, 548 00:23:26,105 --> 00:23:29,441 you might check out your local organic gardening store or your 549 00:23:29,441 --> 00:23:31,911 favorite food store. 550 00:23:31,911 --> 00:23:33,946 You can find them there in packages. 551 00:23:33,946 --> 00:23:35,514 These are the same things, really. 552 00:23:35,514 --> 00:23:37,883 And so these crops can be put out, 553 00:23:37,883 --> 00:23:40,185 even if you're not going to garden in the spring, 554 00:23:40,185 --> 00:23:42,488 you could go ahead and put them out there as the soil warms up. 555 00:23:42,488 --> 00:23:46,258 You do need a definite warm soil so that they will germinate and 556 00:23:46,258 --> 00:23:47,092 do well. 557 00:23:47,092 --> 00:23:49,428 You can broad cast them, break up the soil a little bit and 558 00:23:49,428 --> 00:23:51,363 just broad cast them out there. 559 00:23:51,363 --> 00:23:53,599 Keep them moist in the beginning, they'll get underway. 560 00:23:53,599 --> 00:23:57,670 And one of the more important things, though, 561 00:23:57,670 --> 00:24:01,006 is that you can inoculate them with a bacteria called 562 00:24:01,006 --> 00:24:04,677 Rhizobium, and this bacteria helps them fix nitrogen even 563 00:24:04,677 --> 00:24:07,413 much more than they were going to do on their own. 564 00:24:07,413 --> 00:24:09,548 And this bacteria will grow along the roots, 565 00:24:09,548 --> 00:24:12,918 and there are so many different types of legumes and different 566 00:24:12,918 --> 00:24:14,453 types of Rhizobium for them. 567 00:24:14,453 --> 00:24:17,856 Read the package, so that you'll know when you're in the garden 568 00:24:17,856 --> 00:24:20,259 center and you're buying a fuel for your garden, 569 00:24:20,259 --> 00:24:21,794 you pick up the Rhizobium. 570 00:24:21,794 --> 00:24:23,128 This little packet that's over there, 571 00:24:23,128 --> 00:24:26,165 somebody that's attending you might recommend it to you and 572 00:24:26,165 --> 00:24:28,834 you'll think maybe they are adding on something extra. 573 00:24:28,834 --> 00:24:30,769 It's a good source of nitrogen. 574 00:24:30,769 --> 00:24:32,905 It's a good way to build a healthy soil. 575 00:24:32,905 --> 00:24:35,841 And the roots go down into the soil and open it up some more. 576 00:24:35,841 --> 00:24:38,043 If you've got a new garden and you want some organic matter 577 00:24:38,043 --> 00:24:40,813 down deep without churning the soil with a tiller or anything, 578 00:24:40,813 --> 00:24:44,049 that root system will go down there and then begin to fix the 579 00:24:44,049 --> 00:24:45,417 nitrogen. 580 00:24:45,417 --> 00:24:47,453 And that's one of the best things that we can do. 581 00:24:47,453 --> 00:24:49,855 And so, and this suppresses weed growth. 582 00:24:49,855 --> 00:24:52,925 If you've got a weed problem out there and you want to get rid of 583 00:24:52,925 --> 00:24:55,928 them, this is a slow process that takes a season or two, 584 00:24:55,928 --> 00:24:57,930 but you'll get rid of those weeds also. 585 00:24:57,930 --> 00:25:01,033 And it improves the ability of the soil to hold more moisture 586 00:25:01,033 --> 00:25:02,034 with that organic matter. 587 00:25:02,034 --> 00:25:05,904 And I'll take a garden fork at the time that it's time to turn 588 00:25:05,904 --> 00:25:08,907 them in, really before it gets to really flowering that much. 589 00:25:08,907 --> 00:25:12,277 You'll get the flowers and then before that's setting seed, 590 00:25:12,277 --> 00:25:14,413 you'll go ahead and start twisting them into the top of 591 00:25:14,413 --> 00:25:15,414 the soil. 592 00:25:15,414 --> 00:25:18,517 Buckwheat's another very good one to add to the garden. 593 00:25:18,517 --> 00:25:20,486 Buckwheat can bring up phosphorous. 594 00:25:20,486 --> 00:25:23,322 While these guys fix nitrogen, the buckwheat gets the 595 00:25:23,322 --> 00:25:24,723 phosphorous in there. 596 00:25:24,723 --> 00:25:26,158 It's a great combination. 597 00:25:26,158 --> 00:25:28,327 And talk about feeding the beneficial insects and the 598 00:25:28,327 --> 00:25:30,729 butterflies, the buckwheat is great at that, 599 00:25:30,729 --> 00:25:33,866 one of the best ones to bring in those beneficials to the garden. 600 00:25:33,866 --> 00:25:36,635 You have to manage it, though, because if it's allowed to go to 601 00:25:36,635 --> 00:25:38,470 seed, it becomes a weed out there. 602 00:25:38,470 --> 00:25:40,806 So you have to take it down before the seeds really get to 603 00:25:40,806 --> 00:25:41,974 form. 604 00:25:41,974 --> 00:25:43,575 So these are a few ideas. 605 00:25:43,575 --> 00:25:46,078 If you've got a small garden or you've got a farm, 606 00:25:46,078 --> 00:25:48,514 this is the appropriate way to build a healthy soil during the 607 00:25:48,514 --> 00:25:50,816 summer months. 608 00:25:50,816 --> 00:25:52,551 For Backyard Basics, I'm John Dromgoole. 609 00:25:52,551 --> 00:25:54,119 I'll see you next time. 610 00:25:54,119 --> 00:25:57,556 >> For lots more tips, to watch online anytime and follow us on 611 00:25:57,556 --> 00:26:00,893 social media, check out our fabulous revamped website at 612 00:26:00,893 --> 00:26:03,896 klru.org/ctg. 613 00:26:03,896 --> 00:26:06,965 Until next week, I'll see you in the garden. 614 00:26:06,965 --> 00:26:31,323 [Music]. 615 00:26:31,323 --> 00:26:34,126 [www.captionsource.com] 616 00:26:34,126 --> 00:26:36,361 >> "Central Texas Gardener" is sponsored by the Austin Area 617 00:26:36,361 --> 00:26:39,064 Garden Center in Zilker Botanical Garden, 618 00:26:39,064 --> 00:26:41,967 home of 31 local garden clubs and the Zilker garden festival. 619 00:26:41,967 --> 00:26:44,136 Zilkergarden.org.