Now you can spot plants that have died silently during the winter

 

Tufted Titmouse

 

Plants that die during the fall and winter, you probably won’t spot this spring. When the weather warms up, they simply won’t put out leaves. No amount of water will bring them back to life. This loss is usually caused by a lack of water in the winter rather than by winter’s temperatures. Plants may be native to this area, or very adaptable, but no plant can live without water. If properly watered, however, our cold-hardy plants make it through the coldest north Texas weather.

During the winter, the portion of all plants above-ground may turn brown and look lifeless. But the roots are still very much alive.  In fact, in Texas (thanks to our mild climate) the roots often grow vigorously all winter.

You’re probably thinking; what exactly is ”properly-watered”? A rough guideline follows, but there’s really no standard answer. It depends on a bunch of variables like the age of the plant, the planting’s location, the type of soil and rainfall we get. Often, the natural rainfall keeps plants alive, but there’s no guarantee. You’re best off, as during the summer, with native plants that thrive in our soil and require minimal water.

Plants need a steady, even level of moisture to keep up the physiological changes that make them able to handle the cold. I’m not saying anything remotely close to “the more water the better”. The rule of thumb is to water plants thoroughly once every 2 to 3 weeks through the fall and winter months. If there’s a good rain, count it as a “watering”.  Often, no artificial watering is what a plant needs.   When you have to water by sprinkler, make it brief to prevent wasteful run-off. About mid-February, resume your regular watering schedule.

Plants are busy producing high concentrations of dissolved sugars, amino acids and other soluble organic molecules to stay resilient. Water is essential for these processes to occur. This may seem like an unnecessarily detailed explanation, so all we really need to know is that regular watering in winter is one way to assure that roots won't dry out and can weather the cold.

For those of us who have planted young plants or bulbs this past fall, it is essential that we keep them well watered when the winter weather is dry. Prolonged dryness from fall through late winter will result in slow growth and a poor showing of flowers in the spring. A 2 to 3 inch layer of mulch helps immensely, acting sort of like insulation. (I simply use brown, shredded leaves which are, of course, free). All living things need water year-‘round. If we didn't get regular rains in the winter, you may be seeing the results now.

 

OWEN YOST, in addition to being a blogger, is a licensed Landscape Architect emeritus who has lived and worked in north Texas for over 30 years. He is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award of the Native Plant Society of Texas, and is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), International Federation of Landscape Architects, National Wildlife Federation and the Audubon Society. His office is at Yost87@charter.net in Denton.

Was that bird raised in a cage? Really?

 

In many countries, including this one, it’s illegal to capture and sell wild birds. Unfortunately, poor countries (often where birds live) don’t have the means to enforce this.  So birds, like parrots and buntings, are smuggled illegally. Roughly 80% of smuggled birds die in transit. About 1,000 bird species are now in danger of extinction due to illegal capturing and smuggling.

 

 

OWEN YOST, in addition to being a blogger, is a licensed Landscape Architect emeritus who has lived and worked in north Texas for over 30 years. He is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award of the Native Plant Society of Texas, and is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), International Federation of Landscape Architects, National Wildlife Federation and the Audubon Society. His office is at Yost87@charter.net in Denton.

Should we eradicate millions more bees? Or should we let them pollinate?

no bees, no plants, no food

When you put plants into your landscape, you want to feel the sun warm your skin, smell the fresh earth as you dig, and listen to the birds making their sounds of spring.

Yet more and more gardeners -- as well as farmers, birdwatchers, beekeepers, food-lovers and others -- know something is missing: Nature's natural pollinators are dying off in massive numbers.  What happens if bees disappear? It's simple: No bees, no food.  We rely on bees to pollinate everything from alfalfa to strawberries, from almonds to the hay used to feed dairy cows. Plus plants (directly or indirectly) provide food for millions and millions of birds. Plants provide protective cover and nesting sites too.  Yet the EPA is seriously considering approval of additional bee-killing pesticides that are 6,000 times more toxic than DDT. How bad are they?

 

Just one example: After a nearby farm planted corn seeds coated with these pesticides in 2013, a farmer named Dave Schuit lost 37 million of his bees. "Once the corn started to get planted our bees died by the millions," said Schuit.

This shouldn't happen to our food supply. Tell the EPA to back off.

 

 

OWEN YOST, in addition to being a blogger, is a licensed Landscape Architect emeritus who has lived and worked in north Texas for over 30 years. He is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award of the Native Plant Society of Texas, and is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), International Federation of Landscape Architects, National Wildlife Federation and the Audubon Society. His office is at Yost87@charter.net in Denton.

Robins don’t like our lawns

 

American Robin

A bird that lives here in north Texas 12-months of the year is the American Robin.  Like almost all birds, they’re very territorial. They want territories where they can get shelter, find food (to feed themselves and their offspring), find water, with places to hide from predators without a lot of hassle. But a large lawn (a perfect "hunting ground" for hungry hawks etc.) will frequently go unclaimed. Nor does a lawn have many bugs - food for many birds; nor does it have shelter. 

 

 

“Don’t throw that away!”       One thing Hummingbirds look for when selecting a nesting site are lichens, which they use to cover their nests.  Lichens, a kind of fungus, grow naturally on decomposing branches. It’s not hard to find some of this wood on the ground, after a storm.  Just pick them up and lay them around your yard.

 

 

OWEN YOST, in addition to being a blogger, is a licensed Landscape Architect emeritus who has lived and worked in north Texas for over 30 years. He is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award of the Native Plant Society of Texas, and is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), International Federation of Landscape Architects, National Wildlife Federation and the Audubon Society. His office is at Yost87@charter.net in Denton

 

There’s not a lot of difference, unless you’re a bird

Tree Swallows

The term “nest box”, is sometimes used as being synonymous with the term “birdhouse”. But they aren’t exactly the same.  The meanings can overlap, but birds use nest boxes only for seasonal nesting, mainly in the spring…hence “nest box”.  A “birdhouse” is usually more decorative than functional, and few birds actually make a permanent home in one.  They’re shelter from bad weather or eye-candy mostly. (A friend of mine built a miniature replica of the White House that sparked conversion and admiration, but attracted no birds) Build or buy whatever you like, and call it whatever you want. But whatever you call them, there’s a huge variety available from good birding supply stores that address birds’ needs (not the homeowner’s) and are sized for north Texas’ birds.

 

 

what's a lethal chemical to birds?       How much insecticide or herbicide will kill a bird?  Unfortunately, this sort of research is almost nonexistent. We do know that chocolate is potentially lethal to dogs and avocados will kill parrots, so there’s very likely some things out there that are poisonous to wild birds. The species and size matters. But lacking thorough research, I’d rather be safe than sorry. I simply ask myself if the birds would do this for themselves.  If the answer is “no”, or if there is a realistic uncertainty, I simply don’t do it. 

 

 

OWEN YOST, in addition to being a blogger, is a licensed Landscape Architect emeritus who has lived and worked in north Texas for over 30 years. He is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award of the Native Plant Society of Texas, and is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), International Federation of Landscape Architects, National Wildlife Federation and the Audubon Society. His office is at Yost87@charter.net in Denton.

You know what the end of March means, don't you?

 

It’s near the end of March so -THE HUMMINGBIRDS ARE BACK!  If you have not put out your feeders, you need to do so in the next day or so since they’re famished, and most nectar-laden flowers aren’t blooming yet. North Texas will host a number of Hummingbirds in the next several weeks. Two or three pairs may establish nesting territories in your yard or the immediate area. The rest will have to find territories elsewhere, or continue moving north. Almost every Hummingbird will pass through “the south”, and the majority (after resting up) will keep travelling northward to Vermont, Ohio, Missouri, North Dakota or... The result will be a tapering of numbers here, and it will seem like they are actually leaving your feeders, except for a few that hang around. The ones that nest here will stay all summer.

Even when the numbers at your feeders drop, it is imperative that feeders be kept clean and that they be

cleaned at every refill. Otherwise, a fungus will develop in the feeder, aggravated by the Texas heat, that grows on the tongues of the Hummingbirds, making them sick.

Next will be late September and October, when fall migration begins. We again will have large numbers in everyone's backyard. They will stop over to rest and replenish energy supplies for their return migration flight to central and South America. (There are absolutely NO Hummingbirds in the other hemisphere; Europe, Africa, Asia etc. -  only the Americas)

 

 

 

OWEN YOST, in addition to being a blogger, is a licensed Landscape Architect emeritus who has lived and worked in north Texas for over 30 years. He is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award of the Native Plant Society of Texas, and is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), International Federation of Landscape Architects, National Wildlife Federation and the Audubon Society. His office is at Yost87@charter.net in Denton.

Any day now hungry Hummingbirds will arrive in north Texas

 

   

The Hummingbirds should be arriving in north Texas about now. And they'll be tired and hungry after their migration. Last Tuesday they were just south of us, but rain may be slowing them down a bit.  My favorite web site to keep track of their arrivals (and where) is the migration maps at www.hummingbirds.net

 I hope you aren’t one of those people who wait to put up a Hummingbird feeder until you see a Hummingbird. Just think about how illogical that is!

 

 

Looks matter to Barn Swallows       Research has found that even after Barn Swallows have paired up for the season, females constantly judge their mates by their looks, in particular by the reddish color of the males’ breast and belly feathers. Females that paired with males with paler (less desireable) feathers were more likely to secretly copulate with another male.
        Cornell’s Laboratory of Ornithology also found that females paired to males with the reddest feathers cheated less. As a result, those males fathered a greater proportion of

Barn Swallow

young. Cornell speculates that the intensity of the reddish color is an indicator of the male’s health and ability to raise young - key to the evolution of the species over the generations.

 

 

OWEN YOST, in addition to being a blogger, is a licensed Landscape Architect emeritus who has lived and worked in north Texas for over 30 years. He is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award of the Native Plant Society of Texas, and is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), International Federation of Landscape Architects, National Wildlife Federation and the Audubon Society. His office is at Yost87@charter.net in Denton.