Ten Tips for Landscaping in Cordillera Ranch
Welcome autumn breezes, unpredictable winter freezes, the abundance of spring, and the inevitable scorching heat of summer…these are all part of gardening in the Texas Hill Country. In the great outdoors of Cordillera Ranch, landscaping is more than gardening; it requires time, patience, and an effective and comprehensive plan of property management. Here are ten tips you may find to be helpful as you go about your landscape planning and gardening activities:
Avoid unnecessary clear-cutting and removal of plants and habitat. Identify the plant species that you already have on your lot. The Cordillera Nature Club members can help you with this process. We have some knowledge of the native hill country flora and fauna and can give recommendations for nurseries, guidebooks and landscapers. The founders and management of Cordillera have promoted the ideals of preserving the natural beauty of the ranch. These ideals are evident throughout our community as a successful example for the rest of us.
Oak wilt is present in Kendall County. Both live oaks and red oaks are susceptible to oak wilt or oak decline. Most live and red oak trees should not be pruned unless necessary for safety and construction purposes. Avoid pruning between January and June. Paint pruning cuts and wounds immediately. Avoid piling up wood underneath or against oak trees and make certain that any firewood you buy does not come from diseased trees.
We have many very old trees that have lived happily for years without human intervention. Some live oaks in this area are of the species called escarpment live oaks and naturally have low-hanging, long limbs. Extensive demossing and shaping of live and red oak trees causes stress on the trees, making them more susceptible to oak wilt or decline, and invasion by insects. An oak tree that has been extensively altered will grow back small branches along its limbs in order to protect itself from sunburn. The removal of trash from underneath an oak tree is helpful and can reveal beautiful canopies and smaller understory trees. However, excessive digging in the soil beneath live oak trees may cause the roots to sucker. Much life goes on underneath an oak tree, and scalping the trees and the soil beneath them disrupts the unique ecosystem that thrives there.
Oak Wilt Information Website:
http://txforestservice.tamu.edu/forest/oakwilt
All of our homeowners must submit a landscape plan. This process is more important than deciding which plants to use. After the master plan is devised and the hardscape elements completed, selecting and installing the plants can be very rewarding. Your neighbors and the Cordillera Nature Club members are good resources for finding good landscape professionals.
Our soils are calcareous, i.e. they contain calcium carbonate and are alkaline with a high pH. You may find limestone, caliche, or blackland prairie soil (black gumbo, or clay type soil). Improving the soil in your planting beds is a realistic goal, but changing the soil characteristics of acres of land is a daunting process. Work with small areas. Amending the clay type of soil is difficult, but can be helped by first watering the soil and allowing the water to soak in. After a day or two, the first few inches of soil can than more easily be tilled and organic matter added. Try not to till the dirt too deeply, because undesirable weed seeds can lie dormant in the soil for years and will germinate when given adequate moisture and soil exposure.
Organic matter is like gold in the hill country landscape. Organic matter can be compost that you purchase or make yourself, well-composted manure, or simply fallen leaves.
When you arrive at the planting stage, visit some of the successful landscapes in Cordillera for ideas on plants that will prosper. The community areas of Cordillera Ranch have excellent and well-maintained examples of native grasses, trees, shrubs, and wildflowers. Ask your neighbor about which plants they have found to survive. Visit the local nurseries in Boerne and Fair Oaks Ranch; local nurseries usually stock plants that are well adapted to our area. Also, check with your neighbors or with the Nature Club for advice on identifying plants that deer in other neighborhoods won’t bother, but deer in Cordillera will eat or attack. The Cordillera Nature Club maintains a list of recommended plants for Cordillera Ranch. Also, any of our members would be pleased to visit your property and make helpful suggestions.
When you a plant a tree, shrub or perennial, add a small amount of organic matter to a planting site and mix it in with the native soil. After the tree is planted, apply a layer of compost to the surface of the soil, and then a layer of mulch. Water in your new specimen with organic root stimulator. You can mist the foliage to enhance the plant’s survival.
Water the next day, and then about every three to five days until the plant becomes established. You can do the first feeding after a few days if the plant does not look too stressed. Use a liquid organic fertilizer. It is usually prudent to mulch all new plants.
Be aware that trees should not be planted too deeply and should not have mulch piled up around the trunks. Some of us feel that trees should not be planted too close to a house for fear of eventual root damage to the foundation, or hazards from fire or windstorms.
We are all dependent on our aquifer, and although the water resource is vast, we cannot be certain that the aquifer can handle whatever we put into it. Our area of the Hill Country is characterized by Karst, which is a porous rock formation that allows water to freely enter the aquifer. Organic fertilizers and organic methods of pest and weed control are always preferable. They may seem difficult and expensive at first, but in the long run these methods will bring much life to your land.
One of the goals of our Nature Club is to promote the organic method of horticulture, and we are all using these techniques successfully. Please contact our members or attend one of our informative meetings for the wealth of information we provide. We can give you suggestions that will quickly improve your ability to water and nourish your landscape without causing undue strain on your back and wallet. Commercial weed and feed products contain atrazine that can kill trees and should not be used. MSMA, a commonly used herbicide, contains arsenic and may cause harm to humans and pets during and after application.
Don’t be afraid to grow vegetables and fruits. Feeding ourselves from our own land is a rewarding task, and brings the benefits of physical exertion and organically grown food.
The wild ones have the endless task of survival and will do whatever it takes to find food. Although a species will not devastate its natural food source, most of our hoofed, scaly, and cunning neighbors do not appreciate our landscape designs. Trees should be caged until they reach sufficient height to avoid grazing from deer. Small trees should be protected until they are of sufficient trunk size to survive a buck attack.
An armadillo family will set up shop nearby any mulched and recently planted area and relentlessly dig up the dirt on a nightly basis. Spraying beneficial nematodes will reduce the grub population and sometimes will keep a persistent armadillo away from the roots.
They are well adapted, save water, and are beautiful. Sow Texas wildflower and native grass seeds. The Cordillera Nature Club Plant List and the Native Plant Society of Texas website www.npsot.org are excellent places to find plant names. The Native American Seed Company www.seedsource.com is an excellent resource for seeds.
Our native plants and wildflowers will come to your landscape in profusion if you do not remove their seedlings and seeds. Try not to remove plants until you can identify them. Birds, butterflies and others are “species-specific”, which means that there are utterly dependent on certain flowers for nectar, food, and a place to lay eggs and rear their young. Keep in mind that your landscape is a habitat. It will bring you joy to see it full of life.
Authors:
Ann and Jimmy Black
Wilt Shaw
Betty Burton
Reviewers:
J.W. Pieper